Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Tuesday 21 June 1898, page 5


BRITISH ASSOCIATION

FOOTBALL.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, - I wish to bring under the notice of the members of the various British Asso-ciation clubs in Brisbane the way in which the supporters of the game in Ipswich and West Moreton are being treated with re-gard to the visit of the intercolonial team in August next. I am given to under-stand that the association refused point blank to allow the fixture, New South Wales v. West Moreton, to be played on a Saturday, and fixed it for Thursday, reserv-ing the two Saturdays for the intercolonial. They will not get more than twenty-five people present on the day in question, as Ipswich is invariably deserted on the Thursday of Exhibition week, it being looked on as the Ipswich day. Now, if they played the return Intercolonial on the Thursday (which day, I should think, would be equally as good as the Saturday, as the place would be full of visitors), and gave the 13th for the West Moreton match, I am quite certain that a Crowd of 700 or 800 people would attend the match-in fact, I would not be surprised at the attend-ance being over 1000. The game has re-cently taken a strong hold here, especially since Ipswich has been unable to muster a senior Rugby team. It also has a big fol-lowing at Blackstone, Bundamba, Dinmore, &c, and if the match is not played on a Saturday it will be impossible for the people residing at these places to visit Ips-wich. We have three senior clubs in or near Ipswich. The Rovers (who are at present leading in the premiership competition), the Rangers of Bundamba (who on Saturday last defeated the Rosebanks of Brisbane with ridiculous ease), - and the Bush Rats of "Dinmore (who won the competition at the recent Eight-hour Sports in Brisbane). You can thus see, Mr. Editor, as we have three clubs in the association, and Brisbane,has only two, that we are being badly treated ; and I am afraid the Brisbane representa-tives would make a very sorry show against our Southern visitors without the aid of Sam. Shelley, George Marsh, A. Hamil-ton, J. Routledge, and J. Dobbie, and per-haps one or two others. I take It that even now it is not too late to alter the Ipswich fixture to the "Saturday, and if those at the head of affairs In Brisbane have the in-terests of the game at heart they will waive their claim to the Saturday, and let Ipswichians have an opportunity of visiting the Exbibltion, and also of seeing the New South Welshmen playing in Ipswich. I have no doubt~thait they will now see the Injustice of farcing Ipswich to play on the Thursday, as the players on either side cannot possibly do themselves justice if they have to play before only about twenty

five persons.

I am, sir, &c,

A. T. STEPHENSON. Ipswich,,-20th June.