Evening Express

?? STOP M* AT BEVAN'S FOR GUNS, PUNCHING BALLS, JL CYCLES. & MOTOR CYCLES. 31,33, 35, CASTLE-STREET, CARDIFF.

L/ ABERTILLERY TEAM. mmmmmmmmm TOP ROW: Griff Abraham (hon. secretary), T. Fearn, T. Norrie, W. Stone, O. Winmill, L. D. Lewis, W. Hole, W. Powell, J. Howelle, C. Hodges, and Willie S. Harrison (vice-president). MIDDLE ROW: Jim Webb, W. Bowen, Joe Richardson (captain). Jack Webb, and H. A. James. FRONT ROW: E Marsh, T. Browning, and F. Court.

RISE OF THE ROSE England's Fine Talent A STIFF PROBLEM FOR WALES Our Half-back Trouble By FORWARD. England seems to be suffering from an embarrassment of riches in the matter of playing talent this season, and the selectors look like having some difficulty in choosing the right men for the open- ing match of the international tourney at Swansea next month. To-day's trial match at Twickenham was expected to reveal in some degree the strength of the Saxons, and under another heading will be found my impressions of that match. Last season's series of trials were of incalculable value to the Rugby Union, and this was reflected in their success in winning the triple crown for the first time in many years. It is just possible that with a shade of luck, and provided, of course, that the best players are chosen, that the predominant partner will repeat that achievement, although it is a long time ago since England won a match in Wales. To be precise, it was at Swansea in 1895, when the score was a goal and-three tries to a couple of tries. That was the day when Sammy Woods, Bromet, and other giants in the English pack swept the Cymric forwards off their icet in a, ?:mo -that.  ? remembered <m a?ormt of t)K*grtuad?pIay nf "F.ncrlnnr)rs vji npnsirrl. _JL -I'b" -o- The Strength of Wales There is no reason for anticipating that history will repeat itself as far as the character "of the game is concerned, for the Welsh forwards of to-day are not so prone to be hustled as they were fifteen years, ago. The Welsh. Union committee need have no difficulty mi finding eight good men and true for the J pack, but I am not quite so confident about the strength of our back division. The available talent for the half-back line is not. up to the high standard to which we have been accustomed for years, and in reviewing the claims of the strongest candidates for that position one cannot be rid of the idea that they will have to meet a couple of brilliant oppo- nents in Adrian Stoop and his partner, whoever he may be. Gotley will prob- ably be the man if he succeeds in satis- fying the selectors by his play in partner- ship with Stoop at'Twickenham to-day. He will have to be on his very best behaviour to secure preference over David Gent, who had so much to do with Wales's defeat last season. The Glouces- ter man enjoys the advantage of having greater experience of Welsh methods than Gotley, and that may carry him into the team. England's chosen team to-day against the South was practically identical with that which defeated Scotland last March, but there were four defections in the pack, viz., Barrington Ward, who has retired, Haigh, Berry, and Dibble. Newport Man's Trial Johnston has been withdrawn from the full back position for the reason that he has not been playing regularly this season, and is not quite as good as he was last season. The vacancy will be filled by Maxwell Dove, of the Harle- quins, and I understand that Stanley Williams, of Newport, was chosen for the South's last line of defence. If the N ew portonian only plays his average f;ame it would not be surprising in the past to se3 him capped for England, and should this come about it wiU be a distinct loss to Wales. In the same way we nearlv lost the services of H. B. Whi- field, who played in the trial at Exeter, but performed so indifferently that day that Gamlin, who operated at the other end, was retained. Birkett and Chapman, who are playing WILL THOMAS. One of St. Mary's (Aberavon) best forwards. Photo, Moody, Aberavon. ————— better than ever this season, may he named as certainties for the match at Swansea, while P. W. Laurie and F. M. Stoop will be formidable cand idates for placss. Hind, Hands, Pillman, and Wodehouse have been playing so con- sisfcently well in front that they may be safely regarded as the nucleus of the English pack. I "Cat Among the Pigeons." Pillman was a veritable cat among the pigeons at Twickenham last January, and bad r.s much if not more, to do with Wales's defeat than any other player. In addition, he enhanced his reputation very considerably by the magnificent games he played for the British team in South Africa. The two Gloucester forwards—Johns and Berry- have not been much in the picture this season, but if they are in anything like good form they are cert&yj of considera- [tibri-. For England's t3rarfee-qirartirvrQn&! ) I had almost forgotten the speedy Bristol- pair—Spoors and Neale—who, ) like -Pillman, added to their reputations in South Africa. Well, now, I have written enough to indicate jpretty plainly that England will be at least as strong this season as she I was last season, and that the selectors' greatest responsibility wiU bo in choosing the nfteen best men in the country. After witnessing this afternoon's trial it will be possible to give my readers some I I idea of what Wales will have to meet at Abertawe in about six weeks hence.

CLASS CARDIFFIAN. CHARLIE HUMPHREYS (Crystal Palace). Photo, J. Russell and Sons, Crystal Palace. I It will interest many to know that Charlie Humphreys, who played for the Cardiff Mackintosh last season, is now playing at half for the Crystal Palace club. Humphreys is a native of Wrexham, and came to Cardiff two years a20. He has played for St. Andrew's, Woodvilles, and the Mackintosh clubs. His services were acquired by tho,Royal Asylum (Glasgow) Cricket Club two seasons ago, then he trans- I ferred to Talgarth, where his cricket and footer soon grew so popular that he was invited to p,lay in a. trial match for Swansea Association Football Club against the Palace. At Swansea the Palace officials approached him, with the result that he has signed on for that club.

WHAT'S OP, CITY? I Puzzle of Recent Form ? ABERDARE'S MERITORIOUS W)N  By SOCCERITE. THE MEMORIAL SCHEME. The suggested scheme for assisting the National Memorial Fund has been received very favourably by all the leading Soccer enthusiasts, and I hope shortly to publish a few opinions and ideas from representatives of the various leagues. Even sport has had to take a back seat this week owing to the election fever, and several football secre- taries have promised to get the feeling of their club members as soon as the political atmosphere is cooler. It is a difficult matter to get a crowd to a meeting when the majority of people are bent on one topic only, and that political. DESCENT ON SALISBURY. ? .I- I a. nunureii nuunf,, lue <t,rUlIJ: vjity sup- porters' Club availed themselves of the splen- didly arranged excursion to Salisbury. The Great Western Railway enhanced their repu- tation by the excellent manner the club was catered for. The saloon parties were extra." No little sensation was caused by the Cardiffians, who painted the city blue. The political parties thought we were out to help them, as every member of the crowd was decked in club colours. Luckily we escaped disaster. As we were all together in Butchcy'-row a horse attached to a farmer's cart bolted and scattered the supporters in all directions. It is a remarkable thing that not one was injured. We were all in a happy mood over the City's win, and it would have marred the day's outing had we not escaped 80 luckily. A NASTY SHOCK. We managed to secure a couple of points I at the expense of Salisbury, but not before receiving a nasty sliock up to half-time, when we were level scoring, 1—1. TJhe stalwarts who had made the long journey were afraid they were going to get ap06}r return for their loyalty. Salisbury played a splendid defensive game, and spoilt our team's efforts to combine. The Citizens could not get into any concerted stride, and were in a different class to the previous week, when they beat Cwm Albions. In the second moiety things were a bit more cheerful, and we had the satisfaction of witnessing the addition of three more goals, that of Jack Evans being a beauty, and the best scored for Cardiff this season. WHAT'S UP, CITY? I Confidence has been shaken rudely by the I defeat of Cardiff City on Wednesday, and on the play we must admit we were beaten by a superior side. There was a feeling everywhere that we were sure to secure a couple of points at Aberdare's expense, but we had to leave them to the victors. The safety of Goodwin at back, and the trickiness of Kinley, Fogan, Hawkins, and Griffiths, for Aberdare, was the chief feature of a game that resulted in City's chances of Southern League promotion being reduced to nil. The Christmas matches will all be lost if we cannot make a better show than in the last two games. I hope the team will pull together and give us of their best. They are capable of better things, as instanced on several occasions this season. TRIP TO TOWN. ieoruary t is fixed for the next outing, I when Cardiff City visit Croydon Common. It will be a great day for both Croydon and I CarditfSnpporters' Clubs, and every member should commence to pay in at once for it. New members are rolling in very fast, and everything tends to show that a big crowd will visit the Nest" at Croydon. Fuller I particulars in subsequent issues. THE CANTON BRANCH. I Will all Cantonians note that a meeting I will be held at the Atlas Hotel (corner of Leckwith-road) on Monday week, December 19. The idea is to form a Canton branch of the City Supporters' Club, and I bear that numbers are ready to join as soon t?', branch is started. What about Splott? SINCERE SYMPATHY. I The veteran warhorse. Sammy Parker, deputised Bilson at back for Aberdare, and did well, considering that he was a square peg in a round hole. His loyalty to Aberdare was never better exemplified than on Wed- nesday, when he turned out under circum- stances of great distress. His wife is in a bad state of health, and all Soccerites extend their sympathy to him at this critical period. —————————————

GLYNTEG ALBIONS ASSOCIATION CLUB, 1910. THE SMARTEST SOCCER COMBINATION IN SWANSEA DISTRICT JUNIOR LEAGUE ? I TOP ROW: J. Bodye ombe, J. Evans, J. Williams (chairman of committee), J. Powell, T. Rapsey, and T. H. Jones. SECOND ROW: R. Olatwortby, P. Poole, C. Gough, P. Williams, W. Budd, W. Coates, T. Harris, and P. Davies (hon. secretary). BOTTOM BOW: Ji. Bodyoombe, C. Hapsood, B. Williams, P. Pearce (captain), E. Edw arde (treasurer), J. Bendle (vice-captain), and  ■ A. Eaton* ■_ 

THE ABC OF GOLF ft —— Instructive Articles FiFTH INSTALMENT TO-DAY By BERNARD DARWIN. At the end of the last article I ventured on some presumptuous and almost heretical statements-that is to say, I allowed the beginner to take something like a full swing with his cleek or driving-iron, and I further told him not to bother his head too much about swinging his iron clubs in an entirely different way from his wooden ones. However, I now must come to the main part of iron play, where there is no question of a full swing, and a series of shots have to be played which have a. most bewildering nomenclature. This seems to me to be the hardest thing about golf to attempt to explain in writing, and in my difficulties I have re-read the chapters on approaching by Mr. Hutchinson and Sir Walter Simpson. The former may be said to lay down distinct rules for three-quarter shots, half shots, and wrist shots; the latter has a more simple philosophy, alleging that when the full driv- ing shot is done with, the next stage, and the only next stage, is a "wrist shot." "Accord- ing to the length of swing for various dis- tances," he says, "golfers speak of quarter, half, three-quarter, and full approaches, but these terms are used for their own con- venience, and refer merely to longer and shorter shots played in the same style." A Armoury of iron Shots. I' Well. if that is right it does not follow that Mr. Hutchinson is wrong, but it does follow that one would rather inculcate the simpler tenets, if one may do so justifiably. I have been scrutinising my own extremely imper- fect armoury of iron shots, and I believe I play them all in essentially the same way. That is of itself no recommendation, but it is much ea-sier to write if one knows what one is writing about. Therefore, I propose, to begin with, to describe just one kind of I TOM BRACE. I [Photo, Jackson, Brecon. I straightforward half shot with the iron. It can safely be said that anyone who can play really steadily a straightforward half shot with his different iron clubs will be a reason- ably formidable opponent. I am going to leave the iron or m&shie shot with cut severely alone, and talk about a" plain shot wherein the lofting is done by the natural loft of the iron head, and no artificial means are adopted to prevent the ball running after the pitch. As far as I can analyse the shot it is something of a push with a good deal of hit in it, and not too much swing. To preach a doctrine of hitting is dangerous work, since it may be sadly misinterpreted; what I mean is that it is no manner of good starting off as if for a driving swing and then cutting it short in the middle. Everything has got to be, so to speak, more taut, more compact, and more restrained. The feet will move very little, the shoulders will turn far less freely, and the hands must be held as tight as they can well be. This is especially worth men- tioning ae to the right hand. In driving at the top of the swing the grip of the right hand is bound, or at least is very likely to relax, and within limits this is perfectly proper. In playing a half shot with the iron, that right hand must hold on tight through- out, and never relax at all. If the player feels that he can get morecompletwontrol by laying his right thumb down the shaft he had better do so. There is no fear of his cramping his stroke, as he might do in a full driving swing, and anything is worth doing that gives control over the back swing. Most people miss their half iron shots because. amongst other reasons, at a certain point on the way back they momentarily lose control over the head of the club; for an instant of time they feel that they don't know where the head is, and in that instant they are lost. A Half Shot. I So now we have put the driving swing away from us, and we start to play a half shot (I will use that term in preference to wrist shot," which is misleading) with a clean sheet. I think there are one or two definite rules that can be laid down. The first is. to stand more facing the hole than in driving, i.e.. with the right foot more advanced. The second is not to hold the club at the very end of the handle, but let some inehes of shaft protrude above the hands; this is part of the general scheme for a. more restrained and controlled stroke. The third—and I do not feel so strongly on this- is not to stand quite so upright as in a full shot; eit down a little—only a little—more to the shot, and especially do not keep the knees too lligid. Here. then, we have got the player into position. The ball will naturally be nearer to him than it was in a. driving stroke, because he has got a shorter club, and is holding it shorter, and also because an iron club is, or ought to be, pretty "upright" in the lie. This is. I think, quite worth laying stress upon, for a flat-lying iron is-for some occult reason—the very devio Now the ball has got to be struck, and, after telling the learner to forget all about his lessons in the driving swing, I find that r must recall his attention to one part of it. The action of the left wrist, that turning movement on which I insisted and everyone insists in driving, still supplies the key to the situation. Once again I begin to drone "a back-hand stroke with the left hand." There is. however, this distinction which may be drawn. In driving I would say "a back-hand sweep or swing," while in iron play it should rather be "a back-hand hit. One-handed exercise is, again, a good thing. and the learner may practise over and over again taking back the club—for quite a short distance this time-with his left hand. It is enormously important that just as before the left wrist should turn over and the club-face turn away from the ball. It will probably be found a, great help if the learner remem- bers to keep his left wrist thoroughly rigid throughout the stroke. That misleading word "wrist shot" sometimes makes people think that it is a shot played with the wrist. and accordingly they try to flick the ball with a "floppy" and flexible wrist-an utterly hopeless proceeding. Practise Religiously. Having practised taking back the club for a short distance with his left hand, until he feels comfortable and can stop the club when and where he likes-an important pro- viso, this last-he may take two hands to his work and again practise away religiously, turning that left wrist for all he is worth. The more I think of it the more T am con- vinced that this is, if possible, even more fundamentally important in iron play than in driving; or at least it is easier in iron play to slip into a bad habit of not turning the wrist enough. The shorter the shot the moie ridiculous and unnatural does it seem to turn the club-face right away from the ball, and so the more essential is it to be sure to do so. The four previous instalments of tjiis excel- lent article appeared in the Evening Express on November 12, 19, 26. and December 3, and they will be continued each Saturday, until exhausted. <?

7- -?  SOCCER CRADLE Schoolboys Matches I I HOW CARDIFF HAS BENEFI+ED  By GEOROE MERCER.  ,?ROE MERCER. I S. J. B." inquires if Barry District or Barry Unionists Were even in the semi-final for the Welsh Cup, and lie has an impression that on one occasion one or other of them lost to Wrexham by 9 goals to none. At first thought I imagine that S. J. B was thinking, of that grevious Easter Monday final in 1903, when Aberaman, the supreme Southerners, had 8 goals put on them by Wrexham. Neither Barry District nor Unionists ever reached the semi-final. The nearest approach to that honour which has he- fallen a Barry rftib was when the' Unionists played Wrexham at Wrexham in the Fourth Round. I have not, as yet, been able to fix definitely upon the date, but after lead- ing by 1-0 at the interval, the Unionists were ultimately defeated by 7 goals to 1. Therefore, while it was not a semi-final, S. J. B's other impressions are approximately correct. Word to Barry Boys. As in this weekly column I deal with all sorts of phases of football, on no account must I omit a word of congratu- lation to the Barry-Schools' League. At last a visiting team has won at Car- diff. For about fifteen years the Cardiff Schools' League has remained unbeaten at home. Leagues from Swansea, Newport, Barry,. Bristol, Plymouth, and Swindon (to mention some) have tried to break the local record. No one will begrudge Barry their present success, for they have made many gallant tries. It was a near squeak last Saturday. So near to time was it when Barry got the only goal of the match that there was not enough time left to re-start the game. It is like proving an axiom to say that this league is a benefit to the City club. In fact, I firmly hold that the league's long existence has had a lot to do with making the City club from a dream to a fact. Some Examples. Not in bringing up local players alone, although it is only about seven years since Charlie Pineb. was playing for his Town school eleven. But. perhaps, the most prominent case of an ex-schoolboy is that of Flanders, who played in the Boys' Interuationalrut Aberdare in 1908, and who played full-back for Derby County a few weeks ago. ) I must add my personal expression of sympathy with Cardiff Corinthians over their Senior Cup experiences. Through the spectacles of the Corin- thians such an expression may seem that of a unique hypocrite, seeing that I was one of those who voted for their dis- qualification. But there was no choice before the committee. None at all. Not even a replay. In the past it has often come to one's hearing something about a Car- diff Clique." Well, here was'their chance to find a loophole ifi a rule if by any argu- ing and twisting it could be found. No. Co i'-s'. I 'S po rtm a n s h i p. The sportsmanship of the Corinthians was never for a moment in question. They had acted in all good faith, and had admitted before they played their match that they had only ten registered, players with them. It is no part of my duties to defend the Association's doings. But this I can say. The majority of the decisions are an expression of opinion of the committee. They must be in the very nature of tilings. But when it comes to the case of an ilegible player in a cup-tie, the decision is an automatic one. The annual meet- ing each year has given the committee no option whatever. The word in the rule is horribly definite. It is not "may," nor "shall (though that would be strong enough), but "must." "Must be adjudged to have lost the match." I hope that the rule critics who wish to give the committee more elasticity and power to deal with hard cases will start sending in their suggestions for rewording to the secretary. Any time between now and April. It is the clubs, including the Corinthians, if I may say D. 0. JOHN. Right centre of Feryidale Rugby Football Club. so without adding to the soreness they must feel, that ake and sanction the wording of the rules. Not the com- mittee. And the annual conference for that object is held every April. During this rainy season keep the heavy roller going, so as to check Jack Frost if he pays us a visit.

FINE GOLF RECORD Thomas Brace, the popular pro. of the Brecon Golf Club, whose photograph we re- produce this week, is a native of Carmarthen, and learnt his polf at Tenby under A. Day. He is probably the only native who has ever won the Welsh Professional Championship, which honour fell to his lot in 1903, upon which occasion he also won the special priz-a given for the best score over 18 holes. He also won a prize for the best score returned for 18 holes in the Welsh Championship in 1904, and was again third for this prize in 1906. Last year at Lla-ndrindod he received third position, in the Welsh section of the "News of the World" tournament, and also played second man for South Wales in the match with North Wales, and beat J. Ball by 2 up and 1 to play. He holds the follow- ing course records :-Tenby old course, 34; Tenby '8 18-hole new course, 67, and Brecond, 70. He also holds the distinction of having don a hole in one on four occasions. He has been pro. to the Brecon Club for the last five years and a half, and makes a speciality of coaching and ladies' clubs. He has laid out several courses, a?ad hopes some dav to Ij ?in the open chMtpMnaBp. I

MUD-SLIHGIN6." Welsh Play Condemned SCOTCH CRITIC'S ATTACK BARGOED GAME CITED AS SAMPLE By GWYN NICHOLLS. In a London daily paper this week I see that the noted Scotch critic who seldom fails to turn the limelight on any unpleasant happenings that occur here once again devotes a paragraph to "Regrettable Incidents in Wales. He, of course, refers to the hustling of the referee at Swansea last Saturday, and to give colour to this incident he. after going to tiie trouble of wading through the reports of all our minor matches, quotes the unruliness or spec- tators in a league game at Bargoed the ordering off of players in the Mackintosh and Pentyrch tussle and the withdrawal from the field of the Nomads by their captain in their match with Caerphilly Harriers. Evidently this is to enlighten his' readers to what a horrible example of sportsmen we are generally in Wales. The Faults of Others The Faults of Others i It appears to me to be an idiosyncrasy of this writer to criticise even the slightest indiscretions of Welsh players and spectators. At the same time, he blinds himself to the faults (I believe that they have a share) of those of the other countries. In a critique on a county championship match last Wednesday he calmly reports that Kent were robbed of a try by a case of tripping by an opponent—without a l W. SPILLER (Treorky left wing). word of reproach. Whereas if this foul had been committed by a player on a Welsh side, he would have expatiated on the "dastardly manners" of such a trick. He has created a visionary idea that our football is all that is foul. Our, teams certainly have their lapses, but I do not think that, if he were to trouble himself to study the spirit in which close neighbours contest their matches, he would find any need to concentrate his attention on our "evil doings" alone. For many years now we have at inter- vals been the subject of his derision, and I presume as long as he writes our future players will suffer for their hereditary taint. I "Sospan's Little Lot I In seeing the various Welsh teams play this year I have been struck by the way in which they each adhere to their characteristic styles of playing. More especially was it noticeable in Llanelly, where, with practically a full team of young players, the similarity in their methods was such that one may have been watching their team of three or four years ago. Their forward rush- ing is exactly the same. The ball is kicked hither and thither, seldom pro- A. E. HOCKEY. Late of Newport, now playing for Pontypool. PHOTO, J. E. THOMiAiS, JTEWPOBT. pelled in a direct line towards the goal, and seemingly without any apparent object, but the eight are like a swarm of bees after it. This is what makes their rushes so confusing to the opposing backs, and more difficult to stop than those of other teams. The youngsters appear to. have absorbed all the old qualities of their predecessors in this respect. Neath, again, play their same old game. As long as I can remember theii strength has been forward and their attacking force. For scientific dribbling they always hold the palm. Their display last Saturday I thought was simply great, and equal to any per- formance I have seen given by a club pack for many years. They control the ball so well with their feet that it gives one the impression that they confine themselves to this, but I am assured that they seldom have the opportunity of practising the art; so it must again be put down to the absorption of the old players' characteristics. I must not say that the Neath pack were vastly superior to Cardiff's, as our men, as always, were subservient to their backs, and played in their own old style admirably. And our backs, as by impulse, also played the same old Cardiff game.

WELSH NAVIGATION (COED ELY). PHOTO, J. J. BAILEY, T03TXBEFAEU

I PLAY FOR PAY Welshmen in France PROFESSIONALISM DENIED. UNWARRANTABLE CADDISHNESS." i 11 UNWARRANTABLE CADDISHNESS. By PERCY BUSH. I have just had brought to my notice an article, printed in a Cardiff football paper, headed "Percy Bush's French Club." I have for the last few years considered that, although I do not accuse myself of having more than my fair share, I am possessed of average intelli- gence. That being so, I cannot help understanding the insinuation contained in the article I quote—the insinuation which is, in short, practically an alle- gation of professionalism against mvself and against my new team, Nantes. It is not the first article, of its kind which has disgraced the light of dav and the papers in. which the articles* have appeared. In point of fact, one article, translated from the French, was pub- lished in an English sporting journal, but it was published under the initial-s of a man who has shown himself so openly and indecently antagonistic to me in the past that I took no notice of it. A Few Words. Now, however, tnat these things are appearing in the papers of my native town, and now that they will be read bv my friends and other people whose opinions I value, I am going to have a few words to say about it, just to let my friends know exactly how things are. The article to which I have made refer- ence as having been printed in an English paper contained some such words as these"Percy Bush, Griffiths (Welsh international). Laporte (late of Bor- deaux), Laccassagne (Bordeaux), Megault, etc., etc., one day packed their bags and took train to Nantes. Arriving there, they said one to the other. 'Hello! Fancy meeting you. Let's form a football team" This would really have been quite funny in the way of unconscious humour had it not been such a dirty piece of unsporting writing. As it stood, however, the humour of it 1 failed, and it simply became a piece of unwarrantable ciddishn"ss. The article., which appeared in the Cardiff paper on ] Saturday night was a bit more pointed still, without any pretence of humour. and it mentions other names, such as those of Aubrv (French international full-back), Thil, and Hourdebaight (Bor- i deaux). An Analysis. I shall deal wiih Pascal Laporte first. as he has been captain-of Nantes up to this year ever since he came here. He is the head of the great firm of J. and P. Hutchison here. and has been in antes going on for five years. I Aubry has resided in Nantes for three years, and is, in company with Lacas- sagne (who, by the way, came here from Marseilles, and not from Bordeaux), in the drawing office of the Allur Company. a company which manufactures artificial stone-making machines, and also the artificial stones tor building, etc. i Hourdebaight, a friend of Lacas- sagne's. by the way, is the head of another department at the same place. Pretty responsible positions these, for I men who are supposed to be making money by football. Thil has been a sub- officer in the French Army for eleven years. o Megault Cardiff people will remember I well, for he played for Cardiff Reserves regularly a year or two ago, when he came to Cardiff in order o learn English. He also played for the Firsts. It is suffi- cient, perhaps, to say that his home is at Nantes, his parents being in the I region, and that he has always lived here. I About R. B." The Saturday night Cardiff paper said that "Percy Bush and Griffiths arrived from South Wales together." R. B. Griffiths has been abroad for some years —in fact, he played for La Rochelle last season. For personal reasons, he decided to leave La Rochelle. and hearing that there was a berth vacant here, he applied for and got the berth. I refer anyone who is in doubt as to why I myself left Cardiff to Dr. W. G. Williams, of 20. The Parade, Cardiff, I as he was my medical adviser, and as such ordered me a complete change of climate as the only chance of getting rid of my chronic throat trouble. Before this I had been talking to George Megault, and he had told me that he thought there was a berth shortly becom- ing vacant as English correspondent to the Nantes Butter Company. When the then English correspondent left to take up another post, I applied for the post I now hold and obtained it. That was my sole reason for coming away from Cardiff. and a jolly good reason. too If I had wanted to turn football professional I could have "gone up North'' and received a lump sum down which would have paid my salary here for several years, to say nothing of weekly wages and bonuses "up North." Sol icitot: Instructed. Soon after I arrived here these insinuating articles began, and we at once asked for inquiry to be made into the case. This inquiry was not made, the responsible governing body evidently being of opinion that it was not neces- sary. 'However, things came to a bead. for in a Bordeaux paper there appeared an article with very plain accusations against me and the Nantes t-eam. We were in Bordeaux to play them at the time. hut upon reading this article, Griffiths. Wardener (another Englishman here), and myself absolutely refused to play. I have placed the matter in a solicitor's hands, and now we shall cer- tainly get tlfings cleared up. I must apologise for taking up so much of your valuable time, tired reader, over my own washing, but I know you would In conclusion it might interest vou to know that it is a costly business playing football over here, much more so than at home, for here we have to buy all our own togs, boots, &c., and also pay for all meals either at home or away. Last week's trip to Bordeaux, for instance, cost. me just 35 francs (including 13 francs towards the train fare). 'I'm a Bit Cross." En passallt, you have got to be a jolly sight fitter to play out here than is the case at home. Every match lasts at least 40 minutes each way, and the game is much faster, as the field is longer and wider. v If the games at home were conducted at the pace they are here, and if they were of the same duration, there would be no need for special preparation for international matches in Wales, because one has got to be up to international pitch all the time. That's aU. I'm a bit cross to-night at having to explain things which should never have needed explaining. Ta-ta.

BRIGADE AND SCOUT MOVEMENT IN CARDIFF GROUP OF STAFF OFFICERS OF THE VARIOUS UNITS. From left to right :-GENERAL LLOYD, MAJOR-GENERAL LEE, Commissioner Scout Movement; COLONEL WILSON, 7th Bat- talion Welsh (Cyclists), Commandant of the Brigades and Scouts; COLONEL C. S. DENNIS, Railway Corps; SURGEON-COLONEL PRICHARD, Church Lads' Brigade; LIEUTENANT HOPE. 7th Battalion Welsh (Cyclists); LORD NINIAN CRICHTON-STUART, M.P. for Cardiff; COMMANDER E. NICHOLL, R.N.R., Cardiff Naval Brigade, Mr. HEYWOOD, President Boys' Brigade. ( < PHOTO, A. and G, TAYLOR, CARDIFF.