OBJECTION TO “SOCCER”

Southland Times, Issue 23540, 21 June 1938, Page 7

OBJECTION TO “SOCCER”

HEAD MASTER OF COLLEGE DEPUTATION APPEALS TO MINISTER “I have not the slightest desire to see Association football introduced into this school, and will use all the influence I have to prevent its introduction,” said Mr W. A. Armour, head master of Wellington College, in a recent letter to the management committee of the Wellington Football Association, which had written to Mr Armour offering to discuss with him the question of obtaining for the college a suitable ground for Association football, and the possibility of the introduction of the game into the college. “In to reply to your letter of May 3, wrote Mr Armour to the secretary of the association, “I wish to reiterate that I see no good purpose in having an interview with your chairman and you. I have not the slightest desire to see Association football introduced into this school, and will use all the influence I have to prevent its introduction. Besides the lack of grounds mentioned in my last letter, there are. very many other reasons why it is inadvisable to play Association football here. These I enumerated to your association on a previous occasion. The authorities have considered it right to provide another winter game, which is not a football game, and that is why hockey is played here during the winter, as well as Rugby football. I shall be glad if you will in future refrain from addressing me on this subject.”

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER This letter was produced by Mr J. Meltzer, chairman of the management committee of the Wellington Football Association when he and others waited upon the Hon W. E. Parry, Minister for Internal Affairs, as chairman of the National Council of Physical Welfare and Recreation, to protest against the hostility to Association football in secondary schools. Other members of the deputation were Messrs J. A. Milburn, chairman of the Council of the New Zealand Football Assocation, Mr F. Campbell, vice-president of the New Zealand Football Association, Mr W. J. I. Vaney, a member of the Council of the New Zealand Association, and Mr W. J. Arcus, secretary of the Wellington Association. . Association football was a good true British game, said Mr Milbum, who led the deputation; but there appeared to be antagonism to it in some primary and secondary schools. The game was played in all countries of the world, and he saw no reason for antagonism to it here. It was not desired by the association that its game should oust any other sport; but in certain secondary schools there were boys who were not allowed to play Association though they had played it at primary schools. That was not British fair-play. HOCKEY INTRODUCED The Minister: What is the real objection? Mr Campbell: The head master says it is lack of grounds, but within the last two years he has introduced hockey. We have offered assistance to them. I think it was suggested that they should have the use of the Basin Pteserve, and other places; but. Mr Armour is definitely against the idea. Mr Meltzer* said the deputation would not have come to the Minister if it could have fought the issue itself. Although it was only a matter of sport, there was an important principle involved—the liberty of the subject and free expression of thought on the part of the youth of the country. Though, Mr Meltzer said, he was speaking of Wellington only, here an attempt was

being made to stifle the self-expression of youth in Wellington. The Minister: It is not going to take place. Mr Meltzer: It has reached the stage of a public scandal. The provocation is such that I find it difficult to keep temperate. However, the strength of our case will not necessitate the use of invective on our part. I shall adhere to the facts.

Mr Meltzer said the Wellington Football Association was not the rival of other codes; but wanted every boy to play the sport he preferred. To say that would result in mediocrity was ridiculous. Both, kinds of football were played in all big schools and universities in England, with the exception of Harrow. In his reply the Minister said he wanted the people of this country to play, irrespective of the form of play. They must be free to chose what form their play would take, and so enter into it enthusiastically, and his . object was to afford them all the assistance he could. The matter raised by the deputation, he thought, was one for the Education Department. He knew that the Hon P. Fraser, who was in charge of that department was 100 per cent, behind his proposals, and he suggested that the deputation should place the position before Mr Fraser, who might desire to call a conference of head teachers when he knew the position. CONFERENCE SUGGESTED

The representations made, said Mr Parry, would be placed before the National Council. The Minister said that a kind of aristocratic idea had grown up that certain forms of sport were . .. Mr Campbell: Tonier The Minister: Yes. And the sport is not played for itself and the good it will do for the participant. Representatives of the two associations subsequently saw the Hon P. Fraser, and though he said he could not interfere with the internal workings of the colleges, he agreed to facilitate a round-table conference, at which he would preside, among members of the association and the head masters of colleges. . The Wellington Football Association notified Mr Armour and Mr F. M. Renner, principal of Rongotai College, of the deputation, and Mr Fraser’s offer, and invited them to attend such a conference. Mr Renner has signified his willingness to attend. Sc far Mr Armour has not replied.