SOCCER NOTABLES DEAD

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 May 1936, Page 14

SOCCER NOTABLES DEAD

FOOTBALL LEAGUE PRESIDENT.

LONDON, March 24. Mr John McKenna, one of the most remarkable figures in Association football, died yesterday at Liverpool He was SI years of age, and president of tlie Football League. His name had been prominently before the public in recent weeks owing to the dispute over football pools. He took the view that fixtures should not be interfered with, but when asked in hhrzslficial position to make a statement, he replied: “The publfi will have to wait. That is the position we are in. The public might think otherwise. Let the public think.” He was an Irishman, brusque in speech, and with a tremendous enthusiasm for football. In his younger days, as a battery sergeant-major in the Lancashire Volunteers, he played, Rugby football and accepted the chairmanship of a new club that was formed. Then he happened to see Everton play Association football, and became a convert to that code. He was associated with the direction of the Everton club for some time, but later helped to found the Liverpool F.C., and for many years was its honorary secretary. Thirty-three years ago, when the Liverpool F.C. was in the Lancashire saw an advertisement notifying vacancies in the Second Division of the Football League. Promptly he made application by telegram, giving the name of the secretary. Late that night the secretary, to his mystification, received the message: “Liverpool elected. Come to London meeting at three o’clock to-morrow to arrange fixtures.” 1 Mr McKenna undertook the task, and the 1 club entered th§ Second Division. In the same season it gained promotion. He was a director of.the club for more than 29 years. Since 1905 he had been a member of the Football Association Council, and in 1928 he was elected vice-president. He had been president of the Football League since 1910. His great knowledge of the laws of the game made his leadership valuable in any emergency. Largely through his influence the Players’ Union was formed in its present constitution. A little more than five weeks ago he travelled to Inverness as a member of the International Selection Committee of the Football Association to watch the Scotland v. England amateur match. He became very ill on the return journey.

A fortnight later, while hurrying to catch a train at Manchester, he tripped and fell flat. The shock affected him considerably. .

Mr McKenna spent most of his life in Liverpool, where he was a guardians’ officer for 35 years.

ARTHUR CHADWICK.

Arthur Chadwick died at Exeter while watching the .football match on Saturday between Exeter City and Clapton Orient.* Formerly well-known as a Southampton F.C. centre-half, he had played' twice in English Cup finals, and twice for England (in 1900). Subsequently he was manager for the Reading, Exeter City, and Southampton clubs. MR T. Y. RITSON. The death of Mr T. Y. Ritson occurred at Bolton, aged 73. Solicitor for nearly half a century, he had been player, director and chairman of Bolton Wanderers F.C., and was senior vice-president of the Lancashire Football Association.