PROFESSIONAL TEAM.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 287, 10 June 1907, Page 2

PROFESSIONAL TEAM.

The Rev Harper's opinion on the professional team as follows should prove most interesting to those who have the interests of amateur football at heart. I am wholly and absolutely opposed to the sending of a professional team Homo to England, and I am very glad to see that the N.Z. Union i& standing firm in the matter. I have seen the serious evil in England resulting from the growth of professionalism, and hope it may be avoided out here. It is true that this i 3 more in Association football than in Uugby, but it is bad enough in the latter. If the money element becomes stronger than it is now, we shall see a rapid development of unsportsmanlike play, of which there is far too much already. From are feree's point of view I regard the amateur as by far the most tractable player, and I believe the respect accorded to the referees in this country is largely due to the absence of pro fessionalism amongst the players. Money is spoiling all sport, and iet us keep it out of football by all means jn our power. The game already has sufficient in it to exoite the passions of players and spectators without this extra force. It is a fine game, and if men cannot play it without being paid to do so, they are not fit to don a jersey.