THE FOOTBALL DISPUTE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19976, 19 June 1928, Page 12

THE FOOTBALL DISPUTE.

MEETING OF THISTLE CLUB. TERMS OF RECONCILIATION. WITHDRAWAL OF REMARKS. Subject to the unconditional withdrawal of the remarks in which the Hustle Club was stated to have been referred to as "malcontents and undesirables" by a member of the management committee of the Auckland Football Association, a round-table conference between the Thistle Club and the management committee may be arranged, with a view to reconciliation. A motion suggesting this procedure was carried by a large majority at a wellattended meeting of members and supporters of the Thistle Club last evening. A further motion that the management committee bo requested to reopen the Kay suspension case was carried unanimously. About 150 members and friends of the Thistle Club were present at the meeting. Mr. J. AY. F. Dickson was elected chairman. Before proceeding with the business, those present stood in silence as a token of respect to the memory of the laic Mr. Hector Parker, who was a well-known member of the Thistle Club. Complaint Regarding Referee. Mr. Dickson stated that the Thistle Club had registered a complaint regarding the refereeing of its game with Belmont before the decision to suspend Kay had been confirmed by the •management committee, and he felt that, under the circumstances, the committee should have, gone into the case thoroughly before confinning the findings of the judicial committee. He objected strongly to the methods whereby the press was excluded from the judicial inquiries and expressed the opinion that the public was entitled to know the full history of the case in question. Mr. Dickson said he thought the Thistle Club had been hasty in its decision to withdraw, but claimed that the management committee, after the lapse of two days, had come to just as hasty a decision in accepting the withdrawal without a full inquiry. He made reference to the remarks reported as having been made at the special meeting of the management committee, in which Thistle players were referred to as "malcontents and undesirables," and he took strong exception to the terms as applied to the Thistle Club. In view of these comments Mr. Marks, president, and Mr. Pickering, chairman, of the club, did not desire to have anything further to do with the Auckland Football Association. Alternative Positions. The chairman pointed out that there were two alternatives the club might take. The first was to go back to the association unconditionally as a club or allow the players to transfer to other clubs, and the alternative was to form a new association. lie was personally very much in favour of reconciliation, if that were possible. A new association should bo the last resort. The main dif ficulty in the way of a new association would be the shortage of grounds, but he felt sure if the association were forme'd it would not lack support. Evidence regarding the proceedings at the judicial committee meetings was given and it was stated that all who wished to give evidence were allowed. Fourteen witnesses had spoken in favour of Kay, the only evidence against the player being contained in the referee's report. Dr. McDougall said the idea of a new association might be very fascinating, but he considered it would be a far better thing to have a round-table conference with the Auckland Football Association. Mr. Howard said he felt sure there would always be bickering until the present management committee was dissolved. The chairman made the suggestion that the management committee should call a' meeting of club delegates to make sure that the clubs were behind it in its actions.