BAN ON SOCCER

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 146, 23 June 1938, Page 11

BAN ON SOCCER

AT WELLINGTON COLLEGE CHALLENGE TO MR. ARMOUR PUBLIC DEBATE ' Following the refusal of Mr. W. Armour, headmaster of Wellington College, to permit the introduction of '"Association football as a school game, Mr. J.-Meltzer, chairman of the man- "' agement committee of the Wellington - Football Association, last night issued 'a challenge to Mr. Armour to debate ■"' the : question on the public platform. o Stating that the matter, was one of principle, Mr. Meltzer referred to the numerous congratulatory messages he had received since the publication of ..,.the correspondence between the association and Mr. Armour. "You may have seen," said Mr. Meltzer to the management committee '6f the association last night, "the publicity given to the attempt made by this body to persuade the headmaster of Wellington College to have Association football introduced as a school i\«ame. You also know that so far the headmaster of Wellington College has failed to reply to our letter suggesting a conference, after he had given us the intimation that he would not have the'game in the college and that he V.-would' use his best endeavours to keep •; it out. • "The headmaster of Rongptai College, on the other hand," continued Mr. . Meltzer, "has consented to meet this '"" body, and arrangements are now being "■■■ made for that meeting to take place. We that it will result in t the introduction of the game into v Rongotai College. . >'■ "As far as Mr. Armour's attitude is '■; concerned, I think I can say that this body feels it is unreasonable, and on ■ behalf of the Wellington Football Association I want to make an offer publicly—we can't do it privately, as' Mr. Armour has instructed us not to write • to him again on this subject—to meet Mr. Armour personally in a debate on .'., whether there is any reason why AssoV jciation football should not be intro--7 -duced into Wellington College. I am to debate the subject on a public platform, in the Town Hall if necessary, a small charge to be made- ■ for admission and the proceeds to go ," to the Crippled Children Society; PRINCIPLE AT STAKE. "The offer," continued Mr. Meltzer, : "is made with all due sense of responsibility, because we feel that there is a principle at stake, and nobody will be more pleased than myself if the offer „js accepted. The time and place can ~be left to.Mri Armour, as he wishes, - 'The Tiumber' of communications I have had since the publication of the correspondence with Mr. Armour is % amazing,"rsaid Mr. Meltzer. "I have had communications from many parts of New Zealand, and I am not exaggerating when I say that I have had probably a hundred personal communications from supporters of Eugby, ~. who have-said, to use the words of -■; one man, that they are 'disgusted with attitude.' It is amazing c: the number of parents who have corner mtinicated .with me' and congratulated moA?bo&y/xmthe attitude it has takeny up, and wished it success. •"' ; *r. "Iwant to efface the personal issue," *: concluded Mr; Meltzer. "It is a matter • of:principle? 'and that is why I am anxious that Mr. Armour should accept the challenge." • EFFECT ON OLD BOYS. Mr. M. Webley said that he was an 6ld .boy of Wellington College, but its lack of»any Soccer teams had given him no Interest in the college after he had left It. The Old Boys' Association had sent him notices, but he found nothing to interest him in it, though he would have liked to join it and would have had there been any Soccer """activities in/the college. ":.*;'..'3M)f. Meltzer pointed out that Mr. .';„ lAxmour had said that, the introduction of .Soccer into. Wellington College ' would alienate some of the old boys wh,o had been brought up on Rugby. '. ..Air. Armour's own school,, the Otago ' Boys' High School, had introduced Association football since he left it, and Mr. Meltzer wanted to know whether that had caused Mr. Armour to withdraw his support from it. The view, of course, was untenable and could not be supported by logic. Mr. J; J. Kean pointed out that the Napier Boys' High School, where Mr. Armour had once taught, was now ilaying Soccer.