A HOCKEY FRACAS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 10141, 30 August 1904, Page 4

A HOCKEY FRACAS.

UNSEEMLY DISTURBANCE AT WELLINGTON'

The Hawko's Bay Herald's Wellington correspondent tekgiaphed on Sunday: — During tlie paist. week, girls' hockey teams, from various parts otf the colony Have been arriving m Wellington for tdo annual tournament. Saturday s newspapers announced tliat matches oetwoen 10-ur of the teams would be played at Day's Bay m tlie afternoon. Inimei'iial.ely under tliis notice was another announcing tliat after tlie arrival of the 2.30 p.m. steamer at Day's Bay, the four grounds there would bo occupied by eight junior teams from the men's ;ii>soeiauon. m the same paper the men's association announced tliat the inter-island mateh — "tho hockey event of tlie season.," it was styled — would be played at the Athletic Pork.

Here, then, was rather .1 peculiar situation. It was freely stated Unit there liad been a serious disagreement between, the- Ferry Company (the owners of tlie Day's Bay grounds) and tlie men's association (the lessees), and that the men would take steps to prevent the girls from playing their second match fixed for 3 p.m. It appears tliat tliere is a proviso that the girls' association liave the riglvt to use the grounds under certain conditions when the men's association are nut using them. The ladies' association had been clearly given to understand that the grounds would be unoccupied by the men, 011 Sa.turday, because tlie secretary of the mea's association on the 16th insb. wrote to them ais follows : ''Following the usual precedent of all sports bodies, we have postponed all association games on the 27th on account of the North v. South Island match."

Tlie men's association, however, seem to lia-ve changed their mind. They could not brook a counter-attraction to their own game at tli« Athletic Park, and, notwithstanding the promise given m the letter above referred to, they marie provision to send no fewer than eighty-eight players and four refeirees across the water to take posiseasion of the grounds and prevent tlie girls from playing. There was a simmer of excitement among the giirls and their friends when it became known that there was to be active opposition to their plans. However, at 1.15 p.m., tli© first .steamer left Wellington, having on board tlie four girls' teams, a considerable number of their friends, and members of the ladies' hockey association.

Tlie first match, viz., tha.fc between Petone and Blenheim, was played, and resulted m a draw.

At about 3 o'clock another steamer arrived with the mem players, a crmvd of "passengers, and the Garrison Baud. The moment the first match was concluded, the men players took p.->s.se%jon of the ground. All the other tfrouiuU were also occupied by mmai playors. A visiting girls' team, from Nelson and the Aorangi. team (Wellington.) coroun'iiced a friendly game on- an impr'>vi%d ground that was half grass and half gravel path, dotted here and there with poi.Js of water.

_ Apart, altogether from legal tochnioaljtieK, the action of the men was considered by the onlookers to be neither sporting nor gentlemanly, and the two men teams who liad taken possession of the grojnd on which the girls had been playing v.ere hooted and assailed with cries of, '-Come, off the ground !" The men, however, continued their game. After play liad gone on for some iime, Mr P. Pirani, ex-M.H.R. for Palmerstoii, and patron of the Petone club, protested to a leading member of one of the teams. His protest was ignored. He then stated <tliab if the men continued to play he would stop the game. The players Laughed at him, and said he could not do so. Soon afterwards, when the ball came out of play, Mr Pkani picked it up, and ran away with it. He was pursued by four or five members of tlie teams, but threw the ball away into one of tlie buildings. In the scrimmage that ensued Mr Pirani was knocked down on tlie gravel path. The men players were heartily hooted, and souk? of ;lic crowd went to Mr Pirani's assistance.

Ail-other ball was procured, and the game was resumed, amid more, hooting. Mr Pirani again interposed, and, securing the ball a second time, he made oft" with it. Some of the players got to the path to intercept him, but he made off across -the field of play, witili a pack of men players m close pursuit. He. managed to throw the ball over tine feuce towards the sea. Again he was knocked down, whether intentionally or accidentally was niot apparent. This was more than the crowd cwi-ld stand. They now rosined the ground, and for a brief space there was a general scrimmage, m wiiich several Wellington citii«ais took part. A well-known professional man got a knock on the hand, and tlifi. blood) Jlowed. The damage done was not serious.

The men players, seeing they were m for a hot time, now threw up the sponge, and somewliat shamefacedly left the field. They wej« heartily hooted, while cheers were given for Mr Pirani, and the crowd •sang, "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." Tho men having left the field of play, the two girls' teams (wh& had taken no part m the demonstration) left their improvised ground and moved on to tlini vacant ground to play their tournament match. At this the crowd raised another cheer, and the band struck up a few baas of "See the Conquering Hero Comes."