The Association Game

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 31, 29 April 1927, Page 6

The Association Game

IN FULL SWING SOCCER COMPETITIONS ALL GRADES THIS WEEK SATURDAY’S ATTRACTIONS The exciting contests witnessed in the opening soccer games last Saturday promise an eventful season, and on Saturday, with the junior grades and the Secondary Schools opening their season, the round ball code will be in full swing. The big attraction at Blandford Park will be the Tramways v. Navy match. With the Diomede in port, the bluejackets will have a greatly strengthened side, which should give the Corporation men a hard test. Onehunga will be at home to Y.M.C.A., while North Shore meets Northcote at Devonport.

In spite of the wet and warm weather for the opening day, most of the teams showed surprisingly good form for their first try-out, and their physical condition under very trying conditions proved that the majority of the players had taken seriously to training and madje themselves fit. But while there was plenty of good individual effort, there was an absence of team-work, which was only to be expected when many of the players were working together for the first time, and others were being tried out in unusual positions. When they get to know each other and settle down for the season a high standard of club play may be looked for. This emphasises a point too often lost sight of: that is the necessity for a sound knowledge of the theory of attack and defence, which often leads to a combination of medium-class players triumphing over an eleven of brilliant individualists. Sooner or later the side with the combination will get the better of one which slings the ball about recklessly and relies on kick-and-rush or up-and-under tactics. MODERN STRATEGY The effect of the new offside rule introduced last season on changing old-time tactics has not yet been fully appreciated 1. re and at the opening of the season a few points are well worth consideration. Probably the most competent critic of modern Soccer is Ivan Sharp, editor of the "Athletic News,’* and in recent articles he was pointing out a marked feature of the play in both the Cardiff and Arsenal teams which fought out the English Cup final last Saturday at Wembly. That was the “W” formation of the forward line, by means of which the two wing men and the centreforward always keep a well-advanced position, carefully avoiding an offside situation, while the inside right and inside left keep well back with a view to securing the ball, and either feeding their wing man or passing up centre for the enterprising centre-forward to run through. In defence the modern idea is for the wing halves to confine themselves mostly to nursing the op posing wing- forward and leaving the inside man to the centre-half and the full-backs. These ideas have never been exploited here, but they have the support of the brainiest players and critics, who consider them thoroughly sound. A wet evening, when training operations oU' de are impossible, may often be devoted profitably to o blackboard demonstration of positional play and theory of the game, with a friendly korero among the players on the tactics for the next Saturday’s game. SHORTAGE OF REFEREES At the last meeting of the management committee an appeal for help to overcome the shortage of referees was made by the delegate from the Referees’ Association. With the entry of a large number of new clubs and the institution of a new intermediate third grade the need for recruits for the whistling function is becoming a* ite and it will be most unfortunate if games have to be abandoned on account of no referees being available There must be many old players on the bank who are willing to help the game along by assisting in this department. It is very nice to enjoy barracking for one’s fancy, or wondering audibly how the referee would get on if he had to pass an eyesight test, but there is plenty of scope for these en-

thusiasts to have a try themselves More particularly, referees are wanted for the junior games early in the afternoon, and those taking it on can rely on gettir a good hour’s exercise, with the knowledge that they are doing their bit to help the game along. SATURDAY'S GAMES Saturday's games will be full of interest and only good weather conditions are needed to draw big gates to Blandford Park and the suburban grounds. At headquarters Thistle and Ponsonby will provide the curtainraiser, and the management has wisely decided to make an early start by fixing the kick-off for 1.30 p.m. The light was very poor at the close of last Saturday’s big game and the evenings are still closing in. Ponsonby was not at its best last week and only scrambled home by the odd goal after a rather ragged game, but the “Ponies*’ have always been a bit of a surprise packet, and the stronger the opposition the better they play. Thistle undoubtedly has one of the finest teams ever fielded for an Auckland club and the progress of the Scots this year will be closely followed by the public and also their enthusiastic followers with a Doric tang in their “barracking.”

Tramways v. Navy. —The big game will be the meeting of last year’s champions (the Trammies) and the local Naval Depot eleven. The Diomede arrived in port during the week and Navy will be able to field tactically its full strength. Bird, who captained the Navy reps, last year, is a fine centre-half wi'jh plenty of weight and skill, who was very little inferior to Kissock last season, and, with other first-class club men strengthening the team up, the servicemen will make things willing for the green-and black brigade. Onehunga v. Y.M.C.A. —Onehunga will have the advantage of playing on its home ground when the men from the Manukau meet Y.M. at Te Papapa on Saturday and everything points to the prospect of a second victory. At the same time, the Y.M. were quite unable to do themselves justice at Devonport lart week, as four of their best players were unable to turn out at the eleventh hour and the team was so disorganised that it was no disgrace to be beaten by a powerful Shore team on its own ground. Y.M. will field a far stronger eleven on Saturday and the aspirations of the Onehungans will be more severely tested than they were last week, when the new arrivals to senior honours made such a dramatic entry at Northcote’s expense. North Shore v. Northcote. —North Shore at home should have no difficulty, on paper, in disposing of its old rival from the neighbouring marine borough, for Northcote has suffered more than any club this season by the loss of old plaj s and the lack of recruits. Still the “Blues” are not in a mood corresponding with their club colours, but are hopefully at work building up to their old-time strength. Next to Thistle, Shore has the most promising team among the senior clubs; the defence is exceptionally strong and if there is a weakness it is at outside right and centre-forward. Bradshaw and Jay are a fine left wing and Johnny Woolley is filling Dacre’s job in great style. The policy of bringing on its own juniors is providing plenty of reserve* talent to fill any vacancies.