AIR FORCE FOOTBALL MATCH

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24610, 5 July 1945, Page 6

AIR FORCE FOOTBALL MATCH

CRITICISM OF A REPORT In a letter to “The Press” the secretary of the Canterbury Rugby Football Union (Mr E. G. Mitchell) criticises a report, which appeared in Monday’s issue, of the match between Harewood and Wigram, played at Lancaster Park on Saturday. “I am directed,” writes Mr Mitchell, “to draw your attention to the unfair report of last Saturday’s match at Lancaster Park between Harewood and Wigram in aid of the Canterbury Provincial Patriotic Fund. “It is submitted that the description of the match does less than justice to the players from the two air stations, who made the game fast and open from the outset. Furthermore, the account was misleading in a numer of instances, particularly in respect to the following:— “(1) The round on Saturday did not decide the four teams to take part ih the final. The finalists will not be known until August 25. “(2) ‘The game was not worthy of even the comparatively small attendance.*_ Actually, the attendance was more than 3000, the second largest of the season, and the patriotic funds will benefit by more than £l5O. “(3) ’The poorest exhibition of football seen at Lancaster Park this year.' —The game was played in a very good spirit and was definitely not such a poor exhibition as your reporter would have readers believe, while in the latter stages Harewood’s repeated attacking movements provided many thrills and evoked almost continuous cheering from the crowd; “(4) ‘Band???’—Your representative apparently did not observe the presence of the band of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, which entertained the spectators with a display of ceremonial marching and played items from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.”