FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 10, 5 February 1909, Page 3

FOOTBALL

; TIIK AUSTRALIAN PRO/IS. London, February !>. Ihe Australian League -j( professional footballers drew with England. Each scored four goals ami three'tries. Received 4, D.50 p.m. London, July 4. Ihe match between the Australian professional footballers and England was pla\ed at t«Ja.sgow in (Ik> presence of oUUO people. The ground was heavy. England scored a goal from a try and a dropped goal m the iirst half, the Leaguers not scoring. The Australians got their points in tliu second spell by tine dribbling rushes.

-V.Z.R.V. EXECUTIVE MEETING. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A .special meeting of the management committee of the X.Z. Rugby Union was held to-night. A case had l>eea reported to the committee of a man named Christie who had been disqualified while playing under the Xelso 11 1 nion, having taken part in games under the West Coast Union. It was decided to ask the Nelson Union whether Christie had been notified of his suspension. The secretary and treasurer reported that they had been unable to get from the Auckland Union any financial statement in connection with the visit of the British team to that town. It was decided .to point out to the Auckland I nion the great delay which had bevn caused by the laxity'of Auckland, and demanding a statement before the end of the mouth.

The report of the sub-committee appointed to revise tile rules of the game was adopted, aiul sent on to a general meeting of delegates. It was decided 'to inform delegates that before the game can be played next season under the new rules just drawn up the constitution of the Xew Zealand Union must be altered, this involving a separation from the English Union, and that notw? must be given of any motion to thus alter tke constitution. In order to give time for such notice,, the date of a general meeting was altered from Mareh 4th to March 18th.

An interesting question as to to pro* fessionalisiu in football was referred to last season. The Union was asked whether paid officials of unions were professionals in that they received salaries for their services. The Union's opinion was that the rules a* to professionalism referred only to actual players, but this decision was vigorouslv attacked by many followers of the game, who held that the rules allowed money to be paid to nobody at all. A few days ago the •chairman of the Union (Mr, G, 11. Dixon) discovered in the old records of the Union a letter written in August, 1890, by the secretary of the English Union of the time (Mr. Rowland llill) } in which it was stated as regards the payment of a salary, a man is not made a professional accepting it unless he plays football. This completely disposes of the arguments of the Union's, critics, and firmly establishes its interpretation of the rules as the correct one. So long a 9 a man does not actually play the game he can receive any salary from a union without infringing the rules as- to professionalism.