DRASTIC SENTENCES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1794, 5 July 1913, Page 5

DRASTIC SENTENCES.

ON FOOTBALLERS

t RECENT SCENE AT THE BASIN. , Drastic punishment has been meted out to thoso concerned in tho unspepily affair which took placo at tho Basin Resorvo last Saturday during tho progress of ftu Association match—Corinthians v. Diamonds—and a number of Corinthians will not graco the field for years to come. The matter was considered at a special meeting of the Association last evening, and tho examination of witnesses occupied two hours and a half. All the witnesses were agreed that the behaviour of certain members of tho Corinthiiin Club was anything but good. Tho captain of the club stated that he had spoken to some of the members, but ho could do nothing with tliom. It was also deoided to hew tho testimony of members of committee who had been piesent at tho match. ■ Tho chairman (Mr. J. B. Paton) described the 6cono as he saw it, and had no hesitation in supporting tho action taken by tho referee. Ho (the speaker) had gone on the field when the trouble became aouto and had used his influence with the unruly players to allow tho game to proceed. Mr. Shields said that ho had seen the game from start to finish. He was proceeding to criticise tho referoo's decisions when he was pulled up by the chairman, who remarked that the committee had passed a resolution of confidence in that official. The witness thereupon gava jpractioally tho same version of the affair as the chairman had given. After somo further discussion Mr, T. Thompson said: "In tho past I have always befsn an advocate that 'players should be dealt with leniently, but I consider that this was a most disgraceful affair. I think that wo should deal severely with the players most concerned in this unseemly exhibition." Mr. Duncan: I concur with what Mr. Thompson has said. We should take a firm stand and stamp this kind of conduct right out. L , Mr. Thompson: I regret that it was tho Corinthians' team who have been respon- : Bible for this, seeing that most of them have come from the Old Country, and therefore should kuiw bettor. The Chairman: We seo'm to get most of the trouble from them, unfortunately. On tho motion of Mr. T. Shields, seconded by Mr. C. K. Dick, it was decided to deal with tho men who had boon found to bet guilty of misconduct individually. An amendment by Mr. A. Wells, seconded by Mr. H. Yeoman, was:-. "That this committee disqualify the men who have been mentioned—namely, Roberts, Hall, Ives, Webster, Ballard,' and Crouoh—till 1011, and severely censure the balance. 1 The amendment was lost, and Mr. M'Keowen moved a further amendment: ■"That tho team and linesman ho suspended till the end of season 1913." This lapsed for want of a seconder. Eventually judgment was passed on all members of the Corinthian team and their linesman, with tho exception ot O'Shea. ' ' . . The following is a list of players Mid thoir punishments:—Disqualification till the beginning of season 1915: Webster, Ives, Bradbury, Ballard, and Roberts. Censured: Hart (certtre-half), Gregory. Hart (forward), and Wills. Hall was suspended '.until he uppenrs before tne committeo.to answer another charge. T. Crouch, linesman and president of the Corinthian, Club, was disqualified from taking any active part m Association football till the'beginning of 19.5.