Auckland League Footballer Retires

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 163, 30 September 1927, Page 11

Auckland League Footballer Retires

“Delly” Decides to Give the Game Best

SIX years as captain of one of the finest club combinations in New Zealand League football —that is the record of F. Delgrosso, well-known Ponsonby player, who is giving the game best at the end of the present season.

DELLY” started his Rugby career at the Marist School in 1911, and as a diminutive youngster in short pants played for the school till 1914. Then he had two years with the Ponsonby Union Rugby Club, being a member of the second grade team which won the championship in both years. Delgrosso was now coming to the front as one of the most promising players in Auckland, and in 1917 he went up to senior grade. Next season, 1818, he went over to the League code, and has worn the familiar blue and black colours of Ponsonby ever since. A RAPID RISE From then on “Delly’s” career was meteoric. In 1919 he gained his Auckland and New Zealand cap, playing for the Dominion against the Englishmen in that year. The greatest event in his career was to captain New Zealand against Eng* land when the All Blacks won the

“ashes.” A couple of great games in the League All Black trials last year gave “Delly" his place in the New Zealand tean: to tour England, another notable distinction for the Ponsonby skipper, while he toured Australia in 1921 with the New Zealand League reps. Until this year Delgrosso had never missed an Auckland rep. team since 1919, and to his credit it has to be said that this year the welfare of the club meant more to Delgrosso than a rep. cap. One of the best utility backs in the Dominion, he went out to the wing position 1.0 fill a vacancy there, and with his customary versatility, held the position admirably, although he did not get the same opportunities to shine as he would in a more congenial role behind the scrum. A good footballer and a fine fellow, both on and off the field, “Delly” will be greatly missed by the fans and his fellow-players, with whom he has always been deservedly popular.