ROVERS REINSTATED

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 59, Issue 4171, 11 August 1939, Page 5

ROVERS REINSTATED

MEET WAIPA UNION DEMAND. “UNDER STRONG PROTEST.” At a meeting of the executive of the Rovers Football Club held, on Wednesday evening, it was agreed unanimously to pay, under strong protest, the ground fees levied by the Waipa Union. Refusal to pay the levy was the cause of the Club being suspended by the Union at its last management committee meeting on Monday even ing.

A cheque for the amount of the fee demanded before the suspension would be lifted was handed by the secretary of the Rovers Club to the Waipa Union yesterday morning. Mr H. Parker, president of the club, was in the chair and the following members of the executive were present, Messrs. W. Parish, L. Young, E. Onion, J. Penman, A. Richards, T. Pendray, and T. Macky and the hon. treasurer, Mr I. Peterson.

A report of the meeting of the Waipa Rugby Union on Monday evening, when the suspension was imposed on the club, was given by Mr W. Parish, club delegate to the union. His report was along the lines of that published in the Courier on Wednesday. “The president of the Waipa Rugby Union, Mr R. S. Sinclair,” said Mr Parish, “addressed the Union in a most impartial way, and the Rovers can have nothing to complain of in his handling of the meeting; he laid ample stress on how drastic the step of suspension was.” After reference to the fair and reasonable hearing Mr Parish also mentioned the sympathetic attitude of Mr D. Taylor, who had done his best to find a way out of the suspension; and in conclusion he paid a further tribute to Mr Sinclair’s unbiassed and firm handling of the meeting.

CLUB’S OLD SUPPORTERS. The letter received from the union notifying the club of its suspension was then read by the secretary, the resolution of suspension reading, “That in view of the attitude of the Rovers Club in regard to payment of ground fees, the club be suspended from date until ground fees amounting to £3, are paid.” In opening discussion on the letter, Mr L. Young said he had been approached by a number of old supporters of the Rovers Club who were anxious that it should not go out of exisfence. They were proud of the past record of the pioneer Rover* club, and wished to safeguard the interests of the junior players; and they had said that sooner than see the club go out of existence they would pay the ground fees themselves, and if the resolution for non-pay-ment were rescinded they would do all in their power to help the club in future. “Apart from the question at issue,” said Mr H. Parker, “I think this will have good effects. I have enquired from a member of the Domain Board, and it seems likely that ground charges will be increased in the future. There is every chance that young players will be saddled with increasing costs. It is time we had a ground of our own. If we obtained a loan from the New Zealand Union the money we pay in ground fees would pay the__interest; and in time we would have something in our own possession. After this meeting, according to which way the discussion goes, we may be able to take the question up with the union, if one of us is ever to attend it again.”

MOTION TO PAY. The secretary said that in his opinion the Waipa Union should have called a special meeting when the demand came from the Domain Board; as he did not think that any delegate should have been asked to commit his club to additional expenditure without a proper discussion; and further it was only reasonable to have expected an immediate and written notice to have been sent out to the various clubs as soon as the demand was received from the Domain Board.

“After deep consideration of the whole matter, and after seeing the trend of thought at the Waipa Union Meeting, and altogether putting aside the considerations on which the original motion was made,” said Mr Parish, “I will move.— ‘That the Rovers Football Club pay the ground fees demanded by the Waipa Union immediately.’ “I am putting aside my own personal opinions,” he continued “and considering the position of our third grade team, the affect our action will have, not only in Te Awamutu, but on the whole Stag competition in the Waikato, the serious way in which it will prejudice the future career of our most prominent player, and the feelings of certain people who will be indirectly affected by our action.” Mr Parish’s motion was seconded by Mr Penman, who suggested that the question of grounds should be taken up with the union and other clubs next season; and he took the opportunity of denying that the club’s action had been caused though financial embarrassment. At the request of Mr Young and Mr Parker the mover and seconder of the motion agreed to alter it by adding “but under strong protest.” The amended motion, “That the Rovers Football Club pay the ground fees demanded by the Waipa Union immediately, but under strong protest,” was then carried unanimously.