THE SOUTH ISLAND

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 151, 29 June 1938, Page 8

THE SOUTH ISLAND

INQUIRY INTO POSITION (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, June 28. Inquiries about the participation, of schoolboys in Association football in the South Island are to be made by the Canterbury Football Association. This decision was reached at a meeting of the management committee of the association after the president, Mr. J. E. Jones, had referred to the Interest taken in the code by some of the secondary schools in the North Island. The first suggestion made after Mr. Jones had concluded his remarks was that the headmaster of Christchurch Boys' High School, Mr. G. J. Lancaster, should be asked to define his attitude towards the introduction of the code as a school sport. Mr. F. T. H. Bell remarked that the association knew Mr. Lancaster's attitude, "but it would be nice if he would come into the open and state his reasons for his attitude." Mr. Jones said that if the National Council of Sport was to operate properly. it would have to shift obstacles preventing the introduction of Association football into schools. At present headmasters had sole control in deciding whether a sport should be played, and that position; he said, could not even be altered by the Government. To his mind that was most astounding. Government interference was quite proper, he thought, if it was in the interests of the public. 'Vpien'the people fully realised the position the force of public opinion would be so strong that there would be a change. The committee decided to ask other associations in the South Island for information about the number of schools in which Association football was played.