OUT FOR SEASON

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19599, 11 June 1935, Page 9

OUT FOR SEASON

CAMBRIDGE RUGBY PLAYER

SPECTATORS WARNED OFF.

SEQUEL TO DISTURBANCE,

(Special to Times.)

'CAMBRIDGE, Tuesday

A sequel to the ordering off of two players at Victoria Square on Saturday afternoon and the subsequent Aide-line disturbance was the appearance of two of the four principally concerned at the weekly meeting of the Sub-Union Management ‘Committee last evening. The president, Mr W. 'Drake, -presided over a full attendance of delegates and an exhaustive enquiry was made into the whole affair. The upshot was the suspension for the rest of the playing season of W. Campbell (Hautapu player) for striking a Maungatautari playef on the field; also for attempting to strike a spectator on the side-line. “-Scotty” Wilson (Maungatautari) was stood down for one playing Saturday for striking a Hautapu player on the field. Alf. Wilson, a spectator on Saturday, who Avas present at the inquiry, Avas ordered off -all grounds for one Saturday. A similar penalty was imposed upon Rau Tairi, another Maungatautari spectator, who with Wilson, was found guilty of -creating a disturbance. Tairi and “Scotty” Wilson did not appear. The Avhole of Ihe proceedings were dealt Avith “in committee."

PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT. POWERS OF THE -POLICE. (Recognising the powers of the police in dealing with illegal tactics on the -Rugby field and disturbances similar to that which occurred on Saturday, the president made the following -statement : “ I desire to make it perfectly -clear to the players generally and the spectators, that while the union possesses the necessary powers to -control -the behaviour of players on the playing Held and spectators on the side-line, the police, can, if they desire, legally lake action to prosecute a player or a spectator for deliberately striking at a player or a -spectator as the case may be. A football ground is a public place and there is no doubt, that the police could lake action on legal grounds, providing that circumstances warranted it. The power they •possess has been used with wise discrimination in the past, and I have no doubt that the same tact and good judgment will be folloAved in the future. In the circumstances it is just as well that players, and more particularly spectators should realise the position.”