Personalities In N.Z. Sport

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 707, 5 July 1929, Page 8

Personalities In N.Z. Sport

Soccer Veteran Who Has Had Twenty Years With the Whistle

TWENTY years a referee and still going strong—that is one of the features of the football career of L. C. 11. Dawson, past secretary of the Auckland Football Association, and present vice-president of the Referees’ Association. Nicknamed “Peter” by his numerous colleagues, he undoubtedly ranks as one ot* the most popular and foremost referees in the country.

And to trace in vivid fashion “Peter’s” football career, one would go back into the last century. As was the case in old England in those days, Soccer football was almost part of the school curriculum, and while at school at West Ham, he learned all about the game. Later he played for the Forest Gate Suburban League and. strange to say. another Auckland Soccer enthusiast in Mr. McCarthy, secretary of the Thistle Club, also played for that league. Although playing good football, Peter seemed cut out for a referee, and from 1906 onwards he commenced to mix it a bit, sometimes taking the field as a referee and at other times as a player. Then at one stage he took it upon his shoulders to coach a hockey team and did so with marked success. In 1909 he arrived in New Zealand and played a few games for Tabernacle. but in a short time gave the game best and commenced to carry the whistle definitely. HAS TRAVELLED ROUND, TOO During the war period he was transferred to Wellington, and while in the capital city carried on with the good work as a referee. Later, during a stay in New Plymouth, where the game was unknown, he got busy and started the Soccer code off. and was really instrumental in an Australian team which was on tour of the Dominion to pay a visit to the Taranaki town. The presence of a representative team from overseas did much for the game’s progress there and from then on it did not look back.

Unless the writer is mistaken, “Peter” Dawson has refereed for every international Soccer team which has visited New Zealand in the past twenty years. That alone is some indication of his ability as one of the knights of the whistle* Throughout, he has been a senior referee and, of course, still is; while he has controlled two games with Australia, two with China, one with Canada and needless to say numerous Brown Shield matches. When Blandford Park first started six or seven years ago, he became secretary of the Auckland Football Association, but owing to the tie of his profession, he found it necessary to resign from this office last season. However, he is still a vice-president of the Auckland Football Association and a vice-president of the New Zealand Referees' Association. But probably a feature of “Peter” Dawson’s career, best known to Auckland Soccer enthusiasts, was bis fine showing in refereeing a game against the Australians some years back. During their tour of the Southern provinces. the Australians had . put up troublesome arguments concerning charging on the Held, which had eventually led to much rough play. It was left to Peter Dawson’s good judgment as a. referee to control the game in Auckland, and endeavour to prevent any rough play, which hod been the ruination of the displays given in the South. A short chat to the players before the game and plenty of whistle in the early stages of the match did the trick, and the game was undoubtedly one of the finest witnessed in New Zealand on that occasion of the Australian visit.