FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 278, 25 April 1914, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

NEWS AND NOTKS. Football matters in the northern division have not yet quite got into train for the coming season, though the disorganisation caused by Clifton entering the ranks of the Saturday division is rapidly being overcome. Stratford al»o followed suit, and left Tukapa the only team in the Thursday division. As it' was probable that nine of Tukapa's best players, including Stohr, Brown, J'\ Ward, Whitaker (X), B. Davidson. Harvey and O'Grady could not obtain Icavu to play on Saturday, the prospects of Tukapa being able to enter a team on Saturday-appeared remote, while there was no one, left for them to play against on Thursday. The dilliculty was overcome by Rovers amalgamating with Tukapa, and as probably some of those mentioned may be able to obtain Saturday leave, Tukapa should, still be able to put in a strong team. An endeavor is being made to amalgamate Moturoa and Star, so that six teams will remain ill the competition. Star, Inglewood and Okato will probably find they are up against hard propositions in the ot'ier trio and may not gain a high place in the championship list, but they have experienced losses in the past and tan be expected to battle gamely. A solution of the difficulty would be the formation of A and 1! grades, but the <-ompetition would not be very exciting with only three teams in each grade. The question of providing football for those senior players who are unable t.o get oil' on Saturday will require some attention. A proposal has been made that they should be distributed among the various Thursday junior teams, who would be raised to senior status, as were the, Saturday clubs three or four years 'ago, and there is a good deal in this proposal, as it would mean thai Thursday football would not become a dead letter and the players affected would still be available for representative matches. There should lie good competition in the Saturday junior matches.

The position in football now and in cricket circles during last season is a striking comiiicnc.tary oil the lu-od lor a half-holiday.

A nmMl will be played io-ii:;; 1 twwu Oka hi ami Tukapa a= a 'lienor? to the fund towards defraying the expenses of Tamil's last illness. Tamil was a player of sterling merit, and tvas witlial a man. His abilities in the playing arena are too well known to need recapitulation; indeed, it is queS'

Ifor^t! 6 T "! Capa fonvards have yet forgotten how ho mowed them down m Iw f ly -f "lf. tch a ß" ainst Waimate last August. Ilia magnificent play was Shien't t iD , brin = in £ the Sinfully (shield to Taranaki, so it is hoped tlicre d f ße 1 nttendanCe - ' Clifton had ■ll tanged to play a match against Ti>k.ipa to-day for the same object, and had even gone as far as to select their team for the occasion. Evidently someone has blundered in the arranged ments between Tukapa and Clifton, lossibly however, the match may ,W played latar on. "

i( T |l O i wiil start on Thursday, May 14, and Saturday, May 18.' This is a week later than usual, but that coma not be avoided, owing to the Territorial camp. Clifton Club promise to be .very strong this year. In, addition to the principal players last year," their ranks will he augmented by H. L. Abbott, ono of the original "All Blacks," who may he able to come back," Reg. Taylor and llertrand, the Star player Stratford Club will*be strengthened by the inclusion of Young, a Wellington i epresentative. three-quarter. ?'• n ? ug T ht "; has forwarded the l.uanafei RugbyUmon a donation of 10s I'd towards the hon. members' fund , 1 » proposed to establish. A'l veteran Tiranaki Representatives are honorary members of the Union.