FOOTBALL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4389, 10 April 1893, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

(BY DAMOOIES.) The Bed Stars mustered in grand force for practice on the Park Oval on Saturday afternoon, and it bids well lor the future of tho Club, when members take suoh a lively interest in affairs at the commencement of the season. Several members of the Masterton Club were also on the ground, sides «vcre chosen, and an excellent game resulted. A number of -new men were initinted into the mystic art of football, and will, in time, blossom forth as seoior plnyerfl.

The sides were too numerous for good football, but a lot of good passing and running was indulged in, and the players will benefit not a little by the presenoe of Ken, Duncan, of Palmerston, who is a rattling little player, and excels especially in the passing department. If ho stays in Masterton for the season, he will prove a great help to the local backs.

Suoh a crowd wore taking part in the game on Saturday, that it would be impossible to single out all the players who perhaps deserve mention, but Wilsone, Welch, Watson and Malcolm were tho most conspicuous in tho forwards. The three Thompsons played splendidly, " Bob." especially shining for some really pretty running, I understand the brothers are all to play for the Stars this season, and will bo a dangerous trio,

The Secretary of the Carterton Club writes, stating that their team will not compete for the Senior Cup, as previously stated, but will enter for the Junior Cup. The struggle for the ohampionship juniors will be more exciting than even last year, as some very etrong teams will be entered.

Thellungarakeißovera,wholastyear had a short and merry time of it, havo been endeavouring to come to life again, but it is not thought a club will be formed in Gladstone this season, They reckoned upon having Gage at the head of affairs for a fresh start, but now that he has deserted them, thoy have given up all hopes.

Mr George Pulton, an old-time exponent of the game, who was a member of the Duoedin Olab'e 1877 team, which made a tour of the Colony, and greatly astonished the Natives, turned up at the annual meeting of his old Club last week, and was heartily welcomed by the members,

The recent enthusiasm for football in America (says an English paper) seems to have reached the dimensions of a positive mania. The successful football player baa ousted the longhaired pianiste in ' the affections of the fashionable world, and is hailed as the social lion of the hour, " Fuck " recently issued a cartoon depicting a bull-necked athletic with battered features and herculean frame, clad in a football oostumo, and surrounded by a galaxy of adoring females,showing the reign of the "magnificient ugly man" had set in in real earnest. While £6OOO is spent at Harvard on football, and nearly £IO,OOO taken in gate-money, littlo more than £IOO is spent on so mild and unexciting a game as cricket,

DickTaiaroa, one of tho very best footballers this Colony has produced, who has been on the retired list ioi Bomo years, is again to don the jersoj this season, and will play for a Dunedin club.

Mr Walter Bentley, the famoui tragedian, was one of the founders ol the Dunedin Football Club.

" Forward," in tho Otago Witness, writes;-" Tho members of tho Alhumbra Club have all along been suspected of something like unsondnesß upon the vexed question of the relation of tho Otago Rugby Union to the New Zealand Union, audi was satisfied that if any club in Dunedin declared in favor of tho affiliation of the former body, it would be the Alhambras. At their annual meeting of tho club it was proposed to in* struct the club's delegates to vote for affiliation, and the poposal was received with groat applause, But the remarks of MrJas. Allen, the President of the club, exercised a wonderful influence upon the minds of the members, and when a vote was taken the proposer of the motion found himself with two supporters. McOleary now says it is strange how men can be led so easily by the noso."

There are no less than MOO playors in the Clubs affiliated with the Canterbury Rogby Union,

The team of the Red Stars to play Greytown next Saturday, will be chosen this evening, and published by us to-morrow,

W. H, Nool, one of the finest backs in the colony, and who was a conspicuous player in the match against Masterton last year, has left the Alhambra, and will play wing-three-qunrtcr'for tho Zingari-Richmond.

The Canterbury Rugby Union has decided to hold matches on Thursday afternoons, so a; to give players in business places a chance of making their half-holiday a football day, The cup matches will, however, be played on Saturdays,

!'Referee" in the Dunedin Star states authoritively that the Otago representative team will tour the North Island this season, and a match against Wairarapa will be included.

The report circulated down South that Johnston and Crawford, two of the principal players of the Alhambra Club intend to settle in Wellington, in order to gain admittance to the team I of the N.Z, Union, is absolutely] denied,

I notice by the latest Home files that four three-quarters are played in big matches this season. The Welsh international team which beat Scotland lately, attributes its success mainly to the faot that they had four three-quarters, and went in wholly for a passing game. Critics state that where the forwards are strong, it is undoubtedly better to have four threequarters and two halves, as if the four are thoroughly trained in tho art of passing, the opposing team will have a hard time of it.

The Athletes in France have at last adopted the game of football in their country, and aro deeply interested in the pastime, A team of Frenchmen visited England this year in order to be instructed in the fine points of the game, and to gain experience in the field.

I notice" Darby "Byan, the once famous. tlii;ee«quaito back of Awk-

land, who was the "crack" mario the N. Z. team when they visited Australia, is one of the best playere at present in Paris.

The Methodists of the United States have, it is reported, condemned football as a pastime savouring of sin and unbecoming the Ghrintian life. This is fine and noble and large and great and edifying and inspiriting and encouraging (observes an English writer). Let us hope that the Methodists of tho United States will go ahead fearlessly, and discover the innate wickedness of many other forms of sinful amusement, fotthrim expose to the world, in all itoBM

deformity, the licentiousness of nap. frog, the horror of hopscotoh, the tnalevolenou of marbles, the shame of the shuttlecock, the turpitude of tipcat, the heinousness of hide-and-seek, ( the backsliding of blind man's buff. Let the Methodists of the United States persevere in the good work. If they hadn't discovered the iniquity nobody would have known of it—which would have been a deplorable state of things,

MMMPA RUGBY UWt. Annual Meeting. M The annual the delegates to the Wairarapa Rugby Union was hold at the Marquis of Normanby Hotel, Carterton, on Saturday even* ing last. The.following delegates were presents-Messrs E. M. D. Whatman (Vice-President) in the chair, Malcolm, Gray, Watson, Iggulden, Wilsone, Morris (Star), Downardandßooth (Uartetton), Gags, McKenzie and Beard (Greytown), EKPOM AND BALANCE SHEET. The Secretary then read the annual report and balance sheet for the past season as follows :- ''Gentlemen,—The annual report whioh I have the honour of placing before you this evening is one, I hope will meet with your approvai.-^JS}*» much pleasure'in stating tbaTtlie Union iB in a very fair financial position, it having now a credit balanoo of £lB 5s Bd. Tho total receipts for the past season were £6l 5s 6d, and the expenditure £46 Os Bd. There are still some old outstanding debts to be settled.

'lhe Union played three representative matches during the past season, all of which were unfortunately lost, The matoh againßt Taranaki was lost by 5 points to nil, Although beaten the Wairarapa team wag equal to that of the victors, and it must be a great pleasure to the true lovers of football, to notice the creditable stand made by our Union against the redoubtable West Coast team, ah hough some of the Wairarapa team did not play up to expectations. Tho matoh against Wellington was iron by that team by twenty points to four, In the match Wairarapa was very unfortunate in losing the services of D'Arcy (the captaiu of the team) and a man who could not be replaced in the Wairarapa. The forwards more than held their own in the first spell, but lacked combination, and it is to be hoped this year that the fifteen will be afforded more opportunities of playing together than in the past, The Junior rep, matoh was lost by our Union by a geal and a try to one try. With a little more combination there was nothing to prevent the : WairarapaRugby Uuion holding- oiw^y^

premier positions of the had been acknowledged that we InHßj players in ttiia district equal to any icH the Colony, Regarding the cup test the Masterton Club, having won ' the senior cup three times, it is now their own property. The junior cup was won in 1891 by the Te Ore Ore team, so thero was no cup to play for last season. The Masterton 2nd fifteen won the championship but tho Star 2nd fifteen protested against that Club on the ground of their having played two men who had been selected to represent the first fifteen, The protest was not brought before the Union last season, on the ground that some of the delegates did - not Bee their way clear to go to tho ex. pense of calling a meeting of delegates so late in tho season to deoido tho Junior Championship. Wishing tho Union an even more successful season than the past, I have the honour to be, gentlemen, your obedient servant, R, > J, Malcolm, Hon. Sec, W.R.U, [ 4 The report and balance sheet was M unanimously adopted, Jfi The Secretary (Mr R, J. Malcolfijß received a hearty vote of thanks frfflH the Union for the manner in whIMM

the accounts had been kept, anJH the clear way in whioh everytbirflH placed before them. satisfactory balance sheet that had been placed beforo tho Union for a good many yoars.

OFFICERS, Tho following officers were then elected for the ensuing year ;—Patron, W. 0. Buohanan, Esq. (re-oleoted) j President, G. Beetham, Esq, (reelected) ; Vice-presidents, Messrs A, W-Cave, 0, A. Pownall, H. 8, hard, A. Booth, Toogood, and E, M, D, Whatman; Vice-presidenttoN.Z,R.U. E. M. D. Whatman, Esq; Seo. and Treas,, Mr R. J. Mnlcolm(re-elected); Management Committee, Messrs W, Iggulden, McKenzie, Gage, Watson, McCarthy, and Downard; Match Committee, Messrs Watson, Wilsons, and Gage; Junior Match Committee, Messrs Booth, Butemeut, McCarthy, Ranginui Kingi, and A. Beard; Delegate to N,Z. Union, Mr 8, Nioholls,

A PkoiSst, The Secretary then read the protest received from the Star second fifteen against the Mastertoa second fifteon,j having won their final matcb, on the) ground that they played two pioked] senior players. After a deal of JM

oUßsion it was proposed by VjjA ard that the protest be not enter! if the Secretary can show the lishod correction of the Wig team. Seoonded and carried, jdB^HR

viz:—Qreytown, Carterton, and Masterton, and the first match be played in Masterton on the Masterton Olub's ground, on the 20th ApriL -Carried. l M

' General, The Secretary was instructed to t a meeting of the Management Col mittee.for April22nd andarrange C fixtures. i. I MrB,M, D, Whatman then i formed the delegates present that, ll season he would present the Una with a banner (value £6 6s), J Union colours, to be won three tl beforo it became the property of 1 Club. ■ j

"Mr Whatman requested the f; retary. to obtain the banner, fr wherever he thought he could get best article. Mr Iggulden proposed that all Clubs should assist to put the Re Union on a firmer basis than it i present, Tbanka to the Seoreti

the Union was in a much better financial position than it had been {or prs, Ho would propose that donations be taken at tho gates, in all oup matches, and .nt the end of the season the not proceeds taken at 1110 Star and Greytown gatea should bo taken together and halved, and the Masterton Club (on account of that Club bavins; a ground of its own) contribute an amount equal to the ono half of the amount taken by Greytown and Carterton together. A large amount of discussion then

took place regarding tho Thursday half holiday, as to which was the best' day to hold cup matches, ggftkftis proposed by Mr Gray that matches ho played on Saturday afternoons as heretofore, and carried unanimously, Tho question of new colours for the Union was brought up, but it was decided to let this matter stand over nntil the Union is in a better position. It was proposod by Mr Malcolm that tho Olub holding tho promior position in the district, bo entitled to have tho honor of supplying the representative Team with uniform. The motion was Jut and carried. $0 other business of importance )mi«g forward the meeting adjoursd,

4 Featherstori-rias entered a junior team for tho championship of tho Union this year, and should make things very merry,