PLAINS FOOTBALL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4821, 6 April 1925, Page 3

PLAINS FOOTBALL.

THE COMING SEASON. DIFFICULTIES AHEAD. Football matters on the Hauraki Plains promise to be rather complex for a while this season. Certain it is that matters cannot be permitted to go on as in the previous season if the sport is to prosper, but the difficulty will be to find a solution that will be acceptaable to all parties. In the Hauraki Plains sub-union there are six affiliated clubs, and the sub-union is affiliated with the Thames Valley Union, which comprises three other isubumons having only three or four affiliated clubs each. Thus it takes considerably longer for the Plains sub-union tp get its inter-club matches played on account of the greater number of teams, and also on account of the greater interference caused by any wet weather, The other subunions having their club matches completed early, desire representative games, and to participate the Plains must interfere with their clubfixtures. This causes discontent on all sides. Under the most favourable conditions inter-club matches on the Plains take ten weks to complete, the) annual home and home matches with Thames 2 weeks, the Poland Cup matches 6 weeks, the Birch Cup and the Peace Cup one each. Twenty fine Saturdays are thus required for the fixtures without counting any Thames Valley Union matches. This is much toe- long a season for a dairying district where the teams are so scattered and transportation slow. • The easiest solution appears .to be to drop out of the Poland Memorial Cup competition; but having won the trophy for two years much reluctancy to do this is expressed. If the Thames Valley Rugby Union would agree to the request of the Plains delegates as made at the beginning of last seas in, and as will doubtlessly be made aghin, tha* the competition be made a knockout or a challenge one, there is little doutb but that the Plaints will par* ticipate. If, however, the conditions arc not altered, there appears to be no doubt about the sub-union withdrawing. The competition is a burden to the Plains financially, and because it compels 165 players to stand on the line for six Saturdays. Owing to the small gate receipts at representative matches on the Plains and the high cost of sending teams away the finances of the union are, strained to the utmost, despite the strictest economy of the executive —economies which cause much adverse criticism—and despite the generousity of supporters who lend their cars and make handsome donations.

A decision of the Thames Valley Ui ion to make the competition a challenge one would best please the Plains' body, as its finances would thus be put on a pound footing. This request should meet with the approval of the other sub-unions, as their travelling to Ngatea would not be increased, while if any one was successful in winning a match it would have home matches until defeated. However, if exception is taken to Hauraki Plains retaining the trophy until beaten, its delegates, would probably agree to a one round or knockout competition. Any conditions would be better than the existing ones from the Plains Union’s point of view. Serious suggestions have been made that the Plains should break away from the Thames Valley Union and affiliate with Thames. . The Thames Union, looking to the economic aspect, will probably go out of its way to facilitate this., and a substantial share of the gate receipts of matches at Thames would be recouped hy that union in increased donations from Thames businessmen, who would consider it money well invested that would knit Plains and Thames closer together and ..bring increased trade to their town.; . ,

A point that appeals to others is that there is more chance of Plains players getting into big football .’f affiliated with Thames. Lafet season there was only one Thames Valley Union ratch, and that only of minor importance; and without wishing to criticise the selectors, it was significant that that only one Plains man was chosen as a player, so that the Plains Union thought fit to pass a resolution expressing its opinion that it had not been fairly treated. Another factor likely to,cause much discussion in the near future in football circles is the desire’to form a union subsidiary to the Hauraki Plains body and comprising the Kerepeehi, Turua, and possibly the United Coast clubs of the Plains sub-union, and, the Netherton and possibly the Hikutaia clubs of the' Paeroa subunton. The suggestion is, in the main, meeting with wide support on the Plains, as the division of the area into two sections would solve the problem of the interference of club fixtures by representative matches, but many troubles are anticipated. Speaking at a meeting at Netherton on Saturday evening to discuss the position Mr C. Potter, president of the club and delegate to the Paeroa Union, expressed the opinion that little difficulty w’ould be experienced by the Netherton club in getting its clearance from the Paeroa union; in fact, the chairman of that body had stated that the country clubs could be very well done without. Very little was said at the Netherton meeting to indicate why the club desired to break away, but from the tone of the speakers it was evident that the objection was deep rooted, and that rather than put up with the treatment accorded it in the past, the club would stand its player*? on the line throughout the season. The club was prepared to take its case to the Thames Valley Union, or to the parent body it necessary. The Turua club was represented at the meeting and promised enthusiastic support for the proposition provided the Hikutaia club was not included, it being thought, advisable to restrict the. boundaries of the Hauraki Plains Union to the Hauraki Plains County. The Kerepeehi club was not represented at the meeting, but it was stated by several speakers that its

opinion corresponded with that of the Turua club.

The Hikutaia club was not officially represented, but members expressed their own opinion that the proposal would not meet with unqualified support, as travelling expenses would be greater and the boundary that would allotted would probably be at Komata, thus cutting out a large number of the club’s best, players. The chairman of the meeting, Mr C. Potter, stated that he had heard oti good authority that the Hikutaia club would endeavour to join the Thames union. The Hikutaia dub had been invited to send delegates to the meeting, but had not done so; neither had it answered the letter, and it was therefore agreed that that club be not considered further in the proposal.

Until stated by one of .the Turua delegates it was not generally know that the United Coast club desired to join the proposed sub-union. It had been suggested that the Piako Riv&r be made the boundary.

The whole question will doubtlessly be discussed at the annual meeting of the Hauraki Plains union, which will be held on Tuesday evening, and which will be attended by Messrs C. Potter, R. Heappey, G. Fisher, B. Johnson. and R. Morrison, of Netherton, and possibly other from interested clubs.