SHANNON FOOTBALL INCIDENT.

Shannon News, 2 June 1922, Page 3

SHANNON FOOTBALL INCIDENT.

SPENSION OF GROUNDS LIFTED. UNIOR SUSPENSION TO STAND. 'he that occurred on the annon (ground recently received ther ventilation at the weekly eting of the Horowhenua Rugby ion on Tuesday on account of a er being received from the Shan--1 Club stating that a deputation uld wait upon the Union and press club’s claim for the removal of suspension from the Shannon und, and also to place the position the Shannon public before the ion. The president (Mr E. J. Nash) s in the chair, and Father Vibeaud l Messrs M. Winiata, F. Whibley, Dixon, W. Thomson, R. W. Perry, Bevan and L. S. Carmichael (seciry) were also present. The Shant deputation consisted of the Ma(Mr W. Murdoch), and Messrs. W. I R. Moynihan, Hardie, Mason and birr an. Ir Murdoch said he was appearing re on behalf of the public of Shanl, although he was also president the Shannon Club; but the matter t concerned him most was the disdiflcation of the ground. The publooked upon that as a stigma upon mselves and upon the Borough mcil, as custodians of the. grounds, thought the Union’s decision was renzied one, founded upon reports t were exaggerated and incorrect, had been said New Zealanders lied imagination, but that could now be ascribed to the paper ich published an account of the nr. Immediately he had heard of matter he had investigate dit perally, and then instructed the police take action against those concernin the melee, and have them puned. It could not be said after that t foul or rough play was condonin Shannon, and it was unfair t a stigma was allowed to rest >n the town. It would have been air to have held an inquiry and d those 'concerned whilst the matwas sub judice. The Mayor said did not think the Union would r e arrived at the decision it had if had the correct information conning the affair. He was concernin the interests of the local public L Borough Council, which would countenance the actions of those jonsible for such conduct as took ce. The people of the town were id sports, and did not favour rowess. They took a keen interest in sport, as evidenced by the gate lrns at the last rep. match at mnon. He again asked the Union to condemn the grounds, but to lish the guilty ones, and not let public of the town suffer and have > stigma rest upon them. He ased the Union that the public wishto see the players concerned dealt h and punished by the Court, ir Qurran supported; the Mayor, l considered the public should not deprived of their sport because some junior players who had misaved themselves. Ir W. Moynihan, as an old player the Shannon Club, said his club not hold any brief for people who de assaults on referees or anyone i. From the spectators’ point of w, it was unfair to Shannon to e such reports circulated as apred in the papers. Shannon, he med, contained as good sports as ■e to be found anywhere, ' and he. irred to unsportsmanlike incidents other grounds in this Unin, and in was one. There was hardly a ier in New Zealand to-day that had had some reference to the Shanl football incident. The Union’s ion was not fair to the senior and d grade players, and in their intsts, and in the interests of the ae, he asked that the suspension of ground bo reconsidered, tr Hardie said that they had the urance of the four men concerned t they would not go on to the und until they had been dealt h by the Court. There 1 was no rea- , therefore, why the embargo on ground should not be lifted. Ir R. Moynihan called attention to fact that several members of the mnon senior team lived at a conerable distance from the town, so ,t it was impossible to play away. m. Shannon every Saturday, which y would have to do if the. suspenn was continued. He had been in-~ med by the police * that the case uld not be heard for two months ~ and if the suspension continued then it would be near the end of i season. The Third Grade team s in a worse position than the sens, as many were not wage-earners d could not travel every Saturday would be required if the suspenn remained. ■’ather Vibeaud asked what was the iduct of the other players whilst * 'episode was going on, also the itude of the crowd. At Hardie said he saw the whole jident. There was not a spectator to interfered with the referee. He pealed to the referee to stop the

game, but the referee decided to go on.

Mr Murdoch said the incident did not seem so> bad if the referee could go on. He could, moreover, say that one of the Shannon players took the referee’s part. v

Mr Mason stated a lot had been made of the action of the spectators. He was on the line, and could say the spectators took no part in the episode at all. The referee was.hooted and some of the hooting was done by Levin players.

The chairman: Are you quite cer tain?

Mr Mason: I am speaking from what I know. It is an absolute fact. He considered it arbitrary for the Union t© suspend the Shannon ground on the word of one or two men. The Union had not got the whole facts of the case.

Mr Bevan, a member of the Union, said he was at the match, and did not agree with Mr Hardie or Mr Mason. “I can say the scene was the worst I have seen on a football ground in my life,” he said. “You say the spectators did not urge on the players. That is not a fact, and they used awful language.” He reported to the Union at last meetng what had occurred. The crowd followed the referee up the ground to where he got his coat, and then down to the gate. It would have taken little to have caused a riot.

Mr -Murdoch: Tile wrong-doers win be punished. Mr Mason admitted the referee was followed, and that was why he went With the referee. In the excitement cl the moment no doubt two people would get different ideas of the affair. His.’ reason for gonig with the referee was because the player who was first ordered off was following the referee, for what reason the speaker did not knw.

Mr Thomson asked if a man who was warned off all grounds by,the Union was line umpire on the day of this occurrence. Mr Hardie said he replied to that question at last meeting. It was a fact the man was line umpire of the junior match. The ground was a public one, and people could not be kept off. Mr Thomson considered it looked bad that a disqualified man was line umpiring. He quite understood that the Shannon Domain was a public ground, and the public could not be stopped from going on to it. Mr Hardie explained that Shannon was not “striking” because the seniors and thirds did not fulfil their engagements last Saturday. The seniors were short of players, and a vote was taken as to whether they should travel or not. They decided not to go owing to shortage of players. The thirds also decided not to play for the same reason. Mr Whibley asked how long the fracas -lasted and how long the play continued after that. Mr Mason sq.id that the incident lasted six or seven minutes, and the play went on for about a quarter cl an (hour afterwards. The Union then considered the matter, and passed the following resolution:— “After hearing the Shannon deputation and having the assurance of the Mayor of Shannon, and the Shannon delegates that the Shannon Club’s action in not playing on Saturday was not in defiance of the Union’s decision, and provided their letter to the Union of the motions carried at their meeting be publicly withdrawn, this Union removes the suspension of the Shannon recreation ground after Saturday, June 3, the suspension of the junior team to stand, and that a severe warning be given that if there is any recurrence of the kind in future, more'' drastic action will be taken.”

Mr Murdoch inquired if anything was being done in Levin for the assistance of the referee, Mr Clariclge, owing to his being incapacitated for work.

Tbe chairman said the Union was assisting temporarily, and there weie two lists out in Levin.

Mr Murdoch then said, to show the sporting spirit of the Shannon people, he was prepared to open a list in Shannon, and he could assure the Union that it would be well supported. He had not mentioned the matter before, because it might be mistaken as an attempt to curry favour with the Union.. The chairman thanked Mr Murdoch for this kind offer, which was much appreciated, and was accepted in the sporting spirit in which it was made. Mr Murdoch, Mr W. Moynihan and Mr Mason thanked the Union for the consideration given to their representations, Mr Mason stating that the resolution would be placed before the Shannon Club on Thursday evening.