FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3583, 7 March 1914, Page 11

FOOTBALL.

The Training Shed. Some interest is being manifested by players in connection with the training shed which it was proposed to have erected last year, and one or two pertinent questions are being asked relative to what has been done, or is being done to fulfil the promise that the shed would be erected. In order to relieve any anxiety in the matter I have made inquiries during the past week and I understand there has been some delay in connection with one or two alterations to the original. plans which it is considered will decidedly improve the building for training purposes. I understand that the plans now need only confirmation before the work is proceeded with. A meeting of the Union will be held early next week and the matter will then come up for consideration. From information that has been given me I fancy that footballers may rest assured that tho shed will be ready for them when they wish to commence training operations. A Dilatory Union.

' Aucklanders have earned the re- ■ putation of being the poorest sports in | the Dominion and the Auckland Rugby Union misses no opportunities to > keep up that reputation. The treatment meted out to the P. B. rep. team during) its stay in the northern . city last winter cannot be otherwise described than churlish. The reception given to the local boys was distinctly ungracious. They did not meet with those common courtesies usually extender! to a tonring team, am! especially a team of footballers. Added to this was a hostile attack on the part of the Auckland press, an attack -so hitter as to be obviously inspired. The reason for this, however, has been perfectly plain to those who have had any connection with football

matters in the Dominion. Since the “Almighty Dollar” lias become the idol of the Auckland Union, any proposition which did not give the whole of the profit to that august body has been received with a decided coldshoulder. Hence when P. B.’s special challenge for the Ranfurly Shield was accepted by the N. Z. Union and a proportion of the profits of the match would have to go to pay the expenses of the P.B. team the northern Union appears to have gone the whole hog to make things uncomfortable for all concerned. In keeping with the aifitudo then taken up is the present attitude of the Auckland Union in withholding from the P.B. Union its expenses in connection with the match. These amount to something like £9O out of gate estimated the time in the vicinity of 2359. Up to the present the Auckland body has remained dumb to the repeated demands made by the local Union to have a settlement. The delay is considerably hampering the local Union in winding up its affairs for the year, besides which the money is urgently needed to be expended on several important matters notably the erection of the training shed on the site which has already been purchased. If the Auckland Union does not- immediately make a settlement the matter should be placed in the hands of the New Zealand Union and that body asked to take steps to have it adjusted.

The Coming Season. During the past few years iootfaallcrs locally have not been in any extraordinary hurry to commence the season consequently Poverty Bay lias invariably been the last in the held *so far as commencing active operations have been concerned. Last year this was particularly noticeable and in some centre s the more serious business of the winter game- —that ol the club championship matches — had been in progress five and six weeks before local club contests began. This state of affairs cannot be altogether attributed to the powers that be, for the fault—and fault it must be termed - lie s entirely with the club secretaries, who are more than a little dilatory in the matter of calling the annual meetings of their respective clubs. But the remedy, however, lies entirely with the Rugby Union. The annual meeting of every union affiliated to the N.Z.R.U. according to the by-laws of that body, must be held not latei than the third week in April, therefore if the local union fixed a date for its meeting, say for some time during the last week in March or the first week in April, and circularised the clubs to that effect, the onus would then be on the club secretary if his club had not held its annual meeting prior to the date of that of the Union meeting. AYhat this would mean, or should mean, is that any club so placed would not liave any representation at the annual meeting of the parent body. No doubt a salutary lesson in this direction would have a very beneficial effect and would do much to give the Rugger season n good kick off. At any rate, tli<3 Rugby Union would bo helping things along by announcing the date of its meeting as early a s possible, and I hope to see this suggestion followed out.

Getting off the Mark fn the south. Football doings in Christchurch have already sprouted into activity during the past week and several of the clubs have made a deckled move. On Monday last Ihe Sydenham club held its annual meeting and a couple, of days later the Linwood club also followed suit. During the next fortnight the whole of the Clubs under the jurisdiction of the Christchurch Rugby Union will have arranged their internal affairs for the coming year, and flic Rugby season will he officially opened on Easter Monday.