SUNDAY FOOTBALL.

Shannon News, 21 June 1929, Page 3

SUNDAY FOOTBALL.

MORE OBJECTIONS. (To the Editor). Sir, —Seemingly a large number of the people of Shannon are highly indignanjt at the stand taken by the Borough Council in -egard to Sunday football in the creation grounds, and please allow me to join the .ranks of those who have thought f fit to make public their views. Evidently ■ the Councillors, with the exception of two members, looked upon the request of the ministers of various churches <as a personal affair, affecting only those few men who signed the letter. It is far more than t-haU The whole of

Shannon is affected in oneway or another; some more than others. Ido not live exactly in-, close proximity to * the Domain and I would most certainly think twice before I -did. It is-not a very desirable part of the town in which to live. Tims the. value of property in that locality must suffer and I would advise those who . own houses and sections to apply tor. a, reduction in valuation and so a reduction in rates. The onus is on the Council. Furthermore, some of. our Councilloi s seemed to think the request was merely a churchman’tf appeal, a kill-joy affair but a large numbc-r of the people who are keenly incensed at the apathy of our' “ high-minded. ’ ’ councillors are people who rarely, if ever, go to church •and who certainly hav: no scruples about games being played on Sunday provided other < people are not disturbed. We ’have suffered long enough and I quite agree with one. writer that all football, organized games and practices as well, should not be allowed on Sundays. To suggest that it is .only church people whe care whether there is play o.r not is absurd. And even if no voice but theirs was lifted up against Sunday play surely they have a right to be considered. I do not know of a parallel case whore a Borough Council has shown such a timid attitude in regard to a matter affect-

ing the people whom they have promised to support. At their election, cr before- it, all those worthy men voiced their intentions of doing what

they could for Shannon and the people as a whole; and yet when the first call for courage comes along they quail before it and nervously support a- few noisy -footballers, whom one writer has already stated may use that mighty weapon —the vote. It doesn’t matter about other people; it doesn’t matter about the women and children if they never are allowed-to use the-Domain on a Sunday; but our noble councillors by all means in their, power must en - courage our young manhood to break the quiet of" the, Sabbath with their noise. I trust that the Councillors will re-consider their action and remove this public annoyance from our midst. It is nothing 3hort of a disgrace; and for it tq be upheld by our leading citizens is almost beyond understanding. And finally let me tell tire Councillors that they will have the backing of all right thinking people in stopping Sunday football; as I • still believe the majority of the people are in favour of peaceful Sundays.—Yqurs etc., DISGUSTED.

- (To the Editor). Shy-T wish to join 1 he number of writers who have penned their opinions on Sunday Football. It was somewhat inspiring to see that so many of our residents would take the trouble to express their views, and it may perhaps act as a lead to our Councillors in taking the right stand in re--1 gard ;to what was termed ‘ ‘ organized’ ’ football But I may say that it is not only “organized” football that i 3 such a .nuisance ir. the town but all Sunday practices have been most disagreeable to the majority of people living in the vicinity of the remain. The previous writers have dealt with the members of the Council in a very lenient manner,, and as long as Shannon is allowed to suffer from a few demonstrative footballers and their supporters on Sundays so long will our town - rank among the “ttcgrifcled.” Nbw that so many citizens have expressed their views I trust that more will follow suit, and my advice to those people who really have the welfare of Shannon at hdart—and among that number I can only name Councillor Hyde and Thwaites from our list of “City Fathers” —b to push ahead and see that the trouble is overcome. And furthermore let us not only petition for the preventing of “organized” foothall matches but all football practice as well. Our Borough Council might take a lead from large towns such as Palmerston North where the other day permission was refused for a charity football match to be held in one of the Domains. Might I ask, Sir, if the Shannon Football Club has been granted such permission to play football on Sundays? It is not only a public nuisance but a disgrace to our town and To those who allow it to continue. Not only allow it but encourage it. As one writer says this town is not only a civilized onc‘ but a Borough boosting a Mayor and. Councillors upen whose shoulders rests a great responsibility. They arc expected by the ratepayers, who provide the money for the upkeep of' the grounds, to see that the right thing is done in regard to its administration. It will be a sorry day for Shannon when our Councillors jflacc the feelings and desires of a few Sunday footballers before those of its selfrespecting peaceable • citizens; iU .Women and ehi.dren. But in* fairness to some footballers I may say - that a few at least refrain frqm making Sunday afternoons in Shannon hideou; 'with the clamour of . a rowdy mob. J am in hopes that soma worthy rest; ’dentsVwill push on. with this nrattei and again approach the Council; jdii‘ .time with a petition signed by rate payers and other supporters. Befoii -closing this very poor effort at express ,ing my views might I ask if the Boi

ough has ever .granted the footballers permission, to practice or hold matches in the Domain on Sundays'? Perhaps you could answer this question. Yours, etc., LONG-SUFFERER.

A LABOUR VIEW. (To the Editor.) ' Dear Sir,— I agree with the sentiments -expressed by some of your correspondents most whole-heartedly. 1, like “Common-sense,” am no extremist. I am a solid supporter of the moderate attitude. In politics I don’t believe in Communism or Bolshevism. Although they, havO much of the truth they are too extreme for me. Neither do I agree with the Reform or United Parties. They arc- too much like the Shannon Borough Council, They believe in “lotting tilings be,” as cue of the correspondents in Tuesday’s paper said.’ 1 The Labour Party, I think, is the best party offering to the public. Their - philosophy and economies is quite sound, I know, and their solution is the best for the present political situation.

Being a supporter of Labour, I was ashamed of the half-hearted way in which some of my friends on the Council treated the matter of Sunday football. Surely they ear see that Sunday footbaß is a most selfish and thoughtless action on the part of all concerned.

We want Sunday as a day of rest and quiet, but- Sunday football practices and matches interfere with our peace. I live some 200 yards from the Domain and I can hear only too much row coming from there. I feel sorry for these who live much closer. I think “iVicinJityt” ;put forward a good argument for prohibiting Sunday football. Also “ Mother-of-Six’? and the class she represents must be considered by the Council/. Their plea i's a vital one. For the sake of the children ’3 upbringing, such practices on Sufiday must be .stopped. The Council must make a change. They Inow now the views of the people. Dozens more arc too timid to write. They must abolish Sunday football. — I am, etc., LABOURITE.

CONSIDER THE MOTHERS,

(To the^Editor.) Sir, —Yes, that""' lady is right! “Mother-of-Six” has expressed my views in the Sunday Rugby matter. I have only two children, but I try to do my best for them. Now if there’s one thing 1 don’t like for mind to do, it’s to spend their spare Saturday and Sunday afternoon at .these Rugby matches. I’m always asking them where they heard this or that .thing and it’s always at the football-ground.. Saturday afternoon is quite enough for football. Why don’t our councillors pi}t. a stop to Ihis Sunday match idea? Last Sunday’s affair afterwards was an awful row, besides the'match. Besides the Domaiirs no place for football on Sunday. The Domain ought to be kept for a quiet place to walk in on. Sundays. I thoroughly, agree with “Mother-of-Six.” The Councillors ought to stop it for the sake of mothers who are trying to bring up their kiddies. —I am, etc., ANOTHER MOTHER. STOP ALL FOOTBALL.

(To the Editor)

Dear Sir, —I thoroughly agree with “Ratepayer” in what he had to say about the matter of Sunday football. The Council dodged the question. That was quite obvious I trust that, they will recall the motion they have sidestepped and pass , it- unanimously at their next meeting. The public of Shannon demand this step. We have suffered long enough with regard to this'Sunday football. I have felt for a long time many of the sentiments expressed by your correspondents in last Tuesday’s paper. Now I feel stirred to write myself, upholding the stand-taken by, these fearless people. Our councillors know what the people want now! We want Sunday football stopped —not only organised .matches, but practices as well. —Yours, etc., OLD SHANNON RESIDENT.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —As one of the chaps who works all week and tries to get a bit of rest on Sunday, I just want to say howglad L am that others are taking up this Sunday football business. It’s pretty rough after listening to noisps all week to have to put up with it again on the only day when a hardworking fellow looks forward to a rest. I thought that my pals, the Labour chaps on the Council would have thought more about but if what the paper reports is true they were only thinking about the footballers. I ain’t no saint and I don’t - care who plays on Sundays, but I bate all the noise they make. In the summer the wife and kids used, to go into the recreation grounds of a Sunday, but now they can’t do that. She says the language is not fit for the kids to hear. I suppose the Labour councillors thought their supporters would think them religious if they stopped Sunday football, but even a poor “flaxic” wants his 'Sunday rest. We put members of our party on the Council t-o look after our affairs and they let us be treated like that. Us Labour chaps don’t like that and I hope that our party will get behind its Council members and make them stop this awful .row. The grounds belongs to all of us, not to the footballers alone, and we ought to have a say as to how it -should be managed. A lot of the chaps round where I live are very wild with the Council and were glad when I showed 'them the last Shannon “News” with all those letters. It seems that our own chaps are not looking after us at all It was two business men who thought about us and wanted the Sunday noise stopped. I can’t write like

some of those other fellow’s, but I mean what I say and it has taken a long time to say this much. And I say to the Labour councillors, go ahead and squash this Sunday football It s no good to us. —Truly yours. f WORKER.