FOOTBALL

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5133, 23 September 1895, Page 3

FOOTBALL

THE PRINTERS' MATCH. [nr nAMooiEs.] Carterton lmd a gala day on Saturday. The attraction was a football match, South versus North Wairarapa —not players.but printers! The challenge came from South. Accepted with thanks! Teams were chosen—" only hotm fide printers need apply." Instructions sent round to train hard, and gain form and experience. South did, North didn't! Result, South won. North lost! Palace Car left Mastertori crowded with a select company—derils by the score, All confident of victory till they saw their opponents. Excitement ran high! and wages-changed hands frtW on the result of this all-im-portant fixture, Northerners arrive on the ground, ant! feel considerably surprised at the number of largevery large—printers in the South. Trade must be extremely brisk in that directiou. Printers—or sprinters—of every ( conceivable description. There were Bauk printers, tradesmen printers, farmer printers, alleged printers, and real printers! Such a mixture! North resolve to tackle kindly to their work, in faet go in and-let South win—just to shotv there wasno auimosity. They did! Cheers welcomed them on the ground, and the game started with a vengeance. The science was of little use to the Northerners after the first five minutes—thay fancied they knew more about the game, and were disap- '■ pointed in themselves. Tho pace was getting warmer and more merry, the Northerners playing like Britons for about two minutes. Condition soon told its tale, however, and they were found lagging. Ground was parti-ciA-ly hard, as evidenced by the aiJwnt of printer' skin left behind. South begau scoring, and kept on. Somewhere about twenty points—jk live tries and one goal—the van- ™ quislied were afterwards told, and were pleased it was no worse. Tho game was a triile rough—so tho foreman informed us. His eye tells a sad tale, and for half the game he could only see from one optio, South tried to get on his blind side, but failed ignoininiously, for he had an "heye like an heagle," Several others suffered considerably, but reckon tbey will be lit for another. i game twolve months' hence. The scoring and hard knocks were about ■equally divided. South obtaining the iormer and North the latter. Of course we (the Northeners) all played tie game, and played it so ■well that to mention any prominence would be aare to cause olfence—so I refrain. The bucks were especially brilliant, so much so that tho hall seemed frightened of them and would jump away from their clasp

at the slightest escuso. Tlio y majority of the tries were absolute pffo to the Southerners, showing thwfcindness of the Northerners. But' •printers always were goodhearted, and would sooner do anything than get hurt. Forty minute spells were worried—ten minutes would have suited us far better — and wo heartily welcomed tho finale. South cheered because they won, and Worth, cheered becauso they are going to win next time, An adjournment was then made to

the residence of the proprietor of the J Gbsencr who treated all hands to a great spread, and we completely turned the table 3 on our opponents, hv defeating them badly. Printer ilcKeiizie-not the footballer of that ilk who caused so much anxiety on the field—welcomed ua kindly, and after full justice had been done to the good things provided we felt considerably better, Onr captain —after demolishing about seven fk onpe of tea and a, huge quantity of ™ tho edibles - thanked flje donors in a fleafc complimentaiy speech, and <,mtor cheers for Mr and Jlrs McKzifi, They were given right learlily. We managed to gain our homes very quietly, and printers generally were scarcities about tojvj) jesterday. Bandages-and embrocation grgat r^uMtioa! Yacanoies in printing circles will now only.be obtained by real footballers, in yiow of the next v contest, and we must retrieve our. V honour' and glory in the football field, cost wbat it !