FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 149, 20 July 1909, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP DEADLOCK.

Writes " Shin-pad" in the Waimai Witness:—"Almost evertyhing footba nas dwarfed into insignificance beloi tile action of some of the members c the Waimat e team in taking drasti measures as a protest against uie -Lara liuki Kugby Union's arbitrary decisio: 111 fixing Stratford ground for the play oU. The matter has been the suujec ot heated controversy, and many sun porters of the club regard the agree incut by the six members not to plai as childish and altogether opposed t( tm e sport. But all the facts must b, considered before hastily condemning tin half-dozen players who are sticking in: lor the club's rights and for the management of football affairs of this piovince. Let it be admitted at the outset, however, that if tile Union is acthg n a 1-ule governing the point in dispute tile protest made is unreasonable ind S , be sustained, therefore no time should be lost ill graciously withdraw>«S- Hut apparently there is no law. i . cust ° m undoubtedly i s to tu 3S ,or io'Tii. h sr .°"". (l ;. \ Vail »«te tossed and lost in the semi-hnal, and had to navel to Opunake; Stratford lost the toss n n;t V '"} t0 C0 " le OVCr to -^ateima i fh W i ' , t( ' ilms iu ' c 0" even turns; both have had to travel a uistaiße to win Hie championship, and the 1 0 l t and proper thing now is to toss again, mutually agree to play "nthT, f gloUlUl ' B,lt il "flyiiW in the face of reason and upsetting all the canons ot fairness to give Stratford the advantage of playing on their own giound representing a gratuity of ttve or ten points—without tossing, or cons denng Wamiate's interests k the slightest. Drastic cases require to be met with drastic treatment, and though the attitude taken up by the local play, eis may b e considered ill-advisea, os there was time for a formal though firm protest to be lodged, they have clearly indicated that they will not ■* fooled. A discussion took place before the Stratford team and its supporters left llanaia last Thursday, and a Union representative was distinctly told wliat ate T ™ s P r ?? ar «l to do; but of

this tlie Union evidently took no tuimt and, on top of perpetrating a grave Injustice calmly decided to ask the local team—Saturday players—to make the i trip on Thursday so that a bigger »ate ' would be realised! The Union nuoly expects consideration in return for injustice. It may only b e a coincidence i that the Union, obviously dominated by 1 Stratford influence, altered the fair arrangement of last year, when the Stratford team was out at the linisli, • and instead of allowing the team travelling in the semi-final the privilege of the home ground in the final, arranged matters for the (benefit of the Stratford Club. In view of the circumstances it is time a definite rule was made to prevent friction in th c future." ■With reference to the above, if, as "Shin-pad" points out, the advantage of playing on a home ground represents a gratuity of 5 or 10 points, surely, seeing that Stratford has been penalised to that extent once, it is only reasonable that Waiinate should be similarly treated. Secondly, the match was not "decided" to be played on a Thursday, the day being left to the option of the travelling team, though Thursday was suggested. Naturally, as the Union has to pay the expenses of the players, it, is only a business proposition that they should express a preference for the day that would give the best results financially. And, lastly, it might not be out of place to point out that so far from the Union being "dominated by Strat- v ford influence," there is not a Stratford representative on the management committee, a representative from Inglewood on one side and one from Okaiawa on the other being the members of the management committee resident nearest to this alleged Stratford " influence." OUTSIDE MATCHES. S

Auckland.—On Saturday Ponsonby defeated City by 24 points to 5, and practically wins the senior championship. The other senior matches resulted as follow:—Parnell beat Newton by 14 points to nil; University beat Grafton by 8 points to 3. 'Christcliurch Matches— Christchurch (8) drew with' Old Boys (8); Merivale (5) beat Linwood (4); Albion (10) heat Canterbury College (3). Merivale leads Sydenham' by half a point for the championship. Each team has four maicnes to play. Dunedin.—Alhambra (8) beat Dunedin (nil); Pirates (20) beat University ((i); Union and Kaikorai drew, neither. side scoring; Taieri Rovers (11) beat Port Chalmers (8); Southern and Zin-gari-Richmond drew, with 3 points each.