THE SHANNON FOOTBALL INCIDENT.

Otaki Mail, 31 May 1922, Page 1

THE SHANNON FOOTBALL INCIDENT.

JUNIOR TEAM AND GROUND SUSPENDED.

TILL AFTER COURT PROCEEDINGS. The disturbance on die Shannon football ground on Saturday, when the referee was assaulted, was uiscussed by the Management Committee of the Horowhenua Rugby Union at its meeting on Tuesday, ino president (Mr L. Nash) was in the chair, and the outer members present were Messrs. W. Thomson, F. W'liibley, M. Winiatu, L. Dixon, R. \Y. Percy, W, Bevan, Father Vibaud and the secretary (Mr Carmichael). A report was read from the Horowhenua Referees’ Association, covering the incident. The Association concluded: “Since Mr Cltrrrdge reported the matter to the Association he has been removed to the Palmerston North hospital suffering with a broken jaw. The Association iiopes that the Union will take tne necessary steps to see that a recurrence does not take place. 1 ’ The chairman said the matter was a very serious one, and he thought it would be necessary to take some drastic steps. Mr Thomson reported that Messrs. Nash, Carmichael and himself hud visited Shannon on Sunday and inquired into it, with the result that | two Shannon players were to be charged by the police with assault, ! one with assault and obscene language, and another with obscene lan-

guage. Mr Revan slated that he was m Shannon on Saturday witnessing tlie senior game, when he heard a “clout’’ from the direction of the junior match. He was three or four chains away at the time. He rushed down and already the crowd had gathered round the referee and were urging the players on in assaulting the referee. “The scene was the worst I have, ever witnessed on a football ground,” said 'Mr Bevun, “and the Union should sift the thing to the bottom.” He stayed right to the finish, and was sure if tie had opened his mouth he would have been as bad off as the referee. He could bear out all the referee had said in his report. He referred (o another, matter. That was the playing of a team of boys like the Rovers against big fotiows who were playing for Shannon last Saturday. He thought 1 that junior games should be called off on the Shannon ground for some time to come. Hear, hear.) Mr Carmichael explained that Mr chuidge was not the official re I cnee r lor the game on Saturday. Mr Reeve,! of Foxton, Ihe releree appointed, J could not attend, and the Shannon j and Rovers captains tossed to see' who should referee. The Shannon team won, and they approached a local man to take the whistle, hut ne refused, and both captains ilieti asked Mr CJaridge, and after persuasion, he consented.

Four Shannon representatives, who waited on the Union, then entered the meeting, Messrs. Hardy and Ma-

son acting as spokesmen. Mr Hardy asked that the meeing be conducted in camera. It would be unfair to the Shannon juniors concerned in Saturday’s incident if their version was made public, as it could te used against them in the pending pro-

eeediugs. i J'Jic diaimian said Hie meeting was of tlie Management Committee, and lie did not tliink the suggestion could he entertained. Mr Mason said there were evidently court proceedings pending, and in fairness to the men the committee should lioid the matter over until the court proceedings were over. That was a reason for asking that the meeting should he held in camera. What was coming at the court would probably he worse than anything the Union could do, so why should their case be prejudiced at court by the Union. The chairman stated that the committee would consider the point raised by the Shannon delegates, Mr Whibley thought there was something in what the Shannon delegates said, and that the players concerned should be suspended for three or four Saturdays, but he would go further than that and say that the ground should be disqualified meantime. Thomson said that no member Co the Keierees' Association would referee in a Shannon match, also that no referee would go to Shannon until this matter was settled. The shannon delegates pointed out that the putting of the Shannon giound out ol bounds would mean stopping all matches in Shannon, tkht tyoutf probably mean the senior ieam going outr"" The Shannon delegates then retired, apd niter considering the position, me following motion was submitted: “In view of the pending prosecution of several Shannon players, the Management Committee of the Horowlienua Hugby Union suspend the members of the Shannon junior team and the Shannon recreation ground until after the court proceedings, when the matter would be reconsidered.” The Shannon delegates were then called in and the motion read to them. Mr Mason said they fully appreciated and concurred with the hrat partof the motion, but they entered a protest at the senior team and the whole club being penalised through the action of two or three members of the junior team. It was hard enough to get a senior team together without penalising them- It was not their

fault that a few juniors acted iooiishiy. ■fnc chairman: The juniors are responsible for that. Mr Mason: Even so; you are suspending the ground and casting a sluron the whole club on 'account of a few juniors. You are stopping me senior match next Saturday.

Mr Carmichael: The match can be played on another ground. Mr Hardy: If the ground is suspended the seniors will withdraw, as they will not be able to get a team. Some of the members come from Mangahao and cannot always travel away from Shannon. We nave not had a full senior team since the beginning of the season.

Mr Hardy said from what they had heard the case would .go to the supreme Court, That was in three months. It meant going out for the season.

Mr Mason asked why it was propose eu tu suspenu me ground, Mr Carmichael said the spectators were largely to blame iur urging ’lie players on m tlie disturbance.

Mr Mason: Thai is nui proved. The whole thing is up in me air. It is only diherent individuals giving their opinions.

Mr Thomson said the Management Committee was responsible to the New Zealand Rugby Union, and if they allowed matches to go on, what woulu ! die New Zealand Union think? Even if the ground was not suspended, no teams or referees would go up to Shannon. The ground should he suspended on account oi die players and spectators. A member oi die Management Committee was on the ground and witnessed the whole affair, and die committee hud to lake action, in any case, Shannon would not get any matches, meantime at any rate. They had suilic-ient evidence to suspend die ground, and in justice to the New Zealand Union the committee would not take any other stand. The ground might be suspended by die New Zealand Union, even if the Horowhenua committee did not do so. Mr Mason said as an ex-member ol some of die Wellington management committees, such action as proposed by the Horowhenua Committee did not take place there. At least the Shannon Club might he given die same courtesy. He admitted a similar case had occurred in Detune, and the ground was not suspended.

The chairman said that Pet one was warned in event of a second occurrence. In reply to the chairman, Mr Hardy said that it was correct that a Shannon spectator who was warned off ah grounds by the Union last season acted as line umpire in the Shannon •Junior-Rovers match last Saturday. After further consideration, the foregoing motion was put and carried. It. was also decided that the Wan-derers-Shannon senior match next Saturday he played on the Foxton ground. j Replying to Mr Hardy, the chairman j said there was still time for senior Shannon players to transfer to other clubs in event, of their team not going on with their fixtures.

The Shannon delegates then thanked die Union for the hearing given them and withdrew.