JAMES MCDONALD’S DEFENCE.

Shannon News, 12 August 1921, Page 3

JAMES MCDONALD’S DEFENCE.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —In answer lo the report of the Union meeting in your paper of the sth inst., re football match in the Shannon grounds, in which they accused me, James MacDonald, of hooting and abusive language: I attended their meeting to defend myself, and spoke the' truth and not a lie to myself. I asked Mi- Rhodes, the referee, what started the hooting. He said that it was over Moynihan’s try, which he. said ’ was a knock-on. I asked him what time he thought it would be from half-time. He said twenty minutes. Giving him the benefit -of the doubt over the time, then, I asked him if it was over D.i)zell, and he said “No, it was over Moynihan's try that the disturbance took place.” Just before ’half-time one of the Hui ‘Mai players ran over the line with the ball, and the line umpire, McGregor, did not put up 'the flag, and I went to him, showed h'm the mark of the player’s foot in a friendly way, knowing McGregor - for some time, and asked him to play .the game. On my return back to the crowd . I came, in contact with the official, and he pushed me and s’ id “Get behind the line,” and I asked him who he’was and got no answer, and I asked him if he-.was the referee. No answer. I asked him if he war one of the committee. N<v answer, and he pushed'me agaiii and said “Get behind the line.” I said to him, “If you push me again I will smack you.” Then the whistle went for half-time. I admit that I had no right to have spoken to-McGregor, and that is how I got the blame for the hooting and shouting. 0 Judging by what Mr Rhodes and the official said at their meeting, I must mive been arguing for twenty minutes, i saw in the Shannon News that I have been warned off all grounds during, the pleasure of the Union. I would like you to tell me, James MacDonald, of Shannon, what grounds they are, or whether the Union owns all footbAb grounds or not on which football is played. I know that they are allowed to charge five times a year for one ground, and that ground tickets have been sold a lot over five times this year, and I would like to ask the Union how much they give, the borough for the ' upkeep of the ground. At the opening of the football season I was asked by some of the committee if I would take up the position of coach and selector for tl-s junior team of Shannon, and I took the position in havid and did _the he.-1-of my ability and also played myself, and never on one occasion .was 1 warned by the referee; and I also played in Wellington for a number of years and never on one occasion 'was I warned by a referee; and, as I am now well on the borders of fifty, I don’t think that. I need worry much about being at., the pleasure of the Union. I worried a bit- on Saturday, being not able to play, but it was a gopd fight. I would just like to point out to the Union the difference in officials In charge of grounds,’ and may say the same of referees. I v. as at Shannon grounds on Saturday. No tickets were sold, and I looked * t the match, Weraroa v. Shannon, and I pointed out to many people about eight persons from Weraroa 'funding well inside the wire, and the ffWal standing alongside them, and then 1 went up to him and asked him +u put them off, and he said that he was doing his best. Anyhow, things were all right. There was any a moult of room for the players, and another thing, the official was a sport ard not a man with a sour face, a: d did the right thing not to take their names and disgrace a man for a trifle like that. I only ;pike to him to ],et him know that I saw it my-self.—-I am, etc., JAMES MacDONALD. Shannon.