FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 266, 31 March 1911, Page 3

FOOTBALL

THE STAR CLUB. At the annual meeting of the Star Ft...ball C.uo this veiling the following report will be presented by the committee: In presenting the nineteenth annual report the committee, regret that the club was not so successful financially or on the field of play as in previous years. The gates at the senior games showed a great falling off as compared with the previous year, due mainly to the fact that most of the home game:were played in the wet. The senior team played 10 games, winning two, losing seven and drawing one. The team wnved SI points and had 02 scored against it. The first juniors played eight games, winning one and drawing one. This team scored 29 points and had 90 points scored against it. The second juniors played seven games, winning one and losing six. The points in this grade were, for 25, against 83. Reference to the balance-sheet will show that some of the players did not treat the club with much consideration in regard to payment of travelling expenses and insurances. It has been customary foi the club to pay the actual railway fares and also the insurances and to collect the amounts from the players after the games, but after last year's experiences it would be as well to makei each player purchase his own ticket when travelling. With regard to insurances, the committee think it would be a good idea for the club to be its own insurance office. If this were done each player who wished to insure would have to see the secretary before each gaonc and pay up if he wished to become entitled to compensation if an accident happened. Under the present system the secretary has to hunt up the players to collect insurances, ana more often than not he is asked to call another time. With regard to subscriptions the committee have to congratulate the members as no less than £7 15s was collected from playing members. During the season the St. James Football Club from Wellington visited New Plymouth and were defeated by our senior team. The only social function during the past season was a complimentary dinner given to the senior team by Mr. Longstaff, to whom the club's thanks are due. During the evening the club captain, on behalf of the club, made a presentation to Mr. Pike, wlio has for some years past been one of our most prominent players. The committee regret to report that during the past season the health of our energetic secretary made it impossible for him to carry out the secretarial duties, which were performed by Mr. Hill, who received material assistance from Mr. E. Clarke. The club was represented in all the rep. fixtures by Mr. C. Brown, and in the Ranfurly Shield matoh with Auckland by Mr. Hill. With regard to the present season the club hope to put in a. very good senior team provided the Saturday players aTe allowed to play in the Thursday games. Your committee understands that there is at present a movement on foot to affiliate the Saturday clubs with the Union, and if this is done it will probably mean that the Saturday players will be debarred from playing on Thursday. The question has also arisen as to whether it would not be advisable for the senior team to play in the Saturday Competition, but that is a matter for the club members to discuss at the meeting, iYour icommittee wish to thank the press for their careful reports of all matches and other matters relative to football, the Referees' Association to whom the players are under a great obligation, and all those who assisted the club during the season. In conclusion, your committee wish to impress upon the. members the great necessity of getting into form in the early part of the season and by careful training to remain fit right through. They would also like each player to remember that it is only by working together and attaining combination that a team can hope to he successful.