THISTLE’S PROTEST

Press, Volume C, Issue 29480, 5 April 1961, Page 6

THISTLE’S PROTEST

Higher Status Sought

A protest from the re-formed Thistle Soccer Club against its top team being placed in the Canterbury Football Assoclatian e Third Division was rejected by the management committee of the association last evening. Attending the meeting on beh*l* °* the Thistle club was Mr E. Speake, who expressed his club’s disappointment at being left out of the Second Division. His club’s top team would Include the former international, C. Banham, as well as five who had played First Division for other clubs, and five who played Second Division, he said. If the team was placed in the Third Division, some player? ntfsht be lost to other clubs, said Mr Speake. In addition, the club' had signed some new arrivals to Christchurch, and some of these looked just as good as the players already mentioned. Poor Record The convener of the association's match committee. Mr T. Gottermeyer, said that last time the Thistle club had played in the Second Division, before its dissolution last season, it had played 14 matches for three draws and 11 losses. Other clubs which finished near the top of the Third Division last season had good claims for promotion, and Thistle would have to prove itself again, he said, On the motion of Mr W. W. Carruthen, it was decided to reject the protest. Instead, the Second Division, after playing one complete round, will be split. The top two teams will go into First Division B, and the other six, with the top two teams from the Third Division, will form the new Second Division. "If Thistle is good enough, it will be able to fight its way up this season into the higher division,” said Mr Carruthen.