Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Spike: or, Victoria College Review, October 1904

Football

page 41

Football

Sketch of men playing rugby

"Always keep well on the ball,
Whatever the fortune that comes,
Ready for tackle or fall,
Steady and strong in the scrums,
Ever alert for a "try",
Or a "drop" as the chance may be,
Letting no foeman get by
And staunch to the Referee."

—Misquoted from somewhere.

"All this is true, if time stood still, which contrariwise moveth so round, that a froward retention of custom is as turbulent a thing as an innovation and they that reverence too much old times, are but a scorn to the new."

—Bacon.

WWhen the Football Club was formed two years ago, and we decided to enter a team for the Junior Championship, it was recognised that this was merely a tentative step. Canterbury College and Otago University were able to enter Senior Teams and it could be but a matter of time before Victoria College should enter the lists.

- - - -

The decisive step was taken on Thursday the 8th September, at the Girls' High School. Professor von Zedlitz, President of the Football Club was in the Chair, and the motion of the evening was proposed by Mr. Hunter. The principal difference he had observed between Junior and Senior football was that Junior was slightly rougher. The splashes on Mr. Hunter's jersey in the photograph of the First XV are mute evidence of his sincerity.

page 42

According to Mr. Hunter's view, football is more than a partial impact of blind atoms. It is a game of "brains," and if a University College cannot enter into the front rank at football, it had better haul its sign down and set up as a kindergarten or Young Ladies' Seminary. H. H. Ostler seconded the motion, and it was decided unanimously that the Club should take steps to enter a team for the Senior Championship next year. A committee consisting of W. Gillanders, A. H. Johnstone, F. A. de la Mare, and H. H. Ostler was set up to keep things moving in the long vacation.

- - - -

It is not expected that the First Fifteen will terrify Petone next year. We are not proud. We will be quite content as a Club if we can give the other teams a fight. We can promise them a straight, clean game at any rate, and there is no reason why it should not be a good game. Our great difficulty this year has been "training", but with our new ambitions, this difficulty must be overcome. Several matches were lost this year simply because the team was physically unable to move in the second spell.

- - - -

On no occasion this season did the First Team have its full strength on the field. This one hurt, this one on holiday, the line of attack different every time. The Second Team —the "plucky Seconds," —had to face disaster short-handed time after time, and it was only the exigencies of the First Fifteen which induced it to give a match by default one Saturday in the short vacation.

- - - -

Tudhope's new stockings which first appeared for the Old Boys' match were much admired.

- - - -

A special reporter of "The Spike" went out to see the Seconds play one of the heaviest and best teams in the third class competition. The result was 31 to nil. The best team won of course, but there was enough hard tackling, enough sheer dogged pluck in that uphill game to convince the reporter that there was no disgrace in cheering the losing side, and that Davie, Mackenzie, Reid, Taylor and Co. do not object to a little "salt with their meat."

page 43

The Club is to play next season in colours Green and Gold. Will we be branded "Greens?"

- - - -

The following is a synopsis of Championship results:—

  • Junior, Matches played, 10: won 4; lost 6. Points for, 33; against, 79.
  • Third Class, Matches played, 12 : won, 1; lost 11. Points for, 3; against, 200.

The following are the results of the matches continued from last number:—

First Team.

V.C. v. Wellington. Lost, 3—0. College kicked off with 14 men, and Patrick was hurt early in the game. Students' Carnival the night before did the rest.

V.C. v. Athletic. Won, by default.

V.C. v. Petone. Lost, 11—0. Petone had the best of the first spell, but at the finish College set in a strong attack, Ostler and Gillanders narrowly missing tries. The latter played an excellent game.

V.C. v. Old Boys. Lost, 8—5. A very even hard-fought game. Tudhope, resplendent in new stockings, and urged on by fair spectators, played the game of his life. Bray, Gillawders, and de la Mare were the best of the forwards, and Hunter, who converted his own try, the pick of the backs. The defence of both sides was excellent.

Second Team.

V.C. v. Kia Ora. Lost, 9—3. Newbury scored the try of the season.

V.C. v. Petone. Lost, 31—0.

V.C. v. Wellington. Lost, by default. The Second went to the rescue of a vacation First.

V.C. v. Melrose. Won, by default.

Graphic border

page 44
Football First Fifteen 1904

Football First Fifteen 1904