FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1921, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

TUKAPA CLUB. THE ANNUAL KE-UNION, ’ll .1 I The annual re-union of the Tukapa Football Club was held at the Kawaroa Park Bungalow last night, when Dr. E. F. Fookes (president) presided over a good attendance. Among those present were Messrs. Jas. McLeod (chairman lof the Taranaki Rugby Union), J. Garcia and A. R. Ryder (members of the Taranaki Rugby Union), S. J. Smith - (president 'of the Star Club), and G. Hopkins (Referees’ Association) ; also representatives from the Hawera and Old Boys’ Clitbs and kindred associations. An apology was received from Mr. W. H. Moyes. After the usual loyal toast had been honored, Mr. A. R. Standish proposed the toast of ‘‘The Taranaki Rugby Union”, congratulating the club on having two such worthy delegates as Messrs. Jas. McLeod and C. Brown. Criti-% cising the representative team, Mr. Standish said he did not reflect on the selector, but he thought that he had attempted the Impossible. In a scattered district like Taranaki it was impossible for one man to do justice either to himself or to the players; there should bo at least three selectors, if not five. Another matter was that the representative matches continued after cup matches, with the result that often a player was suddenly called on at two or three days’ notice to fill a gap in the team, and with no training for three or four weeks, and consequently did not. do himself or the team justice. He suggested that not later than the end of the cup matches thirty players should be selected and asked to keep in training, and so would be fit to take their place In the team when called upon, in Taranaki they had the material to place in the field a team competent to meet the best in New Zealand, and he hoped that at Hie conclusion of next season Mr. McLeod would have tne pleasure of stating that Taranaki had the best team in New Zealand.

Air. McLeod, in responding, expressed thanks on behalf of the Taranaki Rugby Union for the expressions of encouragement made by Mr. Standish. He thanked the club for the manner in which he had been treated by the club as their delegate during the last ten years, even though at times they might not have agreed with his actions on the union. Ho pointed put that delegates, as members of the management committee, endeavored to do their best in the interests of the game. He wished to thank secretaries and committees of the clubs throughout the province for the splendid way in which they had met the new conditions during the year. These conditions entailed a fall In the clubs’ finances, as the unions took the gates. The clubs, however, willingly carried out the new arrangements, not only collecting the gates, but paying the necessary accounts and remitting their returns promptly, and the union appreciated the manner in which secretaries of clubs had met 1 them, making the position very easy. The union often iiad to deal with cases of misdemeanor, and though the punishments inflicted often were not considered satlsfactory 4 he stated that there were no serious cases against players to deal with, and, recognising that the game was just reviving again, the union last season had advisedly kept the, punishments light. They could be assured, however, that if the same committee was in power next year more severe penalties would be meted out. He congratulated Tukapa Club on the fact that there had been no trouble in connection with its players, and though in many cases clubs were not to blame for the misdemeanor of their players, often the discipline was. He congratulated the club or* the clean way In which they had playejt football.

Big things, he said, were happening in international football, not only In the /flay, in which Nevk Zealand was talcing the lead, but raiso in the government of the gome. New Zealand wanted a say in the Old Country in the government of international football, and a say as to what rules shall or shall not be played. They had been trying to obtain this representation for seven or eight, years, and it looked now as if they were going to get some recognition. He' then read a lengthy letter that he had forwarded to provincial unions regarding suggested reorganisation of the New Zealand Rugby Union.

‘‘The Tukapa Football Club” was proposed by Mr. A. R. Ryder, who said that the club was doing great work in furthering the Interests of. football, though they had not attained championship honors. The club had suffered heavily during the war period, and this year had done remarkably well in entering senior, junior, third grade and fourth grade teams. He paid a tribute to the sportsmanlike way in which the club had played all Its matches, .-.nd also to the excellent work of the management committee.

Dr. Fookes, in responding, said that he had always felt that the club knew how to play . the game, and he did not think they were flattering themselves when they said that other teams recognised this. He gave some interesting reYninlscences of the early days of the Tukapa Club, specially mentioning the celebrated match against Opunake at Eitham, by which Tukapa had lost the championship, and another against Waimate, in which they bad won the championship, thanks to a splendid try scored by H. J. Mynott, whom be considered the best player who had ever donned the Tukapa jersey, and whom he urged young players as a pattern. It was, he said, a strange coincidence that when in England the two jerseys tiiat he wore most frequently were the blue and white and the amber and black. He had also brought honor to the Tukapa Club by wearing the English international cap, and it was his chief regret that he had been unable to accept an invitation to visit England with the All Black team. In proposing the health of the Referees’ Association, Mr. C. Berg expressed the thank? of the club for the services rendered during Hie year, paying a tribute to the splendid service rendered, a particularly pleasing feature being the fine work of sonie of tho junior members of the association. Mr. G. Hopkins, in replying, said more referees were wanted, and he urged old players to join the association. Other toasts were ‘‘Kindred Clubs”, proposed by the chairman and responded to by Messrs. Day (Hawera). S. J. Smith (Star) and Brokenshiro (Old Boys) ; '*Old Players”, proposed by Mr. J. Garcia and responded to by Mr. A. R. Davis and the chairman; “Kindred Sports”, proposed by Mr. C. Fairbrother, and responded to by Lieut. Andrew, V.C. (amateur athletics) and Mr. E. Jackson (boxing) ; "The Ladies”, proposed by Mr. T. Petty and responded to by Mr. Cocker; and "Tbe Press". During the evening the Carbine Shield* which is annually competed for between Star and Tukapa seniors, ’was presented to Tukapa Club, this year’s winners, by Mr. S. J. Smith (president of the Star Club), who expressed the hope that next year Old Boys would also compete for the shield. Dr. Fookes then presented medals as follows : —Seniors: Best forward (presented by Mr. C. Fairbrother), P. Allen; best back (presented by Mr. E. Jackson), R. Oliver, after a close contest with G. Hart. Juniors (medals presented by Mr. J. McLeod) : Back, F. Cameron; forward, H. Todd. The recipients were heartily applauded. An excellent musical programme was dered, items being given by Messrs. A. Brooker, R. Cocker, B. Bellringer and C. Hill, and recitations by Messrs. Davis and Berg, all being encored.