HOCKEY

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 32, 6 August 1921, Page 7

HOCKEY

EXPLANATION FROM UNITED

CLUB

CLOSING OF THE SEASON.

In hockey circles there has been a certain amount of comment following United's default to Hatt last Saturday. In a letter to " Sticks," Mr. R. L. Thompson, captain of the United team^ makes a timely explanation. He also criticises the action of the Management Committee in-closing the club championship games at such an early date. Mr. Thompson's letter is as follows:—"I would like to express the regret of the United Hockey Club to the Hutt Club for the non-fulfilment of its engagement last week. It so happened that four of the senior eleven were out of town, and one was incapacitated, leaving only six, who were quite willing to play, but as this was insufficient to make a game of it, we £ook up the only attitude possible for, I believe, the first time in the history of the club's senior eleven. I am making this explanation as, coming upon our displacement from the top of the ladder, it might be thought our interest was waning in the competition, but,' no matter what our position had been, we would not have had any of the above five players available.

"I would like to criticise the Management Committee for closing the season so early and not having a six-a-side tournament. I think the members of the executive must be quite out of touch with the average player if they think entries would not have been forthcoming. Had they only tried to get entries from the clubs, I am sure they would have succeeded, as I know of several clubs, including my own, thai; would have entered teams, mixed teams admitted, but of interest the club members, whereas now we are left to watch representative matches: Next year • our juniors, on whom' we depend, will telJ us, ' the season is too short for us, so we have drifted to other sport.'

" The Management Committee have let the clubs' enthusiasts down badly through want of initiative."

TOUR OF THE AUCKLAND TEAM.

The Auckland representatives will leave Auckland on 16th August for a tour of the North Isla-nd. The itinerary for the tour is as followsj:—Versus Poverty Bay, at Gisborne, 18th August; v. Hawkes Bay, at Napier, 20th 'August: v. Manawatu, at Palmerston North, 24th August; v. ;! Wanganui, at Wanga-n.fi, 25th August; v. Wellington, at Wellington, 27 th A^lg^^st.