FOOTBALL

Hokitika Guardian, 7 October 1931, Page 4

FOOTBALL

WEST COAST RUGBY UNION. The weekly meeting was held a Ureymonth last night. ■The Cobdon Club wrote, entering an emphatic protest against the ac tion of the Union in awarding th Knock-Out Cup to Rivals, on th grounds that Cobden were not given the chance to play the same pmnbe; of games as Rivals, owing to -then .having to play in the final of th .main competition with Excelsiors. The Chib considered that a grave injustice has been done to them and requested that Rivals and Cobdon be p tted against each other, on a ground to be decided by the Union. Ter ‘•hillings deposit accompanied the pro test. The Chairman said the protest had nothing to do ’with the laws of the game. It was a protest against th action of the Union. He moved that the letter be received and that the protest be not entertained, the deposit to be refunded to the Club. Mr Guy, in seconding the motion, said he did not see any reason win the decision of the Union should be altered. Mr Rodgers: I cannot see how you came to give the Cup to Rivals. lhe\ were not entitled to it. The Chairman said that the Union had the power to chose any of its competitions whenever it pleased and to award the Cup as it thought fit. Mr Rodgers; But Cobden were a game behind, Mr Eggleton ; Well it’s a very unsatisfactory state of affairs. Mr Mclntosh said he was not at the last meeting of the Union and he felt with many other members that a great mistake had been made. In his opinion the Union should have bracketed Rivals and Cobden.

The Chairman : Bracketing would have done no good. We had to finalise the competiton. If a Rival-'Cob-den match bad been played and the former team had won the teams would .then have been level thus necessitating a final. Mr Mclntosh moved an amendment that the motion on the books finalising the knock-out competition amf awarding the cup to Rivals be rescinded. His reason for doing so was that in common with other members who were not present at the last meeting he considered that an injustice had been clone to Cobden. The Chairman: If that amendment is carried then at least one more game will have to be played in order to finalise the competition? Mr Mclntosh: Yes, that is so. The amendment was seconded by Mr White and on a vote being taken the amendment was lost bv six votes to five, the Chairman and Messrs O'Donnell, Guy, Kyle, Hannam and ißbthwell voting against it. The motion df .the chairman uhd Mr Guy was then carried .