FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16503, 2 August 1919, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

AUG BY NOTES,

“Forward.”)

All unpleasant incident occurred at Eltham on Thursday during tho match between Eltham and Stratford, which ended in a draw, there being no score. .Just before half-time was called Stratford were awarded a free-kick on the ground, it appears, of an Eltham player (Bunn) tackling a man who had not the ball in his possession. At halftime “Three hoots for the referee” were called for and the referee (Air. J. H. Thompson) considered Bunn was the speaker and asked him to repeat the words he used. 'The player denied haring used the, words, but the assertion of the referee was supported by bystanders aml lie ordered Bunn off the field for the icmaindor of the game. Bunn then struck the referee in tho fare, rendering him unconscious for a short lime. It is .stated that Bnnu was immediately struck by a Stratford player, but Constable Townsend handled tho situation tactfully and no further disturbance occurred. Alii. A. Leo was appoinied referee for the second spell. The management committee of the Rugby Union took Bunn’s statement later in the afternoon and considered the matter, but decided not to make their decision public for the present in view of police notion being taken. _ The decision of the Rugby Union that the Siratford-Tukapa match, concerning which, the latter team protested, .shall be rc-played at Stratford, makes the position in the Tuesday senior competition interesting. Tukapa have now played—excluding tho disputed match—live gain.'s out of the six which comprise the two rounds, the sixth being the now .game, that has to ho played against Stratford. They have eight points to their credit. Stratford have played four games and their points are five. It is practically a foregone conclusion that they will beat Inglewood, which event would give them seven points, so the climax in tho competition will be the new game between Stratford and Tukapa.' Assuming the result of the Stratford-lnghnvood match t. i be as stated, Tukapa will have a lead of one point, so they need only plat' a drawn game to win. Against their defeat at Stratford last week, it must b.i remembered that they were successful on their homo ground in the firstround match. In the decisive match Stratford will, of course, have the advantage of locality. As regards the Saturday senior competition, the position appears to lie between Clifton and Star, whoso points at the close of the four games m the first-round arc seven and six respectively. Tho onlv wav for this to be upset would be for Old Boys (four points) to come to light and win all their second round games and tor Star to defeat Clifton and the nvo country teams. Star and Old Boys would then be equal, with Clifton one point behind. To-dny there was no senior match plowed In Now Plymouth. Star journeyed to Okato. Clifton visited llaholu, and Old Bovs had a bye. “Cricket” scores were a prominent feature hi connection with two senior matches in Wellington last Saturday. Peione, put up 37 points against a modest 12 obtained by Sclwyn. ,J he Athletic players apparently took it in turgx scoring in their match agahl.st Wellington, as when the total was worked they- were found to hate 62 points to their credit—sixteen trys, of which five were converted, and a potted goal. Wellington succeeded in opening the score, ending the game w ith six points as their share. A more detailed account of the incident at the Auckland Domain last Saturday than that telegraphed shows that the match was one of, the first games in the League’s “Uoopp Rooster competition, the conditions of which provide that a team sustaining one defeat drops out of the competition. Excitement among the spectators reached a high pitch in the second spell. rowards the end of the game, when Newtown were leading by two points, I onsonby attacked, and M‘Gregor crossed the Newton goal line, but was ruled out of bounds by the line umpire, the latter’s decision being upheld by the referee. This caused a hostile demonstration on the part of a section of the Ponsonby supporters, who encroached on tho field of play, and the game was suspended until the ground was cleared. V/hen tho game was resumed the referee was subjected to a great amount of “barracking,” and the c.rowd again encroached on the field of play, and notwithstanding the efforts of the referee and line umpires ref ™, t 0 rotiro behind the sido-hnes. Ino rej force therefore declared the g.amo olt. It is evident that there was some misunderstanding of the facte between the parties to tho disputed match between Stratford and lukapa. Itcrt-i----riiig to remarks which appeared in the Taranaki Herald ol A\ ednesdav, the Stratford Evening Post says; "|-'o actual truth is that Dio Stratford Football Chib asked permission to play these men in the'match against lukapa, believing they were fully entitled m consider 'the 'Carlsons eligible players pt their club, and they obtained official permission to do so, and acted nccoidWlv In face of that, for any person to make a charge of deliberate nugingir. is unsportsmanlike in the extreme. The question as to’whether the official permission granted was rightly or wronelv given is to be dealt witii at a special meeting of the executive, of the Kimbv Union to-day. Tho Lugby Union, on iavestimating the matter on Thursday', found that there was sufficient irregularity to warrant them ordering the match to bo played again.