"THE GOOD OLD DAYS.”

Shannon News, 13 April 1926, Page 3

"THE GOOD OLD DAYS.”

EARLY FOOTBALL IN HiOROJWHEiNiUA HOW THE UNION WAS FORMED. The Horowhenua Rugby Union is looked upon as such an institution by the average player in the district that the process of its formation —the small things oiut of which the finished product grew, has probably never received his consideration. Now that things are so well regulated that players and playing are cabined, cribbed, confined by a bristling hedge <oif rules and regulations, so that a player has only to “crack'’ .an opponent in a moment of stress, and presto! he finds himself on the line, and before he knows it, standing a “blast” from the Management Committee; now that things' have j reached this stage, a review of the “good old days” when things were un open welter, may prove of interest. An old scrap-book kept by a local enthusiast from the years 1898 to early in 1900 supplies some interesting information of the formation of the Union, and also throws some light on the journalism of those days.

It may he mentioned that previous to the formation of 'the Union in 1898 the teams within the boundaries of the present Union consisted of the Kia Toa in Otaki, Manakau team at Manakau, Levin, which was formed in that year, and Horowhenua, a Maori team, supported by the Muaupoko tribe on the Lake. Shannon, FOxton .and Waikanae had teams;of sorts. , A second Otaki team “The Rovers” was apparently drawing to the end of its career, as after the proposal to write to the Club re its inclusion in the proposed Union, nothing further is heard of it, except that later it amalgamated with Otaki. The older generation of footballers will naturally remember much of the following and also the men whose names are mentioned hereafter. Unfortunately the scrap-book from which the writer’s information is culled is almost entirely lacking in dates, but a reference to the formation of the Levin Club in 1898, fixes the establishment of the Union in the same year. The first entry under the heading of “Levin Football Club’’ is. as follows:—“A meeting w<a£ held on Saturday evening, Mr B. R. Gardener in the chair. He said the meeting had been called to nominate and elect a captain, and discuss the a'dvisabil ity of, forming a Horowhenua Union. ... The nomination for captain •and deputy-captain were then taken, Mr FTtzherbert being elected captain and Mr Powles depuity-captain.” The secretary was instructed to write to the following clubs to meet- this club and discuss the advisability of forming a Horowhenua Union.—Foxton, Shannon, Manakau, Otaki, Rovers’and Waikanae. Each club to be asked to send two delegates. 'Propos ed by Mr Mclntyre, seconded by Mr Fitzherbert and carried.”

The next entry is in the form of some football notes, written under the “nom-de-plume” of “Nimblefoot": - “The oval is in motion exceptionally early this season, foretelling (I hope) a long list of maitches for 1898. I have learned that a club has been formed in our midst, called the Levin Football GLuib. . . . I also learned that another club is existing in the district called the Horowhenua, and ’twas the latter that rolled up for practice last Saturday afternoon. There being a large number of footballers on the ground—some belonging to the Levin Club—a scratch match was proposed, accepted, and nlayed- Horowhenua v. Levin. O Lor! Wasn’t it a match 1 W. prvin’s “Horrible Battle” is nowhere an comparison. Maoris, half-castes and pakehas, commingled, tugged, panted, and Plowed: the air was rent with yells of fury and shouts of triumph; the effusion of perspiration threatened to drown, and the earth trembled at the insult. ’Twas a strong 23 against a stronger 20, yet the game ended m a draw (a try each). Allen captained the Levin team, and Martin Wimata, the Horowhenua. To remark on the form shown for Horowhenua, Martin, Warena, Toti, Pom, and Amarana, were prominent. For Levin—Allen, Wilson and Fitzherbert.”

The next entry which apparently should have come first is also under the heading of “Levin Football Club. meeting was held at the Levin Hotel on Wednesday evening of those interested, in football matters. Mr I * Ru Gardener was called to the chair. The matter was fully discussed and i on the motion of Mr Mclntyre, seconded by Mr V. mtchings, it was resolved “That a Club be formed tobe called Levin Football Onto.” The ’ meeting elected the following officers: President, Mr P. Bartholomew; vicepresidents, Messrs J. Davies, H. F. Davidson, F. J. Stuckey ings, J. R, McDonald, J. Kebhell. R. Smart, 3. W. Gower, and Dr. Bronte. Mr G. Allen was elected hon. secre tary and Mr W. L. .Fitzherbert hon. treasurer. Mr Fitzherbert proposed' and Mr Wilson seconded, “That the colour© ibe black jersey, black pants, and black stockings.—‘Carried.’’ *

in Mr John Ryder’s paddock, on Saturday, commencing at 3 o’clock. Admission 6d. Ladies free. The Pakehas appear to have won this game through superior tactics, and the next entry is by our former friend “Nimblefoot” which unfortunately does not refer to this match but to a later one at Waikanae. “Nimblefoot” appears to have been a sufferer from “enlarged vocabulary,” and one can sympathise with the sub-edi-tor:— • • . “On Saturday last our brilliant team of Levin reps, journeyed down to Waikanae to play the local Club, and a very friendly and loose game resulted in a win for Levin by 15 points to nil.” This is easy but he then gets going: “On the first reconnaissance the ground appeared rather refrigerant, but on further acquaintance it appeared quite recommendatory. The Levin team'were guilty of great procrastination throughout and sadly want reintegration before again opposing a recalcitrant team, like Manakau; the ibacks especially showed weakness in their receptibility of passes. No one member of either team was particularly refulgent, and before the game was preferimperfect everyone felt a trifle rejuvenescent and consequently a bit weak in the knees. A recapitulation of the game is unnecessary as there was nothing worth noting. It may be said however ip conclusion that the referee did his duty nobly and well and displayed no prevarication, which is an anomaly or penumbra whichever the reader prefers.”

The following expressive editorial foot-note is self explanatory.—“Nimblefoot is a new correspondent whose vocabulary is so high-flown /that our sub-editor went out after punctuating his copy, and has not been seen since.” The Union had now been formed and met regularly at Manakau. The good old' days of the “open slather” were dying and we read that in one of these early meetings, “A player named Harris, reported by the referee for fighting, was suspended from playing for the remainder of the season ” “A spectator (who is' also a player in one of the associated Clubs) was reported for using insulting language to the referee at Manakau during the progress of one of the championship matches. This player is to be warned.” The report goes on to state: “The decided step taken by the delegates in protecting the referee and . putting down rough conduct among the players is to be commended. . . Great excitement was shortly after occasion to the local football fans by the 1898 Cup final between Levin and Manakau. These teams had tied in the final on the preceding Saturday, and on the re-play, the reporter (“Nimblefoot”) certainly spread himself, as the following extracts will show:— “At last Elder claimed possession and obtaining a splendid chance went down the field in great style, passing enemy after enemy. It looked as though the big battleship was going to place the shot in the enemy’s powder magazine.; But like a fast-giodng torpedo boat, Allen got on Eider’s broadside: there was an explosion, and the ground shook as both sank together. Cnies of approval go up from the crowd. The ball is now In touch and half-time sounds, the score standing Levin 3, Manakau 0. Time! The whistle sounds, the teanis change sides and the ball is again in motion. . . , From the line out C. Wilson and Buchanan again become conspicuous, and Allen has the chance of embracing his beloved and flies with, her, but the elopement is spoiled, for the whistle sounds. Allen is (brought back and the form he so lovingly embraced is placed upon the ground. Fourteen heartless ones bend over her and she is kicked and booted heartlessly. . . . Allen again fondles his beloved, but Garruthers is jealous and makes a mad rush at his rival, clutches him round the knees and Allen is grassed, and the ball goes intoi touch. From the line out Elder succeeds in gaining possession. Man after man is passed.' There is only the full-back to pass. Can he pass Kereona, the Apollyon who straddles the path? Kereona is still—he holds the decision of the match in his hands—he is ready; Elder is confident—he rushes on—he tries toi dodge—but Kereona is before him—they meet —there is heard a slight thud, and Elder is in the air. Hurrah 1 Hurrah! W ell played ! is heard all rouhd. The ball is back into touch at half-way—time is nearly up—the crowd get on the barrier —they roar themselves hoarse —there is a pause in the play—the crowd stands back and play is on again. Levin gets a free kick, but it is of little use—Manakau fights now as if for dear life—the play is the fastest seen this season —Manakau has to force—the ball is quickly in play again, but Levin sends it down the field and, into touch between the visitors’ line and the 25 flags—the whistle sounds. Cheers ! Hurrah ! Levin wins the Gup. 3—0.”

Next year the Wanderers team was formed in Levin, the moving spirit being a Mr Williams, at that time licensee of the Levin Hotel. Football in Otaki apparently suffered an eclipse for nothing is seen of the names of the two teams from that place for a couple of seasons. Alter that they were combined into the Raukawa

Club and met with some success. Kuku also put a Club in the field, but latei joined up with Manakau, forming the present Hui Mai team—the name of which means “united.” As is generally known, the Levin and Wanderers teams also combined and became the Levin-Wanderers, the name being later changed to Wanderers.