FOOTBALL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1420, 3 July 1883, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

The Masterton Footballers turned out in force on Saturday on, the new ground for practice. Judging from numbers, the defeat on the previous Saturday seems to have put'fresh vigor into them. The match committee have chosen the following nineteen players - from which the ; Cup fifteen will be pickedßannister.73), Camp, bell, DeCastro, Ellers, Hanbv, Jameson, McKenzie, McLachlan/Morison, O'Connor, Perry (4), Ross, G. H. Smith, Welch. Before discussing Saturday's practice, one word as to getting into form and attending - practice, as every plaj'er now knows there is only a month till the cup match with Greytown, and we are iri no fit state at present to meet that team, .Training and attending practice are the only things that will give Masterton a show, Note will be taken of how many practices players attend, and all other things b.eing equal, preference will be given to the most regular. Now, training does not mean keeping clear of liquor and tobacco alone; it means regular running for both wind and speed, both of which qualities Mastercon is at present completely out of stock. Surely players, with the show the team lias, will a point just for a month. Everyone of the above players is under an obligation to the others to be in crack trim against the cup day. Let no player miss a Wednesday or Saturday practice on any account. The first practice after a match is, as a rule, ratherJl wild one, and Saturday's was The men by no means llffiwecl the style they possessed a month ago. They seemed to have no " dash" in them, and failed to put that spirit into the game which has characterised previous practices. The dribbling was miserable, the lining out straggling, and the loose scrimmaging ard following up left out of the programme. Is Masterton going to wake out of this unaccountable torpor, and go in for business 1 ,1 do not know how to answei yet, and I shall not particularise tlio play, but after the first week's training and two full practices you will, I hope receive a different account of next Saturday's game from—Punt.