SOCCER YEAR

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 88, 13 April 1935, Page 31

SOCCER YEAR

N.Z.P.A. MEETING

CALL1 FOR IMMIGRATION

The confident optimism displayed by delegates to the forty-fourth annual general meeting of the New Zealand Football Association last nighty augured well for the success of Soccer in the Dominion in the coming season. Mr. Frank Campbell, a vice-president, took the chair in the absence of the president (Mr. Ernest Davis, of Auckland) and there was a representative attendance of delegates.

The past year had not been S very eventful one, said Mr. Campbell, but had been spent more in consolidating the position of the game and it' was pleasing to see that Soccer was not going backwards numerically. 'There were some excellent games played for the Chatham Cup and the F.A. Trophy and he congratulated Auckland on its success in these matches.

"It is to be rather regretted that we are not making that progress that some of us would like," continued Mr. Campbell, and he ascribed that to two main' reasons: the cessation of immigration into the colony and the difficulty that still existed in getting the game into the secondary schools. "I do think that not only from a football standpoint but from a national standpoint, the sooner we augment our population by other means than the natural increase the better,", said Mr. Campbell.

Soccer was the national game of England, Scotland, and Ireland, said Mr. Campbell, and one had only to read the cabled report of 130,000 witnessing the England-Scotland match last week to see what a hold it had on the people. The chairman of the Council of the N.Z.F.A. (Mr. B. L. Salmon) remarked that last season was the most Successful, ever experienced in the Chatham Cup competition, in spite of the fact that some people said that the Cup competition should be done away with or suspended. He referred to the enthusiasm of the final game last year and said there was no reason why that enthusiasm should not be repeated even more successfully this year. "W.e all appreciate the _ wonderful work done by the school football committees in running school tournaments," said Mr: H. H. A. Renai, and he stressed the importance of looking after the schools as the places to which they had to look for the flayers of the future. — Delegates commented with satisfaction on the association's financial position. MOST REMUS FAIL., Of eight remits brought forward by various associations, only one succeeded, and that was from South Auckland. It read: "That in cases of dispute\between a club and a local association, where the Council of the N.Z.F.A. on appeal reverses the local association's decision, the council's decision shall be communicated to the association concerned before being made public, through the Press." I "That it be a recommendation to the j New Zealand Referees' Association that a South Island referee be appointed to control the Chatham Cup final every other year," was a Canterbury remit that failed, and the^same association's remit that it be a recommendation to the incoming council that the Chatham Cup final be played alternately in the four centres of New Zealand, preference to bo given to the ,centre of the competing team, lapsed for v want of a seconder. Other Canterbury remits that were lost were that the N.Z.F.A. should revert to the 21s entrance fee for the Chatham Cup competition (at present the fee is £2 2s), and that the N.Z.F.A. should again guarantee the travelling and hotel expenses of the teams in the Chatham Cup final. It was pointed out by delegates concerning the last remit, that the association had guaranteed the expenses of the finalists last year, and might be able to do so again, but it would not be wise to tie its hands. . ~ A South Auckland remit fixing the minimum size of football grounds "for all competitions" was not considered necessary, as ,the size is already^ determined by the rules of the English Football Association. Two Auckland remits that failed were "that Football Trophy matches should be controlled by the New Zealand Council, gate takings and expenses being pooled along the lines of the Plunket Shield competition,' and "that the council give serious consideration to the establishment of an insurance fund for the Chatham Cup competition, and perhaps Football Association Trophy matches." THE YEAR'S OFFICERS. Officers were elected as follows:— Patron, his Excellency the GovernorGeneral; president, Mr. Ernest Davis; vice-presidents, Sir Charles Statham, the Hon. W. H.- Mclntyre, M.L.C., Messrs. F. J. Courtney, H. G. Mayer, F M Ritchie, A. G. Barnett, R. *>• Bunt," W G. Herd, A. Williams A. E. Wells, J. C. Young, A. W. Sinclair, J. G. Radford, W. Robertson W. Duncan, J. B. McCallum,,H. Gribble, J. M. A. Ilott, H. W. King, M. G. Mclnnes. G. Cox, H. I. Graves, H. J. Duncan, J. Stopson, E. M. Grace, R. G. Ridlmg, T. Ruddiman, Dr. D. E, Brown, and Dr N. McDougall; life vice-presidents, Messrs. Frank Campbell, B. L. Salmon, and J. J. Roberts; council, Messrs. B. L Salmon, J. Lothian, F. Sanders, W. J." VanTy, H. L. Godber, W. G. Bryce, J. A. Milburn, W. Duncan H. *H- A. S a W M% rroir3 S ScboS secretary, Mr. AW. Williams; Son. treasurer, Mr. W. L. Wilson; ton. auditor, Mr. N. H. 'G. McFarlane; representative in Canada and V™«» States of America, Mr H. N. Holmes, representative in Australia, Mr. K. Carlyle; representative on the Football Association (London), Brigadier-Gen-eral W. R. N. Madocks, C.8., C.M.G., D.S.O. __________-_——