PERSECUTION AND JEALOUSY

Evening Star, Issue 21720, 15 May 1934, Page 21

PERSECUTION AND JEALOUSY

ALLEGED BY MDSGIEL CLUB APPEAL TO COUNCIL THREATENED RENEWED OPPOSITION TO A REFEREE A threat that the Alosgiel Club, in its determination to ban -Mr A. Kiacb from refereeing its games, would place the facts before the New Zealand Association was made by .Mr A. Stevens (president of the chib) at last night s meeting of the Management Coni nuttee of tlie Otago Football Association. Mr Stevens made allegations of persecution* by the referee and jealousy by town interests towards ’Alosgiel. Tlie Secretary read a letter from, the Mosgiel Club objecting to the appointment of Mr A. Riach as relcree on the ground that an undertaking had been given the club that the referee in question would not be asked to officiate at 'any match in which the Mosgiel team was engaged. Failing a revision of the referees’ list for the day the team would bo compelled to default. Reporting on the discussions with Mr A. Stevens (Mosgiel president) at the Caledonian Ground on Saturday, the Chairman (Mr A. Sharpe) said there was no trouble about the players taking tlie field—in fact, a goal was scored against Mosgiel before Mr Stevens was aware that the team had gone out. The exhibition by Mr Riach on Saturday was as good as any they had seen tins year at headquarters. The association was placed in an awkward position by Mosgiel’s letter. Last year a conference was held between the association, the Referees’ Club, and Mosgiel, and a definite* assurance was given that Mr Riach would not he appointed to Mosgiel matches. Whether that agreement was to last for all time was for the association to say. Mr J. Simpson said he understood that the appointment was made nuwittingiv by the Appointments Board. Mr J. H. D. Miller expressed the opinion -that if the committee were m charge of the control of games the Mosgiel Club should not enter into the matter. , Mr Sharpe said that the agreement was reached to obviate further trouble. His opinion was that the trouble «as one between the president of the dub and the referee. The players, he undeistood, had no grievance against the referee. , , On being admitted Mr Stevens said he was sorry the agreement had been broken. Was it likely to happen aga in i The chib’s grievances were well known, and did not need recapitulation, although he hoped the new members oi the committee would he made acquainted with them. • Air A. Wyness; Do you hold thattho agreement should stand for all time."' Mr Stevens; That was -the understanding. , Mr Wyness; It seems a crude arrangement. ~ , ~ , Mr Miller did not think that an agreement made by one Management Committee should bind later committees, especially as it was made by a minority. If the referee was competent, in tlie* opinion of the present committee, he should not bo penalised on behalf of any one club. It was an improper procedure to exclude a referee from controlling one club’s games. The Chairman said the agreement was made for the particular season. The trouble had been. going on for three Xears. . “ And it is high time it was washed out,” added Mr F. Ball. The Chairman said he understood the agreement was for one year. In any case, he was afraid the referee had not been given an opportunity to refute the allegations made with respect to his refereeing. The incident on this occasion had placed the committee in a very delicate position, and lie thought it was time a stop was put to the whole business. Mr Stevens could have no complaint against the refereeing last Saturday at least. Mr Stevens: I don’t count on Saturday’s game. It is the past. Mr Ball: Were von satisfied with tin refereeing on Saturday? Mr Stevens: Absolutely! “Why not let bygones be bygones? ” asked Mr Ball, and Air Stevens _replied that it was for the club to decid' Air Ball said the players had given him to understand that they were satisfied to play under Mr Riach. Mr Stevens: That is not the opinion of the committee. Wo are prepared to take any other referee. The Chairman suggested that the club should place its complaints before the Management Committee when the referee was present. “ I am afraid that the next time evidence is given it will be in Wellington, that is the club’s position,” said Air Stevens The Chairman : That will not carry you very far. The council will refer the matter back to this association. Air Stevens; The club is prepared to take what is coming to it. It has done its very best to foster the game. In reply to the chairman, Air Stevens said lie was acting with the consent of his club. “ The club has been persecuted for the last three years, and it cannot allow that to continue,” said Air Stevens. The Chairman; By whom? Air Stevens; Bv that man. The Chairman: How can be persecute a club? By talking? Air Stevens said that at the conference last year all the evidence that could be given in Otago was fully explained. The Secretary at this stage asked if the club would be prepared to send a delegate to the next meeting of the committee to thresh the matter out properly in the presence of the referee. Air Stevens said Alosgiel had a feeling that jealousy was held in the city against it. Air Sharpe: That Spirit does not come from this body, which has, in fact, been very sympathetic to Alosgiel. Air Stevens said that consideration of the secretary’s proposal was a matter for the club. It was decided to write to the club inviting it to make its charges in the presence of the referee.