ASSOCIATION GAME

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 84, 9 April 1938, Page 14

ASSOCIATION GAME

ANNUAL MEETING

OFFICERS ELECTED

Delegates representing almost all the football associations in New Zealand attended the forty-seventh annual general meeting of the New Zealand Football Association last night. In moving the adoption of the annual report, the chairman of the council (Mr. J. A. Milburn) said that the number of teams under the control of the association had remained much the same as in the previous year, there being no appreciable increase or decrease. He traversed other aspects of the annual report and commented on the fact that the loss on the English tour had been caused by adverse weather in Dunedin and Wellington. Mr. A. G. Barnett presided.. "GOING AGAINST THE TIDE." Mr. Frank Campbell, in seconding the adoption of the report, said that he thought and hoped that the New Zealand players would assimilate this season the lessons learned from their defeats by England last season. He regretted that the game had not made more progress in the past season. "It is hard to sit in a boat that is always going against the tide," said Mr. Campbell, "and Association footballers in New Zealand have battled manfully for many years." He thought they should not be discouraged, as better prospects were in view. The increased leisure had provided an opportunity for some associations to begin inter-house matches for those free on Saturday mornings, and he wished to compliment those associations. "The sooner Saturday morning is used for recreation and the development of the people's physique instead of for loafing about as in many cases now, the better it will be for the welfare of New Zealand," said Mr. Campbell. "School football, of course, is still a problem," he said, "and I do hope that this year with the establishment of the Council of Sport the barrier will be broken down and we will get —well, all we want is fair play and that boys who want to play Association football will be allowed to." Mr. Campbell said that the question of 'immigration was of great importance to the association, as young Englishmen coming to New Zealand were of great help to the game. Mr. Bunt wished to know why the council had not given effect to the recommendation from the last annual meeting that Canterbury should have | a Test ma"tch -against England. ' He also complained of the council's haying abandoned the Chatham, Cup matches without reference to his association. Mr. Milburn replied that Canterbury's claim for a Test match had been given every consideration by the council, but it had in the English tour something to sell and it' wanted'the best markets. Previous experience, had shown that Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin would give , better, "gates" than Christchurch,.but the council had agreed that Canterbury should have first consideration in any'subsequent tour by an overseas team. Mr. Jones: But not an English: team! Mr. Milburn: We don't know! Referring to the Chatham Cup competition, Mr. Milburn said it appeared that Canterbury had had a full, enough season without having "the Chatham Cup .games as well; ~'.' ";. .'■" " '~ REPLACEMENT RULE. The following remit from Otago was not successful:—"That if the replacement rule is in operation this season, it be made operative for the whole game instead of for half-time as at present, provided that if an injury occurs during the last fifteen minutes, the sanction of the captain' of the opposing team be given." Officers were elected as follows:— Patron, his Excellency the GovernorGeneral; president,, Sir Ernest Davis (Mayor of Auckland); vice-presidents, Sir Charles Statham, M.L.C., the Hon. W. Mclntyre, M.L.C., Dr. D. E. Brown, Messrs. F. J. Courtney, H. G. Mayer, jF. M. Ritchie, H. Gribble, A." G. Barnett, R. B. Bunt,- W. G. Herd, A. Williams, A. E. Wells, J. C. Young, W. Robertson, W. Duncan, A. W. Sinclair, IJ. M. A. 'Iloft, H. W. King, M. G. Me-1 Innes, G. Cox, H. I. Graves, H. J. Dun-1 can, J. Simpson, E. R. Grace, R. G. I Ridling, T. Ruddiman, E. J. Anderson, J. A. Robb, J. E. Jones, J. N. MacFarilane, F.T. H. Bell, T. Smith, G. Littlejohn, F. W. Mead, and R. Selby; council, Messrs. J. A. Milburn, Frank Campbell, P. Mackenzie, ■E. Hollis, W. G. Bryce, W. J. Vaney, F. Sanders, H. H. A. Rcnai, and W. B. Hicks; secretary, Mr. Alf. Williams; hon. treasurer, Mr. W. L. Wilson; hon. auditor, Mr. N. H. G. McFarlane; representative^ in Canada and United. States,' Mr.H.'N. Holmes; representative in Australia, Mr. R. Carlyle; representative on the Football Association (London), BrigadierGeneral W. R. N. Madocks.