ATTACK UPON REFEREE

Taranaki Daily News, 10 June 1930, Page 11

ATTACK UPON REFEREE

“MOST SERIOUS OFFENCE” OKATO-TUKAPA MATCH SENSATION REPORT FORWARDED TO UNION. “This is one of the most serious things I have had to deal with in the whole of my experience as a referee,” said Mr. J. S. King, chairman, at the meeting last evening of the northern division of the Taranaki Rugby Referees’ Association. The meeting was discussing the referee’s report of the match between Okato and Tukapa when one of the Okato players struck the referee, Mr. K. Nodder, New Plymouth, on the jaw and stretched him senseless on the ground. The report was approved and will be forwarded to the Taranaki Rugby Union and considered to-morrow evening. Meantime it is'withheld from publication. There were over 20 referees present. “The assault to my mind,” continued Mr. King,.“was a most dreadful affair, and we as an association shall have to see this thing through. This report is addressed to the Rugby Union, but it has to go through us.” There was a suggestion of one Okato man on the sideline hanging on to the spare ball and delaying play, said Mr. E. Gilmour. Was it Okato’s own ball?

Evidently it was the Okato Club’s own ball, said Mr. King, but since the two ball's were in play that was no reason for holding up the game. “We are satisfied that the referee was quite within his right in ordering the men off,” said the chairman. “The fact of holding on to the ball, though nasty, is outside our jurisdiction.” In reply to questions as to the alleged wasting of time, Mr. Nodder alleged that once a Tukapa player had kicked the ball over the dead-ball line. The balL was fielded by one of the Okato players. One of the Okato players went up to the Okato player and said, “Don’t kick off! Wait till I see how much time there is to go.”

“AN UNPLEASANT TIME.’’ Mr. Nodder had certainly had an unpleasant time, said Mr. King. He had explained the circumstances fully to the meeting. Mr. Nodder would explain them also to the .Rugby Union meeting. Voices: Mr. Nodder will not appear 'before the Rugby Union. Mr. King: That is very peculiar. The correct procedure is for the referee to go to tiro union meeting. He has only to state the facts. If he is crossquestioned on 'side issues he can reply that he is not there to state the law but merely what happened. Mr. J. Scrimgeour: The referee used to appear, but the association had had the system changed because often when he arrived at the union meeting the referee found himself upon the mat in place of the player. If the defence called evidence, said Mr. King, so would the association. The referee should be heard, in his opinion. “I sympathise with Mr. Nodder,” -he added. “In the circumstances, Mr. Nodder deserves full praise for having been strong-minded enough to stand the offending players down. He is to be congratulated on the attitude he took. The association only hopes this goes before the union;” WHISTLES OF SPECTATOR. The meeting then discussed whether the referee’s report should be sent in exactly as it was or whether some more should be added to it. There was one o'f the spectators who should have his conduct considered by the union, it was stated. He ran up and down the ground whistling with his fingers in his mouth every time Tukapa attacked. “If the referee cannot get fair treatment at Okato,” said Mr. E. Jackson, “we shall have to get the ground closed and the matches held at New Plymouth.”

. Me could not support any motion regarding the unruliness of the spectators at Okato, said Mr. Gilmour. He had always had fair treatment there. “The spectators were certainly unruly,” said Mr. N-odder in reply to questions. “I had to take no notice of them, for if I had spoken to one of them I would quite likely have been smacked ori the head with a batten.”

“There is no - doubt the spectator in question, who comes from Rahotu, was making a nuisance of himself,” said Mr. Johnston, who was present at the match, “I did not see the man actually strike the referee, because I was at the other end. of the field attending to an injured player. I turned round, saw the crowd and thought: ‘Hullo! Someone’s got it.’ It took three minutes with strong smelling salts to bring Mr. Nodder round.” Much of the difficulty at Okato lay in the bad nature of the ground, said Mr. F. Hooker. The. spectators could walk all over the field. Mr. King was against the amendment. The referees had jurisdiction over the players but had to be very careful in taking action against any spectators, he said. The amendment was put and Joist.