FOOTBALL DISPUTE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19778, 27 October 1927, Page 12

FOOTBALL DISPUTE.

CHATHAM CUP CONTEST. OTAGO CLUB'S PROTEST. CONFLICT WITH THE COUNCIL. [by telegraph.—own correspondent. J DUNEDIN, Wednesday A special meeting of the Northern Association Football Club was held last evening to place before the members the facts connected with the trouble which had arisen ovei the final match for the Chatham Cup, which was played at Well mgton on September 24. Mr. G. C. Rigby, the president of the club, who accompanied the Northern team as manager on its trip north, stated that one of the members of the team, McCor mack, had been injured and it had been decided to play in his stead Q- Ruddiman, who, prior to leaving Dunedm, had resigned from the club's executive so as to be able to play id the cup competition in the event of McCormack not being fit to turn out. Before the match, however, three members of the New Zealand Coun cil approached the manager and informed him in such a manner as to give the ini pression that they were speaking on be half of the council, that Ruddiman was not elegible to play. Further, they stated that if he did play and Northern won and Ponsonby protested, they would be obliged to uphold the protest This, therefore, left Northern the alternative of playing McCormack or fielding only ten men.

Later, said Mr. Higby, he discovered that the warning given him by the council members was not official. Accordingly a protest, accompanied by a fee of £2 2s was sent to the council and a reply was received stating that the protest had been dismissed and the £2 2s retained, which he considered was adding insult to injury Mr. Ruddiman corroborated Mr Rigby s statements and claimed that by the rule covering the subject he was eligible to play. After some discussion the following re solutions were passed : (1) "That a flat denial he made to the statements made in the letter from the secretary of the New Zealand Council. (2) "That as a preliminary to furthei action, if thnt necessity arises, the club should ask the council for answers to the various questions bearing on the matter, as members felt chat they were entitled to ask questions and receive definite answers. (3) "That the club, knowing the cor rect facts of the counciJ members' over tures to the club's president, in his cap acity as manager of the team, and to cer tain of the players, is not prepared to ac cept the council's decision, and expresses the unanimous opinion that this matter should be reconsidered by the council and that the local secretary of the Otago Football Association be asked to notify the secretary of the New Zealand Foot ball Association that it desires the case and the whole of the facts govern mg it placed before the Football Associa tion of England."

It was mentioned that the last resolu tion would be used only if no satisfactory results could be obtained by the in vestigations of the New Zealand Council