FOOTBALL.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20178, 5 March 1931, Page 13

FOOTBALL.

Canterbury association. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Canterbury Football Association was held last night, Mr Gforgo Dickinson presiding over a largfe attendance. Speaking to the annual report and balancesheet, the chairman said that since taking office the Management Committee had done it 3 beßt in the interests of • the code, but its trouble was lack of finance. The whole of the gate receipts for the year amounted to £195 2b; Endeavours had been made to obtain better results in regard to English Park, the mortgages in respect ot which were overdue. It was hoped that relief would be forthcoming from the art union which had been launched in con " junction with the New Cricket Association. .. . In reply to a question, the chairman saia that, while the excess expenditure over income was JSIIO 19s, the previous year it .was about £lB3. There was £323 6a lid stil) owing to creditors. (Jnlesg something was done to increase the income, the debt would continue to increase. It could bo taken for granted that the rate of expenditure wonld not be altered to any appreciable extent. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. Vice-Presidents. In accordance with the notice, Mr G. C. Brown submitted a motion to the effect that the rules be altered to enable the number of vice-presidents to be unlimited instead of being restricted to five. In doing so, ho stated that his object was to benefit the finances of the Association. Mr J. Barr said that the number had been restricted to prevent vice-presidents Worn swamping an annual meetingThe motion was carried.

The Competitions. The Management Committee recommended '■' That in the senior competition there be one'• qualifying round in whioh all senior teams should participate and that the senior competition be split up into two divisions, A and B. The chairman said that the object of the recommendation was to" improve the standard of play and that instead of being graded by any committee, the teams should qualify by their play.. He added that ho favoured the -English system of qualification so that every team would have to play to keep its place, the idea being that the bottom team in the A division should go into the B division, the .top team in the B division going up to the A division. The recommendation was carried. The committee also recommended: "That the third grade competition be an open grade." The recommendation was adopted A further recommendation from the committee was adopted, to the effect that the season should commence on April 4th.

Election of Officers. The election of officers resulted as follows:—Patrons, Messrs' S. Humphreys and R. : English; president, Mr G. Dickinson; vicerpresidehts, Messrs F. Bisnnett. F.'- JL. £aatgate, J.. P. Flood, I'. fl. Undnll, J. A. Kobb, G. Cox, C. E. Hoy, B. E. McDougall, J. K.. Aroher, 1? Bentley, W. D. Ramsay, W. B. Leadley; honorary treasurer, Mr I'. M. Butter; honorary auditors, * left to incoming committee; delegates to New Zealand Football Association, Messrs W. G. Bryce and R., B. Bunt; secretary, Mr H. McKeown; management committee, Messrs C.-E/Keys, H. W. Wilkina, J. Lindley, F. J Turner, A. W. Sellers, G.' C. Brown, J. F. O'Brien, F. Wade, J. A. Foot*, L. K. Sbarr, A. Robertson, J. Cawtheray, K- W. Connor, and T. Cook: OLD BOYS' CLUB. ANNUAL REPORT.

The' 1 annual report of the High School Old Boys' Football Club aitya that nine .teams were again entered - in - the competitions. Of these two won in Itheir respective grades, and the senior A team was the runner-up in the senior, A grade. • The club won the; Evasa Shield lor the third time in ! aucesttioa. > - .' vl The report thanks the coaches who trained the various teams during the aeaaon, and also .congratulates Messrs,l. B, Cromb, W. Merntt, and 'M. L. Page, members of the elub -who have been. .chosen for the New Zealand'cricket team, to tour England./, '"The night training ground was used by the olub on two nights a week- during the srason," the report stated, "and a gymnasium class was- held each Tuesday evening. Similar 'facilities for training; will >be, availcj>le for the coming season." The report states that two teams visited Timsru last season to play the Old - Boys lite re, and regrets that as very little support was fdrthconuns from senior players, the fixat . team was heavily dafeattid. iThis year's games will be played in Cfcristchuroh. "The thanks 'of thf club are due,", the report concludes, "to the Canterbury Rugby Union for the many ways in which it has assiated the. clubs; to the Canterbury College Students' Association for the use hi its gymnasium; to the newspapers for publish infr team lietß inp of charge,. and to the club's representatives 09 the Rugby Union for their work in the interests of the club gnd the game generally." ' 1 V PRANCE'S EXPULSION.. VARIED PRESS COMMENT.

(vttiZEP piass HBSOCIATIOH—Br cucomc, TBUSORAPH—COPTEIOET.) '' PARIS, March B.' The newspapers devote columns to France's expulsion from . the - Rugby championship. some consider the action regrettable, severe,, and (humiliating. .' " Others, notably the "Echo de Pans," do not deny that French Rugby is ."disloyal, unintelligent, brutal, and supremely unpleasant." "I/Auto*- , ssys the decision deprives France' of the principal benefitß, both material' and . moral, <l£rived from the British matches. , SUMNER CLUB. ANNUAL .REPORT. The annual report of the ftamtier Association, Football Olub states that in the senior competition, of 14 matches played, three were won, thifee drawn, and eight lost. In the English Cup competition the club's team was defeated by Western.. The junior team 'performed -well;' and but for the difflculty experienced of always raising a' full team would probably have won the competition. The club's 'financial position was not all that could be desired, a large amount of subscriptions being outstanding. The income for the year, exceeded, the - expenditure by £2 10s. sd.'