FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 143, 14 July 1909, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

11. G. Sergei, of Eltham, writes as follows:—"Sir,—My attention hasJieon drawn to a paragraph in your Friday's paper somewhat disparaging to the Eltlham Football Club. In the first place, I may say that our match with Clifton, on account of the courtesy shown by our Waitara friends, is postponed and not forfeited. With a fine day it is quite certain the Bayly Memorial Fund will benefit to a much greater extent, so let us hope next Thursday will prove fine and a good game be wit-, pessed. What 1 rea-% want to point out is this', that for Ei.thaiu to play at New Plymouth or Waitara the men must leave at 8 o'clock in the morning; if they miss that train they can't play at all. But teams travelling to Eltham, :'f they fail to go by the early train, can leave at 1 o'clock and still reach Eltham in time for a short game. This season three teams have intimated to us at Eltham that if they must leave by the earlv morning train they would forfeit, which only shows the difficulty other clubs lave also in leaving early in the morniny when 'out of the cup.' And yet, despite the train difficulties', Eltham last season and the season before, all its three teams combined, only iorfeited one match. This is surely a good record, and not deserving of an 'unenviable reputation.' Just imagine men travelling from Mangatoki and further last Thursday. And you couldn't expect emergencies to be at the railway station on the off chance of going on such a day. I think, Sir, if you realise the circumstances in which Eltham is placed, you would not use the term 'unsportsmanlike' to a most deserving lot of young fellows."