FOOTBALL AT WAIPAWA

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 58, 24 March 1937, Page 3

FOOTBALL AT WAIPAWA

Our Own Oorxespondent.)

Lack of Interest by the Public

(From

' WAIPAIWA, Last night. The annual general meeting of the Waipawa United Football Club was held last evening. The president,, Mr. F. Eagle was iu the chair, and there was only a fair attendance of members. A vote of aympathy was passed .to the relatives of the late Mr. D. P. McLean, who had been a vice-president of the club for many years. The ari mi al report and balance-sheet was adopted. In speaking to the report, both the chairman and Mr. Wynn referred to the unsatisfactory position xegarding subscription, and the diflculty experienced by the club in carrying on when members remained unfinanciai. Mr. Wynn suggested that in view of the apparent scarcity of players this season, it would be as well before proceeding with the election of officers to consider whether the club would be able to carry On. It seemed impossible to enter a senior team in the competitions, and the only chance of carrying on appeared to be to enter a junior .team. j only. I Several speakers referred to the fact ! chat some of last year's senior players ! were not now available, while no new '■ players had come to the town to take i their places. Mr. F. Watson said that i if a canvass of the junior players were ! made he thought it possible a team I could be entered. Mr. J. Fletcher sug- ; gested that the present juniors be proj moted to senior grade, and with the : senior players available, there would be jiuiiicient for.a .team. Members were of the opinion that Ihe prosent juniors were too light and too yonng to be promoted at present. Mr. Tui Nicoll said the prospects for a senior team di.d not appear too bnght. He thought that if the number of senior teams in the competitions were limited I it would improve the standard of play, i wovdd assist the clubs, and would crea.te I a greater interest among the public. ] Mr. Nicoll submitte.d. a list of prospec- | tive senior players. j After considerable further discussion tj it was decided to enter a junior team, the matter of entering a team in the senior cqdipetition to be left in the hands of Messrs. Wynn, Fletcher and Nicoll with power to act. Election of Officers. The elecAkm of officers for the ensu- : ing season resulted as follows: — Patron, Mr. A .E. Jull; president, Mr. F. Eagle; vice-presidents, Messrs. 0. ifpton, T. VVills, C. G. Harker, C. M. Petersen, F. Tickner, A, E. King, Dr. Norris, J. B. Hamilton, E. Woodruffe and T. J. Dallas; chairman of management committee, Mr. E. J. Wynnj secretary, Mr. F. W. Holtj treasurer, Mr. F.% Eagle; auditor, Mr. E, Kingston; senior selector, Mr". J. H. Nicoll; committee, Messrs. J. H. Nicoll, JT. Fletcher, J. French, and E. Kingston; delegates to sub-union, Messrs. J. H. Nicoll and E. J. Wynn. The subscriptions for the year were fixed at senior 7/6 and junior 5/-. Mr. Fletcher suggested that the club colours should be changed, having brought the matter forward at the request of a number of players, who were desirous of reverting to the old colours, yellow and black hoops. Members were of opinion that this was a matter for a full meeting of the club. It was flnally resolved that the management committee test the feelings of the players during the season with a view to effecting a change next season. The question was raised as to the possibility of assiating the junior team in the matter of travelling. The chairman said that before anything could be done it was essential that all players should be financiaL The first practise will be held on Saturday, April 3. The usual honorarium was granted to the secretary. Mr. Eagle presented to Mr. W. Osborne a medal won by him as the best forward for the 1935 season, a trophy presented by Mr. T. J. Dallas. In making tbe presentation, Mr. Eagle sai.d he was quite sure no more popular award could have been made. Small Oates. v Mr, Wynn made reference to the small gates for club football, which showed a lack of interest on the part of the publie. It was very disheartening to the players to find such poor attendances, and he would appeal to the people of Waipawa to support the local teams in their home matches. The chairman said he was pleased the matter had been brought up. He thought oue reason for the loss of interest was the fact that on several oecasions in the past season there had been fcSaturdays without a mateh in either grade. He thought that in arranging the fixtures an endeavour should be made to provide a game on each playing Saturday. He further suggested that when a junior match only was being played no charge should be ,made at the gate. A number of people would not pay to see a junior game, whereas if no charge was made it would probably help to revive interest in the play of the junior teams. The meeting closed with a hearty vote of thanlcs to the chalr. The Annual Report. Following is flie annual report:-— The Waipawa United Football Club can claim to have experienced a fairly suceessful season during 1936. A senior and a junior team were entered in the Central Hawke'3 Bay Eugby SubCJnion's competitions. Although neither team wero suceessful tlieir respeetive ' memberships were fairly well maintainJed. They invariably gave their oppoInents a good game. During the season the following players attained senior representativ# st&tiJ*

in the sub-union teams: — Messrs. Garclner, Collett, Hudson, Osborne and Eupuha. No junior representative games were played. The seniors commenced the season with good prospeets, when Mr. W. E. Collins, one of the 1935 All Blacks, announced his intention of playing for tho club. Unfortunately in the first game of the season Mr. Collins was ineapacitated and his services were thus lost to the team. Mr Eon. Bibby, one of the most dependable senior baeks, received an appointment in Wellington and the club badly missed him. Mr Nicholl was the team's coach for the season, and the best thanks of the club are due to him for the great trouble he went to in keeping his team together. The junior team last season was probably the lightest and youngest junior team ever to play in the sub-union and they deserve the greatest credit for their splendid p'erformances against far heavier and more experienced opponents After his enforced retirement from the. seniors, Mr. Collins coached this team. In the Central Hawke's Bay Eugby Sub-Union 's seVen-a-side tournament tbe club were xepresented by two senior teams and one junior. The two former teams, after good games, were eliminated early in the proceedings, but the juniors carried on to the semi-finals, which . was a very creditable perf ormance considering the high- class of some of the competing teams. The club is deeply indebted to the following gentlemen for donations:— Messrs. O. Upton, T. Wills, F. M. Tickner, J. B. Hafeiilton, A, E. King, E. J» Woodroffe, C. Petersen, and F. Eagle. There" is one matter that will have to receive very serious attention this year, and that - is unfinancial members. Despite repeated xequests several members would not become financial, thus penalising their club through lack of finance and themselves by being unpro- [ tected by the insurance f und. The way last year's subs came in was totally unsatisfactory. • The balance-i3heet shows quite a good credit balance, though this has come abuut really by the generosity of supporters rather than by the players ' offorts. Since the last meeting the club experienced a severe loss in the death of one of our vice-presidents in the person of Mr. D. P. McLean. Mr. McLean was always a staunch supporter of the club, and our deepest sympathy is extended to his widow and. family. The club sincerely hope, that players and supporters will rally round and endeavour to make %he 1937 eeason a suceessful one.