ROUGH TACTICS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 70, 24 March 1938, Page 20

ROUGH TACTICS

HOCKEY SHIELD »

GAMES

THE AUCKLAND STYLE

"SOUR GRAPES" SUGGESTED

"It seems to me that after the experiences of the last two years .we should seriously consider putting before the New Zealand Association a proposal whereby every shield game would be taken by two independent umpires altogether," said the chairman (Mr. C. P. McKenzie) at the annual meeting of the Wellington Hockey Association last night, when referring to the annual representative fixture played between Auckland and Wellington. . ■';.

"When I tell you men were ruled offside starting on their own side of the ground, and when I tell you, one goal was shot which went through the side of the net from the outside, you will realise what I mean."

Mri McKenzie referred to other incidents which he said had occurred at challenge matches in Auckland. "You may think that I am perhaps speaking in a disgruntled manner because1 we did not win the shield," said Mr. McKenzie. "That has nothing to do with it at all, as many of the members of the team will tell you."

NO LOCAL REFEREE. ; Mr. Fs- N. Chapman said the question was one which should be tackled carefully. It must be recalled that last year the Wellington; team did not have its own referee at the match.

Last year, said Mr. McKenzie, the Wellington referee nominated had at the last moment been unable to make the "trip, arid they had to accept the Auckland" nominee. The Auckland nominee was the one they were com- j plaining about. . It was the umpiring, and also the standard of play which was the trouble in Auckland, said Mr. Chapman. They seemed to be playing quite legitimately in their own opinion. A member: There is only one set of rules. . It was stated that the Aucklanders. played with the body all the time. In .1936 they had a man off his feet twice in the first five minutes. Mr. Chapman: They did not get out of a fellow's way—they just stopped there, and' the Wellington . boys just bounced off. (Laughter.) The game was done with, said Mr. J <W. Newport, and the discussion would serve .no good purpose. They had lost the shield, but there was nothing to istop them from having another.try for it. • Mr. -S. B. Browne said, he liked the* idea of two lion-parochial referees controlling the game, but he did agree that, on the surface, it would appear that the Wellingtonians were rotten sports." ..'". '.. The Aucklanders played an exceptionally hard type of game, said Mr. M Browne, but they did it quite innocently, and he had found that the players themselves were all decent men. It could definitely be, said that it was "sour grapes" on Wellington's part for not having won the shield. Perhaps,, said Mr. S. B. Browne, a direct representative from the executive of the N.Z.H.A. might attend future shield matches. He would be an impartial observer.