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Reconcil iation. I

FOOTBALL HAS FINISHED. ;

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FOOTBALL HAS FINISHED. Clubs Have Played :the Last of. the Season's Matches. Saturday, as far as Welsh football is con. cerned, brought to a clese the season 1893-94. Now we come to look back upon the performances of iour leading Welsh clubs, we can, as of yore, pride eurselves upon the position they hold ever their English rivals. Blaekheath alone can lay claim to having twice lowered the colours of the pick of Welsh club football. In achieving this dis- tinction, it will not be egotistical for Welshmen to point out that the 'Heathens were favoured by luck to an alarming extent. On the Rectory Field they defeated a team that could not be called Cardiff's full strength, for the position of half back, which may be called the pivot on which the whole machinery of a Welsh team works, was filled by men who for the first time in -heir lives figured in ",n important engage- ment. At Newport, again, it was only the lamentable weakness of the Usksiders in place kicking and the corresponding excellence a of Fegan in this department that caused the down- fall of the Welsh champions. In the international contests I need not re- mind my readers of the fact that we have taken, or, rather, been pushed, a. step backwards, i From holding the premier position among the countries, we this year can but boast of sharing with Scotland and England the possession of the wooden spoon. The change in our position is, I think, rather due to the extraordinary form shown by the Irishmen rather than to any retro- gression in the game on our own part and the place we now occupy. I need not cause the sup- porters of the leek any apprehension for the future. Next year let us hope we shall see the Welshmen again at the top of the tree. The match at Rockcliff on Saturday was, to say the least, disappointing. We had been led to expect by the gossips from the North that, at least, the Usksiders would be given a good game, but from the very start it beoame certain that Newport would have an easy win, and the Greordies who had come so cocksure on to the field of battle left with their tails between their legs, hardly able to raise a whimper. The Newport three-quarters, strengthened by the inclusion of Norman Biggs, played a. rattling game, and always gained ground, while the Usk- side forwards, although no heavier than their opponents, played a winning game all through, and almost did as they liked in the matter of securing the ball in the scrimmages, in which elementary principle the Northerners showed no idea. The Hibernians, consisting of Irishmen drawn from the various clubs in the district, met the Harlequins on the Roath Ground on Saturday afternoon, and an extremely slow game was the result. The Irishmen were by far the better team, yet they failed sadly at passing, and also lacked combination. The 'Quin" were some- times pretty good in the open. They, however, were throughout put on the defensive, and could not make much headway against their weighty opponents. # The old Yorkshire pot, as I anticipated, has found its way for the second time in succession to Halifax, who on Saturday in the final tie walked round Castleford to the tune of seven goals and a try to two tries. The result con- firms the impression that I held before the match that Halifax are about the hottest fifteen going in England bar none. Their possession of the cup is mainly due to the all-round excel- lency of their three-quarters and halves, who I when they get the ball are about as difficult to stop as many of our famous Welsh quartettes. It is a thousand pities that neither Cardiff nor I Newport received a visit from the Yorkshire champions this season, and I hope that this omission on the fixture cards of the two clubs will be rectified next year. The articles for to-night's fight between D. St. John and J. O'Brien at the National Sport- ing Club state that twenty rounds be fought at catch-weight with 4oz. gloves for a purse of £50, the winner to take all, and the men to be in the ring between nine and eleven o'clock. Much interest is expressed in the fight amongst the sporting fraternity at Pontypridd, and opinions differ as to what the issue will be, although, of course, it is hoped that their pet (St. John) will bring home the palm. He stands 6ft. 3in. in stocking feet, his fighting weight is 14st. 51b., and he measures 43in. round the chest, whilst he has a reach of 34in. St. John is only 22 years of age. In one of the most recent issues of the National Police Gazette appeared the portrait of Captain Duncan C. Ross, the champion broad- swordsman of the world and winner of the recent international tournament held in New York State. It will interest local sportsmen to learn that when Captain Ross won the mixed style wrestling championship at Cleveland, Ohio, until in 1881 or 1882 one of the referees in the contest was Mr. Thomas, the genial landlord of the Wkeatsheaf Inn, Pontypridd. •#• The quoiters of Pontypridd are looking forward with some interest to the coming season, which will be opened on the 26th inst. with a match between teams led by the captain and vice-captain respectively, viz., Mr. C. M. Rankin and C. Davies. The secretary is Mr. J. Hill, whilst Mr. L. M'Bean is captain of the second team. There are several splendid quartettes in the town, and it is fully expected that the season will be a prosperons one. Football is over once again at Pontypridd, and local enthusiasts will now have time to ruminate over the doings of the past season. This, to say the best of it, has been very disap- pointing', and the club is certainly not at the close of the past season what it promised to be last year. Pontypridd sprung- almost into tbefront rank with startling saddcBUtm. but that it has receded and taken a back seat not even the most ardent of its supporters will demy. One doesn't, how- ever, know what a. day or a season may bring forth, and we must now content ourselves with waiting until the summer months are o'er and the leather once more flies about the Taff Vale Park. 8** The record is much below what it has been for some time, for out of the 37 matches played fourteen were lost, an equal number won, and nine drawn. The biggest defeats were those inflicted by Llanelly and Aberavon, who scored nineteen points each against their opponents' nil, whilst the greatest number of points (30) scored by Pontypridd was against Merthyr. It would not be right to let these brief comments te appear unless a word of praise should be given to Alun Morgan, who has really been the Mainstay of the elubf or the year. He has proved himself a steady, consistent player, and hopes are generally expressed, especially amongst good old Pentys, that he will next season win his cap. • The committee of the South Waies branch of the A.A.A. intend to, as far as possible, put down all malpractices occurring at sports under their jurisdiction, and on Saturday at their first meeting they suspended two athletes for three months for sending in false entry forms. All athletes should be particularly careful now they have a governing body over them, and should see that their entry forms, &o., are correct before sending them in. •#* The facts in my possession having reference to the Neath Cricket Club are by no means creditable to a large number of gentlemen who are nominally members of that organisation. Notwithstanding the hard work of a few gen- tlemen, especially that of Mr. Jack Davies, the treasurer, it seems highly probable at this stage that the cricket club will not re-commence operations this season. Quite a considerable number have not yet paid their last season's subscription, and this has greatly handi- capped those who have laboured assiduously in the interests of the club. It may prove interesting to note that last season was entered upon with an adverse balance. Notwith- standing this, however, the club practically paid its way, and actually considerably reduced some old outstanding accounts. #* If those who appreciate the fine summer game do not speedily come forward and render active support, I understand that those gentlemen who have borne losses, both in time and financially, will refuse to again enter harness with its conse- quent heavy burden. This would, of course, signify the breaking up of the club. But that is not all. The Cadoxton Cricket Ground is held by the club under a lease from Mr. Charles Evan-Thomaa, of The Gnoll. A part of the ground is sub-let at an annual rental of £10 to the Neath Lawn Tennis Club. Now, it is believed that the owner would be glad to get the ground back again before the expiration of the lease, and this would prove rather undesirable, viewed from the standpoint of the lawn tennis club, the reason for which the following note will ex- plain. • The owner of the Gnoll Estate would certainly want a higher rental than the cricket club, perhaps more than the tennis players would care to give. Thus they would possibly have to seek another ground, which very probably would be much below the standard of the present one both as regards locality and convenience. Yet, in the face of this, I am informed that some gentlemen belonging to the lawn tennis club, who are also members of the cricket club, are in arrears in respect of the subscriptions due to the last- named organisation. It is to be sincerely hoped that the persons interested will have sufficient foresight to prevent anything happening which would have the effect of ending either of the clubs. It will be too late to cry after the milk is spilt. WELSH ATHLETE.

LORD SUDELEY'S WINES.

Conservative Candidate tor…

[No title]

DEAN OF LLANDAFF.

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