POINT-BLANK DENIAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1042, 5 August 1930, Page 13

POINT-BLANK DENIAL

CAUSE OF WITHDRAWAL FROM SOCCER CONTES! AUCKLAND TEAM’S ACTION Special to THE SUN WELLINGTON, Monday. A point-blank denial of the charge that the New Zealand Football Council was in any way to blame for the withdrawal of the Thistle team from the Chatham Cup contest was made by Mr. F. Campbell, chairman of the council, today. Auckland statements were to the effect ' that the withdrawal of the Auckland Thistle Club team from the North Island final was due to the council's delay in replying to a telegram. Mr. Campbell contradicts this. Arrangements had been suggested for August 9, he states, but the Thistle Club, through the Auckland Association, announced that it preferred to play on August 2. The Petone Club was notified and duly made arrangements. Later, Auckland Association notified that the Thistle Club desired the game deferred, but consultation with Petone showed that all arrangements had been made and players had obtained the necessary leave to make the trip. This news was passed on with me council’s decision that the match must be played. The Auckland association then advised that the Thistle Club would not be able to take the field and would have to withdraw from the Chatham Cup contests. To this the council replied that this being the case the match had been awarded to Petone.

Wellington opinion is that tlie Thistle team sought a later date because of injuries to its players; but that the present incident will serve to show clubs that arrangements once made must be fulfilled.