Referees In Wales

NZ Truth, Issue 999, 17 January 1925, Page 11

Referees In Wales

REPETITION OF APPOINTMENT

TROUBLE.

(By E. E. Booth— Special "N.Z.T.")

SWANSEA, November 25

Squabbling over the appointment of a referee is not a very coriimendable or edifying procedure or conducive to the dignity of the contending parties. Trouble had been brewing for some time over the appointment of the "controls" for the remaining matchesi here m Wales.

The New Zealanders made complaint that they ■■ had not ! been consulted m the matter of appointment, and I think wanted one special man for. the Cardiff match. :■■-■■■•: , ,

Afterwards the Welsh Union submitted three names, and this particular referee was not included. The matter was held up pending the arrival of the New Zealand teani m Cardiff. Then the matter of the Cardiff match was fixed, by the New Zealand manager's acceptance of Capt. Surge, one of the Welsh Union's nominees.

The case is somewhat similar to that of 1905, when Mr. G. Dixon resented the appointment of Mr. Games m place of Mr. Gil Evans, whom the All. Blacks desired. It was an unpleasant incident. . The Colonial .contention was that Mr. Games 1 was on the black list of the English Union for disallowing a try to Leicester against Swansea, but which was afterwards allowed by the Welsh Union. Things reached a point of impasse when Mr. Dixon, m order not to upset all the arrangements, trains, crowds, and cancelling the remainder of the matches, intimated his acceptance under protest. •■■■■■ ;

Seemingly Mr. Dean m this case has also done the same, although nothing was stated about cancellation of matches;

The Australian Wallabies m 1908 raised some slight demur, but also continued on to save trouble. In every match they struck bumps and they lost against Wales, Swansea and Cardiff, with a draw at Abertillery. . I do not wish to inger that their partiality can be questioned, but am drawing attention to the repetitions of the past and something of the present.

In. any case the appointment of Mr: Burge for the Cardiff match was not a happy one, as I consider he was largely responsible for the comparative poor state of the game. . His administration was palpably weak.: From the press stand, with play near the centre line, I observed on two occasions at least Cardiff backs standing well past the centre of the scrum; Personally, I ...thought it, poor sport on their part.: If the other Welsh referees are going to be no better than this one anything might, happen. Why Mr. Freethy or Tommy Vile, both reliable referees, arid both Welshmen, are not used I cannot say.