SOCCER SECESSION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 264, 7 November 1928, Page 16

SOCCER SECESSION.

UNEXPECTED MOVE.

CELTIC AFFILIATE WITH A.F.A.

BREAK FROM SUBURBAN

ASSOCIATION

An altogether unexpected development in the dispute that has existed in the Auckland Football Association and which was brought about in the middle of last season by the withdrawal of the Thistle Club from the A.F.A. and the subsequent formation of the City and Suburban Association, an iuhregistered body, took place, when at their weekly meeting last night, the Management Committee of the A.F.A. received a letter from the Auckland Celtic F.C., one of the four clubs forming the Suburban Association, applying for affiliation with the A.F.A. The Celtic Club was not in existence before the split, and was formed by ardent followers of the code, who organised it on a national basis.

The letter from the Celtic Club, forwarded by the secretary, Mr. Little, was in the following terms:

"At a specially summoned meeting of members of the Celtic Association F.C., held at 10, Burnley Terrace, on November 1, it was unanimously decided to apply for affiliation to the Auckland Football sociation as a senior grade first division club. You are probably aware that we are a recently-formed club, and that, dining the past playing season we were attached to the City and Suburban Association. However, several of our players, in whom are included two reps, and a number of first division players, with a fair sprinkling of juniors, have either signed or agreed to sign on for us to play under your association. A further resolution was passed that the secretary notify the City and Suburban Association of the club's intention, which I have duly done, and I enclose a copy of the letter which was sent to the Suburban Association."

The receipt of the letter by the A.F.A. caused some surprise. Mr. L. C. H. Daw--Bon, who presided in the unavoidable absence of the chairman, Mr. A. Menzies, invited discussion of. the delegates on the matter of the application of Celtic, stating that the question was one for the clubs as much as for the management. Several of the delegates present, mostly representing senior clubs, spoke, and ail were favourable to the admission of the Celtic Club to the association. It was stated that the A.F.A. all along had agreed to place nothing in the way of players who desired to return to the recognised body of the code, and this was the first opportunity of redeeming that promise. It was pointed out that the final say must rest with the N.Z. Council, and the most the A.F.A. could do was to make a recommendation to that body. It was realised that some of the members of the Celtic Club had never been on the books of the A.F.A., while others, who, it was understood, would be in the Celtic next season, had seceded, while others, again, had been players throughout with the A.F.A.

After some further discussion of different aspects of the matter it was unanimously decided that the affiliation of the Celtic Club be favourably recommended to the N.£. Council, along with the reinstatement of any members of the club who had played under the jurisdiction of the Suburban Association.

The conditional acceptance of the affiliation of the Celtic Club by the A.F.A., and the breakaway of the club from the Suburban Association is fraught with significance. It is known that the club next season will be able to field an exceptionally strong and talented team, and that one of the reasons for the request to affiliate was to give the members a wider interest and greater scope in the game. In conversation recently with one of the formation members of the Celtic Club, a "Star" representative was informed that the players were eagerly anticipating taking part in the A.F.A. competitions. The effect the application of the Celtic will have on the efforts that have been made, and are still proceeding, to reach a settlement of the dispute between the two associations it is difficult to surmise. It was understood that a formula, acceptable to both bodies, had been reached through the agency of the Businessman's Committee, but for reasons which appear difficult to accurately divine, though there appear strong indications of misunderstanding somewhere between the representatives of the respective bodies, this has not yet been carried to full fruition. Should all attempts to arrive at a settlement of the grievances raised by the Suburban Association fail, it is difficult to see how they can hope to carry on with three teams next season, or how they can expect to attract any other teams in view of the very limited scope of an unregistered association.