No Byes In Soccer Next Season

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30892, 27 October 1965, Page 18

No Byes In Soccer Next Season

No clubs will be allowed byes because of loss of players, weddings or race meetings during the 1966 soccer season, said the chairman (Mr J. Smith) at the half-yearly meeting of the Canterbury Football Association last evening.

After delegates had discussed a recommendation from Rangers that clubs be allowed a bye if it had three players on representative duty, Mr Smith announced that the management committee had already drawn up a fixture list for 1966 which ensures that club matches would not clash with representative fixtures.

j Mr E. Millward (City) said that the committee was dictating to the clubs. “You have been wasting our time. Shouldn’t clubs I have been told of this list?” Mr Smith said that only two clubs bothered to send remits. If a club was granted a bye what happened to its opponents? "The committee is not dictating. You could dismiss all nine of us next year. Clubs try to run football here.” he said. The constitution stated that the committee runs football in Canterbury. “The matter is closed.” added Mr Smith. Should Have Been Told , Mr E. Adam (Rangers )y on a point of order, said that clubs should have been told of the fixture list before all the “wrangling and discussion.” Many voices agreed with him. The discussion was about the players being unavailable, not the fixture list, said Mr Smith. Mr Millward asked: “Why was it secret?”

Mr D. Johnson (Rangers) said that he had brought the recommendation forward to assist the association and the clubs.

“After 30 minutes’ discussion I am told that the fixture list is made up. This disappoints me,” he said.

A Technical delegate (Mr L. Gray) said the matter was discussed and then the fixture list was announced.

“Why the hell didn’t you say so before?” he complained.

Mr G. Smith said: “You’re talking a lot of rot.” Several delegates objected to this statement before the matter was closed.

£5 Transfer Fee The Rangers club will bring forward a remit to the annual general meeting asking that the mid-season transfer fee be raised to £5. Delegates were almost unanimous that the recommendation go forward as a remit. A similar recommendation from the Technical club was withdrawn in favour of the Rangers’ recommendation Mr Adam said tha the work entailed in a mid-season transfer merited more than a 5s fee. If it was raised to £5 the player would think twice befdre moving. "Players who put feelers out to other clubs would know it would cost a fiver," said Mr P. Fletcher (Shamrock).

Mr A. Wilson (City) said that there should be no midseason transfers. A player should know whether he is satisfied before the season begins.

The club should pay the fee, not the player, said Mr P. Toner (Waterside). It was the club that put the feelers out, he said.

Mr Adam said that only the C.F.A. could grant transfers. He suggested the recommendation be added to the present rule.

Referees’ Expenses

A recommendation from Rangers that open-grade referees be paid travelling expenses was referred back to the referees’ association. Another Rangers’ recommendation that each opengrade team supply a linesman was carried.