Scccer in 1927

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 187, 28 October 1927, Page 11

Scccer in 1927

A REVIEW OF THE SEASON

Progress in Spite of Weather

THE protracted Soccer season for 1927 was finally closed on Saturday at Onehunga when the local team went down to Tramways with colours (and language) flying. So ended a season which will long be remembered as one of the world’s worst in the matter of weather for the weekends. It opened with rain and until the closing games the surfaces were 100 per cent, mud and the standard of play suffered. But despite this drawback the game has made phenomenal progress in its nursery, where the number of players has swelled enormously.

After a couple of matches in the close season between the team of the battleship Renown with the local reps, and the New Zealand Navy, the season proper opened (in wet weather, of course) with eight teams contesting the senior championship. The Royal Navyteam again assumed its major status ancl Onehunga was also promoted to senior rank. Both clubs have fully justified their elevation and although Navy suffered from many players’ intermittent appearances, through absence “on their lawful occasions,” the nucleus of the team at the dock depot kept the White Ensign flying and was never disgraced in their doings. Onehunga was not always consistent in its championship form, but improved toward the end of the season to such an extent as to survive until the final of the Falcon Cup, only to miss possession of the trophy in the concluding knockout by the narrowest of margins. THE SEASON’S RESULTS The following are the results of the 1927 competitions: SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP (Holders of the Senior Cup, Thompson Shield and winners of the president’s gold medals). THISTLE Runners-up: North Shore. CHATHAM CUP (Holders of Cup and winners of N.Z.F.A.’s gold medals). PONSONBY Runners-up: Northern (Dunedin). SECOND DIVISION (Champions and holders of Pascoe Shield). ONEHUNGA Runners-up: Takanini. SECOND DIVISION KNOCKOUT (Holders of Dacre Cup). PONSONBY Runners-up: Birkenhead. THIRD DIVISION (OPEN) Champions: PONSONBY. Knockout Winners: PONSONBY. THIRD DIVISION (INTERMEDIATE) Champions: RANGERS. Knockout Winners: RANGERS. JUNIOR GRADES Fourth Division (Telford Cup holders). Champions: Belmont. Runners-up: Comrades. Knockout Contest (Bouskill Cup) Winners: Y.M.C.A. Runners-up: North Shore. Fifth Division (Championship) Winners: North Shore. Runners-up: Comrades. Knockout Contest (O’Leary Shield) Winners: North Shore. Runners-up: Y.M.C.A. Sixth Division (Championship) Winners: Comrades. Runners-up: Carlton. Knockout Contest (Long Cup) Winners: North Shore. Runners-up: Carlton. Seventh Division (Championship) Winners: Comrades A.

tour against Auckland at Blandford Park were both marred by the sloppy and muddy surface, but attracted record crowds to both grounds and gave the game a great lift. The Canadians proved themselves a hard team to down and by their combination and team work were able to beat the opposing teams, whose. members liad never played together before. On the form shown our visitors did not appear to be as good as the Auckland representative eleven of 1926, but proved themselves a clever and lively combination. THE LOCAL COMPETITIONS In the championship Thistle ran into the lead early in the series and established too great an advantage to be caught again, although in the closing stages the Scots’ hold on the top rung of the championship ladder was a most precarious one. At the same time, on rlr SK

its best form Thistle was superior to the other senior clubs and deserved the position occupied. Shore as runners-up fielded a young- and promising team, but was imfortunate in absence and injury causing vacancies in the eleven which were hard to fill. THE JUNIOR GRADES In the junior competition Onehunga went through the championship without defeat, but were closely followed by Takanini and Birkenhead. The growth of the code in the outlying suburbs from Takanini and Manurewa to Swanson and Glen Eden, and across the harbour is a promising sign for the future of the game, and these wide-