1940-12-31 — Page 31

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THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 31, 1940. SUCCESSFUL CENTRE-FORWARD PLAY

ON HOW TO PLAY SOCCER

By "Referee"

IN FOOTBALL THE best defence is, to attack. The successful centre-forward

is onc who knows how and when to attack throughout the game, and never knows when he is beaten. His persistency leads to ultimate victory, which comes only to those who move goalwards, shoot hard and

with every chance. The thing is to attack and shoot, Make a point of shooting for goal from all angles when seeing a favourable opportunity. You will not score always; but, maybe, your shot at an awkward angle will hit the upright or the crossbar and from the rebound one of the inside-forwards will score a goal.

initiale a dangerous Many times a good chance teen thrown away by a centre forward who will position too far up the field and in so doing be- come the rasy

prey of an ex-

A centre-forward has to lead, the attack to co-ordinate the at- tacking efforts of others, either inside-forwards or ball-biteks. He is koked upon by his team, and the crowd watching the game, as

has

PARNABY CAUTIONED

Parnaby, of Royal Scots, who was ordered off the field of play' during the First Divi. sion Football game against Bt. Joseph's was cautioned at the meeting of the Emer. gency Committee held Inst night.

The referee E, C. Ford did: not appear.

their

WEEK-END

FOOTBALL FIXTURES

this week-end's

Following is Football Brogramme.

Saturday

FIRST DIVISION

V

کوئی

Kowloon

น Eastern (Kowloon, 4.00 p.m.) South China V Middlesex (Caroline Hill, 4.00 p.m.) Police

St. Joseph's (Boundary Street, 4.00 p.m.) SECOND DIVISION Kowloon

V 30th R.A. (Kowloon, 2.30 pm.) South China, Ordnance (Caroline Hill, 2.30 p.m.) Service Corps v Navy

(Military, 2.30 p.m.) Club

V Kit Chee (St. Joseph's, 4.00 p.m.)

Middlesex (St. Joseph's, 2.30 p.m.) THIRD DIVISION Engineers

International (Military. 4.00 p.m.) Signals

20th R.A. 24th R.A.

(Boundary Street, 2.30 p.m.)

V 36th R.A. (Chatham Road, 2.30 p.m.) 35th R.A. V 12th R.A.

(Stanley, 2.30 p.m.)

not let his enthusiastic lendership erd in erratic shooting at goal. The zupreme lest of his fool-craft is the moment when he is in a scor- ing position, his team's success de - pending upon this one chance of scering a goal, and keeping ac- curate ball-contrei. How often have I seen centre-forwards with- in scering range kick wildly in Sing Tao movement

uncontrolled excitement, skying the ball over the cross-bar to the consternation of their team. Make a point of shooting along the ground. Of course, if at an sible to do this, but at reasonable awkward angle it may not be pos

range, and unhampered by the de- fence, a hard ground shot will usually score if correctly placed.

the last of four which have appeared in "The China Mall).

Ian-

member he is expected to be the A centre-Forward has also to re-

leader of the attack and the get- ter of goals. Both his team, and the crowd, expect hum to win the

the pivot on which goal-scoring | ploited "off-side rule." This lack depends. This responsibility can- of control is very disheartening to not rest light upon the shoulders the team as a whole, especially to of any player wishing to become the wing men who have a successful leader. Not only is itruvred

an opening for him necessary to be quick-witted, but break through, and which is spoilt one inust show intelligent anti-by faulty positioning. cipation of all the movements of the team. In the centre of the game, usually positioning in mid- feld, most of the planned man- ceuvres in attack end up with the ball being passed to him for re- distribution or scoring. This makes him the brains of attack, and also the target for the concentrated · energies, physical and in playing

raft, of the opposing defence. Forward Must Have Weight And Speed

To retain his place m first-class Tomball a centre-forward muist have weight and speed, being the spearhead of attack calls for strength and weight above the average to counter the buffeting received in the game. He must t be easily charged of the ball, and, above all, be sur-footed, Mis- placement of the buil through taulty footwork met mean they tes of a goal.

Wing playes the bate raids on to the goal, but The centre-for- ward has to fin: h their work and turn it inth goals. He has also to work with all three half-backs, especially the centre-half, who is The heavy artillery making it pos sible with long, ground passes, to keep up a constant attack.

the

The successful centre-forward, besides being the brains of attacks, most certainly must be the heart To be effective, his work should always carry the

hail- mark of inspiration, and win con- fidence from his fellows through- out the game. There is even a17- other point often overlooked in the work of a centre-forward -he should possess an almost uncanny anticipation of the ultimate aim of a manoeuvre played by the rest of the team. In short, he has intui- tively to know and pre-judge the cooperative mind of the rest of the team. Lacking this gift he will never be a great centre-forward. Must Understand Contemporaries' Play Especially should he know the mind of his inside-forwards and centre half-back. With this trio he creates movements which

con- solidate the attack. Anticipating the movements of the individual players is no easy task, and if a player lacks this intuitive gift, then let him study hard the vari- ious traits of his comrades so that "every time they have the ball he knows by their foot-craft exactly 3vhat they intend doing with it, and position to receive it. A crack centre-forward watches the feet of his inside men and tells by the angle they pass the ball where to position almost to a yard. This is more than intelligent anticipation: it is knowledge gained through the judgment of intuitive experience..

Not the least important part of the equipment of a centre-forward its self-control. This seems to have little to do with the science of football, yet it has a great deal to do with the winning of matches; Sélf-control in · a centre-forward Is Imperative, especially as, he is the leader of the game. I don't mean self-control of one's temper, that should be understood and practised by every player, but self-control' in the face of the many temptations to leave his position for what appears to be a better one, and purposely made for him by the opposing defence..

Prey Of The Off-Side Rulė

This is a trap, either to placo him offside, or to snaro, him away

· from a point : when he ... could i

(This articles

NO SOFT JOB

me, and this mental attitude to-

Ruth Whitmore, wife of the fidence and self-control on his part only woman scorekeeper in wards him calls for mure con- softball commissioner, was the the than from anyone else in the team.national softball championships at

Finally a centre-forward must 'Detroit, U.S.A., recently.

1941

THE PLEASURE

Navy

V

V

V

Sunday

FIRST DIVISION

V

Kwong Wah V R. Scots

(Boundury Street, 4,00 p.m.)

Sing Tao (Causeway Bay, 4.00 p.m.)

SECOND DIVISION Kwong Wah V Engineers

(Boundary Street. 2.30 p.m.) R. Scots

Police (Sookunpoo. 4.00 p.m.)

V