LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 August 1928, Page 3

LEAGUE FOOTBALL

ENGLISHMEN V. WEST COAST.

The English League team arrives from Westport to-morrow morning, and will play a West Coast thirteen at Victoria Park in the afternoon. The visitors will be welcomed at the Park at 2.30 p.m., and again in the evening, when they will be the guests of the Grey League Club at the Trotting Park Pavilion. They leave for the East Coast on Thursday. Intense interest is being taken in the tour all ovet New Zealand of the team of the English code. Every player in the team is recognised as a master of League and Coast followers of the game, of all codes, in fact, can consider themselves lucky in being given an opportunity to see them in action.

The result of to-morrow’s game seems to be a foregone conclusion, but there are factors to take into consideration, which will be to the local combination’s advantage. The rush travelling tactics adopted by the visitors must prove a serious disadvantage for one thing. Again the Coast is a. recognised home of really good forwards, and to-morrow’s pack can be relied on to give the visiting vanguard a tough time. If the Coast team can smother to any extent the efforts of the renowned English forwards, and O’Malley, Robins, Quinn and Co. can reproduce previous solid defensive form, then there will be no fiftypoint majority in. favour of the Britishers as was the case four years ago. The team to play is one of the best that the Englishmen can field.

At present, the ground is in perfect order, and the weather conditions ideal for football. A sparkling game can be expected and the Park will go close to holding a record crowd. The usual curtain-raiser is to be played, the School rep. team being matched against the Rest. Judging by form recently shown by the youngsters, this game will more than hold the interest of early-comers.

THE ENGLISH TEAM The team to play West Coast is as follows: —- Sullivan (full back) Ellaby, Askin, Oliver, Frodsham (three-quarters). Evans, Gwynne (halves). Burgess, Williams;, Bowman, Sloman, Fildes, Horton. Emergency: Young.

WELLINGTON RECEPTION.

(Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, August 13.

A Government reception was to-day extended to the English Rugby League team, now touring the Dominion. The Hon. Downie Stewart was the spokesman, in the unavoidable absence of the Prime Minister. The Hon. K. S. Williams also spoke.

Mr. E. Osborne, manager, stated that the visit had a greater significance than merely to play football, for such tours were the means of strengthening the ties that bound the kith and kin of the Empire. He regretted that, trivial differences between the League and Rugby codes should be the cause of such heart burnings that existed, and he appealed to all not to let those differences enter into their life. LANCASTER PARK CONTROVERSY (Special to “Star.") CHRISTCHURCH, August 14. “Behind it all, I am sure there is an ulterior motive,” said J. K. Worrall, chairman of the executive of ftie Canterbury Rugby League, when reporting, last evening, on the refusal of the Canterbury Rugby Union to allow the use of Lancaster Park for the third test match against the English team on August 25.

The Secretary (S. M. Richardson) read a letter sent to the Park Board of Control applying for the use of the Park for the test match. The League asked the Board to oblige by calling a special meeting to discuss the matter, and stated that if necessary, it would arrange a deputation to wait on the Board, or any other interested party. The reply of the secretary of the Board was to the effect that the Board had been advised the Union could not sanction the application, owing to the fact that the Park would be required for its own matches on that date.

Mr. A. M. Blazey said he had taken the League’s letter personally to the secretary of the Board of Control, and to Mr. T. McGillwray. The latter stated that he would call a special meeting. The deputation to the Rugby Union was not received, but they were told after the meeting that the request had been turned down.

Mr. C. G. Derrett: Did Mr. McGillwray tell you the Rugby Union would not receive the deputation? Mr. Blazey: Not till after its meeting was over. We got along to the meeting at a few minutes to eight.

Mr. Derrett: And waited there from eight till nine—that’s manners. Mr. Blazey said that Mr. McGillwray had told him he did not think the Bia rd of Control would put any obstacle in the way of the League having Lancaster Park-, but the final decision lay with the Rugby Union.

Mr. Worrall said that he was a. member of the deputation which waited for an hour. They understood tlie Union would receive the deputation but they waited outside until McGillwray’s telephone rang. He l came out to answer italic then informed the deputation that the Rugby Union had decided it could not grant the request, because of the fact it wanted the Park for its own Club matches. Mr. Worrall said lie then asked Mr. McGillwray if he had not known the deputation w.ats coming before the Union that evening. Mr. McGillwray answered in the negative, and said he thought the Rugby Union would not receive the deputation. The speaker said he did not know whether or not members of the Rugby Union knew they were outside. Subsequently they waited on the Canterbury Football Association, which unanimously agreed to allow them to have English Park on August 25, at a very reasonable rental. The deputation accepted this offer. The Association also unanimously agreed to postpone all matches on that date if necessary. Mr. L. Amos: Good sports. Mr. Worrall said the deputation came to definite terms with the finance committee of the Football Association, which agreement was ratified by the Finance Committee of the League. “It rests now with the Centre to endorse our action or otherwise,’’ he said.

Mr. Amos. What was the exact reply from the Canterbury Rugby Union as to its reason for not giving the Park? Mr. Worrall: .They stated they

wanted the Park for themselves that day. '

Mr. F. Sheahan. It’s only a junior or senior B match, isn’t it? Mr. Worrall: We can’t guess at what it is.

Mr. E. Jones said so far as they were concerned the match would take place. Patrons of the Rugby League would be catered for. By their being turned down, possibly a fair number would

be unable to see the match. Lancaster Park was the only ground which would hold the crowd. It should be available for any international matches irrespective of code. Quite a number of members of the League had been against applying for Lancaster Park.

“So far as we as a Centre are concerned,” said Mr. Worrall, “we should let the Rugby Union know we are indifferent as to whether we g&t Lancaster Park or not. It is not that it has turned the League down, or given it a slap in the face. It is a large proportion of the people of Christchurch they have turned down. The League is a unit catering for the public in Christchurch in the realm of sport. It had considered in view of the requests it had received from many people, not directly interested in League football, and from very many others interested in Rugby Union football, it would be best for them to apply for Lancaster Park, so all the people desiring to see the game would have the opportunity to do so under the best possible conditions. ‘ln view of the fact that our own kith and kin are playing,” he said, “it would have been only a graceful act on the part of the Rugby Union if it had sunk its differences with the League, out of respect for the visiting overeseas team, our own blood and for the people of Christchurch, and allowed the test match to be played on the Park. Behind it all I am sure there is an ulterior motive. I’ll go so far as to say that the only reason for the refusal, is that the true League game will be seen in Christchurch on August '25. They are afraid of its influence on the sporting people of Christchurch, if they see such an exposition as will be given by these teams. I am very sorry the Rugby Union has turned us down. It is most unfortunate. We have no quarrel with the Rugby Union. There is room for all kinds of sport and every code of football working in harmony, but in my opinion, the very fact that the Union has turned down Ihe people will give birth to an agitation to compel the authorities to allow the use of Lancaster Park for every conceivable kind of sport played in winter (time. The action of the deputation was endorsed. ENGLAND v. BULLER. WESTPORT, August 11. Half time scores: — ENGLAND 30 BULLER 3