FOOTBALL NOTES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10588, 20 March 1912, Page 7

FOOTBALL NOTES

(By All .Black.)

Tho Rugby football season will soon be upon ns, and in a number of places clubs have already held their annual meetings and are making preparations to open the season shortly after Easter. Tho Wairarapa Clubs will be holding their annual meetings in the course of a or two. The cricket season is just about finished, and Rug'by enthusiasts are already making enquiries as to the probable number of senior teams to compete in the Wairarapa Championship. ,

[ Last season four teams took part [ in senior football, and some excellent I contests were witnessed, three of the teams, viz., Carterton, Gladstone and Red Star, all having a chance for championship honours up to within n match or two of the final. The Masterton team, although they were not successful in winning a match, put up several good games, and being a young team, their showing was really good. ' Jn the coming season.it is expected that at least five teams will enter, namely, Carterton, Gladstone, Red Star, 'Masterton, and a combined Greytown and Featherston team. These five teams entering, followers of the good old game should be assured of some interesting football during the season. Carterton has lost Norman McKeny.'io, who has gone to Napier, and P. Marry, who is now in Auckland, and it is probable that Desmond, who was tho 'best forward in the Wairarapa last season, will leave for either Wellington or Auckland, where enquiries have been.made for his services in some of the city teams. With these j three men out of the champion team, ( Carterton .will find it hard" to be so strong as they were last season.

Gladstone, who were runners up last season, will have the majority of their old players again, and are likely to have one or two additions, which should again give them a strong hand in the deciding of the championship. Jack (McLaren, who played for a season or two 'with the Stars, will don the yellow and black jersey this sea.son, as. he is now living in the vicinity of Gladstone".

'.The Red Star team,, if they get to- I gether their last sea-son'* team, I should again be in the running, but j at this stage if is hard to surmise how many of the old players will be available, as, according to report, several of their best men are not likely to plav this season. Supporters of the Masterton Club. are very confident of getting a good team in the field, and they have only to improve on their last year's form to have to be seriously reckoned with. There should be no reason why Masterton should not have two teams in -the field, considering the number of junior players there are to draw from, many'of whom showed excellent promise last season. The Greytown-Featherston team should be." able to get /together a*, good combination, as/,the team which'played junior for Featherston last season had several players who were up to any senior form, and with a few of the men who played for Grey town a few seasons back, should be able to put up a good showing in senior football this season. / There -was a great deal of interest taken in football in tho Wairarapa last sea-son, and if five teams enter the senior competitions this season, we should have, together with the junior competitions, some very interesting football.