REFEREE HOOTED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19679, 4 July 1927, Page 8

REFEREE HOOTED.

CARLAW PARK INCIDENT. LEAGUE CODE PARTISANS. SOME HIGH FEELING SHOWN. The hostility of the crowd at Carlaw Park on Saturday toward the referee of tho Marist-Devonport League match, Mr. H. Taylor, culminated at its conclusion in the most serious demonstration witnessed this playing season. On one previous occasion this year Mr. Taylor has suffered the audible criticism of a football crowd, but on Saturday it was evident quite early in the contest that the "refereeing" would not be restricted to the official whose duty it was to control the game. Penalties against Devonporfc were responsible for most of the outbursts of derisive comment and shouted protest, and a particularly active demonstration followed the ordering off of O'Brien, the Devonport captain, for alleged rough play. When the full-time whistle blev; 1 an angry crowd surged toward the referee, who was closely attended by two policemen as he walked from the field to the dressing shed. There was some hooting and booing and cries of, "How long are we going to stand this sort of thing?" interspersed with a running fire of similar comment, but no attempt was made to molest Mr. Taylor, and wiflrin a few minutes his critics had dispersed. " Naturally we deprecate these demonstrations, but that on Saturday was not nearly as bad as some we have had in Auckland," said Mr. W. J. Hammill, chairman of the Auckland Rugby League. He stated, however, that it was the most vehement outburst seen in city League circles this season. " The football enthusiast possesses as one of his prerogatives for paying admission, the right to criticise," Mr. Hammill said jocularly. " I thought it" a clean, albeit a hardfought, game, and its strenuous character possibly inspired more partisan interest and enthusiasm than usual. It may be said that at Carlaw Park the public are too close to the game—they see and hear too much —and details which would pass unnoticed from a more distant view are often magnified in the mind of the spectator." It was usually the case, he said, that in arenas like the Auckland Domain, where the crowd was more remote from the play, spectators preserved a greater degree of tranquility. They focussed their attention more on the broad aspects of the game. He did not deem the number of penalties during the match unusually large. Mr. Taylor was an experienced referee with a good —a man who had handled a number of major fixtures with satisfaction.