ORDERED OFF

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 244, 27 July 1937, Page 3

ORDERED OFF

TWO PLAYERS STOOD DOWN. RUGBY UNION’S DECISION. The two players, H. E. Cook (Alethven) and V. O’Donoghue (Old Boys) who were ordered off the field in the senior game on the Domain Oval on Saturday afternoon for rough play, were both stood down for two playing Saturdays by the Management Committee of the Ashburton Itugby Union Union at its meting last evening, at which the president (Mr H. It. D. Porter) presided. Some of the members of the committee objected to this action, but the motion was carried by six votes to three. Mr A. McCormick subsequently took objection to the ap- ■ pointment of the referee for this match, alleging that this appointment was at the root of the trouble which occurred. A report on the ordering off of the players was made by the referee (Mr D. Wood) who wrote that apparently these two men had a grievance. In spite of a warning during the game they repeatedly adopted rough tactics, to which he took exception. . Both players spoilt what was otherwise a good game.' The secretary (Mr G. V. Fur by) said Mr S. Alexander had not been able to referee the game, and Mr Wood had been found to referee it at the last minute. There was no time to notify the clubs of the change in referee. Explanation of Players. * Both players appeared before the Union. Cook said he would like to know why they were ordered off. “For rough play,” said the president. Cook said this admitted plenty of latitude. In a passing rush he ran near to O’Donoghue and passed the ball. O’Donoghue cannoned into him. Hie might not have been able to stop himself. Both went over, and the next thing they knew was that both were ordered off. Mr E. S. Chambers: Had you been warned prior to that? “I have no recollection of it,” said Cook. All Mr Wood said to him was, “You cannot tackle a man when he has not got the ball.’’ He did not know whether that could be called a warning. Cook asked the referee what constituted a warning. “If the referee says ‘Cut that out,’ or something like that,” the president replied. Cook said he had no recollection of anything like that. A free-kick had been awarded against him. It was not O’Donoghue lie had tackled then, but the forwards coming through with the ball. He Did Not Remember. O’Donoghue appeared next, and said as regards a warning he did not re- > member the referee giving him one under any circumstances. The* president asked what he had to say about rough tactics. 1 “I think all I was put off for was < only a fair tackle,” O’Donoghue re- ( plied. “And nothing happened after?” ask- i ed the president. “Not to my knowledge,” O’Dono- < ghue replied. I “You didn’t do anything and he | didn’t do anything?” ]{ “Certainly during the game there’ were some hard knocks taken.” i When the players had retired the t president said the report, of the referee c stated there were rough tactics. The ; players said there were not. He had t to remind Union members that the re- ] feree was the sole judge of facts. .1 “The referee has to remember foot- t ball is a rough game,” said Mr Me- 'J Cormick. t There were several protests about v this view. The president said football 'J was not a rough game. There was a s difference between a hard game and a rough game. Rough play seemed to be | creeping into football all over the conn- j try and had to be checked. v Mr McCormick said he had watched the incident. The two players went y down and he was satisfied that the re- p fere did not see what happened. . If u he did, why did he not blow his whistle [ at the instant O’Donoghue tackled Cook. At that particular time the s speaker did not see anything wrong. Although some said O’Donoghue had late tackled, he considered he was quite right in finishing the movement. The players might have been arguing. He u did not know. When a referee ordered anyone off he should give a parti- I) cular reason. JMr G. Day said the referee’s letter ii did not actually state that he had warned Cook. 0 The president said lie took it that r: the referee had warned both players.

In reply to a question by Mr Day he said that the incident, when it was alleged Cook had kicked one of the players was when a free-kick was given against him. The player who was said to have been kicked was V. J. Peterson. Mr McCormick remarked that Peterson got up unhurt. If he had been kicked ho would have been hurt. “We don’t want to wait for players to go to hospital before penalising,” l " said the president. ” “However, that is nothing to do e with the matter,” said Mr McCormick. u “That is outside and street corner j talk.” ° “We have the referee’s. statement l ’ here,” said the president. “He is the 'j 1 sole judge of : fact and we must accept it.” Mr C. Thomas moved that both playl ~ ers be stood down for two playing Sats urdays. ’ “I think we should uphold the re- * feree,” said Mr Day. “If we are going to let this sort of thing go on, rough play will not be checked.” Ho seconded the motion. Mr A. Doig said the penalty was too heavy. e The motion was carried by six votes 1 to three. ! Must Be Put Down. 9 The players were called back, and ’ told by the president that the Union A was of tlio opinion that rough tactics must bo put down. For the last few j years football •in Ashburton had been j very clean, but this year unfortunately I some players had been before the j. Union. f “I maintain they are victims of someone else’s blunder,” said Mr McCormick when Cook and O’Donoghue retired alter being told the Union’s decision was final. ) The president said Mr McCormick was out of order in continuing the dis- ’ cussion, and Mr McCormick said lie would refer to the matter later. When . the time came he said it was a very unsatisfactory matter from the start. : Mr Wood should not have been refereeing the match. He refereed the i match at Rakaia and there was trouble. He was given another senior match and there wa9 trouble again. He alleged Air Wood was not a. capable referee and had been carried away by a section of the spectators. The president explained that it had been difficult to get a referee at-short notice. Air Wood had wanted to take p, game at Alethven, but as another referee had already taken the Old Boys- , Alethven game twice he did not want to do it again. Air AlcCormick said there was another 'senior game with another referee. Technical Old Bovs had been satisfied with the refereeing of Air Wood. Why had he not been shifted over to that game? Would Not Upset Game. “No-one can tell me that a referee will go out and deliberately order men off to upset the game.” “It is a funny thing the referee appearing to be carried away by the crowd each time.” “He might be the only one game to order a player off.” j “If he is the only one why doesn ’MI he give the reason for his action? ” | Air Thomas said Air Woods had done ] so during the Rakaia game, and no- i one had taken, any notice of him. c Other members maintained that the \ Union on this occasion upheld the refcrec’s report. c “If all our referees are going to get , criticised like this it will not be long a before we have to go out and referee ( the games ourselves,” said the presi- c dent. c Air Day said he did not agree with * Mr AlcCormick. To order off a man did not necessarily show bias. The ref- r eree had the courage of his convictions, < and he admired him for the stand he o took. Air AlcCormick maintained, i however, that the referee did £ .not sec the incident. He ran toward the. players from further out. £ There had been two matches in which this referee was concerned and there |, was trouble and hooting on the line. f< This was also another matter which should be dealt with. P Air Day said that would be a pretty hard thing. Hbw was the Union go- ? ing to stop it, he asked. Spectators . were entitled to their opinion. t 0 “If we did the right thing we should t( have taken the names of some of the ft players who were on the lino on Sat- a urday and bring them before the ,J .' Union,” said Air McCormick. “Players should have more sense,” said Air Day. | )( tf Where the Hooting Came From. oi A 1 “That was where most of the hoot- v< ing came from,” said Air A. Doig. pi The president explained that membc.rs of the Union were quite entitled to bring players they found behaving in this manner up before the Union. so Air McCormick again said it was bis opinion that the referee had been carried away by the hooting. \A “The hooting did not make a scrap

> of difference to the referee,” said Mr . Chambers. “He is the last man that should have been chosen for the game, in my opinion,” said Air AlcCormick. “But why?” asked Mr Chambers. “In two different games players have had trouble with the referee.” “The players bring it on themselves.” Air Chambers added that Air AYood bad actually been appointed by members of the . Referees Appointment Board. The president said be was not a member of the board, but he had been with Air Thomas and Air C. Wellman when the referee was appointed. “You talk about supporting the referees,” Air McCormick continued. “One player was ordered off in a lower grade game on Saturday and allowed to come back in ten minutes.” “If that is so we should write to the Referees’ Association and ask them for an explanation in the matter,” said Mr Chambers. “The same thing occurred about two years ago and the Referees Appointment Board would not appoint the man again.” In the discussion that followed it was stated that two players had been ordered off in lower grade games on Saturday, and on the motion of Air Day it was decided to ask the Referees’ Association why these players had been ordered off and not reported to the Union. Not Available for Representatives. The question of whether Cook, who is one of the players selected to go into training, for the representative match against South .Canterbury, would be able to play in this match was raised by Air AlcCormick. The match is to be played on August 7, the latter of the two Saturdays for" which Cook was stood down. The president said the matter could be re-opened only with the unanimous consent of members to rescind the motion. “It will be a definite weakness if you do re-open it,” said Air Robilliard. “I do not think the two Saturdays should ho altered one iota,” said Air Chambers. “It was done once before, in 1934, and no-one seemed to mind,” said Air AlcCormick. “You can get over these things.” "When no support for the re-opening of the question of suspension was forthcoming, Mr AlcCormick, who is solo selector for the County team, said he would select D. Watson (Aletlfven) to 'train instead of Cook.