ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1794, 5 July 1913, Page 12

ASSOCIATION.

(Bt Centre-Half.) ■ l CORINTHIANS' CONDUCT. Championship Positions. The following table shows the positions of the various teams in the First Division Championship at the conclusion of last Saturday's games. It will be noticed that some teams have played one match more than others, this being on . account of a bye having to bo allotted each Saturday:— IS 'O "§ o' 9 £ .J? a § ? "a S *9 S £ (5 M tS(§ <$4? ft Thistle ' 8 7 1 0 24 7 15 Hospital 8 G 1 1 24 G 13 Corinthians ... 8 5 2 1 2G 9 12 Y.M.C.'A. 7 4 2 1 23 7 10 Diamonds' ...... 8 4 2 2 23 19 10 Wanderers ... 8 3 2 3 14 21 8 Swifts 8 8 1 4 1G 17 7 Brooklyn U. ... 9 2 2 5 10 20 G St. John's. ... 8 1 3 4 12 18 5 Brooklyn 8 0 1 7 8 32 1 Rovers 8 0 1 7 3 27. 1 That Episode. During the past wsek the chief topic of conversation in "Soccer" circles lias been the scene'at the Basin last Saturday. It is probable that the Management Committee will have given its decision regarding tho Corinthian Club before these lines appear in print, but it is proposed, nevertheless, to givo a short history of the facts of the case. To start at the beginning, it was well known that both Corinthians and Diamonds wero out fyr a .win. For tho last two or three seasons tho former team has made hefty efforts to win either the championship or tho Charity Cup, and up till the day on. which they mat Diamonds they had a good chance with Thistle of being this season's winners*. On that day, however, thoy met their Waterloo. Diamonds, who played a much better gamo all through, beat them fairly and squarely. Corinthians cannot, and never could, play a losing game, and they lived up to tlieir reputation, un Saturday. Tho conduct of some members of the team passed all understanding. Somo of them should have been given a swift passage from the field to the bank. And somo of them also should bo kept on tho bank—for years at least. Seeing that the president of the club (Mr. Orouoh) was acting as one of th*> linesmen,, one would have- thought that hp would havo used his influence to tone down that stormy sea of froth and trouble. He did not do so: but he did other things. Tho unfortunato complexion of the whole affair is heightened by tho fact 2000 people wero looking on. It whs a decidedly poor advertisement for tho game.

The Referee's Report, Mr. Duffy, the referee, in his report to the Management Committee of tho W.F.A., was clear and coucise. Ho also answered the questions put to him in a straightforward manner. He stated that ho informed the captain of tho Corinthiau team that he was about to order tho whole team off the field. Evidently ho did so because tho match was terminated five minutes before time. It is phasing to note that in dismissing Corinthiaus' protest last Wednesday, the committee stated, inter alia, that they had "every confidence in the referee and his control of the game." Corinthians' Letter, Now we come to the letter of protest from the Corinthian Club. At the outset let it bo said that it is regrettable that tho Corinthian Club did not read tho wholo of Rule 13 in the Referees' Chart before they sent that protest in. For inntance, they sniij: "The referee did not exhaust his privileges before terminating tho game, namely, by warning offending players, and failing the desired effect, ordering offending players off the ground. In no instance did he give tho necessary caution as provided for in Rule 13 (Referees' Chart)." The letter concluded as follows:—"I submit that under Rule 13, as stated above, wo have our only duty to perform .in this matter, and respectfully ask your committee to order a re-play. Has anybody ever heard such a piece of calm assurance as this before After having caused all the trouble, Corinthians apparently want to havo a chance to cnuso some more. For tho edification of tho Corinthians it seems desirable to quoto extracts from Rule 13, l>o[ii'ing on the points which havo been raised in the letter of protest:—(l) "In the event of any ungcntlemanly behaviour on the part of any of the players the offender or of- | fenders shall be cautioned, and if any further ofTonco is committed, or in the ease of violent conduct without any previous caution,'the roferee shall ordor the

offending player or players off tho field of play. ..." Iu Instructions to Reforees," Law 13 says: "As regards rough play tho referee haß absolute discretion. ... In tho case of violent conduct a previous caution is not needed before ordering an offending player off."

In their letter of protest Corinthians stated that tho referee terminated the gamo when 15 minutes of time had to go. In answer to that their attention is again drawn to Law 13, in which it is slated: "Tho referee shall . . ..suspend or terminate tho gamo whenever, by reason of darkness, interference by spectators, or other cause, ho may deem necessary." In "Instructions to Referees" it will be found that the referee decides everything. "• . . lie must keep tho scor6 and also the time, and may allow for time wasted and stop tho gamo as he thinks fit,'though in tho case of the game abruptly terminating ho is bound to report thp fact to the local association within three days." "None are so Blind, . . ." Further argument would only labour what is, after all, a plain enough position. If Corinthians would study the referees' chart they would find a lot of useful information under Law 13. But, possibly, there aro none so blind as thoso who'will not see. Summing-up. In summing-up one can only express tho hopo that the management will givo the Corinthian Club, and its members (with tho exception of O'Shea) such 'a lesson that it will bo a warning to other clubs.Tho game is gaining public support every Saturday, but the public want clean football, and this matter rests in the hands of tho committee. No doubt sentence will have been passed on tho guilty ones before these observations appear, but, if a salutary sentence is imposed, all that one can say is that some Corinthians deservo it, and dsservo it well.