Soccer Clubs Getting Ready For Big Year

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 16, 9 April 1927, Page 11

Soccer Clubs Getting Ready For Big Year

VISIT OF CANADIAN TEAM WILL BE FEATURE OF SEASON With King Willow packing up his cricket bag and going for his winter sleep, the soccer football enthusiasts are busy preparing to start a fresh season. There is every indication of a record year ahead with a continuous growth in the progress of the game in Auckland. The annual meeting of the Auckland Football Association was the best attended and most enthusiastic ever held here, and the outgoing management must have been flattered by the confidence show# by the clubs in returning them to office. The new management committee now includes representatives of both the junior committee and the Referees’ Association, a democratic reform which should make impossible the disputes and regrettable incidents which occurred previously. There is every prospect of eight senior clubs being listed for the season’s contests, the Royal Navy and Onehunga being applicants for admission to first division rank. By the time the championship,/knock-outs, and Chatham Cup events have been decided, together with the English trophy contests and the two Canadian games, a very attractive programme will have been filled. THE CANADIAN VISITORS The feature of Dominion soccer this season will be, of course, the visit of the Canadian team, which is due in Auckland next month, but will not be seen in action here until it has toured the Dominion. The Canadians conclude their tour here at the end of July, when they meet the Auckland representatives on the 23rd, and play the final test against New Zealand a week later. The Maple Leaf combination is much stronger than the one which toured Australia so successfully three seasons ago, and the showing of the local combinations should give an index of our standing in the soccer code. It is unfortunate that relations between the New Zealand and Commonwealth Associations have been so strained of recent years, thereby preventing exchange visits with Australia. A more friendly spirit between Australia and here would be to the game’s advantage. THE CHATHAM CUP The competition for this trophy, which decides the club championship of the Dominion by the knock-out process, is likely to fall very fiat this season unless the rules governing the contest are subject to drastic revision. At the present time the most unfortunate thing that can happen to a club, financially, is to find itself in the cup final. The Auckland Harbour Board produced a fine team of players who carried all before • them for one season, and after accounting for all the local contests qualified for the Chatham Cup final. But the financial loss through having to travel South was so severe that the meteoric career of the club lasted but the one season and it never appeared again. Last year the North Shore Club was the North Island winners, but the expense of journeying to Wellington to meet the South Island winners exhausted the club’s funds. Entries for the event this season are likely to be very scanty unless some financial guarantee is assured. ROUND THE CLUBS Most of the local clubs are now in full training for the opening of the season and practice games will be in full swing to-morrow. Tramways.—Last year’s champions will again be a powerful combination and their colours will be hard to lower. The departure of Joe Kissock, the club captain, for America, is a great loss, as he was a tower of strength in any team, and a splendid pivot in the key position at centre-half. Still the “ Tram mi es ” are fortunate i-n having secured Tinkler, the Auckland representative right-half, and the exThistle player should be a capable substitute for Kissock. The rest of last year’s fine team will all be available except that Gordon Dodds is a doubtful starter in the front line. North Shore. —This team was disappointing in the local competitions last year, and showed a phenomenal capacity for playing a draw with the strongest and weakest teams they met. This season they will greatly miss their most conspicuous forward, Ces Dacre, who is with the New Zealand cricketers on the English trip. Dacre’s wing partner, Palmer, has not fully recovered from the crushed foot he suffered in the Chatham Cup contest, and may not be seen out at the start. C.P.O. Baxter has again thrown in his lot with the Shore, but the navy are endeavouring to secure him for the service team, should they be promoted to senior rank. Although the Shore team had the offer of Lucas as a goalie the club has decided to stick to Stewart Lipscombe, who worked his way up from the junior ranks to representative honours. Y.M.C.A.—The Young Men have lost their clever representative custodian, A. Lucas, but have a capable colt in young r*aton, who will defend their citadel. Most of the old members of last year’s eleven are ready for action again. Two new recruits to the Y.M. van are Smith, an ex-Wellington representative at outside-left, and Wurr at centre-forward, who is a new arrival from Scotland, with valuable experience of .the game there. Percy Humphries will take up the inside-right position, and should have a strong claim to representative honours in filling Dacre’s vacant place. Ponsonby.—The “ Ponies ” will field most of last year’s eleven, with Bell, from Northcote, and Booth as additions to the forward line. The Ponsonby juniors were a very strong combination last season, and the seniors should have no difficulty in filling any vacancies with some of their promising youngsters. The black-and-blue brigade are confident of placing a strong team in the field which will uphold the club’s good record. Thistle. —Last year Thistle were the unlucky team in the competitions, and failed to play up to form at critical times; but. this season they should be right in the running for each event. In goal they will have Zoull, who played previously in the Manchester League, and though Tinkler has gone to the trams the club will have Carter in his place at right-half. Carter is a new-comer, who played in the famous Wolverhampton Wanderers team. Kay has definitely decided to remain in his old “ possie ” with Hislop as inside-l£ft, and for centre-forward the club have signed on Roden, a new arrival from Wales, while Cummings at outside-right is a promising young player who learned his soccer in the Scottish Junion League. Northcote. —The All Blues have suffered more than usual by the loss of old players, Woodhall and Marshall having left Auckland, while Sheldon

and Burford are uncertain starters. Galley, of Ponsonby, and Coggan are new arrivals, but Bell will be missed in the front rank. Hankins, Shore, will be in the half-line and other good players are offering. The Junior Aspirants.—Both the Naval Depot team and Onehunga are hopeful of securing senior rank this season, but until the entries are decided some of their players are uncertain. If the navy could have the call on all the service players they would place a formidable combination in action. But at present it appears doubtful what strength they can guarantee with the Dunedin away in England and the Diomede absent from her base. Onehunga is supported by a keen number of enthusiasts, but last year's team would need considerable strengthening to bring it up to senior standard.