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The Spike: or, Victoria College Review, June 1909

Football

page 32

Football

"These gentlemen combine
Politeness with timidity."

Bab Ballads.

Sketch of injured football player standing with foot on ball

TThe Football Club is pursuing a high ideal. Nothing so trivial as the playing of football; their aim is far higher than that. They are endeavouring to fulfil social functions that are usually usurped by other institutions; so far they have been remarkably successful. We understand that, at the time of writing, all the backs of the first fifteen have made each other's acquaintance, and that the forwards have also rubbed shoulders with one another; it is rumoured that the forwards are to be introduced to the backs before the season is out. But their football is on a different footing. The football team has it in its power, as no other team has, to raise Victoria College, as an institution, in the eyes of the general public. Hockey teams may win Championships, and nobody cares; but if the football page 33 team were to win the Championship—and the hypothesis is not so extravagantly impossible, for no one can doubt the fact that our first Ii [teen has most excellent material : forwards capable of the best, and backs not so good, but nevertheless sound—if, then, our football team were successful, the public estimate of Victoria College would be favourably increased as little else could increase it. This is remarkable—and it is true.

But the first XV's football has not been encouraging. The game between Victoria College and Southern was the most disgraceful burlesque of a football match that could possibly have been witnessed; it was not even a clever farce. But since then Victoria College has won a match. (Kindly keep this in small type, Mr. Printer; we mustn't appear too conceited). Yes, Victoria College beat Old Boys, and they played good football. The secret of this success is training. The team played five matches as training only (it would never do to over-train), and then they proved the efficiency of their training. If only the visit of the Sydney University team could be postponed till the end of next season, our men might have struck form when they arrive—provided that football were played continuously from now till then. But they are coining this year, and Victoria College can at least extend its best hospitality to make some slight return for the glorious holiday of the 1908 N.Z.U. team in Sydney

The second fifteen, which is playing Third Class, plays with that same careless insouciance that marks the exploits of all our junior teams. The students who comprise the team are quite nice fellows off the field; but put them with a ball at their feet, and their intelligence seems to disappear. 'Note, if you please, that the team has won matches; but we are too hasty : we said the team—let us rather say that fifteen players, classified as the Victoria College Third Class Fifteen, have, by their individual efforts, hewed the way to glory. But next season we shall have a gymnasium, and with that gymnasium—[cannot publish any Victoria College football prophecy; they are several stages beyond unreliability.—Ed. Spike.]

Then we have a third fifteen, which is playing Fourth Class; it is! This year, the success which was last year prophecied for the Hockey Club has proved so enticing a bait, that the Football Club is able to put in the field three teams only. As usual, the lowest team is the longest suffering, as far as the ravages of selection committees are concerned. But we can at least give it credit for enthusiasm; a game lost now and then counts for nought with your true sportsman; even a succession of losses counts for little with our third fifteen. Several page 34 of the team train with irregular regularity; some do not. But with the prevailing slump of men, it is something for a full third team to be the rule and not the exception. The Spike wishes the third fifteen well.

Results of Matches (To Saturday, 12th June, 1909.)

Matches Points Played Won Lost Drawn For Against Seniors 8 1 6 1 19 135 Third Class 7 3 4 - 40 92 Fourth Class 8 1 4 3 39 49

Bunch of flowers