The Daily News FRIDAY, MAY 4 THE KICK-OFF.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8101, 4 May 1906, Page 2

The Daily News FRIDAY, MAY 4 THE KICK-OFF.

The football season was opened in Taranaki yesterday, under meteorological conditions that varied according to the locality. As exhibitions of the national pastime, the play, as wus to be expected, was of a mediocre order, but there was not wanting evidence that young New Zealand has not deteriorated in physical vitality and energy. On the whole, however, players showed a willingness to receive. the hardest knocks philosophically, and, so far as we have heard, the general conduct on the field was exemplary. Not so in all cases, however, was that of the spectators. At Stratford, particularly, there were exhibitions, the repetition of which will, if the Union does its duty, bring the Stratford Club officials and the ground into disrepute. If football is to be established in favor with all sections of the community, there must be an entire absence of such disgraceful exhibitions as those which marked the opening of the season at Stratford. i Prolonged howling, hooting and jeering at the referee, and crowding on to the field of play, is not, unfortunately, confined to the Stratford ground, but must, nevertheless, be suppressed. This is a duty that the Rugby Union, in the best interests of the game, must impose on clubs. ' It is only by making a club responsible for the treatment meted out to . players and referees ou its ground ' that this difficulty may be met. In the particular instance under review, ' the conduct of the players was everything that could be deoired, but the officials, with one notable exception, were a negligible quantity. We regret, also, that a discreditable exhibi-

tion should have marked the homeward journey of one of the New Plymouth teams last night. In this case, also, the players were not at fault. Indeed, it seems to us that it is the so-called sport who styles himself a " barracker" who is responsible for most of the uncomplimentary references that have from time to time to be made regarding the conduct of football teams. We are keen lovers and supporters of all manly games, and particularly football, and we shall__ not, if anything we can do will prevent it, allow tho conduct of n few unprincipled lewd fellows to tarnish the reputation of a healthy sport. This being the opening of the season, we are disposed to be charitable, and shall pass over the offence, which was reprehensible in the extreme. Equally as in the case of grounds, however, travelling teams must be held responsible, so far as is possible, for the conduct of club members accompanying them. \Ve see no other way out of the difficulty, with the abatement of which the opposition to football in certain circles would speedily vanish.