Personalities In N.Z. Sport

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 636, 12 April 1929, Page 6

Personalities In N.Z. Sport

“The Most Versatile ‘Sport' in Australasia, "said the Sydney Referee of Bill Grant

A familiar and striking figure in the ring at wrestling or boxing competitions at the Town Hall, or getting his bird with deadly and unerring accuracy at a gun club shoot, is Mr. W. E. Grant, the popular boniface of a city hostelry, whose prowess as an all-round sportsman led the Sydney “Referee ’ to describe him as “the most versatile sport in Australasia.” But the one thing this Admirable Crichton of sport will not do. and that is to talk about his prowess in the many fields of sport Still these things will leak out, and the old records are there where he who runs may read. A paragraph in the Press last week announced that the A.F.A. Board of Control had nominated Mr. Grant tor the position of member of the Soccer Judicial Committee, but even the delegates to the A.F.A. Board are probably unaware of their good fortune in securing so capable a Soccer expert for this important committee. Mr. Grant is plain “Bill” to his innumerable sporting friends, and first saw the light of day over the heather of Inverness something over half a century ago. While still in his teens, Bill was playing at inside left with the world-famous Glasgow amateur club. Queen’s Park, the •‘Spiders, whose livery has been adopted by Thistle here. The lure of Sassenach gold tempted the nuggety colt to sign up with Newcastle United as a professional in the days when Bobby McDermott. Jock Sorley, Pat O’Brien and other Soccer stars were making the Tynesiders a power in the North of England. As sidelines Bill made a name for himself as an amateur boxer and wrestler, and got away with a 100-mile road cycling race with the Adel phi Club. In 1905 he

cleaned up the Scottish Gun Club championship, and won the English championship and grand aogregate trophy in 1906 and 190* In 190 S Bill Grant elected to TOakiP the lons trek to New Zealand settled in the Hawke's Bay district one of mine hosts at Hastings. Whiv there Mr. Grant was president of tvl Gun Club, official timekeeper for th Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club, judire £! the Trotting: Club.. Between ha founded the pioneer wrestling sociation of New Zealand, and brouc llie massive Ike Robin into the inn, light. and was also one of the exec., tive of the Boxing Association, and ■ official referee of the New Zealand

1 here are quite a number of othebranches of sport in which Billy Grahas figured as a first-rate and later as a valued executive official. Soccer delinquents who are o the mat in Auckland this season can rely on getting fair play and a squaredeal when their offences are being m. uuired into: but the culprit who is found to be lacking in the ethics of Soccer will probably not be anxious foil. second visit to the judicial chair ber. He will probably have been told by a. benevolent looking sport with * Doric burr, which will rasp off quite .. lot of plain speaking, just how a gentleman and a player should conduct himself, on the field and off. The offender will know that the caning has come from the hands of a past-mast*: of Soccer, who knows more about th« code than quite a crowd of us put together, and if there is one man wh» can be relied on to keep the cod* clean —and quiet, it is “Bill’* Grant, th» old Queen’s Park and Newcastle United forward, who has always commanded the highest respect in every one of the many sports where he has been called upon to act in a judicial capac-