FOOTBALL

Nelson Evening Mail, 27 May 1916, Page 8

FOOTBALL

NELSON COLLEGE OLD BOYS' CLUB. The ninth annual meeting of the Nelson College Old' Boys' Football Club <was held in Staliard's rooms last night. Mr W. Devenish presided over a fair attendance.

The annual report ' and balance-sheet -were read and adopted'. In the report the acting hoa. secretary (Mr R. E. bavage). itat»l: "The past season ha? •been a "most unsatisfactory one as far as football is concerned. At the beginr.ins of the season, by diligent efforts, we .■were able to put a Senior team into the field which promised a fair amount of success. This team, however, graduailj <fwindled away, and before many gamers had been played the Junior team na-i to be drawn on to fill the gaps made in the Senior by enlistments for active service, and it was only the R,ugfby Ur on's decision to abandon operations for the season that saved- the situation, as T am sure as time went~on we could- not have put anything like a decent team into- the field. During the season we lost the support of our secretary, Mr Widdowson, and our able coach and supporter, Mr N. Vercoe, who have both gone to the front, together with more than 75 per cent of our players. The prospects for the comine season certainlv do not

look yery bright ,and it is, left to this > meeting to decide on the plan of action for oar team this year." Discussion ensued with regard to the • appointment of x officers, and, as everyone of. "the past'.year's committee was absent from New Zealand serving- with . the Expeditionary Forces, it was decided" not to appoint a-new committee., but that the remaining officers of the club be re-elected and empowered to carry>-on the club's affairs, for the fi>ason 1916, and that the cluJb remain dormant for the period l of the war, no Club " .playing teams being entered' for the ■ competitions.

It was "resolved, that, as tho Club is

. unable to enter any Club teams fci competition for 1916. it be a recrmi--nendation- to the Club officers that they . confer with reoresentatives of the Nelson Football 'Club and entdeavour to arrange for joint teams of "members of the Tesnective clnbs to compete in the competitions of 1916 under the name of "Wakatu football' teams," this step being necessary owing to neither club beine strong enough to enter club teams. The chairman announced' to the meeting 'that the conference of secondarv schools of New Zealand had accepted the Devenish Shield as a competition shooting .shield, and the chairman also remarked on the fact that practically all past members of the -club, of military :age» hswi enlisted and left New Zealand for the front.