Soccer Decision Brings Protest

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31992, 20 May 1969, Page 16

Soccer Decision Brings Protest

A letter of protest will be sent from the Canterbury Football Association to the New Zealand association, complaining about it stopping O. Nuttridge (Christchurch City), a reserve, from travelling to Wellington for the national trial last Sunday. A motion to this effect was passed unanimously by the Canterbury association’s management committee last evening.

The secretary (Mr K. Roberts) received Nuttridge’s air tickets from Wellington but was later advised that Nuttridge would not require them. “It was pretty poor of the N.Z.F.A. to leave Nuttridge at home after he had been chosen as a reserve,” said Mr M. K. Pahi. When some of the original players had been forced to withdraw they had been replaced by players in the Wellington area presumably to keep costs down. The chairman (Mr T. C. Gottermeyer) said much of the value of the trial had been lost because the selectors had not stuck to the original players selected. They had preferred to bring in Wellington players rather than players like Nuttridge to the match.

Players Banned The Christchurch Secondary Schools' Football Association has banned its players from playing for Canterbury teams in the school holidays.

Under the rules of the N.Z.F.A., the secondary schools' association has the power to impose this ban. The schools’ association sent a delegation to the management committee meeting last evening and the decision took most of the committee members by surprise. "I think we should be pleased that there are men in the schools willing to manage school football,” said Mr Gottermeyer.

“The clubs are going to get the players later,” he said. “It is to the club’s advantage that these players are developed in the schools.”

Mr Wilson fully supported the schools’ association taking over control of school football. He felt it would ease the burden from the clubs.

“The teams will build up a greater loyalty In the schools than you have ever known.” said the member of the delegation and secretary-treasurer of the school association (Mr C. Whitehead).

Mr R. Storer challenged him on this point, saying that several of the high school old pupils’ associations were having trouble existing. Mr Gottermeyer said that there was little use arguing against the schools and he wished the school association the best of luck for the future.

Life Membership Mr J. Smith, the immediate past-president of the C.F.A., was nominated as a life member of the association by Mr Pahi and seconded by Mr Storer.

However, it was decided to take the matter no further until the association’s revised constitution is settled later in the year.