FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 201, 4 May 1912, Page 7

FOOTBALL

FIXTURES FOR NEXT WEEK. TO-DAY'S MATCHES. Star v. Okato, at Okato; Fitzroy v. Rovers, at New Plymouth (Rovers match), THURSDAY, MAY 9. Seniors— Stratford v. Tukapa, at New Plymouth, at 1.30 p.m. ; Clifton v. Inglewood, at Waitara, 2 p.m. Juniors.—Stratford v. Eltham, at Stratford, 3 p.m.; Clifton v. Inglewood, at Inglewood; Tukapa v. Star, at New Plymouth (Star match). Second Juniors.—High School v. Inglewood, at New Plymouth, 3 p.m.; Stratford v. Tukapa, at New Plymouth, 1.30 p.m.; Star v. Clifton, at Waitara, 2 p.m.; Eltham a bye. SATURDAY. MAY 9. }kato v. Fitzroy, at New .Plymouth; Star v. Rovers, at New Plymouth (Star match). The football season was opened on rhursday without any flourish of trumpets and the keen enthusiasm that was so noticeable of a few years back was 1 tot conspicuous; in fact, its absence was ts most noticeable feature. Possibly as the season advances it may develop, but she prospects for the present season are just now none too bright as regards senior football in the Thursday competition in the northern division. At the last meeting of the Rugby Union management committee the Eltham Club notified that it could not raise a senior team, and it was allowed to enter its junior and second junior teams under the auspices of the Stratford Club, I whilst its senior players were given permission to play for Kaponga. At the same meeting Mr. James, secretary for the Inglewood Club, who is also a -member of the management committee, expressed grave doubts as to whether his club would be able to raise a senior fifteen. For years past Inglewood has Ijeen working under great difficulties in the matter of a senior team. It has raised a senior fifteen which, though j hopelessly-outclassed, had always come j up smiling, match after match, with \ commendable pluck. It was, therefore, j hoped that his pessimistic views would ' prove to be unfounded, and that the maroons would have a team ready to do ; battle once again, ff only to gain experience, The secretary got to work energetically and circularised old nVembers and. likely members, pointing out that the club would appreciate their assistance in its present parlous straits. There was, however, such a poor response at the practices that the committee was reluctantly compelled to abandon the idea of a senior team. Some of last year's seniors will probably be reinstated to the juniors, from which the exigencies of the situation at that time, more than any particular merit of their own, promoted them. There are, however, ore or two promising seniors, notably Brown and Nicholls, whom it seems : a pitv to debar from a game, and it is hoped that arrangements can be made for them to play for a neighboring team. Possibly now that the crisis has come some old enthusiasts may come to light and. resurrect the Inglewood team. In any case, it behoves the Inglewe&A Club's management committee to bestir itself with regard to future football, and a reorganisation of the old shield competition for this season might, and probably would, have the result of showing them where to place their hands on some promising material for next season. The only senior match was that between Clifton and Stratford, and last year's division winners had to suffer defeat at the hands of their old opponents after a match in which the finer points of the game were lacking, and which showed, up-^some- players' .want of.condition. The third grade has also started badly, both Stai anfi Tukapa thirds failing j to materialise. This is a regrettable feature, as it is from the young players of to-day that the representatives of the future are evolved. A feature of the season's correspondence, Bays the Sydney Referee, so far. is the enquiring by the champion club of Bordeaux (France) re their prospects of success on an Australian tour. The code without doubt is the world's code, as witness the fact that associations exist in every country where football is known. W 7 hat a glorious trip through Europe could be arranged for an Australian team! The announcement that the English Rugby Union has definitely decided not to inrite a team from New Zealand on its own account, owing to the visit from South Africa being arranged for next season, remarks the Sydney Referee, means that, independently of the ot*her nations which issued a joint invitation to South Africa, England must have given serious consideration to the suggested visit of the New Zealand team. It must be recognised in England that the revival of Rugby Union football is due in a far higher degree to the New Zealand visit than that of any other Colonial team. The New Zealanders showed the Englishmen the beauties and the possibilities of their own game. The international Rugby teams which have already visited England, viz., New Zealand, South Africa and Australiawere financed by their own unions. New Zealand and South Africa made big profits out of their trips, but the New South Wales Union made no profit. The forthcoming tour of the South Africans is to be financed by the four Home unions—England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales—who will pay all expenses. Had this been the case when the All Blacks went Home, there could have been no outcry against the New Zealand Union having made a profit over the trip, as the Home clubs would have reaped the benefit, though it is doubtful if they would have put it to any better use. Of course, there is something in the argument that, as gate money at Home is greater than it is here, the profits from colonial tours at Home should go to make up for any deficit on the tour of any British team in the colonies. The conditions under which the team is invited propose that it should consist of 27 men and. a manager, and play its first match about the first Saturday in October. Twenty-six matches would be played, viz., 14 in England, seven in Wales, two each in Ireland and Scotland, and probably one match against the United Kingdom. The Home unions are to provide first-class steamer and hotel accommodation, with third-class railway fares to match. Reasonable drinks at meals, laundrv bills, and medical expenses will all be provided, and players .will lie allowed £1 each wiy on the steamer for tips. The South African T T nion. however, recommended that two j additional players should be sent. I The Wansanni Union is endeavoring 1 to niTam'e a match with T:>n>'iiki for •the Birtluhp-. Tlv Taranaki I team is asked to (rn-.d. nml Hie home '-iiT'inu has a'reaily rnsi.rred a "round. The Wellington TTnion, in acceding to

the request of the local union to send a team to Hawera during Winter Showweek is reciprocating the action of the T.R.U. in getting together a representative team a few years ago at only a few days' notice. That Wellington v. Taranairi fixture was meant as a counterattraction to a big Northern Union game. Mr. W. H. Moyes, principal of the New Plymouth High School, has written to the secretary of the T.R.U., pointing out that owing to the schoolground having been ploughed up it will not be available this season. The matches set down for it will thus have to be arranged for other grounds, but the defection of Inglewood seniors and Tukapa thirds should facilitate the re-arrangement. There is a possibility that E. Dive, who scored the winning try against the last English team at New Plymouth, will don the jersey for Stratford. The Saturday competitions start this afternoon. Local followers of the game will have the opportunity of witnessing Fitzroy, the baby club, play its initial match in the competition against Rovers, who nut up a good fight in the competi- : tion last year. The new club is an unknown quantity, but as it comprises some fair exponents of the game, who are all enthusiastic, it can be depended on to make its opponents exert themselves. Last year's competition winners (Star) will journey to Okato. The country boys, or most of'them, have been practising hard, and it will not be their fault if they do not avenge last year's defeat. The teams to participate in the StarOkato fixture are as follows: Star.-- Dewar, MeAllum, Richards. Goudie, James, Sannering, Packard, Pvecroft, Mulloy, Evans, Jackson (2), Okey, Gleeson, and Martin. Okato.—L. Carey, C. Eustace, McKay, Druder, Reece, R. Andrews, A. Thompson. E. Andrews, G. Bell, H. Corbett, E. Turner, Rua, P. Corbett, Sullivan, and E. Malone. Emergencies: N. Andrews, Charlie and Henry. In their match against Fitzroy on the Recreation Grounds this afternoon Rovers will be represented-, by the following:—Pott. Grant (2), Webster. Thompson. Reid, Falvey, Crombie. Ellis, Hore, Quilliam, Jennings, Inch, Monk, and' Mulloy.

ASSOCIATION. (By "Vanguard.") A friendly Association football match will be played at New Plymouth this afternoon between a team picked by Mr. J. Sullivan and the New Plymouth senior eleven. The teams will be as follow:—New Plymouth.—Shepherd, Rea, D. N. ITaydon, Dowess, Lanpridge, Laurence, McComish, Startup, Wylie, Kelly, ami anotlipr. Sullivan's team: Roper, Chartcris. Kcmpthorne, Colvile, J. Sullivan. A. Osborne, It. Reid, W. Goddard, Fenton, Weller, Boswell; emergencies: Melsaac and another. The season will commence to-day with a friendly match between teams picked bv J. Sullivan and the New Plymouth Club respectively. The former eleven smacks considerably of the "cloth," seeing th«it! it (includes no tfewer than three local divines. The season will be formally opened next Saturday with fixtures that are yet to be arranged. In contrast to rugger, soccer has very rosy prospects immediately ahead of it. This year will probably see no fewer than four new senior teams in the arena. In New Plymouth an eleven, yet to be baptised and duly affiliated with the union, has been organised by J. Sullivan. Besides this contingent Mangorei -will also, for the first time, put a senior team in the field. The other two clubs hail from Waitara and TJrenui, but it is not known whether they will compete in the Saturday or Thursday competition. Hopes are also entertained of inducing a fifth senior team to enter for the North Taranaki competition, in the shape 'of an Inglewood eleven. There is plenty of both latent material arid enthusiasm at the last-mentioned town. All that is needed to divert it into the right channels is organisation from some outside source, where the game is already established. To this end, it is not unlikely that a few 'of New Plymouth's prominent players will journey out to Inglewood- some-week-end and- endeavor to help to establish a club. The only regrettable feature of the present position of affairs- is that at the commencement 'of the season there will be no junior competition. Schoolboy teams are, however, being organised, and it is expected that a start will be made before the y«ar ends.