ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18850, 1 May 1923, Page 4

ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM. PROTEST AGAINST SOLE SELECTOR. OTAGO ASSOCIATION’S ACTION. At the meeting of the executive of the Otago football Association last night the Chairman (Mr E. J. Anderson) read from, the Now Zealand Times a report of the annual meeting o' the New Zealand Council. The Otago Association hud protested against the appointment of a sole selector of the Now Zealand team for Australia, and Mr C. E. Fordham. referring to this at the meeting, said that the Otago Association had written in ignorance of the subject, for Mr B. L. Salrnond (the selector) had a letter from the Otago Association’s selector giving the names of players available from that district. Mr Fordham was the Otago representative at the meeting. Mr I>. M. Spedding, who was to have been present, had been prevented by the floods from being there. The Chairman deprecated Mr Fordham’s action, and asked Mr J. Milbum to explain his side of the question. Mr Milburn stated that about a fortnight ago Mr Fullarton had rung him up from Woodbury (South Canterbury) to say that Mr Salmond had asked him to nominate men for selection for the New Zealand team. As Mr Fullarton was out of touch with Otago players, ho had asked Mr Milburn to write to Mr Salmond nominating some men. This was late on a Sunday night, and the following day, said Mr Milburn, ho wrote to Mr Salmond as requested. He distinctly started that the letter was his personal opinion, and did not bind tho Otago Association. He agreed with the Otago Association in considering that local associations should be consulted in tho selection of the New Zealand team, as Mr Salmond could' judge only on last year’s form.

Mr Cameron said that Mr Salmond had acted wrongly in ; writing to any individual person.

.The Chairman:- Exactly. It is very regrettable that Mr Fordham should have said what ho did. His remarks indicate that there is a cleavage between tho Otago Association and its selectors, and that, is not so. Mr Salmond might have known that, had the letter been sent- to the association, it would have been referred to the selectors. ife (l Tho Secretary said that Mr SaTrnond had used tho letter to save his face. He seemed to have realised that the associations should have been consulted, and had then written to Mr Fullarton. However, he had taken this action after tho Otago Association bad made its protest, and therefore tho Otago Association had not acted in ignorance. A letter was received from the Wellington Association intimating that it supported the Otago Association in its protest, and urging the Otago Association to proceed in the matter.

It was decided to proceed with the protest, and to write to Messrs Fordham and Salmond and local, associations explaining the matter. It was also decided' to point out to Mr Fordham that his remarks might have been more carefully weighed before they were uttered. The chairman and the secretary were appointed to draw up the letter.