FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION HOLDS JUBILEE DINNER

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27396, 8 July 1954, Page 12

FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION HOLDS JUBILEE DINNER

Fifty years of Association .football in Canterbury were fittingly celebrated at the Canterbury Football Association’s jubilee dinner last evening. Past and present players and their wives enjoyed a five-course dinner and a comprehensive toast-list and later mixed informally to discuss old times.

Mr B. Connor, chairman of the New Zealand Football Council, was among the guests of honour. About 150 attended the dinner, which was held at the D.l.C.’s restaurant. The master of ceremonies was the Canterbury Association’s president (Mr M. A. Gordon). The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Nash) had asked him to stay in Christchurch two days after the Parliamentary session to attend this function, said the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.), who proposed the toast of the association. He added that he did not need much persuasion. Clean and healthy sport must occupy a large part in the life of the com-

munity, said Mr Macfarlane. The Canterbury Football Association had contributed materially to this olyect over the 50 years of its existence.

There were still, in his opinion, too many people on the sideline. He did not. object to occasional visits to the racecourse, but they did not ‘ contribute greatly to the physical well-being of the community. It was appropriate on such an occasion to recall the sterling service to the sport of its administrators, both of the association and the clubs. Without them the game would fall to the ground, he said.

In the 50 years the association had been going, Association football had done a lot for the youth of Christchurch, said Mr Gordon, replying to the Mayor’s speech. It must have been

a terriffp. struggle for the early administrators, with no spectators to provide reyenue, no funds, and few players to drawn on. Compared with those days the association now had “tons of money.” The main purpose of the jubilee celebrations was to remember the early administrators and players. The work of the association’s three life members, Messrs C. Sanderson, J. E. Jones, and J. A. Robb, was praised by Mr R. S’. Smith. Mr Robb replied. Canterbury had achieved a la/ge

measure of success in its efforts to put the game “on the map,” said Mr Connor, replying to Mr Gordon’s toast to the New Zealand association. The administrators in Canterbury had set a high standard for those of the next 50 years to live up to, said Mr Connor. The New Zealand association welcomed criticism from the 19 affiliated associations which enabled it to administer the game more efficiently. As a player, said Mr T. M. McGuigan, secretary of the Canterbury association, who proposed the toast to the referees, he had divided referees into three categories. As a spectator he thought the referees grew gradually worse. Later, in his association with the game, he had been a referee himself and had begun to see the game through different eyes. Finally, as an administrator, he "had come to realise that players and referees both had something to contribute to the game. The Jones Cup had knit a certain bond of friendship between the Canterbury association and his association, said Mr H. Newall. vicq-president of the Otago association. Mr Newall was returning thanks for the toast of

kindred associations, proposed r J. Smith. Thd toast to past players was ® posed by Mr R. ’ Hopkins and « to by Mr D. Lusk, who w* h resented Canterbury in 1919 Replying to the toast of the t] t proposed by Mr J. McGuigan H fl Taylor talked of the club soft ) “Soccer, as some call it—fwtbi i call it, the only game of footfc -fl In his own club. Shamrock, nia s the 12 members in the senior te I which was in the final of the Cha* Cup series—had come through | club from the eighth grade, | these players were now cog < lower grade teams, he said. j was what he meant by the ( i spirit. ' ,