FOOTBALLERS WELCOMED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8060, 12 March 1906, Page 2

FOOTBALLERS WELCOMED.

DUNEDIN KECEPTION. JEH PBESB ASSOCIATION. Dusbdin, March 11. The arrival on Saturday night of Messrs Duncan, Casoy, McDonald, Booth, and Stead, of the Now Zealand football team, was the occasion of a scene of great enthusiasm, and thousands welcomed the southern contingent at the railway station. A public welcome was tendered the returned footballers by the Otago Bugby Union, at the Garrison Hall, when tho building was crowded lo excess, tho platform being fully occupied by a representative gathering of citizens and politicians, among tho latter being the Hon. Mr McGowan, (Minister of Mines). Mr F. K. Campbell (President 0.8. F.U.) and the Mayor of Dunedin. All extended the footballors a hearty welcome back. Mr Stead, in replying on behalf of the team, took occasion to refute the report that there had been internal friction in the team in the Old Country. He said the rumour 1 was without fouudation. They had always been a particularly happy family. The othor members of I lie team also responded brielly. The Kaikorai band was in attendance.

"We were a beaten team before we went on the ground," said one of the reps, passing through New Plymouth on Thursday, to a News man. '•Why?" "Well,it was a ease of an indifferent referee. His llrst decision showed us that it was all up. He did not understand the game. We preferred a wellknown Welshman to him, but it was no go." Our intormant went on to say that all the men were " off" on that celebrated occasion, except Boberts, who is regarded by the men themselves as the hero of the tour. He continued: " It's very unfair to say that the game was lost by Mynott and Hunter. No such thiug. They were no worse than the others. The ' Daily Mail' singled them out for condemnation in this match, but they wcro not justified." It appears that before the team got into Wales tho Maorilandcrs were pretty well done up. Want of plccp was tho principal cause The hard and coustaut going will even knock up New Zealand athletes. O'Sullivan got knocked about a good deal. He is said to have been under more doctors than any othor member of the team. He underwent two operations for an injury to his head—one in England and the other in San Francisco, just before they embarked for Now Zealand.