SOCCER SIDELIGHTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1060, 26 August 1930, Page 13

SOCCER SIDELIGHTS

PASSING NOTES

(By

PERSEUS.

Championship Finals.— Five of the eight senior clubs finished their championship engagements on Saturday, tho only games unplayed now being Trams against Thistle and Onehunga. The results of these two matches cannot affect the top of the ladder positions, but may have a big bearing on tho four bottom teams in deciding the two which may be relegated to B grade next year. Y.M.’s emphatic win in beating Trams pointless still further improved the champion’s position, and makes their title even more clear cut. After the first quarter the Trams faded unexpectedly, and in the second spell tho game was very one-sided. It. is hoped in fairness to Corinthians find Manurewa at the bottom of the list that the transporters will keep going at full strength for their last two games, and it is possible that goal average will be the factor for determining the order of the bottom clubs. Working Out Goal Averages.—ln last night’s Sun tho averages of the four lower clubs were worked out on the method adopted by the English Leagues some back, which was to divide goals “against" into goals “for,” and the club with the highest quotient claimed priority. By this method the averages were: Thistle .. 1.2 Onehunga 777 Corinthians 769 „ Manurewa 555 But ‘YPerseus” is indebted to Mr. Massam, honorary secretary of the A.F.A., for pointing out that a decision of the F.A. London on the English Trophy games in 1927, rules that the average is found by taking the percentage of goals “for” to the total number of goals “for” and “against.”

The F.A. Method. —As the F.A. is the world-controlling body of Soccer, like tho M.C.C. is of cricket, on points of law, its ruling would hold good, although it did not appear to be the practice obtaining in the three English Soccer leagues as late as 1926. Worked out on the method applied by the F.A. in the Auckland-Canterbury dispute, tho present positions of the four equal clubs in the A.F.A. championship would be: Thistle 547 per cent. Onehunga . . .437 per cent. Corinthians .. .379 per cent. Manurewa . . . .357 per cent. So that tho positions are unchanged, but a severe defeat of either Thistle or Onehunga by Trams might alter the order, while a win to either against the transporters would put the winner out of danger on points alone. The Auckland - Canterbury Dispute. —Tho talk of goal averages have revived recollections of tho argument which raged in 1927 when Auckland and Canterbury finished level on points in the F.A. Trophy games. Auckland had scored six goals to three, while Canterbury had scored eight goals to five. The local F.A. claimed the trophy on goal average, while Canterbury claimed that the margin between goals “for” and “against” was the same in both totals —a difference of three for—and considered the two provinces should be joint holders. The matter was ultimately referred to the F.A., London, which awarded tho trophy to Auckland with .66 per cent, of goals scored. Canterbury only averaging .62 per cent, of tho total.

Keen Games for Promotion. —While most of the senior clubs have done with championship games, there is a keen struggle for promotion among the three top clubs in tho B division, where Shore, New Accord, and Philomel are running neck-and-neck for the top positions. Shore and the Accordians had a great go at Devonport last week, and tho tussle ended with honours easy at two all. Both for pace and skill the game was well worthier of a bigger audience. It is understood that if the “Phillies” earn the right to promotion next season they will accept full seniority, as a number of good new players are expected to be attached to tho depot ship at Devonport when the Diomede returns from her refitting in England.

The Referees’ Statement. —The statement of the Referees' Association published on Saturday scarcely meets the points raised by the Judicial Committeo in its controversy with the Control Board, but as an appeal to players to “play to the whistle” it is fully justified. and should be taken up by club officials, who too often encourage players to go looking lor trouble by making uncalled-for remarks about the referee’s rulings from tho sideline. Right or wrong, a referee's de-

cisions on questions of fact must be accepted without more than a simple question, arid players who start comment must accept the consequences. It is galling to see offside given with the referee somewhere in the magic circle, or the severest penalty of the laws awarded for the ball hitting a player on the arm quite by accident. But both players and spectators must grin and bear it, or there can be no discipline, and the game must degenerate.

The Judicial Committee’s Plaint.— But this it not the matter which has been raised by the Judicial Committee. That committee, as its name implies, lias been constituted to inquire into reports against players and others, hear tho evidence, and give its findings. There have, at times, been cases where prominent referees have interpreted the laws of the game wrongly. Have sent players off without caution, when tho law insists on a warning first. In

cases like that the player lias already been wrongfully punished, and a judicial body cannot be expected to continue the blunder. It quite rightly dismisses such cases, and reminds the referee that he has exceeded his powers, and done both the player and his' side an injustice. In other cases it recommends “the punishment to fit the crime,” and if it leans to leniency at times, and tempers the wind to the shorn lamb, it is not a bad failing, as mercy is always more appreciated than severity in reforming offenders, and in times of trial an acquittal is very soothing. The serious aspect of the trouble between the Control Board and the Judicial Committee arises from the board altering the committee’s re-

commendations without hearing the evidence or knowing what happened at the inquiry. The committee naturally resents that reflection on its capacity to judge and recommend, and declines to act if such a practice becomes general. q om«r. n 'pi, a

Senior B Championsmp. —The positions of the clubs are as under: — P. W. L. D. Pts. Shore 14 12 — 2 26 Philomel 15 12 2 1 25 New Accord .... 15 10 1 4 24 BelmoVit 15 8 4 8 10 Rangers 14 6 5 3 15 Tamaki 15 6 6 3 15 Metro-College ..15 4 10 1 0 Newmarket .... 14 S 1ft 1 7 Northcote 14 1 12 l 3 Tech. Old Boys ..15 1 13 1 3