SOCCER

Evening Star, Issue 19925, 23 July 1928, Page 5

SOCCER

CHATHAM CUP DRAW HAWKE'S BAY’S PROTEST. [Per United Press Association.] HASTINGS, July 2:5. The draw for the Chatham Cup competition showed that the winners of the Manawatu-Hawke’s Bay match, played last Saturday week between St. Andrew’s and Hastings United, were to meet at Wellington, the former to play at home. Hastings won their game, and Petone were the winners in the Wellington province, so that the latter were duo to meet Hastings at Hastings next Saturday. The Now Zealand Association informed the Hawke’s Bav Association last week that the match ‘was -definitely arranged for Hastings, but on Friday it wired that the Hastings team must travel to Wellington to play, or forfeit the match. The matter wa*s discussed nt'a meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Association on Saturday evening, when it to wire the following protest to the New Zealand Association: — “That this meeting of delegates of the Hawke’s Bay Association enters its emphatic protest against the action of the New Zealand Football Council in demanding that unless the Hastings United team travels to Wellington to meet Petone on the 23th inst. in the Chatham Cup tie, in spite of having drawn the match to be played at Hastings, it will forfeit the game; and further, that it is considered that this example of .parochialism has deprived

tho Hawke’s Bay Association of a splendid chance of furthering the game in tho province. Wo respectfully ask for an explanation as to why tho draw has been altered, in our opinion most wrongfully, to suit "Wellington.” It was also decided to write to nil associations enclosing a copy of the protest, and asking for their support.