FOOTBALL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1719, 25 June 1884, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

DECEPTION OF THE REPEESENTATIVE FOOTBALL TEAM,

From'the N.Z. Times.

After' a record of victory which is, perhaps, without parallel in the history of athletic spurts, the New Zealand Football team arrived in Wellington early yesterday morning by the s.s. Wakatipu. Eecognising the desirability of affording to. the team a reception commensurate wit|i their..victorious record, the footballers : o£ Wellington tlecidod to -banquet the victorious footballers upon.their return, Committees for this purposo were, appointed, and it may be" said hero that the .arrangements reflected great credit ;iipon those gentlemen, and. also upon. Mr Llchteqheindl, of the Empire-Hotel, who provided'a magnificent Arrangements' wore-also made for the reception: of the 1 team on their landing, but, the Wakatipu arriving early in the morning, there was not a large number of people to welcome the team home, In the evening however, the banquet may be ifosayibed briefly -as a ; brilliant success in every way. |nsi|oh : case, t]>e qnestion qf attendance, and consequently financial success or'otherwise, is usuallytho' very first and most important, and on this head tharo was no ground for complaint,- for ovory chair in the room was occupied.; Jlis Excellency Sir William Jervois presided,, and wns supported on the. left by the Hon. G. McLean; and on the right by Mr \y". V. 'M}lltqn, tjje patitajn of tho tea.n. The bancjuet was 'attended, by a thoroughly representative 1 assemblage, many of tljo leading public men of the pity bejng present. The good things provided having been djscussud, the usual loyal toast, f The Queen" was honored,

Vice-Chairnum (Mr E D. Bell) in , proposing the'toast of "The Chairman," said they had to' offer their personal thanks to His Excellency forpresiding at the banquet. ■,■'■' ; Sir William J'orvois expressed• the gratification which a representative of Her Majesty felt when ho canie anions; the people on such an occasion, over whose interests he' had been.appointed to watch. Going about the country he had been struck with its prosperity, whilst-he heard so much about its decadence.. To say that tho colony : was on the downfall was preposterous, There might be causes of depression, but they were only temporary. If anything were wanted to' show that New Zealand was going ahead, it was found |in the success bf;the young .men who .had represented it in "New South Wales. Now, he would propose the toast of the evening-" The health of tho New Zealand football team," which bad done such honor to the colony. He ventured to say that nothing like the • success of their team had ever occurred in the history of football. A tribute must be paid to the gentleman who sat on his right—the captain of the team. On all sides ho heard that Mr Millton was a fjrst-rato captain and a first-rate footballer, and tljey niight congratulate themselves upon haying siicl) a, .njan $ conduct tho team.'.■ IJp would alsq. refer to the great pleasure it gave lum to notice- that one of the kindred race played a' conspicuous part in these matcb.es/' Ho ajjuded to Mr Tajaroa, 'He was- pleased to soe that ..tljose present, by their applause, rccipi-fjcated. .the, sentiment he had often;; thatUMaorig,,, in.ajl, ..these ...matters,' should run alongside of Europeans, He would also refer to the gentleman through whose instrumentality the. team had'b'een got together.'He called upon tfcein; to, drifik to. the ; healtK of theVteara, cpuplrng> tho name ; /of,Mr Millton with tho toast—(Applause); ■■ 11 The tpasfc ! having; bodn -druhk; with' the.usual honors,.,, ,^',,'.'. '^in'^J ! .' : 'l ,Mr ; '.^.'.-Ji.;'Millt;on; : :expressed the thanks of himself and; gene-, rally 'for tho; reception; they had : re-; 'ceiyed. , ! He ] alluded to'the'receptiori'' they liad been accorded'in Australia, 1 where the people seemed as though'

they could not'do too much to express their hospitality. The weathor, too, had been as hospitable as the people. Perhaps he/qjight, without boasting, explain a few "of tho causes which,'in

ite'opimdn,. Lad been instrumental iu ecu ring tlieir success. One great ipint was tlieir combination of play. Meeting as„nineteen,strangers, yet-in ive minutes after the commencement if the first match : they'were-playing ogether as one 'mam-He wishedyall ■epresentative teams would. take a lint from - this, The main features if the game in,, which, the ■ |New 2ealande , ra' : 'excelled wore in dribbling, inselfisinpassing, and. the splendid ricking of .the backs! They,' had also idyantasjes'-in having had better opporiunies of practice than the New South Salesmen. He had also to thank the ;eam for conducting themselves out of ;he field as they had, which showed ihatthey recognised that .theyhad to ,'epresent 'the colony. He oxplained ;hat the team had not played a'match !n Wellington that day because some )f them, being not very ;good sailors, might haye made an exhibition of sliemselves. In conclusion, Mr-Millton said if ever any tqam could have done' without a captain,' it .wis/the'' one he had commanded;:—(Applause.)': ; : The Hon My '.jStevens,; M;L,O.> in proposing'" Athlotic' Sports," qoiiplcd with'the J ot' Mr said ho believed' the splendid success of the 'Newi Zealand team, was thoroughly sympathised with/ by; all athletes. The New South ,Waiesmen had a strong advantage over New Zealand in cricket, but he hoped that, despite the' weallier,. New 'Zealand would.yet.be able to send a.team of cricketers that wotild "put through". the other colony/; He. hoped that- in tliis case success would not breed failure, and that the members of the team would keep other men up to the mark. —(Applause,) •> -.' Mr Sleigh'said he could answer -for, football aloixej He had'at firs*'been laughed ab ; for, proposing' a'representa-. tiye team, and it'had l 'been.said there was too much-• jeilbusy to enable such a project to be! carried out; With, respect to the. actual conduct of the teanij lie had been told by good judges of the game in Sydney,, that they had never seeny'-since they : left England, the Rugby game So 'well played as iby the New-Zealand; team. He referred to the scarcity'in this colony of grounds They had their iesefves, &c., .where nurse girls 'could take their' charges, but where were the grounds devoted; to cricket and -foofcbalß .Tho colony had itaVYolunteersi Mi when, tliey came to take up arms, tlie^would come to the ahd'the first of those athletes would;'be footballers; whose cry-would b| : on-#e : Press," and •'The! Ladies" being duly honored, left the room amidst cheers,, and shortly afterwards tho banquottermirlated.'^ ; ;