Evening Express

A? STOP  AT BEVAN'S t FOR GUNS. PUNCHING BALLS, CYCLES. & MOTOR CYCLES. 31,33, 35, CASTLE-STREET, CARDIFF.

BARRY WOODVILLES ASSOCIATION CLUB. Photo, St. Louis Photo Co., Barry Bock. I

WAIT AND SEE" ♦ England's Fifteen I PROPHECY TO BE FULFILLEDI THE ROSE WEALTHY IN FORWARDS I By FORWARD. I Last Saturday's trial match at Twickenham gave us an inkling of England's strength this season, and, as one who had the privilege of seeing the match, I can only reiterate an expression of my belief that the Saxons will be not only as strong as, but stronger than they were last season. That may seem to be a tall order, seeing that they won the Triple Crown, but it is an honest con- viction, for all that, and the only stipula- tion I make as an essential to its con- firmation is that the fifteen best men will be chosen. With such an extensive area and so many clubs to choose from, the selectors had no practical alternative to the arrangement of three trial matches, and the system they have adopted of select- ing the nucleus of the England team to play first the South, then the North, and finally the Rest of England is an eminently fair and sensible one. It is a system by which every player of real, genuine merit is given a chance of coming to the front, although it is not so perfect as to deal out jusijice with an absolutely even hand. "Grubbing" for Openings .1 .1 Let me give an illustration. Last Saturday Spoors and Neale, the Bristol right centre and wing, played for the South, and they had gained their places on the strength of the splendid reputa- tions* they had brought back with them from South Africa. It, so~ happenedthat between therii. and the scram there was I an outside half who was a complete failure as an attacking player. He bad an ideal partner in Gotley, but whenever the ball was passed out to him from the heels of the South forwards this unfor- tunat half—Lieutenant Gibbs—either failed to take his pass or neglected to send it along1 to his centres. The result II was that Spoors and Neale were "starved," and had to go grubbing for their own openings. Birkett and F. M. Stoop, on the other side, were in clover, being admirably fed by the inimitableAdrian Stoop, who not only gave his passes correctly, but repeatedly made openings before parting with the ball. In this way Spoors and IN eale were handicapped sadly and their prospects of selection prejudiced to a hopeless degree- Well, that is a con- crete example of how players can suffer unjustly in a trinl match. It is all in the game, of course, and. must be taken philosophically by all concerned. Well-defined. Policy I In the next couple of trials the Rugby Union selectors will experiment with backs and forwards, and it will be prac- tically impossible to see daylight through what 'I have reason to believe to be their I well-defined policy until' after England has played the Rest of England at head- quarters on the first day of the New Year. Their difficulty, I imagine, will not be i-h deciding who to pick so much as who to leave out, especially in regard to the forwards. They have such a wealth of talent of the right sort that they could easily pick two, if not three, packs of international class. Most of those engaged in last Saturday's trial were big, strong, and exceptionally fast. They were also keen, deadly tacklers, and clever with their feet. Their only weak point was their scrimmaging. They bundled into the scrum indiscriminately without any semblance of method or system in packing properly, and the con- sequence was that their heeling was not as clean and precise as it should have as clean and precise as it should have This is the phase of play in which the Welsh forwards, in my opinion, will prove their superiority, and in that supe- riority lies, Should it come to pass that the English forwards will. be able to control the scrums and I heel out oftener than their opponents, then we may expect fireworks. The Rear Division I Without pretending to possess any inside knowledge. I feel on safe ground in predicting that England's back divi- sion will be composed of David Gent (or A, L. Gotley) at inside half, A. D. Stoop at outside half, John Birkett and Poul- ton in the centre, Chapman on the right. wing, and Geen or Lawrie on the left wing, with either Stanley Williams or Johnston in the last line of defence. This may he considered a rather daring prediction, hut I am content to seek refuge in the famous political phrase, Wait and see." Aipd what about the forwards? Well, it will be time enough to speculate on that section of the team after I have seen what I have seen iii, the second trial at Leeds this afternoon. There are four men out of the eight who are practical certainties, and those four were chosen to play for England this afternoon. I mentioned their names in my notes in the Western Mail on Monday and I need not repeat myself now, beyond saying that Poulton and Geen, after their bril- liant performance in the 'Varsity match on Wednesday are iiiorely likely now than ever to secure their places in the national side. There is considerable speculation as to the actual right of the Eng- lish Union to play Stanley Wil- liams, seeing that he has learnt all his football in Wales, and that he is thoroughly Welsh in the sense that his father is a Welsh-speaking clergyman. England does not appear to be suffering from a dearth of class custodians, or there would be some excuse for coming down to Wales on a poaching expedition, but as long as they have men like John- ston and Lyon available, there is no earthly reason why an encroachment should he made upon the Welsh preserves. To-day's match at Leeds, upon which I give my impressions in another column, ought to reveal some unexpected talent in the forwards, the Xorth Country being traditionally ths nursery of men of the right stamp for the vanguard.

ENGLISH CUP DRAW SOME PROBABLE WINNERS By SOCCERITE. Three weeks to-day the eyes of the whole Soccer world will be fixed on the opening battle in the fight for the English Cup. Although South Wales will not be represented this season, the interest is none the less in this part of the country. The draw has resulted in extraordinary luck for the big Southern clubs, and the prospects gjre at present distinctly favourable for one of the clubs getting into the penultimate stages, if not the final. BRISTOL ČLU-as' CHANCES. I Both Bristol clubs are drawn to play at home. The Rovers have the hardest tussle, and the game with Hull City should attract a big gate and result in a win for the visitors. Anything may happen in a cup-tie match, and the Rovers confounded the critics last season by defeating Grimsby (2-0) away. However, the Bristolians' play is so indif- ferent this season that Hull should succeed. Bristol City should enter the second round at the expense of Crewe Alexandra, but the "gate" will not be a big one. SOLD FOR GO CD. Blackpool have sacrificed their right to play at home, and by selling their chances to Manchester United may expect to be, defeated. Other clubs may yield to the, glittering prospects of big financial results and play on their opponents' ground before January 7. This may be a great help to these clubs, but very disappointing to those who support the clubs through thick and thin, and just when the chance of a great "struggle is provided find that the visitors have decided to go away to play for a mone- tary consideration, FEW "WALK OVERS." The draw is striking for the scarcity of what may be termed "walk overs." On Paper the. very teams that look like having an easy journey into the second round are Bristol City, who meet Crewe Alexandra, and Wolverhampton Wanderers, who should easily beat Accrington Stanley. Croydon Common will give Grimsby Town the right of entry to the higher sphere, as they are, playing quite indifferently away from home. Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers also have fairly easy tasks. THE CUP FIGHTERS, The 64 clubs in the ties include: 20 First' Division League, 17 Second Division League, 20 Southern League (Division 1.), 2 Southern League (Division II.), and 5 other clubs. I append the complete and revised draw. Those teams in capitals I expect to succeed in some cases after re-plays. New Brompton v. BRADFORD CITY, CHELSEA v. Leyton. DERBY COUNTY v. Plymouth Argyle. BOLTON WANDERERS v. Chesterfield. MIDDLESBROUGH v. Glossop. Leeds City v. BRIGHTOIS. Watford v. BARNSLEY. SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY v. Coventry. Southend United v. BLACKBURN ROVERS. SHEFFIELD UNITED v. Darlington. GRIMSBY TOWN v. Croydon Common. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR v. Millwall. NORWICH CITY v. Sunderland. BRENTFORD y. Preston North End. BIRMINGHAM v. Oldham Athletic. Bradford v. QUEEN'S PARK RANGERS. WEST BROMWICH ALBION v. Fulham. STOKE v. Manchester City. SWINDON v. Notts County. LIVERPOOL v. Gainsborough Trinity. CLAPTON ORIENT v. Woolwich Arsenal. BRISTOL CITY v. Crewe Alexandra. NORTHAMPTON v. Luton. Exeter City v. BURNLEY. Blackpool v. MANCHESTER UNITED. NEWCASTLE UNITED v. Bury. Bristol Rovers v. HULL CITY. West Ham United v. NOTTS FOREST. LEICESTER FOSSE v. Soiithainpton. Crystal Palace v. EVERTON. Portsmouth v. ASTON VILLA. WOLVHRHAMPTON WANDERERS ♦. Accrington Stanley. I HUSBANDS' BRILLIANCE. I Whether Cardiff City's quietus in the Welsh Cup will prove for Good or evil remains to be seen. They were beaten by the redoubtable Ton Pentre after a drawn game —1—1—last Saturday at Niman Park, and were extremely lucky to have survived last week's match as in the last few minutes oi the game the visitors were all over them. Thursday's match, at Llwynypia was a typical cup-tie encounter, in which the honours went to Ten. True. there was an all-round absence of real class football, but the display of Cardiff (ity was mediocre and as tame as any they have played, and had it npt Twen for the wonderful display of Husbands in goal thescore would have been at least four up against the citizens. It was a ease of Husbands versus Ton Pentre. and the rest—save Yank Powell and Bob L.owrie--no-A-her,e Husbands' brilliance between the sticks gained the admiration and pianiit.- of the crowds friend and foe alike. Without doubt he was the one man ei the 22 players whose work was classy. EDGAR HOW ELLS (Caerphilly). PHOTO, J. ALFRED, CARDIFF. 1, Ton played a winning game, and, although the winning goal was from a penalty, they were far and away the better team on the game. To the spectator Cardiff City nevar appearel in the bill, but I have a strong conviction that, now the team is unfettered by cup-ties, we are in for some surprising results. Cwmpare to-day Kettering next Saturday, and then Healing and Stoiie-- well, anything may happen. THE SCOTTISH INTERNATIONAL. we are moving toward the goal we are aiming for—fair representation and recog- nition by the Football Aesociation of Wales. Twenty-three Glamorgan League clubs have become affiliated, and now we are promiseJ the Scottish match for March 6. Ninian Park looks liko being the venue, and the first international nlaydd on a Soccer ground in Cardiff should ;,)1' a huge success. By t-lie way, who will be the new caps? IT'S CRUEL TO IBE- KIND. George Robey was right when he introduced the phrase, "It's cruel to be kind." Kindness of a kind has resulted in disaster to some of the Cardiff City players, and, consequently, in disappointment to many of the club's keenest supporters. The season is but half over Net, and with a good fixture list to be completed it is absolutely necessary that the players must be fit.' GRANGETOWN SMASHER! The smoking concert at Grange town was a bumper, although, through- a combination of circumstances, all who were expected could not attend the first venture, reflects credit on Messrs. C. Hockey and W. Phillips, who organised it. The Grangetown branch is making headway, and numbers amongst its members many of the best sports in the world. CANTON BRANCH MEETING. Do not forget to turn up at the Atlas Hotel, Canton, on Monday night, when the Oanto- Cant,onw. ill start their branch. Every Soccer supporter in Canton is welcome. ABE ROAR E CLOUO LIFTING. Now that the Labour trouble -'n Aberdare is settled. I hear that the Aberdare Sup- porters Club will push forward and resume the good work they commenced before the strike. Chairman Johnson and the officials are mapping out a programme that will take some beatmg even by enterprising -&er.,Jayr and Cardiff City. MERTHYR'S ALLIES. Alter ljowiais comes Aberfan and Merthyr Vale. Merthyr are fortunate in the force of their supporters. An Aberfan branch of the Merthyr Supporters' Club has been formed, with Mr. J. I oole as secretary. They are loyal to the core, and will help to swell te excursions to Stoke and Walsall that Tommy Samuel is arranging for January 28 and 30. They also will iorm an important contingent to the club s smoker on January 7. TOM PENTHE OPTIMISTIC. Ton Pentre Supporters' Club have fixed JaLnuary 14 for their first official outing, when they go to Walsall in fine strength. They have secured the Assembly-rooms, Pentre, for their meetings, and are adding to their numbers every week. Will Ton supporters please note that there is only one secretary, Mr. T. Davies, 19, Upper Alma-place, Pentre.

BEDWAS RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB. I Photo* J. E. Tbenww. Newport, ] k

Instructive Articles SIXTH INSTALMENT TO-DAY By BERNARD OARWtN. I So much for the wrists and arms. Now, proceeding as we did in the driving chapter, let us inquire what the body has been doing. Well, the body has again been following the lead of the wrists and arms, but as the club has gone back only a comparatively short distance, the body will have made a com- paratively small movement. The left shoulder comes round to a modified extent, and the left heel evinces a desire to come off the ground; but of one thing I am nearly certain, and that is, very little movement of the feet is here either necessary or desirable. In a long full shot the heel is torn off the ground, and tesolutely to keep it glued would be to cramp oneself; but when one is only taking the club back, as it were, half way, it ought to be possible to keep the feet pretty rigidly still.. Certainly for quite a short shot, moving of the left heel is mere vanity—a corrupt habit which does lots of harm and no good. I think the learner should try in the playing of half shots to move hie left heel only the veriest inch, and this rule incidentally gives him a clue as to how far to take the club back. Very different distances can be covered by a half shot, and it is according to the distance required that the player takes his club back. When he finds himself evincing a passionate desire to pirouette on his left toes he may suspect that he is taking the club back unnecessarily far. Faced by Fact I I cannot help feeling that the reader will say, "You tell me this is quite a different stroke from a driving swing, and yet what you order me to practise is, really only a swing cut down." I feel that it is intensely difficult to express the difference in writing; and the best I can do now is to say that the half shot is more of a hit, with the work of the right hand and forearm more empha- sised. I must talk about the down stroke mors in detail next time. As in the drive I left the learner poised in a more or less uncomfortable attitude half- way through his stroke, so I have left him to cogitate with his half-iron shot half played. Now he has got to come down. but I cannot say to him quite so light-heartedly as I did when he was playing a, full shot: Now let By at the ball. As the club went up under a good deal of control and rc-traint so it has got to come bael,not too freely, and yet not in too cramped a way. The player must not deliberately check the stroke, and yet he is face to face with the fact that the best golfers do not finish an iron shot with the same dash and abandon with which they finish their drives. The club goes well through, of course, but it does not curl itself round the left shoulder; it finishes straight out in front of the player, and the hands are not higher than the second or third button from the top of the waistcoat. Braid's Opinion I This may seem to be too much of a refine- ment for elementary instruction, and it is certainly better for the learner' to follow through in any sort of way than not to follow through at all. At the same time the point is worth laying stress on for a particu- lar reason. If the player is going to let the club follow right Mi rough high and round his head he will be subjected to a tremendous temptation to lift his body upwards and as^ay, from the ball just as be .is hitting it. Braid haa said—and he ought to know-that most players have an almost unconquerable inclination to let their bodies so move upwards in playing their iron shots. and that this habit goes far to make them the bad iron players they are. Therefore, let the player determine that the angle of his body shall not alter throughout the entire stroke; if he does this he will probably find that his club is finishing where it ought. In this regard he might do well to study the photographs of the finish of an iron shot, say, in Braid's "Advanced Golf." The Old, Old Warning I This warning against lifting the body away I from the ball brings me to another one; it is the old, old warning against not lifting the eye from the ball. It applies, of course. to every shot in the game, but, as it seems to me, it is infinitely most important in inspect to these iron shots. It is possible to keep the eye too rigidly glued on the ball in driving, and the man who keeps on staring at the ground, long after the ball has been driven, runs a grave risk of cramping his follow through so that his arms cannot fly freely away. This doctrine, however, has little application to iron shots, for the player actually does not want his arms to whirl away after the ball with too much freedom. Moreover, for some reason or other, the temptation to take the eye off too soon is greater than it is in driving, and the effect Is idore fatal, since it is almost invariably a severe "top." It is, therefore, impossible to exaggerate the importance of looking at the ball, and the player had better try-whether he can manage it or not is another matter—to keep on looking at the place where the ball used to be for some time after it is there no longer. Taylor seems to be almost the only man who habitually and rigidly puts this rule into practice, but then he is the only man who can play approach shots quite as well as Taylor, so we certainly cannot do better than imitate him. Desire to Dance I If the eye has thus been kept giuea on the ball, and the body has resisted the temptation to lift itself up. the right foot will be found to be fairly firmly stuck to the ground when the stroke is finished. If it is not so stuck it ought to be. or very nearly so. If it Fhows a desire to dance about on the extremity of the toe, this desire should be sternly checked. That rising on the right toe almost inevitably means a forward movement, more or less pronounced, of the whole body, and that is just what is not wanted. Some very fine drivers come through very markedly with the whole body, but I do not know of any good iron players who do so. Arms and wrists are what we want, and as little body and legs as we can get along with. There is one other remark that I feel tempted to make before leaving this shot. I said that it was a good plan for the learner to imagine himself playing a back-banded shot with his left hand. This, I think, is the best way of learning to take back the' club correctly, but on the way down-in the actual hitting of the ball-I think it is per- missable to put a; certain amount of right hand into it. Nobody has ever played golf for long without discovering that it is fatally easy to hit iron shots upon the heel. with i the most painful and unnerving results. The Running Shot u I This disease has sometimes oeen attributed to tvo much right hand," but, personally, I believe that the cause is more usually exactly the opposite. It is the doctrine of a very fine amateur golfer that, in order to cure the heeling disease, you should rip it right through with the right hand." I have quoted this saying before elsewhere, but it cannot be quoted too often; it is largely on the strength of it that I venture to say that the club should be brought down very per- ceptibly with the right hand. The five previous instalments of this excel. lent article appeared in the Football Express" on November 12, 19, 26" December 3 and 10, and they will be concluded next Sat- urday.

HONOURS IN QUOITS. I Eight clubs were represented at the annual general meeting of the Monmouth- shire Ouoit Association at. the Viaduct Hotel, CrumJu). Mr. E. Parfitt presided. The organisations represented were Arzoed, Cwm, Crumlin. Penmain. Llanhilleth, Victoria, Waunllwyd. and Ebbw Vale. All the old officers were unanimously re-elected, and Messrs. ,B. Stewart and L. Evans were appointed auditors. The accounts, which showed receipts E.69 16s. 3d.. expenditure L35 14s. Od.. and balance in hand C34 2s. 3d., were unanimously adopted. Seeing that the asso- ciation is 050 sound financially, it was decided to increase the value of the meda-ls to the fQanspion clubs from 126. to 21e. and 6s. to lUes. 6d. respectively. It was decided to oon- vene a conference of the other Welsh asao ciations to consider the advisability of the various association champiolle playing off at of the season to decide the champion- ditilp of WaJfie.

II RUFFLED, FUR" I Critics Again Abroad I SWEEPING CONDEMNATION." I BRIEF FOR SOCCER PARLIAMENT I By GEOSOe MERCER. I The critic is abroad again. Of that I cannot well complain, seeing that certain aspects of the game have no severer critic than myself. This time it is the local Football Asso- ciation which can do nothing right, or, rather, has already done wrong. The Association naturally expects criti- cism. Practically in the very nature of things every one of its decisions must ruffle somebody's fur. Without criticism I suppose the world would stop spinning. A few weeks ago it was the Welsh Rugby Union which was on the carpet for imitating Mr. Rip van Winkle, so 'twas said. j I have no mandate to act as a defender of the local Association, and, possibly. I am doing a foolish thing in noticing the very candid expression of superior judg- ment. j At times I have been a hard critic myself of the Association's policy, and The Secretary and Chairman of Newport Alliance Association Club. Photo, J. E. Thomas, Newport. possibly, shall be again; but I hope that I I shall not base any remarks on such flimsy foundations as are implied now. General Condemnation.' llecause of one decision the Association is acting contrary to the best interests of the game! That one decision may be the most absurd finding ever given by a body of football legislators." It is strong, but, at any rate, it is a fair matter of -opinion. And if the matter had stopped at that I should have taken no notice of it. With it I don't quarrel. But from one particular item to base such sweeping general condemnation is ridiculous. That one is one out of about a hundred and sixty findings this season. What about the other 150 ? They amount to nothing. There are two ways of looking at this rough and dirty" football play. One of them I ttouched upon three Saturdays ago, and I think I had better complete my case. And the local Association will not be the only one blamed. And, if I am not a bad judge of the trend of things, the Association will pretty soon be taking a line which only a fine sense of courtesy and hospitality to outside organisations and officials has not pushed forward. We Have Had Some." Uutsiders who offer comments and advice on a reasonable knowledge of facts are welcome, but of the other kind we have "had some" in the past, and can do without them now. The Southern League has opened up big possibilities for South Wales Soccer, and in that respect I am, I hope, appre- ciative of its work, but its apparently superior sort of patronising air is begin- ning to get on one's nerves. The Association has very naturally avoided anything like putting obstacles in the way, but I am afraid that courtesy is being read as weakness. About a month ago there were reports in the press about an alleged interference with the referee after a match at Aber- dare. There may or may not have been anything in it. Anyhow, up to last. Saturday South "ales Association, in whose area the match was played, had beard nothing officially of any disturbance. Facts Too Obscure. 1 And now news readies me that a report thereon has been investigated! My facts are too obscure for me to comment upon this, but, if it is so, I fancy that the end has not been heard. I am not implying anything against the Southern League here in this paragraph, because I have not yet heard, what body (if any) has dealt with a report (if any). I don't want to go on hearsay altogether. I am obliged to postpone other remarks suggested by the critics until another time, or I shall be getting into big arrears with other stuff. This month of December will fix the fate of the City Club so far as promotion is concerned. The Christmas matches will tell the tale one way or the other. The weakness is now in the halves and backs. And, paradoxically, their strength is their weakness. As defenders pure and simple they are equal to their work. The goals against are small. An Object Lesson.. I But they could make their own work much easier by helping their forwards. Aberdare g-ive them an object lesson in half-back and full-back play, with the result that the Aberdare forwards were generally on the attack. How the City forwards are playing as well as they are is a testimonial to them- selves, for a "Pass" which comes head high to a forwards is a gift to the oppos- ing defence. The ball is a round one for several reasons, but one is so that it may roll. Head work is pretty, but time and oppor- tunities go to needless waste if a forward. five times out of six, has to bring the ball from his head to his feet before he can start. Barry District accomplished a good feat incoming from Cwm with a victory, And, if the reports of "improper excitement" after the game are as stated, I suppose that wretched football handicap—the ground record—had something to do with it, although on no account can such behaviour to a referee be excused. Not for one moment would I hint that Referee Morgan's action in giving a throw-down in the incident reported was inaccurate or unjustified, or should not have been loyally accepted, but I must say that, generally speaking, this "throw down" business is getting too fashionable. Lest Mr. Morgan might think that I am writing this at him, I will pigeon-hols the throw-down and its dangers until another occasion..

TOSTOP IHE'SLAM" V England's Endeavour I SERIES OF SERIOUS TRIALS I WILL CAMBRIA STAND THE TESTPI By GWYN NiCHOLLS. I What has brought about the radical I change in the English Rugby Union? Who has dragged them from their vener- able eminence and opened their eyes to the necessity of adopting some scheme whereby they might get opportunities of seeing perform all their available talent for international honours? A couple of trial matches have been played, and there are more to follow before the final selection of the team to play Wales, at Swansea, on January 21. It is sixteen years since England beat us in Wales. The venue was Swansea. and the score was a goal and three tries to two tries. Something or somebody has animated them with a. desire to stop the "slamr" and very strong efforts are being made. If they fail, then the critics will need to look about for q fresh source for their abuse, as the selectors cannot be accused of not attempting to get the best team this time I Brief Instructions. I have heard English players say that, '1 apart from the short peroration from the captain just before the kick-on, they seldom have had an opportunity of dis- cussing any plan of campaign, or, what is of greater importance, of getting inti- mate with their confreres. When selected they are advised that the match takes place at such and such a place. and that lunch will be provided at a certain hotel prior to the game. They travel from different parts of the country at different times, and meet, with a few exceptions, practically as strangers. The styles-of play in the north, south, I Mr. DONALD FINLINSON. President Cardiff Romilly. east, and west are different. Little wonder, then, that they have been at a disadvantage against a combination such as ours. By organising this series of trials the selectors are, to a great extent, obviat- ing all that. The nucleus of the team has been formed, and by the process of "building" round this as the trials proceed England should have a team this season thoroughly representative of their full' strength, and with the rarer quality (with them) of combining—acquired by the familiarising of their players with each other's methods. Although Welsh clubs this season have fully maintained their prestige, I quite believe that English Rugby all round is stronger than it has been for vears. Oxford, the Harlequins. Fnited Services, Leicester, Devon Albion, Plymouth. Gloucester, and Blackheath at full strength (these a.re the clubs we know most of) are all great sides, and even a selection from these should provide a V)" capable of extending us. Our Chances. Will Wales stand the test? I think so. Certainly, no elaborate system of trials has been arranged on our part. It is not such a necessity with us. Welsh i Mr. A. C. Ma-cCOMB. Aberdare Supporters' Club. Photo, Elite Photo Company, Glasgow. methods are more uniform. One of the characteristics of our men is their capability of blending, and one other factor in our favoui, and which I believe is a very real one, is that the tempera- ment of Welsh players is more fitted for "state occasions" than that of the Eng- lish. And,iii our smaller area our officials have the advantage of being able to study the consistency, of the players' form. I think that greater difficulty than usual will be experienced in selecting the right men, but we have the material, and I have the greatest confidence in the ability of the Welsh Football Union to make the most of it.

STACEY-ROAD ASSOCIATION TEAM, 1910. Photo, C. Davie, Cardiff.

?REDUCE THE PACKj I An Experiment Urged HOW TO KILL THE LOOSE HEAD I SOME PERSONAL REMINISCENCES I By PERCY BUSH. I I have been thinking a great deal this season, and forTnany seasons past, as a 1 matter of fact, about any possible im- I provements which could be made in our ¡ national winter pastime: and. now that the "Prince's" fortnight-O],d al'tic1 has re-opened the question, it has again struck my addled brain that it is possible to improve the old sport. The means I wouW adopt is the means which I strongly advocated upon my return from Australia and New Zealand in 1904, and the idea came to me as the direct result of the experience we had in New Zealand of the depressing and spoil- ing effect of the wing-forward and the "loose-head" theory which was practised so extensively by our brothers over the seas. Of course, everyone knows—or. at all events, everyone who played against the "Silver Ferners" knows—that a great deal of the phenomenal success of these gentlemen was due to the wing-forward and the utilising of the "loose head." When we were playing the test match against New Zealand down under Gallagher coimilimejited me exceeding much by spending most of his time stand- ing just above my left ear so as to thump me directly I got the ball. So much so. indeed, that I could not help suggesting that he would be much more comfortable if he got an armchair, his pipe, and a glass of something hot and long and came and sat down by my side. He was the wing-forward, you see. The thought struck me at that time- so hard, indeed, that it hurt—what a pity it was that there were so many forwards playing, because if there were fewer one couldn't be spared to go about strolling everywhere all over the ground, making himself a general nuisance and spoiling the game. I Have Six Forwards. The "Prince" suggests playing eight backs and seven forwards as a means of improvement. By all means. It is a step in the right direction, but. to my mind, it doesn't go far enough. I would do what I advocated once before, go further, and cut the forwards down to s ix. Keep on playing seven backs if you like, or cut 'em up to eight, or, if you must have fifteen a-side, have nine backs even—or un-even," as it would be in this case. In any case, have six forwards. I believe it would make the game much faster and more open, and I believe also that the forwards would soon evelop into sort of extra backs, all of them doing their "whack'' in the scrums, and yet able to join in brilliant passing move- ments. much more than they do now. Of course, it will be argued that there is not room for eight or nine backs. I ] rpply that at one time it was argued that nine forwards was the correct number, j and that the four three-quarter game would never become un fait accompli; j yet the four three-quarter game is now lloiit tte wcjr 'l d universally played throughout the world. I have noticed time after time when we have been playing a match that Car- diff have failed to get the ball in the scrum, but all of a sudden someone has got injured, we have become a forward short, and immediately the ball has com- menced to come to the backs regularly, An Instance.  One match in particular comes to my ?mind in this regard. This was the game East T. "est. fought out on the Park on Easter Tuesday. April 6. 1904. Early in the game poor old Gii-i-n. who had even then "retired" several times from footer, got charged heavily, and lost the use of several ribs. He was carried off. and we continued with seven forwards, the merry Jehoida Hodges being brought out to play three-quarter. (By "we" I mean the East, not the We-st). When we were thus a forward short we backs began to smell the ball a bit as it came out slick from the scrum. In the second half Teddy Morgan hit his head hard, at a velocity of about 400 yards a second against somebody's rude knee, and immediately lost all interest in things mundane and football-y. "Boxer" Harding. of glorious memory, came out from the forwards, ;and that left six." Thereafter we got the ball from nearly every scrum, plainly showing that, so far from six forwards being an inade- quate number for heeling, it was exactlv the number to bag the ball best. (1 hope nobody will come along and say that if we had had only four, or less, for- wards we should have "spavined the spheroid" every time). Then, again, I just about reckon that with six forwards only one could not be spared to go hunting around for the "loose-head." With eight forwards one is able to do this. but no team would have any use for a man who wasn't con- tent to keep his proper place if that I team had only six "ups" all told. Mr. Keir Hardie's Friendship. Therefore, I say, Flay six torwards instead of eight." We are "frightfully conservative in regard to altering our football laws and regulations, I know, but even at the risk of Keir Hardie refusing to shake hands with me I advo- cate the above. Talking about that East v. West match recalls to mind what a. glorious game it was, by the way. A magnificent day. with sun and no wind: a dry ground and straw all around the touch-lines to fall ion when you were thrown heavily. What more could the heart of footballer desire ? A crowd oi 20.001 and great excitement. I forget exactly who were playing for the West that day, but I well remember that the incomparable ''Dancing Diets" were there at half-back, for they were opposing Tommy Vile and myself. George Davies was also playing, and, I believe Dan Rees. also Serine, and many other giants of bygone days. George Davies or Dan Rees—I'm not sure which—dropped a goal for the West, and Teddy Morgan and someone else got a try each for the East. One of our chaps also dropped a goal. He got the ball far from the goal, and because there was no one within twenty yards of him the people shouted Drop a goal." So lie kicked at the ball. and. to his surprise, saw it soar rignt between the posts. I "Introduced His Bootmaker. l "Rusty" Gabe also astonished himself in this match. He received a pass in front of goal when there were nine or ten greedy opponents surrounding him all eager for a pound or two of his flesh. "Rusty" said to himself, said he, 'Twere wise to rid myself of this piece of burdening leather." so he introduced his bootmaker to it. and to his stupefac- tion the "burdening leather" flew over the bar. The East finally won this historic game by 2 converted tries and a couple of flukes (which counted four points each) to a try and a fluke, or 18 points to 7 and this was the end of a game which produced as much good footer, and was of quite as much importance, as any international match which has ever been played. Amongst the East players were: Willie Llewellyn, R. T. Gabe. E. G. NichoUs, Teddy Morgan. T. H. Vile. A. F. Hard- ing, J. J. Hodges. George Boots, Dai Jones, A. Brice, and W. O'Neill. Not a bad team, my masters'

CHURCH NURSING AMBULANCE BRIGADE. ST. MATTHEWS' COMPANY PONTYPRIDD. OFFICERS: Chaplain. the Rev. J. Thomas, vicar of Pontypridd; Company-adjutant. M. J. T. Jones; Captain, Mrs. Evan John; Lieu tenants. Miss M. Humphreys, Miss Jennie Lethbridge, Miss Ada Capron. and Mise Annie Phillips; Ambulance and Nursinp Instructor, Surgeon-captain E, Evans; Hon. Treasurer, Jtre, George Lewis, Photo, A. and G. Taylor, Cardiff. j -A"Fls,