CONTROL OF FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1929, Page 11

CONTROL OF FOOTBALL

MOVE BY SOUTHERN CLUBS PETITION FOR TWO DIVISIONS. ' MR. J. McLEOD GIVES HIS VIEWS. The next few weeks would be a testing ’time for Rugby in the Taranaki province, said Mr. J. McLeod, chairman ot the Taranaki Rugby Union, at the dinner, of the Old Boys Football Club in New Plymouth on Saturday night. The agitation for a change in the methods of administration was coming up again. The president of the Old Boys Club (Mr. A. A; Bennett) had just referred to the loyalty of the club to the union. During the next few weeks much thought and time, more than some of them could really afford, said Mr. McLeod, would have to be given to the affairs of the union by its members. Things were not as smooth as he would like them to be. The union was glad of the loyalty of the Old Boys club. . A petition signed by every club in South Taranaki was to be presented asking for a new method of control. Briefly, the petition asked that Taranaki be divided into two divisions, north and south. Each club would have a delegate .on the executive of its division, making seven delegates at each end besides the officers, the president, secretary and treasurer. From these two divisions the Taranaki Rugby Union was to be elected. The two divisions, said Mr. McLeod, would manage football entirely at cither end of the province and the union would control only the representative matches.

Personally, he considered the scheme unsatisfactory, ridiculous. Twenty-nine men altogether would be appointed to do what, was at present done by eight. There would have to be three paid secretaries. When the meeting took place, unless some of the representatives from the south changed their views, he did hot know what would be the outcome. In his opinion the .scheme, if brought into operation, would do infinite harm to football iu Taranaki. “GENESIS OF FINE IDEA.”. : And yet, said Mr. McLeod, the scheme had the genesis of a very fine idea that could be. carried out properly. The day had now arrived, in his view, when the province could be cut up into 'about seven sub-unions. The,clubs would not lose their identities. They would still play under the jurisdiction of the subunions. One team from each sub-union, however, would be chosen to play in the Taranaki Rugby Union competition. The scheme from the south, said Mr. McLeod, was not proposed with the idea of helping football at all. It had not originated from the men governing football in the smith, the men with experience and knowledge, but from outsiders The whole trouble, said Mr. McLeod, arose from the fact that from Elthanr up to New Plymouth was where the gates were token. If, however, out of the scheme they could evolve the system of sub-unions managing their own domestic affairs, and from the sub-unions find seven or eight teams to play proper senior football under the Taranaki Rugby Union, then- nothing but good would result. Another problem the union had to face was that of the management of junior football, continued Mr. McLeod. Last season, owing to the different conditions, the scheme of operation had broken down badly. He now considered it would be best for New Plymouth to cut away from all the country districts except Okato, and that the junior teams at Clifton, Urenui and Lepperton should be formed into a separate division. This system would cut down the inconvenience of travelling and reduce expenses. Last season both Lepperton and Urenui had not properly fulfilled their engagements. , ■ Next season, if Taranaki was to hold a candle” to the British team, the season would have to be started early. The English team was, he considered, the strongest side-picked in the world, and every team which met them must be right on form.