THISTLES IN THE AIR

NZ Truth, Issue 1187, 30 August 1928, Page 14

THISTLES IN THE AIR

A Fledgling Soccer Association Asks Impossibilities (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) TOR a day or two last week bright hopes werer cherished, that the 1 cleavage which broke asunder the Auckland Soccer Association would be bridged, but as yet the desirable objective has not been attained. ' ■.. '

IT will be remembered that the rift was caused by' the Thistle Cluo withdrawing from the Association because one of its players was ordered off the field for "chin wagging" the referee. The Scots .allege that the referee, being an expelled player of their own club, was biased against them which was shown m the game m question when they were unexpectedly beaten by the babies of the senior competition — Belmont. That was the player's second offence of a similar nature this season. He was given two weeks' suspension, following which the club withdrew and latterly formed — with four clubs — what they chose to term the Suburban Association. . ;Of course the organization was at once pronounced a renegade one, and players and officials were warned by the New Zealand Council that participation m the affairs of the outlaw body would at once place them beyond the pale. The question of a ground caused some trouble and a place known as Herrings Park — but which bears a closer resemblance .to a herring pond — was procured at Grey Lynn and there the games are played. :Several weeks have transpired since this state of affairs was brought about, and m the: meantime an independent coterie of 'business and; professional men, interested m the Soccer code as a sport, and m Blandford Park as a commercial undertaking, has got to work m an endeavor tp mend the rift m the lute. Several meetings have been held between the. three parties concerned, and long conferences, "strictly, m camera," have taken place to see if a basis of settlement could not be arrived at. Though- the greatest secrecy has been requested, the business done and the discussions that have taken place,, are "the talk of the town." They have been . attended by business men concerned, members of the management committee, delegates from senior clubs m the AJP.A., . and members of the management and club delegates of the Suburban Association. From what - "N.Z. Truth's", rep. has beemjable to gather, there was something like a climax at the meeting- held last Wednesday - when the delegates from Suburbia had a dramatic disagreement between themselves. From The Shoulder It is said that one, "Geordie" F.orsyth, who is nothing if not the quintessence of candor and straight-from-the- ■ shoulder spokesmanship, literally tore to pieces his fellow delegates- — particularly Lawyer pickson — for the unreasonable attitude they had taken up. "Geordie" has a heart hard as the Bon Accord granite towards the A.F.A., but he is at the same time a man scrupulously honest to. the dictates of his conscience. „ He vehemently trounced' his col- . leagues when he considered they were side-stepping fair and. equitable offers. The whole point at issue was, it is understood, centred on whether they should join the A.F.A., retaining their individuality, or become part and parcel of the A.F.A. . . ' ■■■ ' The underlying secret of the stubborn and unreasonable attitude of the Suburban Association's big .chiefs seems, on analysis, to be nothing but personal grudge and dislike of some of the A.F.A. ' officials. ,

"Truth" has never held any brief for the A.F.A. controlling authorities, but when a body, piloted by shrewd business ( men, after having deliberately shattered all , constitutional law, without proof of justification, demands a 50-50 basis of settlement on a decimal fraction of 'comparative strength, their claim- can only be termed idiotic or humorous The Suburban Association leaders wanted to merge with the A.F.A., retaining complete autonomy as a controlling body of Soccer, and to have equal rights with the A.F.A. as to the use of Blandford Park — m which thousands of pounds have been sunk — but m which they would not say they would accept equal financial responsibility. They also would be agreeabje to a Soccer Board of Control with' an equal number of members from each association. * It all sounds -very dream-like! The Suburban Association has, say, 60 players which is a generous estimate; the A.F.A. has some 2000. The Suburban Association broke all the laws of the code m New Zealand to set themselves up; they have assumed no monetary responsibilities save the payment of 3d. per week per player for insurance, yet they have the nerve to demand terms of equality with the parent body. . The question ofs affiliation or amalgamation was disputed, Lawyer Dickson raising some hair-splitting difference between the terms. Still At Sixes And Sevens Furthermore, the boundaries of the associations under the N.Z.F.A. are clearly defined m law and any legal luminary ought to know that laws cannot be wiped out of existence or altered by the waving of a magic wand. Yet again, the A.F.A. has a constitution which can only be altered at a special general meeting of affiliated members, and the feeling of the clubs m Auckland is strongly behind the stand its management has taken. All things considered— taking an impartial view of the situation as it is — "Truth" can find nothing to applaud m the attitude of the Suburban Association. There does not appear to be any ray of hope of settlement so long as the present impossible demands are made by them. The association has boasted that players go on the field insured against accident, but this is hardly stating a truth. The insurance has been placed with the^'Sun" newspaper at the rate of 9d. per week— the price of that jour-, nal delivered weekly.- . ' The association has undertaken £o pay 3d. if players pay 6d. per week, but this is heavy insurance compared with the A.F.A., -whose players pay ■. 2/ (j for .the season; ' • Some of the Suburban players who may not be interested m a publication m which their own doings are ignored, forget to contribute their "bawbees" which the management must pay or the insurance lapse; So that the gesture for a peace settlement which has been. made by the Auckland City and Suburban Football Association bristles with psychological phenomena but the' chances of any good coming out of the present movement seem still to be as remote as ■Mars. Woods' Great Peppermint Cure For Influenza Colds.*