THE FOOTBALL TROUBLE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160740, 28 August 1920, Page 7

THE FOOTBALL TROUBLE.

To the Editor. Sir, —As Mr Tronson gave himself his full title in last night’s issue of the “Herald,” “Secretary of the Wanganui Rugby Union,” I can only assume that Mr Tronson is the mouthpiece of the Union, and his letter was inserted by the authority of the Union. At the same time it is very difficult to understand the Rugby Union’s logic as interpreted by its secretary. The holding of an emergency meeting on Thursday, the spending of money like water in telephone bureaux in order to get Taihape players to go South and adding an extra ,£IOO on to the expenditure of the touring team does not prove convincing to me, at all events, if it does to the Union, that Taihape “crawled down.” Evidence now goes to show that tbo exact position had been mirsepresented, and when Mr Geoff. , Pownall, as president of the Union, discovered that by cutting out Taihape players Wanganui were doing a grave injustice not only to players themselves but to the Rugby district as well, he immediately set about a reparation scheme like the honourable man he is, and fortunately succeeded in his task at tlte eleventh hour. Beading the report oi the Union meeting, 1 gained the impression that Wanganui did the amende honourable. The secretary of the Union now denies this, and conveys the idea that it was only Taihape that bad any mistake to admit, and it did so. All I can say is that the statement of facts and impressions gained from the report do not tally. Will Mr Pownall tell us which is correct? Bid Wanganui hold out the olive branch? The fact that Taihape players sunk all differences to help the parent body shows the Main Trunk players are made of the right kind of'stuff. Regarding my complaint that Wanganui had to scour round for players last Saturday morning to fill vacancies tn the team to play Manawatu, the Union secretary denies the allegation. I haven’t seen -my informant yet to find out who is telling the truth, but I was told that players were gathered up as late as 11 o’clock on Saturday morning and taken to Palmerston. Certainly the management of the business was not good. Mr Pownall has, it ssems, been away, but I think Wanganui should be congratulated upon having such a fair man at the head of the Union. The way he got “quick and busy” on Thursday, and undid the damage is highly creditable to him—l am, etc., PAIR PLAY.