THE INCIDENT AT DUNEDIN.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 217, 11 September 1907, Page 3

THE INCIDENT AT DUNEDIN.

. aLiCCORMICK'SEkTIAyATIOy. -In view of the prominence which has been given to the alleged rough tactics of the Auckland' rep. footballers by the editorials, in the Oiristchurchrpapers, the player's explanation of the incident which led up to ,E. • MacConnick /being ordered off the field at Dunedin; will he of interest. The explanation appealed in the "Otago Daily Times" in. the. r form of the following letter from; the player concerned:—t- : --■■■■•:. " .; -. i ";■'■'-L:. (To the Editor J Sir,—Will you allow mc space to make a few remarks anent the unfortunate incident that occurred -in to-day's football match in ' which I was unfortunate enough, to he ordered off the field by the referee for alleged rough.play? I f miy; say that , in all matches ido my utmost to what is called in football "follow up," and it was "whilst doing so that the unpleasant incident -in-the match occurred; One of our/players had kicked the hall about 25 or .30 yards,: and I followed it p.p as fast as 1 could. I saw Eckhold, the Otago back; take the ball on the full when I was about 20 yards distant from him, , * and\ begin , funning towards our goal. He jnust have seen mc coming, because, so far as I am aware, I was the only /Auckland player "anywhere rnear him. Now I. contend .that as soon as he saw mc coming he should have allowed himself plenty of time to get .his kick in and to, save himself from-being charged down—he could not have hoped- to;have gained irio're than a;-few yards extra by Tetaining.the.bali'unlcss he beat his many and'-he : . therefore "took; the-'risk of/ being tackled. I take it Aftat the duty "ofs.aforward, following up is, not only to tackle the backs* but/also, to make them/ kick sooner than they-otherwise would, and thus,'prevent "them gaining, extra ground by running/ It is .very difficult, however, for a forward. ,: to. get near, a hack" in following up. . A rglayer of Eck-. hold's, experience, of these points. ' JiTow,.'inr the present'case,- Eckhold "had"the .option"of either running with the..hall and beating his .man or of before I had .time to reach, him. instead of doing -either of; these things he ■ ran towards mc,- and when I~was,_as supposed, ahput five yards . distant: 1 saw that,he was'preparing to kick. I immediately put down '[ -my. -head and charged him, in the.hope of tackling him before br.:as soon;as.he got his'kick in, and'in;prderthat the.Auckland forwards, who ..were coming up behind,: might get possession of. the- ball, : -: as there * were then only.."two .men 'between them and Otago's .line." ' The last I saw hold was he was holding the ball, and surelyCl; was then perfectly justified in" charging: him. Having; once begun my tackle I- was-, powerless to stop, and I. "struck him. in the side with.,my forearm, "winding ti™ I' dare. say if he had been heavier- man he-would." not have heen. hurt as badly, .but'would have stood the knocki . As it was,'..he recovered very soon, and played as well: as ever, afterwards. But, of course,/this has nothing to do with the-question as to;-whether I- was guilty. of' rough' play or not. I say without hesitation that it; was clearly vEdchold's 'duty to .have, allowed himself plenty of time; to kick before I reached' him, , or, • hayings made his kick, to have got out of my way when he saw that'l: had. my head down; to tackle him. By not doing:either of.these things he himself contributed to the. alleged rough play; on my part.. As ioon;as I saw he was ;injured I turned and pulled up Ms jersey-with' the intention' of rubbing him, wheni .to".my" aniazement : and surprise, Mr. Evans,' the '■• referee, hurried lip and ordered, rue bSVlthe:field. 1-,-say.l was quite unaware;:Ofshaving , -done anything wrong.' I feel.that I have been the victim ,of circumstances." .JVVlien-the "Aucklandiorwards -went ; on to. the field of play they went' with : . the; intention; pfpiaying -. dashing: game .in -the' hope of securing a victory. Unfortunate-" ly,- this' hard play has been called rough' play, and- ; in the. excitement of the game incidents occurred for:, which the referee —quite .justifiably, I. think—had occasion to. warn the /Auckland players, and they came infor a.gopddeal of adverse criticism, from;the crowd. • When I tackled Eckholil, I am there was a great deal,of hooting and crying out. I did not myself, in- the excitement :of the, game, ,hear anything/ particularly. Mr Evans is admittedly a -very good reieree—:one of the.: best; in New- Zealand— but, without.in-any f way. detracting from this statement, I v cannot Help- : thinking that he was, perhaps, influenced in my case'by the conduct of .the crowd, and--by what had. happened previously in'the gartie. Can any., sensible person think that J; would delibarately. right out. in the open, and : a few yards in front of" a. hostile crowd,-perpetrate a piece of rough and unsportsmanlike play? My play was.no more than was/that of an Otago hack, who, a fejy minutes . previously,', had' run into mc with his-knees,"and had. disabled mc for about, as long, as Eckhold was disabled. The chief ; difference was "that .• a 'section /of the crowd jeered and laughed when I was hurt, And hooted oii ■:. the other pccasion. I-,wish.--to say,,in- conclusion, that the members of : the, Auckland team do: aot consider.-;that:.they -glayed-with .-.■'.■■ ■■■ i ■•■.■• ':■■.■■■■-■ ; : ""* .'■•- ' ■■■■ -."' ::■'-,••■■ , ■ ■ . . ■ ■ ■■■. ■ .

unnecessary-roughness.!.?■: They simply played a tfetyr hard^gamein their desire to byv them' ill Auckland, and; tb.e. game played by the famous All Blacks. I can:only gay: that I : regret, very much that: this/incident has ; occurred; and"-1 have ; ;entered-into this somewhat; lengthy: explanation; simply -to justify, myselfj and withTa"View of removing any -impression that' we have been guilty of rough.arid j manlike conduct in a match which .wasP] played in the best of - spirits by both: sides.—l am, /etc., .':' • . ' v •,-.'" (Signed) : EVAN | IHirieduj, August 3L * I