FOOTBALL NOTES.

Shannon News, 11 April 1924, Page 3

FOOTBALL NOTES.

Lust week’s play in the district was chiefly remarkable for the overwhelming defeat off the newly-formed Rovers Seniors by Weraroa. Rovers, as was anticipated, had some difficulty in getting a team together, and when they filed out on to the field, they showed by their lack- of weight, their scratch character. Several of last year’s more prominent juniors were in the. team and whilst the Clulb is to be congratulated on their initia,tive < if is certain that they will have to improve very considerably before they are fit to take a place in senior campetition. ’ The fourth grade match between Weraroa and Levin D.H.S. was a demonstration ol the value of training as opposed to brawn.. The school team avus considerably’- the heavier of the two combinations bu,t showed their lack of training in every department Of the game. It ’is to be regretted ' that, more attention is. not paid to football in the schools of the town. Out of the 80(1 odd children attending these schoojls tihiere should be found material for half a dozen school teams which should be able to hold their own in any competition in their own grade, and ft would appear probable that the boys are not receiving the coaching which should be theirs. Out of the number, of masters on the staff of the school there are surely some whose knowledge of New Zealand’s national game would permit of their acting as coaches_ gild the gain to the school in esprit-de-corps and to football throughout the district 'would be very considerable. A question whieli is causing some concern to junior football clubs at present is the perennial one of classification. Last season several junior teams Avere formed in tlie Union and after a lew games, dropped out of 'the competitions, their members in most stabbing on the line for the remainder of the season. Owing to tiffs., a number of men who Avould inevitably have been classified •in the ordinary course of. events at the end of the season, Avill ayain play junior this season,. and where, as is the case in some instances, half a_ dozen, of. these men join-Mp~ witir one club, adjacent to tlie disbanded one they give, according to popular junior opinion,' an unfair advantage to that club.

That there is something in this contention cannot toe denied, tout junior clubs should remember that ttoe lot of the management committee whose work it is to hold the ibalance even, is not easy. Should such men be classified during the course of the season it is probable that in some instances where a junior club is carrying on with a limited membership, perhaps just sufficient to put a team in the field each week, it may have to drop out of the competitions which it lias trained hard for, owing, to being unable to fill the places of those men. Several instances of this came up last year when the classification was done early in the season and were the cause of the rule being amended to its present form. * Prophesying on the result of the senior competitions before the commencement of the season is a risky business at best, but from indications it would appear as if the honours of the season would follow very closely last, year’s results. Huil Mai''can' be relied on to put a.solid team into the field and are reported to be training haicF for the opening day on Saturday next, which unfortunately most of the other senior teams are omitting

tiiLdo. 11 ui Mui lilts got weight and sul'iiciem "emtnusiasm to take tneir lootball seriously and on present indications should be well in me iuneiign. at the end oi the season. • Oi the local teams, Weraroa shoulo give a much better account oi themselves than was the case last year. By adding Muckeretli, a New Zealand re,p., to their team they not only, secure the services oi a first-class’ foot-, bailer, but a man whose knowledge of the finer points of the game should prove invaluable to the youngei players. Weraroa Is very keen and unless a dry-rot sets in—a thing no. unknown »in football elub.s-tShQUIo a-- good by" the end of tlie season.

Wanderers are something of a dart horse at present, and it is difficult ft say what th£ir prospects are. It would appear probable that they wi] find it difficult to keep their tea.m up to full strength and should Jacob be picked to represent New Zealand in the coming English tour, they may be counted, out of the running. At the Northern end. Shannon is expected to show up well, whilst Foxton may also be counted as a serious competitor.