ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1503, 27 July 1912, Page 12

ASSOCIATION.

[By "Cextue-Half."l ' THE "SOCCER" PARLIAMENT. A Blank Yet another Saturday has gone overboard, literally washed'away by tho flood; and the Wellington Football Association's programme is thrown.another week behind. Unless a miracle happens—and it would seem that nothing short of a miracle will lift the dreary pall of wet weather which has afflicted the city of lute —the football season will overlap into the cricket season, or, as seems more likely, the programme will be heavily bluepencilled. Fortunately, there will not bo any long, drawn-out tusslo for the senior championship—the Hospital men have seen to that. Lri Re Defaulting Teams. There have been several-instances during the current season of teams failing to ■put in an appearance to meet their engagements. .Apropos, .the following notice of motion .for the next general meeting of the Ofago Football Association has been sent in:— . » . "That rule 15 of the rules governing cup competitions be repealed, and iu its place be substituted the following: 'Any team foiling to keep its engagement snail, unless it has given at least two days' notice to the secretary of the O.T?.A. of its inability, to keep such engagement, bo fined—in the caso of a senior team £1, in' the case of a junior team IO9; Gd.j and in the case of a third or fourth! grade team ss.—such fines to be paid into the funds of the O.F.A.' In special circumstances tho Executive Committee shall have discretionary power to reduce or remit the fine," . ■

Beyond the Seas. ■ It may be interesting and. profitable in these dark days to detach our attention from bur littlo parish, and survey the doings of the English" Football Association. The "Athletic News" of June 10, just to hand, devotes nearly a whole.page to reports of the annual' meetings of the football authorities in the Old Country. "As the seasons advance and the game continues to.dovelop," reflects the "News," the business at the annual meeting.of the Football Association and Football League becomes more important, more varied, and, consequently, more interesting. Ro-" presentatives from' all parts of the country • were present at the gatherings in London at the J commencement of last week, and were'engaged in the preparatory work for ( another campaign, devoting a considerable amount of time to the remuneration of professionals .and their right .to sit on governing bodies. As a mntter of fact, although he lias no representation in i the councils of either tho Football Association or the League, .the position of the professional plaver was the chief topic of discussion at both gatherings. The' League allowed him an increase of _10s. per wepk, and so strongly were. his interests defended at the meeting of the Football Association that a proposal I>y the council which would have debarred him from taking any part in the control of the game was beaten by an overwhelming majority. This latter wag an entirely new. phase of the professional question, inasmuch as it aimed at the total exclusion from swvies in nny administrative capacity of all who have received payment from playirij? 'football, excepting thoso who are at.prcsent officiating "on club committees.

Laws of the Game. Only one alteration was'made in tho laws of the game at the meeting of the International Board during ''football week." Law 8, under which a goalkeeper was permitted to use his hands within his own half of the field, was altered to read: "The goalkeeper may within his own penalty area use his hands, but shall not carry the ball." In. Law 99 where offences are unintentional, the words "no penalty must be awarded" were, altered to read "no offence is committed."

An Amusing Story. At the annual meeting of the English Football League the president, Mr. J. M'Kenna, in presenting the championship cup and medals to Blackburn Rovers, congratulating them on their first success after 24 years of .fighting. Mr. Lawrence Cotton received the trophies, and referring to the progress the Hovers had made, embellished his remarks with a story which convulsed the meeting. The Rovers had been playing badly, and after one defeat at home, he was in company with one of the directors, when a little newsboy camo running round the corner shouting, "Shocking defeat of the Stiff 'Unsj Suicide of the Rovers' Directors.". The director boxed tho lad's ears, and told him to "Get home tha' young orute, and tell tha, , mother there's one living yet."

A "Code of Honour." - Another meeting of importance held during football week was the conference which was held by the Football Referees' Union. Some curiosity was displayed at the meeting in regard to tho notice of motion by Air. E. W. Child, of Essex, who wanted a "codo of honour" for referees. He had been prompted to take this stand by reason of in address by a journalist whose subject was "Honour amongst Thieves," an uncomplimentary title as ap-' plied to .referees. .He hod therefore drawn up a "code of honour," ns follows: 1. A referee shall not voluntarily adversely criticiso the work of another referee. 2. A referee shall not tout for appointments in nny way. S.' A referee shall not report (to the press) directly or indirectly any match in which hp has boon officiating. 4. A referee shall do everything possible to encourage nnd assist those referees at the bottom of the ladder. Tho secretary of the union objected to Clause 4. Another speaker snid it was a. rnistako to let public see that, there was amongst referees a spirit of jealousy which ho wanted to see eliminated: nnd whilst ho was always nnxious to help a junior with merit in him. if he saw a, referee whom he considered not doing his duty, nothing would stop him from expressing his opinion. And a third, whilst agreeing with a rode of honour, thoutrht thaf one like that moved by Mr. Child would not look very nice in a rule book, and nlHtnofoly the proposal vns defeated. while the mimrestion flint the union should b<> grunted n fat cm the council of tho F.A. was withdrawn.