FOOTBALL

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21124, 27 March 1934, Page 6

FOOTBALL

WORLD RUGBY UNION BRITISH RULES ADOPTED (CTITID PRESS ASSOCIATION—BY SUtCTRIC TELEORAriJ—COPYRIGHT.) BERLIN, March 25. The World Rugby Union formed at Hanover has adopted the British rules. It embraces France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Holland. In the autumn a French team will make a propaganda tour of countries where the game is little known. WEEK-END MATCHES ARRANGED The draw for Rugby football matches to be played at the week-end has been changed. The match arranged for Easter Monday between Christchurch Club and Pirates (Dunedin) will now be played at the Show Grounds No. 2 at 3 p.m. on Saturday, and the match with a Wellington team has been cancelled. No matches will be played on Monday. CANTERBURY RUGBY LEAGUE ANNUAL MEETING The annual meeting of the Canterbury Rugby Football League decided last night that the club competitions should open on April 21, and it was also agreed that the constitution of the league should be discussed at a special meeting of the executive. Mr J. J. Stevens presided. Annual Report The annual report stated: "Although the code is increasing in players and supporters every year, it is regretted that the same cannot be said r.bout the financial side of the league, chiefly because the code is in the unfortunate position of being without a ground on which a charge can be made. As we have to depend on voluntary subscriptions ■ from our supporters to maintain the game, your committee has found it very difficult to carry on owing to the economic position of the majority of our supporters who, in normal times, would contribute more liberally than they are able to at the present time." The balance-sheet showed that the year ended with a debit balance of £BO 15s. The report and balance-sheet were adopted without discussion. Election of Officers The following officers wore elected: Patron, Mr J. Vivian: president. Mr C. Derrett; vice-presidents, Messrs W. Mitchell, C. H. Goodman, L. Gregory, J. J. Stevens; auditors, Messrs A. Drury and R. McGloin; hon. treasurer, Mr W. Rogers; hon. secretary, Mr 11. Rogers; vice-president of the New Zealand Rugby League. Mr W. Moyle; delegates to the New Zealand Rugby League, Messrs W. Davidson and J. Carlaw, sen.

A vote of thanks was accorded the retiring oflicers for the work they had done during the last season. Executive Meeting: The annual meeting was followed by a mectiiu; of the executive, when Mr W. Moyle was elected chairman. Delegates present were Messrs T. King, F. Rowe, W. Rogers, A. Drurv, R. A. Jorgensen, C. Hill. C. Taylor, L. G. Amos, and 11. Rogers (Hon. secretary). Opening of Season It was agreed that the closing date for the entry of clubs in the competitions should be April 0 at 5 p.m., and that the senior season should open on April 21, and the junior .season on Arpil 1-1. Alteration to Constitution Mr Amos gave notice of his intention to move an amendment to the constitution, and it was decided that this matter should be considered at a special meeting to be held after the expiration of 14 days. A letter was received from the Linwood Club suggesting that the constitution should be reorganised on the lines of the West Coast constitution. and the Hornby Club suggested that the principle of the Auckland Centre should be adopted. Junior Advisory Board The following oflicers of the junior advisory board were elected at a meeting Kbld last night:—Chairman, Mr A. Drury; secretary. Mr E. F. McSweeney; match committee, Mr J. T. Leech.

ASSOCIATION CODE ANNUAL MEETING OF DELEGATES miTlcn.T SEASON REVIEWED A season reterrcd to by the retiring president as a momentous one in its history, was reviewed 1 -at the ajmual meeting of the Canterbury Football Association last evening. A large number of delegates attended, and the business considered occupied them until such a late hour that the meeting had to be adjourned. Mr J. E. Jones, chairman of the management committee, presided in the absence, through illness of the president, Mr P. L. Davies. Mr C F. Ward, for many pears a prominent figure in the control of association football in Wellington, who has been transferred to Christchurch, was welcomed by the chairman. In submitting the annual report, the retiring committee stated that considering the adverse circumstances prevailing at the beginning of the 1933 .season, the clubs were to be congratulated on the progress made during the year, and on the harmony that had prevailed among the club's and the governing body. Sympathy was expressed with the relatives of the late Mr L. Sharr a member of former committees. President's Comment Comments made by Mr Davies on the achievements of the 1933 season were read by the chairman. The season was described by Mr Davies as a momentous one in the history of the association. Faced by a huge sum outstanding to creditors, for which they were justifiably pressing, the association appeared to be at the erossofa«?h«M, *s existence. The problem of whether it could continue was for a long time a serious one. but with assistance given by the New Zealand football Association and through the generosity of the creditors, who agreed to compromise, it was now possible to embark upon a new season in comparative security. Nevertheless ricid economy would have to be practised I he association was able to start the new season with a credit balance and he trusted that a pronounced improvement would be manifest at the conclusion of the year. Thanks were due to the Referees' Association. There was no doubt that the standard of refereetng was fullv maintained. ,y The annual report was adopted, with two dissentients. Affiliation Fees A remit from the Thistle Club that affiliation and registration fees be abolished, and that instead each club be charged a flat rate of ££s ss, was defeated. A remit from the Technical College Old Boys' Club thai senior

teams be charged £7 7s affiliation fee and junior teams £5 ss, with rebates | for lower grade teams, was also de- j featcd. A motion moved later by Mr A. W. Sellars, that it be a recommendation to the committee to consider charging each club a flat rate of £lO for affiliation fees, or such a figure as would be suitable to the successful maintenance of the association's affairs, was carried. A remit from Mr C. E. Keys, that no club be allowed to enter a team in the senior grade unless it had also entered at least one team in a grade below junior, was adopted by two-thirds of a vote more than the majority required. Election of Officers Officers for 1934 were elected as follows:—Patrons, Messrs R. English and P. L. Davies; president, Mr J. E. Jones; vice-presidents, same as last year; honorary solicitor, Mr J. N. Macfarlane; honorary auditor, Mr T. Bevcridge: delegate to the New Zealand Football Association, Mr W. G. Bryee; management committee. Messrs J. N. Macfarlane, C. E. Keys, F. Wade. B. O. Priddis, H. Smyth, C. F. Ward, ,T. A. Robb, W. Wardell, and F. Bell.

The appointment of selectors for the senior and junior grades was left to the incoming management committee. A recommendation was made to the incoming committee that A and B grades be constituted in the senior competition if sufficient teams were entered The Technical Club's remit that it be a recommendation to the management committee that the committee control grades below fourth grade, at present under the jurisdiction of the Bovs' Division, was defeated. A motion that the meeting adjourn was carried at 11.20 p.m.

ASSOCIATIONS FINANCES SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME CKKIHT BALANCE SHOWN The manner in which a "debit of £7OO outstanding at the beginning of last season had since been converted to a credit balance was described in detail in a statement made to the Canterbury Football Association by its secretary, Mr R. B. Bunt, at the annual meeting last evening. As all the accounts of the association could not be completed before the meeting a provisional statement was made, and the date for the closing of its books was extended to March 31. by which time it is anticipated there will be £53 in hand.

Giving detail of the transactions of the retiring committee, Mr Bunt said that the amount owing to unsecured creditors at the time of the last annual meeting was £686 6s lid, plus £74 13s lOd owing to the Christcburch City Council for rates. A compromise had been elTeeted with the creditors, who ha.', agreed to accept £274 15s 8d as a settlement, of the association's debt. This meant a wiping out of £486 5s uf the debit balance. The New Zealand Football Association had given its assistance by lending £350. and the interest accrued on the property and house owned by the Canterbury Association, amounting to £2OO. had been converted to capital. By this means the association would be able to show a credit balance of about £53. Loss on Sports Meetings

The annual report stated that investigation at the beginning of me 1.133 season had proved the financial position to be even worse than was indicated in the last report and balance-sheet. A large proportion of ithe assets were not recoverable, and the sports meetings inaugurated by the previous committee were not paying their way. The organiser's statement, which must be taken as correct. us no check was made by the then officials of the association, showed a loss of £127 10s 8d on 10 meetings held between December 19, 1932, and March 4. 1933, as well as a considerable sum left outstanding for newspaper advertisements.

It was stated that the gate receipts for several sports meetings held by outside organisations had not been cheeked or recorded, and that the rental for the park had not been paid over to the Canterbury Football Association. Although it had since been collected, an amount of approximately £lO was still outstanding, and itTS payment was a reflection on the ofhcials concerned. Creditors Thanked

The association's thanks were due to all of the creditors for the spirit in which they had met it, and for their generous sacrifice. The New Zealand Football Association had agreed to lend JLJoO on a second mortgage on English Park, interest to be at a rate of 5 per cent, repayment to be made at he rate of £SO a year, with interest lests at each reduction of principaland the committee recommended that the trustees be authorised to sign J he necessary documents, that the date for the closing of the books this year be Sodl \° Mar £ h 31 ' and an' audited balance-sheet be presented at ved bv U ih ed 3nnU , al mceti "fi t0 be nxed by the annual meeting Hi answer to a question, Mr Bunt ball A<" d th , at th ? New Footwith Ihi° C » lat ' 0n had ' in accordance with the terms of its loan, the right •° *?j? o,nt a representative to the "nance committee. No capital ev So^al 6 C °' ;l l b3 "aVSffiitTtß approval or the approval of thp who l 'also Cr^*, tor ' T OV H. UndrHl on on ?»,»*« a right t0 tion on the finance committee. ti^n° meex : c^Pttino n to this representaVnH o Vas taken by several members, ana there were two dissentients when the annual report was adopted.