Soccer Sidelights

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 468, 25 September 1928, Page 11

Soccer Sidelights

PASSING NOTES By PERSEUS.

Vacancies on A.F.A.—Within the past week two well-known members of the management have resigned from the A.F.A. Mr. Alex Fraser, who has withdrawn on the grounds of illhealth, after several 3 r ears on the committee, was formerly the active head of the Harbour Board Club, which had such a wonderful season in 1924. when it went through the winter undefeated, winning the senior championship, Falcon Cup and Chatham Cup. Later Mr. Fraser secured the use of a ground at Takapuna and started a local club there. Much regret has been expressed at the reason for Mr. Fraser's resignation. Another very active member, Mr. T. G. Wilkes,

is leaving Auckland shortly for the South, and his resignation will be handed in tonight. Mr. Wilkes was interested in the game in the Waikato, King Country and Wanganui districts, before arriving here, where he has been the Auckland Referees’ Association

delegate to the A.F.A. and an active member of the entertainment committee. With the season nearing a close the vacancy caused by Mr. Fraser falling out has not been filled.

The Big Financial Drive. —The Queen Carnival for the benefit of the Blandford Park fund is now well under way and going strong in some Soccer circles. Both the leading clubs in the championship, Ponsonby and Trams, are also showing the other senior clubs the way in the big campaign for funds to secure, save and improve Blandford Park for the Soccer code for all time. It was reported on Saturday that the powerful Ponies’ organisation had already passed the century by the sale of 8,000 tokens for the Western Suburb Queen candidate, while the Corporation Club is now hot on its rival’s heels with a vigorous campaign in full swing. It is regrettable that some of the senior clubs are lacking in enthusiasm at present, while some of the junior ones have taken up the idea keenly and with alacrity. The present season has not been a profitable one, and unless all the clubs and their individual members realise the urgent need for establishing Blandford Park on a sound financial basis, the loss of this ideal headquarters will mean disaster for the game. If all the clubs and all the players will pull their weight and do their duty, such a situation will not occur again, and Soccer will be assured of a fine, permanent home and a wonderful asset fgr the years to come.. w

The Luck of the Navy.—The navy’s luck was right out on Saturday when meeting Manurewa in the Dacre Cup knockout. The Philomel lads held the suburbanites to an even game of two goals each until the latter portion of the second spell, when the Manurewans came up with a wet sail and the breeze behind them to pile on five more goals at the rate of knots, and so put paid to the men-o’-warsmen’s account. Manurewa fully deserved its handsome win and now appears to have a great chance of appropriating the trophy. Newmarket, the other finalists, put up a sterling performance in downing the lively Corinthian eleven, and with the redoubtable Craxton in goal against them the outer suburbanites will need to be again in their best shooting form to win.

Popular Soccerites. —Soccer enthusiasts will join heartily with the management in congratulating the popular Ponsonby delegate, Mr. E. V. Roberts, on winning the Auckland provincial amateur billiard championship, and adding these laurels to the greater glory of the Dominion title. “Cock,” as the cheerful Ponsonby veteran is to all his numerous admirers, is one of the old-timers who can still don the blue and black livery and play a hard and fast game with the best of them. His evergreen capacity for seeing out a strenuous match is a splendid example to many far younger players of the art of keeping fit. Mr. Frank Adeane, the hard-working secretary of the A.F.A., is another prominent Soccer enthusiast, who is now in the public eye a 3 the Government candidate for the Auckland West seat. It will be a loss to the code if the luck of the ballot box should call on the popular secretary to spend most of the coming winters in the national talking shop, but Soccerites wish him the best of luck in the strenuous time ahead of him.