UNRULY CROWD.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20625, 28 May 1935, Page 13

UNRULY CROWD.

Incident at League Match. Complaints that encroachmpnts on the ground and the attitude of the spectators had resulted in the New Brighton-Sydenham Rugby League game on the New Brighton Domain last Saturday “ nearly ending in a Donnybrook ” were made at a meeting of the Management Committee of the Canterbury Rugby League last evening. It was suggested that if action was not taken to prevent this on future occasions the New Brighton Club would be penalised. An undertaking was given by the New Brighton delegate (Mr C. Hill) that he would do what he could to prevent a recurrence. “ Now that the code is going ahead so well here, we don’t want this sort of thing,” said Mr R. A. Drury. “Jt is a bad advertisement for us.” There had been two complaints in the past, said the secretary (Mr H. B. Rogers). Players had declared that the continued booing of the crowd would upset any team. “ The referee would be perfectly justified in calling off the game if the crowd was not giving the players a fair chance,” said Mr W. S. E. Moyle, who presided. “ All we want to know is that the New Brighton Club is doing its best,” said Mr Drury. “ X know that I refereed one game down there and will never forget it. I was very unpopular for a time, but at the end they would have chaired me off. I had to order three Sydenham players off. and that pleased the crowd. Referees get a bad time at the start down there.”