FOOTBALL BOUNDARIES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3694, 22 September 1927, Page 2

FOOTBALL BOUNDARIES.

COUNCIL TAKES NO ACTION.

In response to the Horowhenua Rugby Council’s request that three delegates from each of the Foxton and Awahou Clubs appear before the Council and state their arguments in favour or opposition to the proposed inclusion of Foxton in (he Manawatu Union. Messrs J. K. Ilornblow, D. 'Christie and E. G. Martin, representing the Foxton Club, attended the meeting in Levin on Tuesday evening. The Awahou Club was not represented. The deputation was introduced by Mr. W. Neville (Foxton Club delegate). The Chairman (Mr. O’Connor), said the deputation was not in order. Mr. Hornblow: How is that? The chairman: Because the Awalior Club is not represented. We have unanimously decided to hdar you, however. ■ Mr. Hornblow said that in fairness to the Awahou Club the Foxton Club delegates were prepared not to go on with the matter that , night, seeing that Awahou delegates were not present. The Foxton Club .was not!responsible for the remis- . ness or otherwise of Awahou. The meeting decided that the Fixton Club should state its case, and Mr. Hornblow stated that the Foxton Club had brought bone tides of its standing and according to the treasurer of the Awahou Club (Mr. Parkin), it was questionable whether that Club had the right to representation on the Union as only two of its members were financial. Mr. Robinson said he did not know whether the Awahoh Club was financial. They were not charged with that. They had held a meeting the night previously, attended by 20 or 30 players of all grades and had decided to send delegates to the meeting but That night they had been informed that Foxton would not be represented and so the delegates had remained in Foxton. Mr. Hornblow stated that the Foxton Club committee had decided not to send a deputation, but to submit its reasons in writing. In a later communication with the , Council secretary (Mr Casey) that gentlemen had expressed the opinion that the deputation should atr tend and this was decided upon. The chairman J |said no finality could be reached that night. The Awahou Club would have to be heard first. Mr. Ryder asked the Foxt’on delegates to state their reasons for requesting a change in the boundaries. Mr. E. G. Martin said the Foxton Club was not the guardians of the Awahou Club and if they had been inclined to be present at the they would have been there. Mr. Hornblow said that the Council were aware of Foxton’s reasons for a change and the Foxton Club and public had not received fair treatment from the Horowhenua Council. He then reiterated the causes for complaint as previously published. The people of Foxton and supporters of football locally had no confidence in the administration of the Council. Mr. E. G. Martin took the opportunity to contradict a statement made at the previous meeting.by Mr Robinson to the effect that Foxton ,was out to smash the Awahou Club. As a matter of fact he could bring evidence to show that Mr Robinson had openly stated that he would smash the Foxton Club. He also criticised that gentleman’s methods in inveigling Foxton players into the Awahou Club. His whole object now was to set one Club against the other.to prevent the request that Foxton borough be merged in the Manawatu district. The treatment meted out by the Horowhenua Council had been opposed to the best interest of football. The game was not now r played for the game’s sake. There was too much £ s. d. about it. He made a statement which alleged that a certain individual after one of the Eanfurly Shield matches in Palmerston North had boasted that he had got £l5O out of it. He (the speaker) was right on the trail of the truth or otherwise of that statement and probably more would be heard bf it. If Awahou objected to the proposed change in boundaries they (seeing that they nearly all lived across the river, according to Mr. Robinson) could still be included in the Horowhenua district, or as an alternative the boundary could be a line from the , Wlhirokino Bridge to the sea. Mr Martin dealt with rep. match complaints, and other causes of grievances, during which some heated cross-fire was indulged between the speaker and Mi 1 . Robinson. Mr. Christie said he was a strong advocate for the inclusion of Foxton in the Manawatu district, and endorsed the previous speakers’ remarks. . Mr. Martin in further discussion said as.a result of the treatment received from the Horowhenua Council three years ago Foxton took up League., Mr Robinson: And Mi- Hornblow was one of its chief supporters. Mr. Hornblow: Mr. Chairman, I will make this Council a present of £lO for any charitable purpose if Mr. Robinson can give you one tittle of evidence to show that I at any time have supported. League football. Mr. Robinson: Wiell your paper did. Mr. Hornblow: No, never. Will you accept the challenge, Mr. Robinson ! Mr. Robinson: No.

Mr. Robinson then went on to explain his action in having all rep. matches played in Levin two years ago. This was because the Horowhenua Council was £lO5 in debt and, as a result of his two notices of motion re rep. matches and players assembling at Levin at their own expense, the Council was able to show a credit balance at the end of the season of £l4O. He had never formed the Awahou 'Club which was started by Mr. T. Tunaand Mr E. Bryant, both now of the Foxton Club, and several others. He had been merely elected as a delegate to the Union. Mr. Robinson reiterated his action in reference to the rep. matches allocated to Foxton this year but played in Levin. Mr. Neville had complained that he had received no support on the Council from the other Fojrton delegates. Only on one occasion had he voted against Mr. Neville during the whole time they had been on the Council together. Mi’. Martin: I can prove every word' I have said here to-night. Mr Robinson: I’ve got the floor. Sit down. Continuing, he said that he had never done a dishonourable thing during the five years he had sat on the Council. During Mr. Hutchins’ term of offijee on the Council he had voted against him on but one occasion. He had never done anything against the Foxton Club. Mr. Martin: On Easton Park you openly stated your threat to smash the Foxton Club. Mr Robinson: Never! Mr. Martin: One of your most enthusiastic supporters will bear me in {that statement. Mr. Martin then made reference to a meeting which Mr. Robinson attended and which took place over the river on Sunday, when lurid language was wafted across the river and heard by people including women on the wharf. Mr. Robinson: That’s absolutely false. There was no meeting on Sunday over the ,river. Mr Martin: There are twelve witnesses to prove my statement. Mr. Robinson: I must have been singing. .• , Mr. Martin: Yes a song you’re used to. Mr. Robinson said that some Saturdays the Awahou Club had had’ 60 players in the field and not one had ever been before the Union for misconduct. Awahou' [were quite satisfied with the treatment they had received from the Horowhenua Union. They were not financial, he admitted, but it was not fair for Foxton delegates to bring that up against young fellows when they had just gone through the worst season experienced for many years. In previous years they had been financial and as soon'as they got work they would become financial. “The Maoris had been nearly all starving this year,” said Mr. Robinson “and he had done a good bit for them. If his players were not financial by next year they could not play for any other Club.” Mr. Martin pointed out that the Foxton Club had 80 financial members. If they could be financial in the same circumstances there was no reason why Awahou couldn’t be also? What right had Awahou to play matches if they were unfinaneial? Mr. Austin said that as long as thq affiliation fee was paid, to the Council and insurance was paid it was all right. Mr. Robinson: We were one of the first to be financial. The members are not all financial, but the .club . is. Mr. Martin said that the majority of Awahou players were willing to join up with Manawatu. Mr. Robinson said he would not oppose any amalgamation of the two Clubs. There were 16 of his . players across the river and if the boundaries were altered it would mean the smashing up of his Club. That was what he meant at the last meeting when he said Foxton was out to smash Awahou. If a wrong interpretation had been put on his words he would apologise. Mr Hornblow said that as far as he could see a recent amendment to the rules gave a wider authority to the Council than was possessed by the Union. Mr Robinson said’ if Foxton were allowed to go out of the Horowhenua Union it would only be a short time before Tokomaru, Miranui and Shannon would want to secede and join up with Manawatu, with Foxton as the centre, and the Horowhenua Union would be smashed up. On those grounds he was opposed to a change in the boundaries. Mr Hornblow: Every case would be dealt with on its merits. The borough of Foxton has been taken out of its natural environment, and now requests to get back. Mr Robinson contended it would be lowering the standard of football to allow Foxton to enter the Te Kawau Sub-union, as Foxton players would have to be graded down. Mr Martin, on the other hand, contended that it would raise the standard in Te Kawau. Mr Hornblow said with proper .coaching there was no reason why Te Kawau could not produce as good footballers as any other part of the Dominion. After further desultory argument the Chairman said that the right procedure to adopt was to come to the Council as was done that night and place the Club’s reasons for a change before it. The Council would then call a meeting of delegates, and the delegates would decide whether the deputation’s request is to go before the Combined Union. This procedure had also to be similarly carried out in the Ma- ■ pawatu district.