FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 38, 13 February 1904, Page 4 (Supplement)

FOOTBALL.

A year or so ago I had something to say on the advisability of joining Parnell and Suburbs together, so as to form one district. Last year confirmed mc in the opinion that this step was advisable, and I hope that the amalgamation will be effected this year. At present both Pamell and Suburbs, through no fault of their own. are lamentably weak, and their weakness is having a very serious effect on senior football. To join them together would be to put a fairly strong senior team in the fipld in place of two weak teams, and would do away with the necessity for a senior team standing out every Saturday. I feel sure that the move would be in the best interests of Auckland football, and it would be a good thing if those interested in the management of these two district clubs took the matter into consideration before the annual meetings of their clubs. The alteration would, of course, hare to be made by the annual meeting of delegates. It has been announced with a considerable amount of certainty that an English team of footballers would visit Australia and New Zealand tliis year. That the English Union are moving in the matter is proved by a paragraph in one of the last issues of the "Athletic News" to hand, in which eminent players who ! can make the trip to Australia and New Zealand are invited to send their names to Mr Rowland Hill, secretary of the ! English Rugby Union. In view of this it is evident that the Home Union does not expect a Xew Zealand team to α-o to England until 1905. This news of the visit of an English team will be received with great satisfaction throughout New Zealand. Th-e Wellington correspondent of the "Canterbury Times" hears that the new by-laws of the New Zealand Ruo-bv Union, drafted by a sub-committee will be printed and sent out to affiliated unions for their consideration at the coming annual meetings. The correspondent is of opinion that the clauses dealing with the basis of representation will lead to a prolonged and bitter fight unless some compromise is arrived at. Under the proposed constitution, Canterbury; and Wellington; will lose

two votes each, while Auckland **„ Otago will gain in proportion. S smaller unions will be sure to la«v ? violently at the proposal to their numerical voting power and *t - pretty safe to say that the representative, and probably a main^ 7, of the Wellington " strenuous objections to the new claw and use the most legitimate obstrucrinn' to prevent their being given effect tn At a meeting of the committee of th New Zealand Rugby Union on Januar! 27, a. discussion took place on a mattS t brought forward by the ManawatußuoC Union involving the action of the Wa ■ ganui Union in letting off, without neT alties, certain players belonging +ri Wanganui, who were ordered off th field by the referee who controlled the Wanganui v. Manawatu representative match. It was resolved: "That as un der the rules of the game the' referee is made sole judge of fact, this commit, tee is of opinion that evidence for the! purpose of disproving a referee's decision on a point of fact should not be admitted in any inquiry of this descrintion. This being the case, this commit/ tee is further of opinion that the Wanganui Union was in error in passing a resolution exonerating the players." °Jk will be remembered that this* principle was strongly advocated in these columns last year.