Referee Found Frenchmen Very Difficult To Control

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29265, 25 July 1960, Page 14

Referee Found Frenchmen Very Difficult To Control

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, July 24. A statement that the French team was almost impossible to referee was made by the referee, Mr V. Belsham, who controlled the first Rugby League test between New Zealand and France at Carlaw Park on Saturday. Dpring the course of the game two players, M. Bescos, a French prop, and T. Kilkelly, a New Zealand second ' row forward, were ordered off.

Bescos! marching orders came in the tenth minute of the game when he turned and bumped into Mr Belsham, who had awarded a penalty to New Zealand in front of the posts.

After the match Mr Belsham said it was the third time Bescos had made bodily contact with him.

Mr Belsham also stated that Bescos had struck him. Bescos refused to leave, and after an argument with A. Jiminex. the French captain, Mr Belsham came to the sideline to ask for assistance to remove Bescos.

Mr A. Blain, the French manager, then called Bescos over to the grandstand and after further argument he managed to persuade him to leave the field. Kilkelly, after several earlier skirmishes, was finally ordered off by Mr Belsham one minute before the game ended. The grounds for his removal were that he had hit a French player. “Kilkelly was the unlucky one.” said Mr Belsham after the game. . ’’There was a great deal of kicking and punching going on under cover.”

After the match Mr Belsham hurried to his dressing room casting apprehensive glances at a couple of the French players. Jiminez, in an interview after the game, said Mr Belsham was not a very good referee He maintained Bescos had bumped into Mr Belsham accidentally and that Mr Belsham would not listen

to the many explanations and apologies. Both Jiminez and Mr Blain said the field made good league impossible. Mr T. Hardwick, the coach of the New Zealand team, said he was very pleased with the result of the match. ' Commenting on orderings. off. Mr Hardwick said: "These unpleasant things will happen in football,” C. R. Johnson, the captain of the Kiwi team, when asked about Mr Belsham's refereeing said he was a strict, but very fair, referee. At a special meeting of the judicial committee of the New Zealand council Bescos was warned and asked to apologise to Mr Belsham. Bescos apologised. Kilkelly was cautioned.