REFEREE KNOCKED OUT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 995, 11 June 1930, Page 1

REFEREE KNOCKED OUT

“MOST SERIOUS,” SAYS ASSOCIATION From our oton Correspondent NEW PLYMOUTH, Today. Northern division members of the Taranaki Rugby Referees’ Association took a serious view of the incident at Okato on Saturday when a referee, Mr. K. Nodder, was knocked out by a blow on the. jaw from a player. Mr. Nodder submitted a report to a meeting of the association on Monday to be forwarded to the Taranaki Rugby Union. “This is rather a serious business — one of the most serious X have ever had to deal with in all my experience as a referee,” said the chairman, Mr. J. S. King. “The ordering off of a player was sufficiently bad without being answered back, but it caps all to knock out the referee. W'e must see this through to the finish.” The meeting of over 20 referees agreed with Mr. King in his opinion. After discussion in which statements were made that some spectators ran up and down the side-line with battens in their hands, the meeting decided against clouding the issue with complaints about tliese other incidents. “Personally 1 would be in favour of moving a motion that members of this association should not referee games at Okato,” said Mr. King.

Mr. E. Jackson, president, said that if a referee could not get fair treatment at Okato the association would have to get the ground closed and matches held elsewhere. “I had to take no notice of them.” said Mr. Nodder, alluding to the action of spectators on- Saturday. “If I had spoken to one of them I would quite likely have been smacked on the head with a batten.”

The meeting carried a motion forwarding the report as subinited to the Rugby Union.