FOOTBALL. Hamilton East School v. Cambridge School.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2186, 13 July 1886, Page 2

FOOTBALL. Hamilton East School v. Cambridge School.

TO THE KDITOR. Sib,— The football match between the Hamilton East School Club and the CamT bridge School Club wss not played, becalmed tHe Cambridge School Club waut«d ta \>\*f night scholars in a day school team. ■ I , ABkdd Mr Stewart if his team wore day scholars. He raid "there were two nighf". scholars, and that the team with one exception was the name that played in the first match at Cambridge." Had I known this at the time I would have objected then \' as I did on Saturday.. To compromine the matter, I offered to take off two of the Hamilton' team if the two nipht scholar* in the Cambridge team were left out. To this Mr Stewart would not consent, but insisted ] <in playing his fifteen.— l am, Sir, yours faithfully, '• Pkrct E. Strvkns. Hamilton East School, 12th July, 188 G.

TO THK EDITOR. Sim, — I regret to have to trouble you on the unpleasant subject of the football match between Cambridge and Hamilton schools on Saturday last. As you are doubtless aware, the Hamilton boys declined playing again.it young men attending the night school at Cambridge, and the Cambridge headmaster refused to omit these member-* of his team, contending that tho fact of their having played in the last match put Hamilton out of court. We may imagine' a strictly parallel case. Bill Sykes is convicted ot steahngjfi ye .shillings. The said Bill, on being asked what he has to say why judgment should not be passed on him, says "Please your Honour, 1 stole 5s from a blind man last week and he never complained ; I stole half-a-crown from a fellow yesterday who was too decent to give me in charge, so, your Honour, I submit I could not expect this dreadful collapse of all the pillars of justice involved in blaming me for taking 5s from a man who can well afford it." Last year we had reason to suspect that boys played against our school boys who were in no sense members of the school, but recognising tho gross' chcatery involved in the fact, if fact it was, we had the natural objection of fair persona to asking any questions on the subject, an wo should have looked on such a question addressed to ourselves as a gross insult. Similar suspicions were entertained at the first match this year, and, if my advice had been taken, the very unpleasant question would have been put, and, as we now know, answered so as to justify its putting. I regret very much tho whole thing having occurred, not only for itself, but because I look upon it as a, blot on the profession to which I have the honour to belong 1 , that a member of it should encourage, if not take the lead, in dishonesty in sport. Accepting full responsibility for my remarks, — I am, yours, J. Vkrekkk Bindon.

TO THE KDITOR. Snt, — I desire to call attention to the un» warrantable interference of Mr Steven.^ head master of the Hamilton District School, on the occasion of the late projected football match Hamilton v. Cambridge High Schools. Mr Stevens no doubt, has a light to advi«,e and assist the Hamilton team when necessary, but when it cornea to making frivolous evcusea he is out of place entirely. Now for the object\ons: Firstly, Bmt. He was attending the school just before the match, and since the last time he was at hchool he had not been absent for more than threo months, and in all the schools I know of that ia

enough qualification to be called a schoolboy. So much for hi»n. Secondly, nightschoolbojß. I de-ire to inform Mr Stevens a * J presume he is not aware of it, that boys attending evening clhhhoh in a public schoolroom, and taught by Government teachers, iiro counted as public schoolboys, and are enrolled as unch. Maybe Mr Stevens desires to inoren.se the traffic to the pretty little town in which he resides— a very laudable desire, but one which I wi*h he would carry out upon someone else than a junior football team. If Mr Stevens, on tire other hand, does not desire the company of. the Cambridge football team, I think he will be satisfied, as he will not bo troubled with thoir company again. — I remain, yours obediently, David A. Lkk, One < f the Cambridge School F.C. Cambridge, July 11th, 188 G.