Football Gossip

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 26, 23 September 1893, Page 9

Football Gossip

[By Umpire.] Our footballers were rather unfortunate as regards weather or their trip up North, but by all accounts they had a merry time, and one and aii .-peak highly of the maimer in which they were entertained in Christchurch and Dunedin, 'they have also left a very favourable impression in Christchurch, both as regards their play and behaviour, the press in all instances praising their gentlemanly bearing in glowing terms, while their play on the whole has called forth the remark that with the exception of a little hesitancy in the play of our backs, we were quite up to best fnterprovincial form. This is indeed gratifying and shows that we are gradually getting into a more interesting style of play. Our forwards proved quite equal k> their opponents and kept up Southland’s name, for there is no doubt Southland could always boast of having good forwards. The backs were better than usual, so a good game .was witnessed when the circumstances were favourable and alsoagainst Otago ; even though the game was played in rain and wind and mud our players showed good form. It seems strange that a powerful union like Otago did not have two balls on the ground. It was not at all conducive to good football to have an important Interpro. fixture played with a ball which had been kicked and knocked about for an hour and a half previously on sloppy ground, and if the ball bad not been so heavy I have no doubt Grenfell would have succeeded better in his kicks at goal, as we all know his place-kicking abilities *under anything like favourable circumstances, and the game may have ended differently to what it did. Mr Cotterill, of Christchurch, was highly thought of as a referee, and the onlookers at Lancaster Park get the well-merited praise of being the best judges of good play, whether done by opponent or by a home man, that our men have ever played to. All the team returned home on Thursday, night, pretty well tired out, but all saying it was the jolliest trip the Maroons have ever been, and all are looking forward to next season, when we will try and make our friends from the North as comfortable as they made “ our boys.” And now, dear boys, adieu for a spell.