ACTION WANTED

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 36, 11 August 1927, Page 9

ACTION WANTED

SOCCER REFEREES

CASE OF DEFAULTERS

The failure of Soccer referees to fulfil their engagements on Saturdays was considered at a special meeting of referees last evening. Mr. W. Duncan, chairman of the Wellington' Football Association, presided.

Mr. Duncan said that the meeting had not been called in an antagonistic spirit to the Wellington Referees' Association. It was just a meeting called to try aud better the lot of the referees. Many referees turned out every Saturday, but there were.others who did not turn out. There were only about thirty-five reliable referees.

Mr. T. Plant said he had been to Anderson Park twice this season, and teams had defaulted.

Mr. Ormrod said that each week every' referee was notified by card of his game. Many men sent excuses between 10 and 12 o clock on Saturday mornings, -which made the Appointment Board's work difficult. Mr. Plant said some Saturdays he had not been asked to referee, although he understood there was a shortage of referees. Mr. B. Davies suggested that teachers m the primary or secondary schools might be approached. Mr. Duncan said the trouble was that ■the teachers in those schools favoured the other code. PAYMENT OF REFEREES. Mr. A. E.Caisley said football in Wellington was going ahead, but was refereemg progressing? He would like to make a suggestion that would open a big question, namely that of giving the referee a fee.' • Mr. W. B. Hicks said Mr. Caisley was advocating what he had advocated before. He said he did not see why referees should be out of pocket. Some seasons ago the Hospital Club had offered to find 10s every Saturday for a referee. INDUCEMENT NECESSARY. . Mr. L. Cooper said the members of the present association- did not consider pounds, shillings, and pence. Some inducemest was necessary to get other men to take up the work. He thought at least that a referee's expenses should be paid. Mr. Pama (suggested that referees, who were not well schooled in refereeing should be given instruction. Air. C. P. Ward said there were many old referees who would be glad to give instruction.

Mr. Cooper considered the early games were the cause of the trouble, the 12.30 and 1.30 p.m. games. There was no trouble about booking for the 3 p.m. games. .

"TOO MUCH ABUSE."

Mr. O'Connell said the Keferees' Association executive had asked old players to take the whistle, and the reply had been "No good to me, too much abuse " -Mr 0' Connell pointed out that the attendances at the referees' meetings, where instruction was always, given, were unsatisfactory, (sarcastic remarks made by players on and off the field had a great deal to do with, the non-attendance of some referees Abuse from the line also stopped many men trom taking games. In fourteen years experience he had never known sucli a disappointing season as this season, as far as the New Zealand Kefereea' Association was concerned. After further consideration the following committee was set up to go thoroughly '™ I .th e general question of refereeing in Wellington:—Messrs. A. E. Caisley, H. Yeoman, W. B. Hicks, G. Jackson, and R