The Navy Helped Soccer Too

IN the early days of New Zealand soccer the Brown Shield was competed for at tournaments held in rotation in the different soccer-playing centres, and much interest was aroused. The first such tournament was held at Christchurch in 1892. In 1898 conditions were altered to provide for the holding of the tournament in every second year. This system was continued until 1906, when the challenge system was initiated. Twenty years later a handsome trophy presented by the English Football Association was accepted for competition among the major associations, being known as the English Trophy, and after that the Brown Shield competition was restricted to the minor associations. Its part in fostering Association in the early years, however, is freely recognised by the pioneers of the game.

Such progress was made in the first few years after the formation of the New Zealand Associa­tion that by 1895 six centres were affiliated (there are now sixteen), and at Napier for instance sys­tematic coaching had begun in the schools. Inter­esting matches were played in 1894 and 1895 against teams from H.M.S. Rapid, H.M.S. Wallaroo, H.M.S. Orlando, and H.M.S. Ringarooma. .A visit by a New South Wales team was also mooted, but did not take place until 1904, and thus a great opportunity of popularising the game was lost.

Soccer in New Zealand has always been handicapped by insufficient visits, from overseas teams. It was not until 1922 that another overseas team (Australia) paid New Zealand a visit, and no English team came until 1937. The visit of a Chinese team in 1924 showed incidentally how readily the East had taken to the most international of all football codes. Lately an interesting development has been the selection of a secondary schools team which visited Australia. Several schools, notably Mount Albert Grammar School in Auckland, now field good soccer teams and produce promising players. This is interesting in view of the fact that forty years ago soccer had a valuable stronghold in the Wanganui Collegiate School, which supplied ‘most of the players for a team called Ruahine, nominally drawn from Wanganui, Feilding, and Napier, which won the Brown Shield in 1897.

Goal-nets were introduced that year for the first time, and the honour of being the first to put a soccer ball into the net in New Zealand fell to a Ruahine player named Nossiter. The tourna­ment the following year was played at Athletic Park, now internationally famous as a rugby ground. In those days it was quite a common thing for soccer players and rugby players to practise together, so that the latter could improve their dribbling. Many players from time to time have excelled at both games, and there is abundant evidence that New Zealanders have as much apti­tude for soccer as for rugby.

In test matches played against various international teams New Zealand has won ten, lost twelve, and drawn three. Considering the limited opportunities for practice against high-class players, New Zealanders have on the whole done well. One very helpful factor has been the competition provided by the Navy. Ships on the New Zealand station have from time to time fielded very fine teams and have contributed outstanding players to club teams. A significant feature in recent years is that more and more of the Navy’s outstanding soccer players are New Zealanders. The ‘Chatham Cup’ the emblem of National club (as distinct from Interprovincial) supremacy, was a gift from the ship’s company of H.M.S. Chatham during her service in New Zealand waters.