FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 614, 30 May 1891, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

TUBANGANUI V. GISBORNE. [by thb rattlsbj The Cup match which comes off this afternoon is one upon which the greatest interest is centred. No local match ever before fought in the district has attracted so much attention. By the delay of the steamer until Saturday night, the Gisborne Club has been fertuna'e *n retaining the services of the Murphy brothers for this match, and thus the Club may fairly claim to have as strong a team as has yet represented the district, let alone a Club. With the accession of A. Rees end E. and J. Murphy the team has had its strength greatly aided to, and the team is now fast, skilful, and has considerable weight. The back division surpasses those in the forward ranks, but the whole team can well pass muster. The Turanganui team will make the battle a warm one. There is still plenty of room for improvement, but with limited opportunities this season they will come into the field in very fair trim. The forward division is fast and made of the right stuff. They will be able to make the game a rattling one, but must take care to play more with with the head—not against the “ tummucks ” — than they did in the Taruheru match, for overrunning the ball and kicking vigorously when the oval ought to be carried lightly on the toes, will be just the style that wi'.l play into the bands of the Gisborne broke and knock the wind out of the fast Turanganuians. Though at present Gisborne is considered to have the most favorable prospect of success thpy will certainly have nothing to be cocksure about. On paper it seems the most even match we have yet bad. When it ie all over some enthusiastic friends of either side are bound to be disappointed. It is to be hoped the weather will prove agreeable for spectators.

In the Napier and Te Aute match last Saturday the general play was considered the best ever seen In a club matoh in Napier. Te Ante scored 13 points to nil. James, who scored a try in every match last year, got over the Napier line five times, Rutene was full, back for Napier. I clip the following paragraph from the Referee, for the benefit of the spectatornuisance :—Visitors to football matches ara mistaken in thinking that the ropes which surround ths ground are for keeping the spectators outside tlqe boundary. The ropes are to keep the sheep from wandering on the ground and attacking the players. Spectators are at liberty to walk on the field of play. It adds much to the interest of the game to be able to follow the players, umpires and referee up and down “ go as you please " style, and keep yourself warm. What a thrilling sight it was last Saturday, for 15 minutes before the close of the Merivale-Sydenham match, to see the ground covered with not less than five hundred wrangling, shouting, rowdy partisans of tfie two teams, What matter it you do hinder the freedom of ths players ? “ The greatest good to the greatest number ” is a sound maxim, and the interests of a thousand spectators are surely paramount to the play of thirty footballers. In the Ahuriri match at Napisr, In which a protest was lodged oq the ground of the incompetency of the referee, the Union decided that the matoh should be played over again, At the last meeting of the Canterbury Bugby Union the decision as to a “ dead ball ” was discussed, and it was decided that all appeals for such in the field of play would be left to the sole discretion of the referee, without reference to the umpires. Ths attendance of ladies is welcomed at the big football match this afternoon, No charge is made for the admission of ladies.