SOCCER DISPUTE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 189, 15 July 1925, Page 8

SOCCER DISPUTE

OVER FORFEITED GAME. A LETTER RECEIVED. A matter which lias aroused some discussion in local soccer circles of late is the dispute over the forfeiture of a Chatham' Cup match by St. Andrew s A team to R.S.A. some weeks ago. The former club, alleged that the action of the referee in determining the period of grace allowed St. Andrew’s to field a team was such as to prejudice their chances of getting a team together m time. After hearing the referee at its last meeting the committee of the Football Association decided to take no action but at last night’s meeting a further communication was received from St. Andrew’s Club on the matter. The letter stated that the club strongly resented the action of the committee, after considering the report of the referee, to take no action. “I am instructed,” wrote the club secretary, “to advise that club members take strong exception to your decision. Firstly, for the reason that the referee’s report does not state all the facts of the case. Secondly, we consider that voilr committee should have taken some definite and positive action seeing that the two versions l , namely the referee s and our own, very much differed.” It was, the letter added, unanimously decided at a meeting of St. Andrew’s Club, that the committee be respectfully requested to at least grant the club the privilege of vindicating its name and to produce its witnesses to prove its case. “St. Andrew’s Club has no case,’ said file chairman (Mr J. C. Young), who added that the referee had simply reported that St. Andrew’s had not been on the field at 3.10 p.m. and that the match had accordingly been forfeited. What transpired between the team and the referee, lie said, did not affect the association.

It was decided, without further comment, to merely “receive” the communication.