FOOTBALL.

Feilding Star, Volume II, Issue 513, 26 March 1908, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

THE DISTRICT PREMIER CLUB. ITS ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Feilding Football Club, which carried off the senior championship in the Manawatu district last year, was held in Messrs Ongley and Kelly's chambers last evening. There was a good attendance of members, and Mr Fred. Pirani was voted to the chair. The report (published in yesterday's Star) was read and adopted. The balance-sheet, showing the receipts to have been £24 8s 9d, and the expenditure £2 10s less than that, was adopted. The Treasurer read a statement showing that the Manawatu Rugby Union had received a net profit of £9 10s 3d from the games played in Foilding. The election of office-bearers was then proceeded with. Mr F. Y. Lethbridge, M.P., was elected patron; Mr D. M. Montgomery president; Messrs Fred. Pirani, A. G. Carty. E. Goodbehere, G. Bartholomew, W. A. L. Bailey, W. A. Sandilands, J. G. Cobbe, A. H. Sutton, and T. A. Hastings, were elected vice-presidents. The club officials were elected as follows : — Mr A. M. Ongley, captain ; j Mr F. Rout, vice-captain ; Mr W. H. McLean, lion, secretary and treasurer; Committee, Messrs Pirani, Ryan, D. Younger, and the captain, vicecaptain, and treasurer; delegates to Manawatu Rugby Union,* Messrs Lyon, Ongley, and Pirani. Mr Ongley referred in 'high terms of praise to the work Mr McLean had done for the club last j r ear, and said that members had no conception ot the time and trouble ho had devoted to. their interests, riding once a week to Palmerston, and back, to attend the meetings of the union, looking after the marking of tbe grounds, arranging matches, acting as referee, and doing numerous other things. In reference to Mr McLean's reluctance to again take up the position, the speaker remarked that it was only fair that they should not ask so much of him this year, Mr McLean replied that ho was quite willing to do what he could for the interests of the club, but he really could not undertake so much outside work. The liberality of the Feilding Jockey Club in granting the use of their grounds free of charge to the club was highly spoken,of . and a vote of thanks was unanimously passed to tho Jockey Club. It was decided that the club be again asked for the use of the ground. The Chairman pointed out the necessity for obtaining the use of a building for training and practice, so that they might be able to turn out teams in the best condition to stand the strain of close contests. Those who played only on Saturdays, or even those who did some practice on week-days, were not strung up to concert pitch, and if they could only arrange for gymnasium practice the teams would be immensely benefitted. He also referred to the necessity for having some senior player definitely in charge of the junior teams, to help them both in tneir arrangements and in perfecting their play. It was decided that Messrs Ongley, Carty, McLean and Pirani be a committee to arrange for a building for gymnasium practice. The question of uniform was discussed. It was decided that the committee go into the matter, and make the most suitable arrangements possible. Messrs J. Caiman, J. Hiscock, J. Goodin, H. Hall, R. McNae, and S. Clark were elected members. Hon. members' subscription was fixed at ss. Mr McLean stated that he was endeavouring to arrange for a match with a Wangauui team, for Easter Saturday but he had not received a definite reply yet. It was suggested that in the event of it being found impossible to arrange a match with a Wanganui'team, the committee should arrange for a visit of a Wellington or other outside team. A practice match will take place on Saturday next, and an endeavor will be made to arrange a match with a Palmerston team on Saturday, April 11. The first committee meeting was fixed for Monday next, at 7.30 p.m., at Messrs Ongley and Kelly's rooms. The meeting adjourned with votes of thanks to Messrs Ongley and Kelly I for the use of their rooms, and to the Chairman for presiding.