A HARSH FOOTBALL REGULATION

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 150, 19 March 1924, Page 12

A HARSH FOOTBALL REGULATION

Sir, —At a meeting of tho Wellington Rugby Association a plan was discussed and practically passed that a player, if ho wished to change clubs, must give two months’ notice of his intention to do so. Seeing that a player in Wellington Rugby football is classed as an amateur, the idea to my mind is ridiculous. AV hat right has any body governing a game to tamper with the liberty of any player and dictate to him who ho shall play for. Anyone who has had anything to do ■with running a football team knows that unless a player has a club’s welfare at heart ho is far better away from tho team. A new player joins up with a club at the beginning of the season, and during training realises that he cannot make himself at home >’ith the rest of the team, he would to give notice and would not bo able to leave for two months. Many a moderate player with one team has, on joining up with another club, become a brilliant player. A change is as goer I as a rest, some people say. The writer is connected with a club whose good players have gone to other clubs, but they are in no way disheartened, but more determined to carry on and get to the top. My advice to the controllers of amateur football in this country is: “When you are prepared to pay a player for his services on the fcotball field, then, and then only, can you dictate to him, and bring him Under such a rule.” Let well aicne, or you may stir up trouble. The writer of this note believes in “professionalism,” and contends Liat until we get it we shall never see “good football”—Rugby or Soccer.—l am, etc., HANDS OFF.