Disloyal Clubs Said To Be Undermining Assoc.

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29998, 6 December 1962, Page 19

Disloyal Clubs Said To Be Undermining Assoc.

Certain Christchurch tennis clubs were not-remaining loyal to the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association by refusing to become affiliated, and accordingly were undermining the association, the chairman of its competition committee (Mr R. P. Murphy) told the quarterly delegates' meeting last even‘"Sther clubs, such as the South Christchurch club, although affiliated to the Canterbury association, were likened to cancer by Mr Murphy in that they helped to encourage the outside clubs to remain unaffiliated by playing them in competitions. No club is permitted to play an unaffiliated club without first obtaining the consent of the management committee." Mr Murphy said. He knew that the South Christchurch dub, which organised an evening competition, had made no application to play unaffiliated teams, yet he had seen in the newspapers that unaffiliated dub teams were competing. Unaffiliated clubs could play amongst themselves, but they could not use the association a facilities, which had taken years to build up. and not pay anything. “The matter is fairly and squarely in the hands of the delegates to deal with," he continued. While the unaffiliated dubs were in the wrong, the likes

of the South Christchurch club were far more to blame. “They have our protection and yet they invite in these unaffiliated cluba to our detriment- The South Christchurch club la more like a cancer because It is Internal.

“If this Is allowed to go on we will slowly see the association disintegrating,” Mr Murphy said.

Every person who played a sport had to contribute something to its administration, the chairman of the management committee.(Mr G. E. R. Atkinson) said. The more clubs affiliated the leas they would have to pay in fees, he said. “We don’t Hke telling clubs to disaffiliate, but if it gets any worse we will have to make an example of somebody,** Mr Atkinson warned members.

There were two main reasons why most clubs did not want to become affiliated, said the president (Mr A. M. Hatch). Some clubs claimed they were “too hard up*’ and others said they were not interested in competitions. If there was no money, where and how would they train younger players? “There is a loyalty here to the game Itself." Mr Hatch said. The affiliation levy of 9s a player was on the player and not on the club.

“It is a matter about which I feel very strongly. Our income must not go down,” he said.