SOCCER SIDELIGHTS PASSING NOTES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 710, 9 July 1929, Page 15

SOCCER SIDELIGHTS PASSING NOTES

(By

Perseus) - ♦

Chatham Cup Muddle.—lt is unfortunate that the running of the competition for the national club championship cannot be arranged on some more satisfactory basis than m past years. Never a season passes without some mix-up in the preliminar*' t and all sorts of discussions. This year, with a generous offer toward expen-ei-from the A.F.A.. nearly as many clubs nominated in Auckland as the rest ot the Dominion combined, and yet Auckland is asked to complete its preliminaries at the same date as a province in which only on© or two clubs have entered. It is impossible, almost, to reduce twelve entrants to one local finalist in the time allotted. It would mean taking two nights next week, and, with players engaged for the English Trophy match on the Saturday it seems as though a wasli-ou is likely, unless the other clubs are agreeable to withdraw their entries and leave it to Trams as the outstanding club best fitted to play Auckland s part in the # The English Trophy Challenge.—The chief topic in Soccer circles is the Wellington challenge for the F.A. trophy on July 20. Bot£ teams are now training, and coaching to fit themselves for the first serious lnterprovincial clash. Mr. W. Hicks, the W ellington sole selector and local president, is well known to the Auckland play ers, and he has found the task of selecting a team fit to give Auckland its first beating for the trophy a very difficult job. Like Mr. Neesham, he has but little new blood to rely on; but, like the evergreen Auckland reps., the old-timers of the Empire City are not lasting too well, if the Wellington Soccer scribes are to be believed; but the Southern selector appears to be relying on them for his challengers. Alee Lucas, the old Auckland rep., was said to have saved Wellington from defeat against Canterbury, but he lias been passed over for McV.ean in goal tins ! trip. “Snowy" McGirr will also be ! missed at fullback, where Gibb is ! paired with Jack Guest, who turned j out for North Shore some .seasons ago. I but was recalled to the capital. There is some speculation whether the Hanlon selected is the popular Roger Hanlon who played half for Shore at the same time as Guest, but there is no definite information. J. Campbell is a veteran centre-half, who is past his prime, and Wellington again relies on ' Leslie for the responsible post or j centre-forward. Mr. Hicks’s selection lis sure to arouse hot criticism in the j capital, while Mr. Neeshanv’s elect has ! met with almost unanimous approval, j except that Chalmers’s omission came as a surprise to many. Brown Shield Challenge.—Huntly will be en fete on Saturday when North Auckland journeys down to challenge South Auckland for the Brown Shield. The game has been revived in Whangarei this season, and the Northlanders no longer have to rely on the Hikurangi and Waro miners

for their main support. The Waikato district has had about a record innings with the trophy, which was once the senior one of the Dominion, and no on© will grudge it going to Northland for a change of air. Judging from Hamilton reports the local defenders are not so strong as in former seasons, and the Northerners have a good chance of taking home the shield. Huntly deservedly gets a provincial challenge match played in the mining centre for the first time. The miners in the district round have always been keen supporters of the code, and lavish in their hospitality to visiting clubs on the rare occasions when they journey down from town. The game shoull provide a good contest and attract a good gate from the Waikato area.

Intentional Hands. The lively championship game on Saturday between Ponsonby and Thistle was somewhat marred by the awarding of penalty kicks for intentional handling of the ball, when the occurrences appeared to be purely accidental and inadvertent. except in one case, where the fullback deliberately, wilfully and intentionally punched the ball out as it was passing under the bar. and the attackers wasted the penalty kick which followed, thereby losing a certain goal. The death sentence for handling in the penalty area is too often unjustly given, as rarely will a defender be so foolish as to handle intentionally in the dreaded zone; but it is oftener done successfully by an attacker on the blind side of the referee in a rush to score. The deliberate handling incident raised a nice point as to how far a player is justified in deliberately breaking the laws of the game to prevent a certain score, such as punching the ball out when the goalie is not there. At the other codes such a breach is punished with a penalty try, and the attackers suffer no loss; but in Soccer no penalty goals can be awarded as the ball must pass completely between the postsand under the bar before a goal is scored. A Correction.—ln a reference in this column last week to a belated deci-v sion in the case of Canterbury and Auckland dispute over the English Trophy results in 1927 season, the inference may have been drawn that the blame was due to dilatory methods on the part of the F.A.. London. This is not the case, as through some oversight in Wellington the New ZeaI land Council did not refer the matter to London until March last, and a I prompt reply was received recently rom the veteran secretary. Mr. F. J. Wall. Readers may be interested to learn that Mr. Wall has been secretary to the F.A., London, for 33 consecutive years. The F.A. has just removed to palatial new quarters at 22 Lancaster Gate, because the British Museum needs the old Bloomsbury quarters. To celebrate his long term of service a monster testimonial fund is being organised for Mr. Wall, and circulars sent out to over 42,000 affiliated clubs and associations all over the world.