APPOINTING REFEREES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 94, 22 April 1933, Page 6

APPOINTING REFEREES

A complaint by tha delegates from the minor unions-that ' undue and unfair preference Was shown by the New Zea: land Appointmeht-Board to city referees in selecting officials for important games was made at the annual meeting or. the Bugby Referees' Association. It was claimed that as a result country .'referees received relatively few opportunities of acquiring experience and demonstrating their ability. A strong reply, however, which proved rather illuminating to some of the delegates, •was made by speakers who were able to place ..b6fore |he, meeting tbq proper facts of tSß.iT>o«^iSiS^r■ >?f;;A^- ■ . 'Mr 3 O'Qradyia Blenheim referee; representing TarATiaki; irafctho minor asgociations' caso before the meeting, and iras supported by Messrs. B. S. Martha!! (Waikato) and S. Hollander (Canterbury), tne latter remarking that the city referees would welcome seeing brother referees from the country districts getting a ehanee. He added that

for years the annual meetings had had Jio reports from the associations' representatives on the Appointment Board, and he thought the delegates were entitled to a report. THE BOARD DEFENDED. Mr. D. McKenzie, -defending the Appointment Board, said that during the last British,tour 'mor?i minor association Tef erees' were appointed than city referees. The New Zealand Union already asked local-unions to recommend referees, but sometimes 'they ; were ; not known to the Appointment Board,, and | horriblo mistakes were made by appointing unknown'men. Mr. G. E. Bradley, tho association's representative on the Appointment Board, said that in Banfurly Shield matches the board . intervened only in cases of a dispute. Outside Seadon Shield matches, the board was asked to make only two appointments last yPThe chairman (Mr. H. J. McKenzie) j pointed out that the board could only recommend a referee, and_ could not compel a union to accept him. Mr. D. McKenzie said that his advice to those in Marlborough was that they should appoint local referees to Scddon Shield matches, and thereby give them experience. If they had no confidence in their referees, how. could they expect them to bo appointed to outside matches? "Have your own referees, he said. "Get their .names in the papers, and the members of the board will hear about them-and get to know them."