UNSPORTSMANLIKE BEHAVIOUR AT CARISBROOK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23599, 8 September 1938, Page 17

UNSPORTSMANLIKE BEHAVIOUR AT CARISBROOK

TO THE EDITOR

Sir,—May I, through the medium of your paper, make an appeal to the Otago Rugby Football Union to take steps to raise the tone of the football crowds at Carisbrook? I have no quarrel with the man who likes a glass of beer—l like one myself—but there is a time and a place for this. Carisbrook is not the place, nor a shield game the time. I was present at the match with Hawke’s Bay and saw enough drinking going on openly to warrant the O.R.F.U. taking action to prohibit liquor from being consumed on the ground. One rather despairs of the present personnel of the O.R.F.U. doing anything after the report in Tuesday’s Daily Times of a discussion at this week’s meeting on the unsporting behaviour during the Hawkes Bay match. The impression conveyed by that report is that many of the members of the O.R.F.U, have deceived themselves that the demonstration was started by juveniles, and that adults followed their bad example. The O.R.F.U. proceeded to place the responsibility on the shoulders of the school masters. May I point out to the members of the O.R.F.U. that the responsibility is theirs? Children are quick to sense the tone of a crowd and would not commence an unsporting demonstration unless encouraged by adults. I am convinced that, if the O.R.F.U will obtain an opinion from its lawyer as to what effective legal steps can be taken to suppress liquor being consumed at Carisbrook and then have the courage and the will to carry out the advice given, unsporting behaviour on the ground would largely disappear. It will cost money and popularity, ror the encouragement of members of the 0.R.F.U., however. I can assure them that they would have the full support of the majority of the sporting public and the grateful thanks of parents. If any member of the O.R.F.U. is sufficiently interested in this l e ß® r the editor is at liberty to divulge the name of the writer.—l am. etc., W. E. P.