OTAGO RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2362, 1 June 1899, Page 43

OTAGO RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION.

A special meeting of the abovo union was held in the City Holel on Saturday night. >Jr J. M. Gallaway occupied the chair, and there were about 40 representatives of clubs present.

The Waipori Club was affiliated with the union.

The next business was the consideration of the request contained in the following requisition : —

Dunedin, May 6. We, the undersigned delegates of clubs affiliated with the 0.R.F.U., desire the secretary to call a special general meeting of the union for the purpose of considering and amending the rules governing flag matches. (Signed) W. E. Gibson, delegate of University Football Club; A. E. Lawry, Southern Football Club ; H. M'Farlane, Oamaiu Athletic Football Club; W. Farquharson, Pirates Football Club; George Dunn. Zingari - Richmond Football Club; S. D. Minn, Union Football Club; S. Ballantyne, Kaikorai Football Club; YV. Beadle, Union Football Club.

Mr W. E. Gibson said there were two or three points in the rulea governing flag matches that many players did not approve of. For one thing there Was the small matter oi entrance fee, but as that had lately been done away with he would not further refer to it. The crucial point was about the three rounds. The clubs were to play in the first round, then the leading clubs were, to meet in the semi-final, and the two semi-final winners played in the final, the winner holding the flag for the year. That was a mistake. It meant that four clubs during perhaps two Saturdays or perhaps three were left with no matches to play, and that just at the time the men should be getting into form for the trial matches. That was very much against the grain of footballers. The next point was as to the matter of gate, but as only two clubs in Dunedin were interested in that matter it was not intended to make a strong point of it. To meet the wishes of players a new set of rules had been drawn up, and he would move that these should be substituted for the rules now in force. (In effect, it was proposed in these rules to revert to a system similar of that of last year — two rounds to be played, the club with the highest number of points at the end of the season tc- hold the banner.)

A. R. Lawry seconded the motion.

Mr J. Isaacs said the Dunedin Club had to pay £15 a year tor their ground, but they had no way of getting revenue. They, thought if the amended rules were carried they would at anx rate get a part of the sate, and if the

I secretaries had the power to arrange the grounds, all the clubs could get a percentage of takings.

Mr G. Dunn said there was another point, and that was that under the present rules it might happen that a club not having a majority of points could win'the flag. Let them suppose the Union was lying fourth, with 8 poinf*, and met the Kaikorai with 12 points, and beat Ihem in the semi-final round. The result would be that the Kaikorai, the leading club, was out of the final.

Mr W. Bpadle said that was the chief objection to the rules. As far as the Union Club was concerned the matter of gate money did not come in at all. and most of the clubs were in (he same position. He thought the Rugby Union might see their way to give clubs some assistance to improve their grounds; if that -was done, they would not hear so much about the matter of gate

Mr Payne said the object of the committee in framing the rules was to gain support from tho public, and to provide for the public good expositions of the game by bringing the best clubs into competition. At Home the semifinals and finals were the means of bringing immense crowds of people together, and that being the case, the system could surely be given a trial in Dunedin, for one year at any rate. If it turned out a failure it could easily be changed. Mr Isaacs, it appeared to him, put the matter very straight when he said the clubs wanted the gates.— (" No.") The clubs should not take up that position. The Rugby Union assisted them as far as lay in their power. They had always done so, and tiny woiild continue the same course. They could not do lery much, however, in that direction while their financial position was aa low as il was at present. As for Mr Gib&on'd statement that four clubs would have no play on eerlain Saturdays, it could surely be arranged by these clubs to play matches among themselves il they wanted practice. For himself he thought it would be better for them to have the spell and to watch a good exposition of the game hy btronger clubs. Mr F. H. Campbell thought the objectors tn the flag rules would have had more to say than had so far been said. It appeared to him the only objection to the rules was that mentioned by Mr Dunn. Of course, there was the possibility of a team which had been leading all the season being put down in the sami-final round, or in the final, and in that case it would certainly be hard on that club. This, however, was what the committee said : They had thought the matter out ; their aim had been to increase the public interest in football, and to provide gooc( games, and the rules should at leaet be giv?n a trial. If it did not work, some other system could be tried. He quoted a number of figures to show that the Rugby Union was not in a strong financial position, owing to the assistance it had given to clubs in various ways. He did not think the clubs would be well-advised if they attempted to take the gate money out of the hands of the union. The members of the committee might surely be given credit for trying to do the best they could with the money in tho interests of football. It was right 'the public should know that this was really a question of gate money.— (" No !") The clubs might not want to get all the gate, but they wanted a portion of it, and his view was that as long as the committee was in power they should have the whole control of the funds, so that they might deal them out among the clubs and for other purposes as they thought fit. As far as he was concerned, he had this to Eay : If the clubs were sincere in their objection, and thought it was doing an injustice to one club that the semi-finals and the final should be completed, be was willing to forgo that and to frame a rule to make the matches the same as before — only one round, and to settle it by a majority of points — provided th 9 clubs left the whole of the fixing of the grounds in the hands of the Flag Committee. — (Hear, hear.) Mr M. Cohen eak! that with the clubs who had bigneel tLs requisition it was not a question of gale money. — (Hear, hear.) He urged the committee to give consideration to tl.e suggestions of men who played the game, and said it was the strong feeling of the clubs about Dunedin that thfc proposal for semifinals and final v/as a mistake. If the union wanted their finances strengthened they ought to be able to attain that end by the outside matches that were to be played during the current year, of which three were fixed for Dunedin. That alone should give them between £300 and £400. Mr Campbell's' suggestion was one that would be a solution of the difficulty, for this year at any rate, but if the committee said they would insist on.the observance of the present rules it would be a serious mistake.

Mr J. Hutchison (lion, secretary) said the views of the party who supported the requisition having been heard, he wished to raise a point of order, and that was that the motion before the meeting was not competent, for the reason that at the annual meeting the matter of framing rules was referred to the committee with power to act, and that resolution not having been ro&cinded, it was not in order for this meeting to bring down a fresh set of rules.

The President said if the delegates were unanimous that, .without notice, the resolution should be rescinded, there was no reason why the position should not be re-considered. X not, it would mean that the meeting would have to be adiourned until proper notice had been given. There was this difficulty, however : If the motion to rescind was carried, the authority given to the committee at the annual meeting would fall to the ground, and the nag matches would have to commence again. That was a matter that one ought to have time to consider fully before deciding upon. It was a position that would give riso to great confusion.

After a cuscuFsion as to the proper method to proceed,

Mr F. Mitchell moved the adjournment of the meeting until next Saturday night, so that some means might be devised of gelling out of the difficulty.

Mr M. Cohen seconded the motion

Mr F. H. Campbell paid this was what he was prepared to propo.°e : That the grounds for all matches be re-arranged by the Flag Committee, thaL the semi-final and final rounds be abolished, and that the club with the majority of points at the end of the season be adjudged the winner in each grade.

Mr Cohen said that was all the clubs wanted. — (Hear, hear.)

The President said Mr Campbell's suggestions would be brought before the Flag Committee, and if that committee agreed to them they would be sent on to the General Committee. If the General Committee accepted them there would be no need of another meeting.

The motion for the adjournment of the meeting was then agreed to, and the meeting concluded.

A number of ladies in Lyttelton have been taking steps to form a club, and there is every probability that it will be established very fchorilsw