FORFEITING THE CUP.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 3 June 1926, Page 7

FORFEITING THE CUP.

WEST END CENSURED. BRISTOL CUP CHALLENGE A vote of censure recently passed by the South Canterbury' Bowling Centro on tlic West End Bowling Club for forfeiting tho Bristol Cup Snatch with Waimate, was the subject of considerable discussion at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Centre. A letter protesting against the Centro’s attitude was received from the West End Club, which stated that it considered that it had a perfect right to forfeit tho match if such a course was warranted by the circumstances of tho case, and did not consider that the censure was justified. They stated that they fully understood that by forfeiting the match they would have to baud the cup over and wore quite prepared to do so. Under the circumstances they respectfully requested the Centre to further consider the matter and reconsider their decision ns to the vote of censure. The club also stated that they did not desire to criticise too strongly such an august body as the South Canterbury Bowling Centre, but lcspcctfully submitted that its action in asking tho club to play a Bristol Cup match at the end of ■‘he third week in April was against tlm best interests of bowling and showed a want of energy on the part of the Centro in not having all matches decided before so late a date. They also stated that there was very little, if any, honour attached to the winning of tho Bristol Cup if a club winning it in one match and losing it in the next was entitled to have its name engraved oil it, and considered that the Centre should immediately take into serious consideration the fact that tho Bristol Cup' competition required remodelling. The chairman, Mr I. J. Bradley stated that at tho last meeting a vote of censure iiad been unanimously passed. Ho considered that tho West End had no reasonable excuse for not meeting Waimate. The club ill question was represented on the Centre, and should cither protest against the arrangement regarding the match or else abide by the decision of tho majority. He bad played many games or. the West End green and had always found them very good sports, and was very sorry that such a thing had occurred. Mr R. Shillito said that the West F.nd Club, a strong club mid a club that held a brilliant record, bad previously caused Temuka. a comparatively weak club, to play on an unsuitable half day. Later they refused to meet Waimate on a Thursday, laying themselves open to the insinuation that they were afraid of being beaten. He was glad that West End. bad a de'cgato who took a similar view and who had gone to the extent of obtaining the names of forty West End players who were willing to play on the day in question. Mr A. Leslie considered that the vote of censure bad been given for the good of bowling, and that it was not desirable that clubs should be permitted to dictate to the Centre.

Air Aranning concurred in the opinion expressed by Air Shillito. Personally he considered '.hat the West End executive had not stopped Rethink. Ho also thought that if AVest- End had gone to AA’aimutc with a weak team and lost the Cup they won'll have been the first to eongratidal e Waimute upon their win. He only hoped that AVest End would again compete- for the Cup as they had done, in ihe past and in the •same sporting spirit. Air Hadlee stated that if the howlers constituting the AVest End executive would put themselves to the same position as t-ho Centre they would quickly see their error. All clubs liail representation on the Centre and it was essential for the Centre to control the game throughout the district as a club executive hail to on its own green. He also thought that if AVest End were prepared to participate in an April tournament at Oaniaru the Club should 1 also liavo been prepared to compete for the Cup in the same moiUh. Air Nichol said lie did not think the Confro wore acquainted with the full facts of tile case.. Previous to receiving the challenge from AA’aimate, the. executive of the Chib bail decided to close tlio green, having been led to believe that the AWiimnte Club were not challenging. Furthermore, it was understood .that the AA’aiinate Club hail no intention of doing so until some of their members, desiring a. game, and witli their own green closed, moved in the direction of issuing a challenge for the Chiu. AVhen the challenge was received the West End executive agreed that the- expenditure of keeping the green open was not warranted, and that it would he advisable under the circumstances to forfeit the game. The Club dill not. realise at the time that such an action would warrant a censure, and it was certainly not meant, in any way, as a. slur upon, flic Centre. He considered that the lraujoritv of the members of the club would back tlio executive up in their altitude. They felt that the vote of censure had been passed without a fu'l realisation of all the facts of the ease. The AVest End Club, concluded Air Nichol, bad acted in good faith, and considered that the eeiiMiro should not he allowed to pass unchallenged. In reply to the chairman Air Nichol said it would have been unite possible tliat 'West End could not have raised a team on the day in question. The chairman: That leaves us where we wore.

Air Nichol said lie did not think that there was a rule stating that a club shoo'd play a match under pain of c-cn-su re.

The chairman sakl that the Cenlro had no knowledge that AVaimatc wanted (die game just for the fun of it. There was an unwritten law that such ga”'"s should he played. Air Nichol said the club had acted ill gooil faith. He did not know whether the New Zealand Council would uphold tiie Centre in its attitude. Air Shillito said that the whole question amounted to the fact that AA’aimate had as much right to ask for the match as AA’est End had in refusing it. Tim Cmitro had been called upon to judge between two clubs, ard hail decided that the country club had its rights as well as AVest End. Afr Nichol: “If both clubs had their

rights do you think the. difference justified a vote of censure against AVest End ?” The chairman: “The meeting ileeidcd so.” The chairman said that he also wished to rider to that portion of the AVest End Club’s letter referring to the Centre as “all a-ugnst .body.” He thought that in that reference to the Centre a touch of sarcasm, wa.s implied, which was altogether limieeee.sar.v. The Centre was constituted by representatives of all clubs, and all on it worked hard in the interest of howling as a whole. He considered that the tone of the letter in some respects wa.s uncalled for. Afr Nichol said that the sporting spirit of the West End Club luul been attacked by Air Shillito. ATr Sliillito disclaimed making any’ statement against the sporting instincts of tin: club in question. He luul always found members of the club to be good sports, and only regretted that the incident had occurred. After further discussion, it wa.s resolved on the motion of All' Shillito that ihe AVest End Club he written to and informed that the Centre had fully considered the matter, and after hearing Air Nieliol's fu'l .statement ill regard to the occurrence, could not- see its way clear to rescind the motion of censure.