SOCCER FORUM

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 264, 3 August 1932, Page 15

SOCCER FORUM

Council and Offenders CONDUCT OF PLAYERS Club and Personal Notes

(By

“Ranger.”)

When a player comes before any of the management committees for any offence and is suspended or cautioned, the association concerned is required by the rules to report the facts to the New Zealand Council. It has come to the knowledge of the council that all such cases are not . being reported, owing to them being, reported in, the Press in the district in which the offences occurred, but not to the council. There has been a tendency to suppress these reports of late owing to the fact that they are usually taken in committee by the Rugby code, but this course is not calculated to act as a deterrent to players who break the laws. Vicious play, bad language to the referee or to other players, in fact any conduct likely to bring any game into disrepute, requires to be firmly dealt with, and publicity is undoubtedly one of the greatest deterrents to illegal practices. Glaring incidents of the kind are noted in the reports of the games, and when the offenders are dealt with by the controlling authorities some report of what happens should be published, if only to assure the public that such offences are not overlooked. It may not always be necessary to publish names, but the nature of the offence and the punishment should not be suppressed, for the publicity must make players think twice before they venture to commit breach of the laws. Too Lenient. In the past the council has issued warnings to affiliated bodies that offences have been treated too leniently, and the associations have been told that unless this is remedied the council will take it upon itself to increase the punishment. Nevertheless, the council has had cases.before it recently which called for something' more drastic than a caution, and one -case in which the period of suspension was by no moans too much for the glaring nature of the player’s conduct, which Was an act of serious violence, yet it was suggested that the management committee concerned should review the sentence at the beginning of next season with rhe object of reducing the period. Such a proposal is distinctly contradictory to the attitude the council has taken in the past on this subject. A Word to Referees. ' There is another-aspect of this, subject which referees would do well to (bear in mind, and that is that it is possible to see and hear too much. It is granted that the referees are entitled to protection, but it is often noted that when such cases are before the committees the referees’ representative on the committee will remark upon the time referees give and the expense they incur in giving service to the game. After , all, they are not bound to referee, and to ray mind they do it because they like it, and because it is part and parcel of the game which they have followed from youth. Players give time and incur expense to play, also because it is their recreation, and this is an angle which is often missed by all concerned in the game. Men serve on the management committees or on the parent body for the sake of the game and regard their election as an honour, and referees should take ; their duties in the same spirit. Players in senior games cannot be treated as children, and referees should be big enough, to realise this when remarks are made off the field which they are not intended to hear. It is a' matter upon which they, have been lecturer! by experienced men. When the offences are serious, take a firm hand by all means. The players -will then come to show greater respect for those whose duty it is to control the games, and the result will be an all-round improvement. * Snapshots; - It was hard’luck for Nicolle, Hutt, having his goal given offside because another player ran ahead to take the ball. Nicolle had beaten the back by puttpig ge ball ahead and running round him. e reached the ball and shot, beating Porteoiis, but the referee gave the other player offside, although I doubt if he had passed the right back at the time. The referee was a fair way down the field, thO play having moved rapidly from one end to the other. . . ... ■ The Seatoun fourth grade team scored 14 goals on Saturday, and wanted to get one more to make the 100 in championship games. Including other games, they had already scored more than 100. Technical Old Boys will be promoted tb the first division next year, having won the second division, They were only beaten once, by W.Y.M.1., and were later given the points In this game as W.Y.M.T. played a goalkeeper who had not been registered. Middleton, the young- player who has shown himself so capable at centre forward in the Petone team, last Saturday got a severe knock which necessitated him being taken off the field. It seems as if the lace on the hall worked loose, and this cut his eye. Petone played ten men for most of the game The Marshment-Kerahaw combination on the left wing seems to have given hew _. life to the Marist forward line, 'and will cause opposing defenders still more anxiety in future. Each scored a goal again Hospital on Saturday, and did well the previous week. If Marist can continue this form to the end of the season we may yet see them holding the Chatham Cup, the Auld Cup, and the championship. It is harder to say what the Seatoun team is likely to do than it is to pick a winner at Trentham. They played a game out of the box on Saturday, and Swifts were the sufferers. Players will be glad to hear that a New Zealand team is to tour Australia next year. It was in 1922 that the Australians were here, and N-Z. toured Australia the following year and won the ashes. That was when Geordie Campbell scored all four goals for N.Z, No overseas Soccer team has visited New Zealand since tJiC Canadians were here in 1927, and it is nearly ten years since a New Zealand team’wOnt away, so a trip is due. The N.Z. selector , will have to find some new blood, but there is a fqir amount of talent available. Mr. J. Kean is making a collection of - photos and records of recent years. Among the photos he has received is one of thd Wellington team which won the Brown Shield at Auckland in 1926, after which it wag made a trophy for minor associations; also one of the old Y.M,C.A, team of 1926, one of the strongest teams in Wellington for many years.