SOCCER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 118, 21 May 1938, Page 25

SOCCER.

MOUNT ALBERT OLD BOYS.' THE J EPSON CASE. I I PROTEST AGAINST PENALTY. j With regard to the action of the Auck-j land Football Association's Control Board , in censuring the Mount Albert Grammar i Old Boys' Club, tlie following letter has been forwarded on behalf of the committee of the club: —- Because of serioaa depletions in club ; strength from injury and sickness, it was i • decided on Tuesday of last week to find ' ; out from the two players selected for the ' . Auckland representatives against the j Navy. J. D. Jepson and H. L. Needham, t whether they would prefer to play for the ! club if released by the selector. Both j ! were most emphatic that they preferred i ; to assist their club. Needham personally | . approached the selector for release for j . himself or for Jepson. Jepson, on seeing I [ iu Wednesday's "Herald'' that club fix- ' 1 tures were to be continued, decided to seek release, and in a telephone conversa- j I tion with the secretary from Manurewa j , asked him to inform the selector that he j t was not available. As the control board did not meet during the week, no reply was received to 1 the requests until after a meeting of the 1 emergency committee of the Auckland • Football Association held as late as Friday morning. The secretary of our club was then advised that no release would be ] granted. This information was com- < municated to our president. who • informed the selector early on Saturday t that Needham would be advised to go to i Blamlford Park, but that Jepson could : not be informed of the position as there J is no postal delivery to his home in Manurewa. The selector agf-eed that if Jepson, { under the impression that he had been 1 released, arrived at Fowlds Park for the . club game too late to be sent to Blande ford Park, he would arrange for a substitute. Jepson arrived at Mount Albert ' too late to enable him to reach Blandford n Park, and played for his club team 011 the .. understanding that under the circumP stances there was no objection to his f doing so. The committee considers that in view o r the above, the .dub acted in good faith * in d we strongly object to the statement in the finding that Jepson's action was r "due to the coercion of his club's committee." For the committee: W. P. H. r Martin (president), F. A. Bellamy n ,honorary secretary and treasurer).

NAVAL ENGAGEMENT

ACHILLES BEATS FRENCH SLOOP. ! The Association football match between an eleven representing the French sloop Kignult tie (lenouilly and the second eleven of H.M.S. Achilles played yesterday at A ictoria Park resulted in a win for the latter by 4 goals to nil. Both teams possessed good combination and the game was interesting to watch. The visitors played sporting football, but it was superior cohesion that gave the home team its win.