FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 141, 12 June 1908, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

11'iIE ADMISSION TO TDK TEST MATCHES. THE N'.Z.li.U. JN EXPLANATION'. Per Tress Association. Wellington, I'hursdav. Mr. dalbraith, the treasurer of 'the New Zealand Rugby Union, has made an explanation regarding tlie 2s ehar»e liy the Union for admission to the tosf matches. The trip of the British team he said, will cost his Union £7OOO, and' to recoup this it will l,e necessary to receive £4OO from cadi of the seventeen matches to he phived in the Domillion. As ,tlw smaller matches will not nearly net that amount the strain practically has to he Iwrne „y the gates in the test matches. As to tlie present financial position of the Union, tlio capital now m hand only Mings suilicient •revenue to meet the Union's working expenses. The Union intends that the | 'British team shall pay its way, hence tl.'e need for the. 2s charge, 'so Ion" as the Union can maintain siillicicnt reserve for working expenses it would he quite .prepared to divide among affiliated unions any profits arising out of the projected tour in Australia. THE ASSOCIATION GAME.

PROPOSED TOl'i: TO ENGLAND. Per Press Association. Wellington, Thursday. A "sower" enthusiast offers, to 'finance a tour of a New Zealand team of 22 players to England to compete in a series of matches with second Ica"ue ! clubs. He will take nil risks and "all Hie gate moneys, paying to the New Zealand Football Association a percentage to be agreed upon of all the profits of the tour. The Association is to have the selection of tlie team and the con trot of the .players. The offer will be considered by the Association next week.

NEW ZEALAND RUGBY UNIONMEETING. Per Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Management Committee of tli» New Zealand Rugby Union to-night approved the appointment of Mr. !■'. Laws as referee in the match between Canterbury and the Anglo-Welshmen on Saturday. The Otago Union notified that the takings at the first, test totalled £I2OO, A .message from Timaru stated hat £320 wa s taken there on Wednesday, when the Britishers met South Canterbury.

ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL. There was u fnir attendance list night at the Town Hall :(• a meeting ronvened in connection witli the encourage inent of the "Soccer" game ill New IMyiimutli. The Mayor, Mr. G. Tisch, presided.

Mr. V. C'olbeck explained that the idea of the promoters of the meeting was to let "all ami sundry'' know tha'i there was Axsoeintioit football played here, this remark applying particularly to newcomers. He traced the history : of the game in New Plymouth during I the past five years. In tar.inaki there j were two teams at llawera. and one | each at Klthaiif, Kaponga, Auroa, Stratford, and New Plymouth, Hie two latter lieing the only two in the northern division. There was every possibility of clubs being formed at Inglewood, Waitara, J!ell lilock, and Westown. Finance had been a difficulty here, and the support of the public in greater incisure was needed. This Association game was a manly sport, worthy of encouragement. One difficulty with the New Plymouth club was tint Stratford was the only chili in tlic northern division with which games could be arranged, but a tour was being arranged for the end of the season.

Mr. Willis said he had ho|ied to see a larger attendance. As mast of his hearers were "Soccer" players, he would not deal so much with rules as with history. The first record of Association football concerned the time of the Romans, where a Dane's head was kiiked about by the Romans. In a vil lage in Cheshire this idea was kept up year after year, on Shrove Tuesday, the whole populace joining in a game, gen«rally on the lines of married v. •ingle, men and women playing side by side. Another theory was that football originated in the old custom of marking out parish -boundaries by kicking a stone around the lmundary. In the mxties this game was made illegal, on account of its danger to the people. In the early days of the game in Cornwall twenty-three combatants were killed in one match. There were no rule* in those days, and authors described it as "vile," "brutal," and in other opprobrious terms. In Richard lI.Vs reign the penalty for playing football in England wa- death, whilst in Scotland heavy lines were inllicted. (lolf, however, was in the same predicament. Right down through English history if was found that people were punished for playing the game, and it was not known whether those prohibitive laws had ever been re|KHiled. The game proper, however, was brought into vogue by the ari-tocracy, through its public schools— Rugby, Eton, and Charter House. Peculiarly enough, this same Rugby school was responsible for the production ol the "Rugby" game, the use of the hands being permissible there by reason of its grass playing field—many schools liad only tlie cloisters or stone-flagged grounds. OlAside play was then termed "sneaking," and was punishable at times by a public ducking. One thing could be claimed for Association: it was the first game of the field. It was often urged here in New Zealand that Rugby took precedence, but as a matter of fact organised "Soccer" started in England in 1803, whilst "Rugby" was first organised in 18u. The Association game Was the game of the public schools, and continued so. Starting with ten clubs, there were now associated three leagues, each having twenty clubs. The idea of cup competitions was introduced iu 1871 by the Rugby players. He combatted the idea that football was purely a professional game at Home. There was a big percentage of professionals, of course, but the amateur side, of the game was not lost sight of. Despite the fact that it cost in some cases from £l2l HI to. £1401) a year to keep smne professional teams together, amateurism was still a strong factor. Professionalism had its good point*, in thiil it put a stop to the reprehensible practice of bribing players by offering them billets to secure their services for a club. He rather favored the idea of offering challenge cups for competition, for it gave something to aim at. Coming to the game itself, he said it was not overloaded with rules, us the Rugby game was. Then, again, there were only eleven players on each side, which was easier for the referee, and ' an easier number to get together than fifteen,, as required for Rugby. Mr Willis tdien went on to give a very clear : explanation of the rules governing the • game. A heartv vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Willi, for his lecture, the Mayor

The u~iiul winpliiin'iit to ilic i-luiir trroiiiiiiU'il Oi« nii'i'tin^. STRATFORD v. XKW PLYMOUTH.

This match was iplayed yesterda; ifteriioon on Standish Hill, and a more even game Tesnltetl lluin what Hip seorc indicates Hi to nil in favor of New Plymouth). New Plymouth won tlic tons. ami plaved Hji the field against ;i light wind. Unfortunately at the start Stratford played only ten men, but later liad the full team. After short ex change* in midlield, New l'lyinout'n broke awav. and a good run by Smart, Cornish, ami Klliott ensued. The Strat- | lord eustodian was well heaten hy Klliott with a line skimmering shot. Some time after |«!a.v was very even, and a lack of steadiness on tin- pari of the Stratford hicks allowed Cornish to _,.,„-, ain. The line defenee of the New- I'lvinouth hacks kept, the play continuallv in their opponents' half, -hist before' half-time one of the forwards handled within the penalty area, anil new I'lvinouth added their third goal. Elliott 'taking the kick. No further score resulted in tne first half. New Plymouth changing over with the svore IS | to 0 in their favor. \fter the resumption New Plymouth «o*t. the hall down in their opponents' quarters, and f«oii augmented their score. Duncan heating the Stratford "oalie, who so far had given a fine display ' Stratford then broke away and kept New Plymouth well on the defensive, ami after several shots a cdiner resulted, which Kagles tStratforil) failed to take advantage of. This relieved the pressure, and Cornish securing, in conjunction with Smart and llullott worked Ui<; ball down the held and beat the ;-oalk«'pcr once more. Stratford again mad lcteriiiiued attack another corner resulting, but this gamed little advantage, as it was directly kicked liehind. Towards the end, Pail lot!, securing th" ball, worked it right down the field, passing the hacks and jroalkeeper. It should lie mentioned that Stratford had a decidedly weak team, only six of the original team who defeated New I'lvinouth on the last occasion participating in the game. A special word

of praise is due to the excellent fight ' louWi, lack of combination was their ll "' t ' l > otherwise no doubt both <ams gave „ « nu exhibition. Owing to | on. New Plymouth goalkeeper infnmging, Stratford had another splen«'<l <.']>portunity ~f scoring, but fluid I t<> take advantage of U,<. free kick. ' he result, ot this match will necessit-.te ttiese two teams meeting a.-ain tl„. winning team to play olf wilhV win"crs of the southern division. Mention should be made .of the verv cllieicnl way the 3-ame was controlled by the referee, Mr. W. y. Willis.