FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 April 1922, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

THE COMING SEASON. PLAY IN TARANAKI. THE FIXTURES. The following fixtures have been drawn up for the A and B grade senior competitions, commencing on Saturday, April 22. The junior fixtures in the Central Division have also been drawn I up. In this division the second grade and fourth grades will play bn Thurs- ■ days, commencing on April 27, and the third grade on Saturday’s, commencing April 22. The junior fixtures in the Northern and Southern Divisions will appear in a day or two:— SENIOR "A" GRADE FIXTURES. Saturday, April 22. Tukapa v. Stratford, at New Plymouth. Hawera v. Opunake, at Hawera. Clifton v. Waimate, at Waitara. Patea v. Okaiawa, at Okaiawa. Kaponga a bye. Saturday, April 29. Okaiawa r. Opunake, at Opunake. Stratford v. Kaponga, at Kaponga. Patea v. Clifton, at Waitara. Tukapa v. Waimate, at Manaia. Hawera a bye. Saturday, May 6. Kaponga v. Waimate, at Manaia. Hawera v. Okaiawa, at Okaiawa. Tukapa v. Clifton, at New Plymouth. Stratford v. Patea, at Stratford. Opunake a bye. Saturday, May 13. Opunake v. Tukapa, at Opunake. Hawera v. Clifton, at Hawera. Kaponga v. Patea, at Patea. Waimate v. Okaiawa, at Okaiawa. Stratford a bye. Saturday, May 20. Stratford v. Waimate, at Manaia. ‘Hawera v. Tukapa, at New Plymouth. Kaponga v. Okaiawa, at Kaponga. Patea v. Opunake, at Patea. Clifton a bye. Saturday, May 27. Waimate v. Hawera, at Manaia. Clifton v. Stratford, at Stratford. Opunake v. Kaponga. at Opunake. Okaiawa v. Tukapa, at Okaiawa. Patea a bye. Saturday, June 10.— Clifton v. Okaiawa, at Waitara. Kaponga v. Hawera, at Hawera. Patea v. Tukapa, at New Plymouth. Stratford v. Opunake, at Stratford. Wafcnate a bye. Saturday, June 17. Stratford r. Hawera, at Hawera. Patea v. Waimate, at Patea. Clifton v. Opunake, at Waitara. Tukapa v. Kaponga, at Kaponga. Okaiawa a bye. Saturday, June 24. Hawera v. Patea. at Patea. Stratford v. Okaiawa, at Stratford. Kaponga v. Clifton, at Kaponga. Waimate v. Opunake, at Opunake. Tukapa a bye.

SENIOR "B” GRADE FIXTURES. Saturday, April 22. Okato v. Star, at Okato. Old Boys v. Lepperton, at Lepperton. Inglewood v. Eitham, at Eltham. Saturday, April 29. Old Boys v. Inglewood, at Inglewood. Okato v. Lepperton, at Lepperton. Eltham v. Star, at New Plymouth. Saturday, Maj* 6. Star v. Inglewood, at Inglewood. Old Boys v. Okato. at New Plymouth. Eltham v. Lepperton, at Eltham. Saturday, May 13. Star v. Old Boys, at New Plymouth. Okato v. Elthaun, at Okato. Inglewood v. Lepperton, at Lepperton. Saturday, May 20. Star v. Lepperton, at New Plymouth. Old Boys v. Eltham, at Eltham. Okato v. Inglewood, at Inglewood.

CENTRAL FIXTURES. SECOND GRADE. FIRST ROUND. Thursday. April 27. Eltham v. Ngaere, at Eltham. Cardiff v. Inglewood, at Inglewood. Midhirst v. Stratford, at Stratford. Tariki v. Toko, at Toko. Thursday, May 4. Eltham v. Cardiff, at Cardiff. Ngaere v. Inglewood, at Ngaere. Midhirst v. Tariki, at Midhirst. Stratford v. Toko, at Stratford. Thursday, May 11.— Eltham v. Midhirst, at Eltham. Ngaere v. Stratford, at Ngaere. Cardiff v. Tariki, at Tariki. Inglewood v. Toko, at Inglewood. Thursday, May 18.— Eltham v. Toko, at Toko. Midhirst v. Ingl°wod, at Midhirst. Tariki v. Stratford, at Tariki. Cardiff v. Ngaere, at Ngaere. Thursday, May 25. Eltha-m v. Stratford, at Elttam. Midhirst v. Cardiff, at Cardiff. Toko v. Ngaere, at Toko. Inglewood v. Tariki, at Inglewood. Thursday, June I. Eltham v. Inglewood, at Eltham. Midhirst v. Toko, at Midhirst. Stratford v. Cardiff, at Stratford. Ngaere v. Tariki, at Ngaere. Thursday, June »B. - Eltham v. Tariki, at Tariki. Midhirst v. Ngaere, at Midhirst. Stratford v. Inglewood, at Stratford. Toko v. Cardiff, at Cardiff. All matches 3 p.m.

THIRD GRADE. FIRST ROUND. Saturday, April 22. Inglewood v. Midhirst, at Inglewood, 3 p.m. Toko v. Stratford, at Stratford, 3 p.m. Stratford Technical High School a bye. Saturday, April 29. Inglewood v. S.T.H.S., at Stratford, 3 p.m. Midhirst v. Toko, at Midhirst, 3 p.m. Stratford a bye Saturday, May 6. Toko v. S.T.H.S., at Toko, 3 p.m. Midhirst :v. Stratford, at Stratford, 1.30 p.m. Inglewood a bye. Saturday, May 13. Inglewood at-.Toko, at Inglewood, 3 p.m. S.T.H.S. v. . ratford, at Stratford, 3 p.m. Midhirst a by A Saturday, May 20. — Stratford v. Inglewood, at Inglewood, 1.30 p.m. S.T.H.S. v. Midhirst, at Midhirst, 3 p.m. Toko a bye.

FOURTH GRADE. FIRST ROUND. Thursday, April 27. Eltha-m v. Stratford, at Stratford, 1.30 p.m. IselewM v. S.T.H.S., at lugienixxl, 1.30 Thursday, May 4. — Kithara v. Inglewood, at Eitham, 3 P- ra - S.T.H.S. v. Stratford, at Stratford, 1.30 Thursday, May 11.—• Eltham v. S.T.H.S.. at Stratford, 3 p.m. Stratford v. Inglewood, at Inglewood, 1.30 p.ra.

NEWS AND NOTES. PROSPECTS OF THE TEAMS. A fortnight to-day and football will commence in real earnest in Tarana , when the cup competitions will OP some of ths clubs will bs is

operation, when Tukapa will play a benefit match with Clifton, at Waitara, and Old Boys will play their annual match with High School. It is many years since there has been such keenness noticeable among football players and followers of the game in Taranaki, and there is every indication that football will reach its whilom high standard. A gratifying feature is the interest taken by players in training operations and in practice, and it is certain that they will be much fitter to stand the season this year than for many years past. Club officials report very good attendances at practice, and some selectors intend to adopt the system of playing men on form and not on reputation, so that the man who practices will be given< first chance, and rightly 8O - . .. Clubs are beginning to get some indication of their likely strength, and in almost every case an improvement on last vear is reported. The Hawera Club, Taranaki’s champions for the past couple of years, will again put in a strong team. In the forwards it should be about the same as last year, with West and Fogarty in the van. backs will be without the services of Cameron and Anderson, but they still have Robertson, Wilkinson, Whittington and Osborne, and, in addition, there will be Purcell, an East .Coast rep. fiveeighth; Walshe, the ex-Opunake and Taranaki rep.; and Hughes, who was the mainstay of the Waimate backs last year, so they will be a strong combination. Clifton, the runners-up, may not be quite as strong as last year in the rearguard. They will still have Ross, Hickey, Coleman and Goodwin, and, with one or . two promising juniors, should be a for- ! midable proposition. Forward, they will j be strengthened by the inclusion of Tancred, of Wellington. I

Tukapa, who have been improving during the past year or two, look like having a say in the destination of the championship. Anderson (Hawera) and . Jngston (Clifton. Taranaki and N.Z. rep.) have joined their backs, and. in addition, they have Oliver Bros., Hooker Bros., C. Brown (ex-Taranaki and N.Z. rep.), Prior, Hart (Taranaki rep.), Ennis and others to select their backs from. Allen and MeAllum will be in the vanguard, which will include Baird, a Wanganui rep., whilst their young and light dashing pack of last year will be a year olden They are all consistently training. Last year Opunake had a fine team of young players, and but for bad luck in getting their players injured in the first round would have been very close up at the finish. This year the western club has the services of Ifwereon Bros., of Auckland (one a N.Z. rep.), and Pen’ niall (ex-Taranaki rep.) in their backs, and, with Norgate and other Rahotu forwards to assist them, will take a power of beating. Stratford expects to put a good combination in the field. The bulk of last year’s players are available, and, as they were mostly young and keen, should be considerably improved this season. The pack will again be led by H. Masters, while the backs will include Vaughan, who showed great form last year. Patea should be much stronger, as they will have the services of the Opaku players. McCleary, said to be an exOtago half, and S. Cameron, will don their colors. Spratt is said to be giving the game a spell this year. Okaiawa may hot be as strong as last year, but should put a good team in the field. Dick Roberts will probably assist his old club, whilst B. Roberts, of Okato, ex-Taranaki rep., who was undecided whether to throw in his lot with Tukapa or Opunake this season, is said to be returning to Tukapa. Johnson and other young backs, and Harris, Martin and Co., will be in the forwards. Kaponga will have a good team, as, in addition to most of last year’s seniors, the club has some very promising juniors coming on. Waimate will probably be again weak this year but with the juniors coming on. the Plains Club should soon again I take the place it used to occupy in Taranaki football.

Taylor, of Clifton, is in South TaraInaki. and will either play for Okaiawa (or W T aimate. The ceven*a-side tournaments should do much to get the players in form. There were several entries at Riverlea, eight at Okaiawa on Wednesday, and ten at Mdnaia to-day. The Okaiawjf tournament was won by a team of Waimate, Kaponga and Okaiawa players, associated with Joll’s branches, led by Birchali and Taylor. They defeated New Plymouth High School, Okaiawa 8., and Hawera. the latter after a strong tussle. Tlawera had a strong teem, comprising Murphy (2), Osborne, Walshe, I Hughes, Wilkinson and Purcell, but they had played three strenuous games against Stratford. Kaponga B. and Eltham before meeting the winners. New Plymouth High School sent a team down, and its fine bearing on and oft the field, together with the great display given, made it very popular with the crowd, who gave the boys an ovation when they defeated a strong Okaiawa team, comprising the redoubtable Roberts Bros.. Toro, Manu, Johnson. Harris and Martin. Joll’s proved too heavy for the School, who did not get the ball. Notes on the prospects of the B grade teams will appear next week.