SOCCER SIDELIGHTS PASSING NOTES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 128, 20 August 1927, Page 11

SOCCER SIDELIGHTS PASSING NOTES

(By Perseus)

Punishment Without Trial.—Reference was. recently made in these columns to the unusual idea laid down by the Auckland Football Association that a player ordered off by a referee became suspended until the report on his case had been finally disposed of. It now appears that this ruling is not one of the local management committee, but a.general law laid down by the New Zealand Football Association two years ago, which rules that a player is automatically suspended when he is ordered off by the referee, and must not play again .until he has been dealt with. Consequently the remarks made should have been directed at the governing body, whose ruling appears very questionable, and local authorities would be quite justified in ignoring it. There have been occasions, and probably they will recur, where the referee has honestly made a mistake, and sometimes has admitted it afterwards. Why, then, should any punishment, additional to that dealt out by the referee, be imposed, on a player until his guilt has been established? ' Far better stick to the British idea of assuming a person to be innocent until he is proved guilty.

Replacing injured Players.—The question of injured players being replaced is constantly cropping up, but it has never been possible ot secure unanimity among the powers that be. Toward the end of last season the subject arose again in the British Press, when England had a man injured against Scotland, but managed to win with ten players and a “passenger.” Most authorities were unanimous in agreeing that an nijured goalkeeper should be replaced, and once the principle is admitted the rest of the reform would soon follow. A recent game between the Bohemians from Czecho Slovakia and Australia was spoilt by two of the visitors having to retire hurt. Mr. A. Menzies has always been a keen advocate of a local replacement rule being adopted in New Zealand, in the same way as it lias been applied in the oval ball games, but in Soccer affairs the N.Z.F.A. is almost as conservative as the parent body in England, and many a fine match is still spoiled by some unfortunate accident. Recently at the Shore the Tramways had to struggle along with eight men against eleven, and a good game was robbed of all interest.

An Unofficial Attempt.—ln one of the lower grade games a fortnight ago one of the youngsters retired hurt, and in the excitement of a strenuous go one of his comrades entered into the fray unknown to the referee or the opposing team, and played his part in

a drawn game. When the game ended the “ring-in” was noticed and the mat-ter-reported to the junior management committee. The junior management committee ordered a replay on account of .the replacement, but according t° the local by-laws any team playing a player ineligible by reason of any cause shall forfeit the match, and there appears to be no option but to award a Iqss against the club making an unauthorised attempt at substitution. .

“Peter” Dawson Retires.—lt was with sincere regret that followers of the game learned that the popular local secretary, Mr„ L. C. H. Dawson, is relinquishing office at the end of the financial year. “Peter” learned to love the round ball game in the Big Smoke on -the Essex border of London, and played a few games here for the old Tabernacle team before taking to the whistle, when he became chairman of the Referees’ Association, and is still a vice-president of the N.Z.R.A. The acquisition of Blandford Park has meant a lot of extra work for the local secretary, and Mr. Dawson finds the office occupies too much of his business hours, but his leisure will still be at the service of the code in a less onerous position.

Too Many Trophies.—lt lias been noted previously that too many cups spoil the clubs, and the local clubs are now finding it a very lean season for games. Most of them have only had one game in five Saturdays and the suggestion of night matches by artificial light may prove a popular innovation. As it is the championship is incomplete, although Thistle’s position is practically unassailable, but the Chatham Cup is holding up the Falcon Cup knock-outs, while in the junior grade the clubs eliminated from the Dacre Cup have now apparently finished for the season.

Regrading of Players.—Recent correspondents to THE SUN have complained of clubs regrading players with the approach of knock-out contests. Where this is done with a “pot-hunt-ing” motive the practice is not in a true spirit of sportsmanship. But in most cases the regrading has been the legititmat© return to their original grade of players who have been substituting for injured or absent ones, and it would be unfair to deprive these players of an opportunity for a game.