FOOTBALL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 839, 14 May 1910, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

The match to have been played to-day between Awahouand Manawatu was postponed as a token of respect to the memory of the late King.

A meeting of the Albion Football Club was held in the Family Hotel on Thursday evening. Mr Whibley presided and there was a good attendance of both senior and junior players. It had been suggested that two teams be entered for the junior competition, but after discussion it was decided to nominate one team only.

Mr J. W. Furrie was elected captain of the seniors and Mr T. Curtis vice-captain. The juniors elected Mr J. White as captain and Mr Reeve as vice-captain.

The question of insurance of players was discussed, and it was eventually decided to join the Manawatu Union's insurance scheme. Other matters of a minor nature were also arranged and the meeting terminated.

Monday night’s meeting of the Manawatn Rugby Union promises to be a very ’‘warm” one, as among other matters, Mr Manning’s notice of motion regarding sub-union boundaries will be brought forward. This matter was to have been dealt with last Monday, but the meeting was adjourned for a week as a token of respect to the memory of the late King. The effect of Mr Manning’s motion, if carried, is to prevent players residing within sub-union boundaries from playing for clubs outside those boundaries. The opposition to the motion will come from Mr Pirani, who has signified his intention of speaking for three hours against it. Mr Pirani is the representative of the Feilding Club on the Manawatu Union and if Mr Manning’s motion is carried it will mean that three or four players who at present play for Feilding will be forced to play iu the Foxton Sub-Union’s competition. It will easily be seen now why Mr Pirani is so much opposed to the motion. It is not because he is of opinion that it is in the best interests of the game in the district that players should be allowed to play for any club they chose to, irrespective of whether they resided within a sub-union’s boundaries or not. Oh dear, no. He is thinking of his. own club only, and doesn’t care a tinker’s cuss what happens to the others so long as Feilding is on top. It is hard to see what sound arguments he can bring forward against the motion, as he must admit that the primary object of defining boundaries is to confine a union or sub-union’s operations to a certain tract of country, otherwise where is the necessity for boundaries at all. Mr Pirani knows, or should know, that other unions do not allow players residing within their sub - union boundaries to play for clubs outside those boundaries, and yet he will still argue against the motion. However, the matter is iu the hands of the other members of the Manawatu Union’s Management Committee, and it remains to be seen whether Mr Pirani can bring forward sufficient reasons to convice them that it is in the interests of football in the Manawatu district that matters should be left in the present unsatisfactory state. Anyone cognisant of all the facts will admit that to continue the present state of affairs means that football, in this portion of the district at any rate, will be killed as dead as the proverbial door nail. However, it appears that the majority of the members of the Manawatu Union’s Management Committee have now got a thorough grasp of the situation and will end the present unsatisfactory state of affairs on Monday night by passing Mr Manning’s motion.

An unpleasant incident characterised the opening of the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union on Thursday afternoon. The newly-elected chairman (Mr F. H. Campbell, of Dunedin, vice Mr F. Logan, president, who was absent) proceeded to call upon the secretary to read the minutes of the last annual meeting. Mr F. Pirani (Manawatu) objected to this. There was a very necessary motion, which he declared should take precedence. He referred to the death of the late King. Mr Campbell decided that the reading of the minutes should take precedence. When this was done, the chairman moved the formal adjournment of the meeting as a mark of respect to the memory of the late King. Mr Pirani at once rose and said they should pass a motion of condolence. He had never heard of such a proceeding as the omission of that. ‘Tt is enough to make one ashamed ot the management,” he said. ‘‘As Mr Pirani has had so much experience of chairmanship,” replied Mr Campbell, ‘‘it is a pity he was not voted to the chair.” “There is no need to sneer on an occasion like this,” retorted the Manawatu delegate sharply. “ Will you move a motion then ?” asked another delegate. “No, it is the chairman’s duty. He might think it smart to answer like that, nobody else would.” “Would you accept a motion sir?” the chairman was asked. “No,” he replied, “the meeting is adjourned.” And the delegates left the room. On resuming a motion of regret at the death of the King, and condolence with the Royal Family was carried.