and quite deservedly so, if only for the simple reason that in International matches, especially against England, he always rose to the occasion. Moon, of the Corinthians; A. Trainor, of Preston North End; Toone, of Notts County; and, later on, Sutcliffe, of Bolton, and Robinson, of Southampton, were always to the fore, and of the pair it is very difficult to say which was the better. Both have played for England on many occasions, and at no time were they ever disgraced. Their methods in many ways were different, but the one thing they had in common was that they both knew the right moment to go for the ball. Robinson was without hesitation the more fearless, but Sutcliffe made up for it in many other ways. I have played against both on several occasions, and cannot honestly say that one is greater than the other, for what one is deficient in the other makes up for in some other way or by some other method. The goalkeeper, like the policeman, has a very happy time in comparison with fifteen years ago. In the olden days one could practically do as he liked, and it was not at all uncommon to see the goalie bundled over the line ere the ball came near him. He is protected now in every way, and he cannot now be charged except when in actual contact with the ball. This is a good rule, and has done a great deal for the game.

CHAPTER II.

Full-Back Play.

One associates the full back with long and lusty kicking, but he must possess many more qualifications. He must be speedy, a fine tackler, and, above all, a good header of the ball.

He must also keep himself thoroughly fit, although in one way he has not so much to do as the men in front of him. He must be strong in defence, but again, when his side is having the most of the play he should be able to put in many a good shot. It is also requisite that he should be able to kick as well with one foot as the other, and boys especially should study this point. It is simply a case of practice. Every opportunity should be utilised in developing the left foot, which is rather weaker than the other, and every eleven out of twelve are greatly inclined to use the right foot, but if you keep on practising, it will not be long before you will be quite as proficient with your left as your right. To become a good artist you must study kicking the ball from any position or angle that it may come to you. There is what we call the drop kick, the free kick, the overhead kick, the place kick, and taking the ball on the run. The overhead kick is practically one to be avoided, except in a grave case of emergency, because you are never certain of it coming off, or of placing it to any advantage. The drop kick also takes a great deal of practice to be accomplished with anything like success, but the essential thing is to be able to keep the ball on the run and kick it where you desire. A back should be of a steady disposition and always keep cool, for if he loses his head he is of little or no use to the side. It is also necessary to know when to head or kick the ball. It is often imperative that a back, for the good of his side, should punt the ball over the touch-line, but when doing so he should not make a lusty kick and put it over the grand stand. All that is wanted is a gentle touch to the railings, which is the proper thing to do. As I have already remarked, to know how to head the ball is of the utmost importance, and it is effective in clearing the line, especially from corner kicks. Heading is quite an art of its own, and takes a long time to master. You should be able to get at the ball not only with the forehead, but with either side of the head.

HEADING THE BALL.

There should be a general understanding between the two backs, and also between them and the goalie. Each should understand the other's play to a nicety, and cover one another's mistakes to a certain extent. They must have confidence in their goalie, and should give him plenty of room in which to operate. It is also important to know when to pass back to the goalkeeper, and to do so correctly. I have seen many goals scored from faultiness in this respect. In tackling, a back must be quick in turning, so that if the forward beats him he has a chance of overtaking his opponent. This has always been a strong point in the play of all our greatest backs, and should be cultivated by all those who wish to succeed. To the uninitiated it seems that when the ball comes to a back he should return it vigorously, and nothing more. This is far from being correct. Many of our best backs have been moderate kickers, but when they did kick they did so with discretion and judgment, placing the ball to the half-back if he was free or to the outside right or left, as the run of the play might be. Above all, a back should be a fine tactician, knowing when to go for the ball or when to put it quickly into touch, thus giving his fellow players time to get back and save the position. There have been many fine full backs during the last decade of football history, and probably the greatest were the brothers Walters, of Corinthian fame; Nick Ross, of Preston North End; and Walter Arnott, of Queen's Park. The two Walters understood each other thoroughly, and as a pair were second to none. Arnott was the prettiest back to watch that I have ever seen, and Ross was about the most effective. The latter was certainly the most fearless player that I have ever run across, and seemed at times to plough his way through the attacking forwards.

CHAPTER III.

The Middle Line.

There is no shadow of doubt but that the half-back line is the backbone of a football team, and probably the centre half catches the eye more than any other member of the eleven. He ought really to be a general, as he is in command of both the attack and the defence. For, many reasons he should be the captain of the side, for he can always encourage either the defence or the attack. He is like a wicketkeeper in cricket, who sees more of the game than any other player, and if he be not the captain, his advice should always be taken into serious consideration. I have seen so many expert half-backs that I must refrain from dwelling upon the abilities of individual players. However, taking such great examples as C. Campbell, of Queen's Park, Glasgow; Johnnie Holt, of Everton fame; J. Cowan, of Aston Villa, now manager of Queen's Park Rangers, and many others, their methods practically agree. A half-back should be able to distribute the ball when it comes his way to the best advantage, and a long swinging pass from centre or outside right or left, according to his judgment, has always proved most effective. No one understood this game more than Cowan, and I am certain others who know the player and game will testify to this. I prefer a fast man for this position, if only for the reason that from the kick-off he gets going invariably before anyone else in the field. His head work ought to be excellent, and a great deal depends upon him whether the run of play be in the opponents' hands or otherwise. As a matter of fact, the distribution of play to the best results is practically left to him. It is a debatable point regarding the halves whether they should direct their main efforts against the opposing inside or outside forward. To my mind, there ought to be an understanding between the back and the half, but in theory the half-back