YEAR REVIEWED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 88, 15 April 1939, Page 15

YEAR REVIEWED

N.2.F.A. ANNUAL MEETING

PROBLEM OF FINANCE

A review of Association football in New Zealand over the past year and plans for the coming season were made by delegates at the forty-eighth annual rc-eeting of the New Zealand Football Association last night.

Mr. A. G. Barnett, a vice-president, presided, and there were also present Messrs. E. Hollis (representing Auckland), W. G. Bryee (Canterbury), JSmith (Canterbury), L. Marchant (Hawke's Bay), A. Houston (Manawatu), F. Sanders (Nelson), J. Kean (Poverty Bay), Frank Campbell (Otago), J. Scott (Otago), J. Dick (South Auckland), G. F. Aers (South Canterbury), P. Mackenzie (Southland), J. A. Milburn (Wanganui), J. H. Thomson (Wanganui), W. B. Hicks (Wellington), W. J. Vaney (Wellington), H. H. A. Renai (Westland), B. J. Martin (New Zealand Referees' Association), W. L. Wilson (hon. treasurer), and Mr. Alf. Williams (secretary).

The game had made good progress during the year, said Mr. Milburn, chairman of the outgoing committee, in moving the adoption of the annual report. South Canterbury had reaffiliated, and Rotorua had affiliated as a sub-association to the South Auckland Association. The total number of teams affiliated, 612, was gratifying, and Mr. Milburn noted with particular pleasure that there were 78 secondary school Association football teams in New Zealand.

The Chatham Cup competition, he said, was again very popular and the standard of football shown in the final game between Waterside (Wellington) and Mosgiel (Dunedin) proved the wisdom of the New Zealand Football Association in bringing out to New Zealand, the Australian and English teams. It was evident that the lessons of the visitors had been taken to heart. PRAISE FOR INTER-HOUSE LEAGUE. The Wellington Football Association's Inter-house League was praised by Mr. Milburn and commended to other associations. Saturday morning play by business houses was a step towards the objective desired by the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry), the improvement of the physique of the young people of the Dominion.

Mr. Frank Campbell, vice-chairman of the Outgoing committee, in seconding the adoption of the report, said that administering Association football in New Zealand was like rowing a boat upstream, as sometimes they; seemed to be slipping backwards. For some years now the association hadj had a yearly adverse financial balance , Fortunately it had had capital to work on, but it could not last for ever, and sooner or later a decision would have to be made on the policy to be followed. The game in New Zealand was more played than looked at, and there were no great crowds of spectators to make the game a financial success, yet clubs and associations leaned on the parent body and would continue to do so as long as there were funds in hand. The only policy was to allow them to lean on the New Zealand Football Association, but not too hard, and to make the money go as far as it would. Mr. Campbell said he wanted to congratulate the New Zealand Football Association and Association footballers on the success of the visit to Australia 'by the New Zealand colleges' team. He hoped that games between the countries would become an annual fixture, with alternate visits to and from Australia. "SIT TIGHT" OR NOT? The question of overseas tours hinged on finance, said Mr. Campbell, and the incoming council would have to decide a policy. lie hoped the! meeting would give the council some guidance as to whether it should go on spending capital to push the game forward or whether it should "sit tight" on what capital it had, He believed that they should go on spending the money in the hope that the | increasing popularity of the game would enable them to make ends meet • and possibly to lay by some assets. The question of another visit by an overseas team would engage the attention of the council this year and whether an invitation should be issued to an Australian, a South African, or English team would have to be considered.

A "number of delegates spoke on the progress of the game in the secondary schools, and Mr. Vaney emphasised the need for creating good will. The balance-sheet was adopted on the motion of Mr, Hollis, seconded by Mr. Renai. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Officers were elected as follows:— Patron, his Excellency the GovernorGeneral, Lord Galway; president, Sir Ernest Davis (Mayor of Auckland); vice-presidents, the Hon. Sir Charles Statham, M.L.C., the Hon. W. Mclntyre, M.L.C,, Dr, D. E. Brown, Messrs. W. G, Bryce, F. J. Courtney, H, G. Mayer, F, 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, J. M. A. Ilott, H. W. King, M. G. Mclnnes, G. Cox, H. I. Graves, H. J. Duncan, J, Simpson, E, R. Grace, R. G. Ridling, T. Ruddiman, E, J, Anderson, J. A. Robb, J. E. Jones, J. N. MacFarlane, R. Selby, F. T. H. Bell, F. W. Mead, G. Littlejohn, and T. Smith; council, Messrs. J, A. Milburn, Frank Campbell,' P. Mackenzie, E. Hollis, W. Hicks, J. Dick, W. J. Vaney, F. Sanders, H, H. A. Renai; secretary, Mr. Alt Williams; hon. treasurer, Mr. W. L. Wilson; hon. auditor, Mr. N, H. G, McFarlane; representative in Canada and United States of America, Mr. H, N. Holmes; representative in Australia, Mr. R. Carlyle; representative on the Football Association (London), BrigadierGeneral W. R. N. Madocks. PAYING AND PLAYING. The following remit, moved by Mr. H. H. A. Renai, on behalf of the council, was carried: "That all associations affiliated to this association immediately add a bylaw to their rules requiring all affiliated clubs to send in to their parent association at the end of each season a list of all members whose subscriptions for the past season are unpaid and no member whose name appears on any of such lists shall be permitted to play for any club until such amount has been paid."

The secretary said that tours by overseas teams were not being lost sight of. Australia had offered a Palestine team, but wanted too much money and a proposal that the Islington Corinthians should visit Australia and New Zealand was being investigated.

It was decided that the replacement rule should be the same as that in force last year.