Mr Eckhold said he had ordered both these men off. He had had to caution both teams on three separate occasions, and finally he had ordered the two players off. A scrum had been formed, and he had come round from the other side. He saw a Zingari man kick out and Thomas attempting to strike. He could not say if he got the right Zingari man. The spectators were encroaching on the ground, and that had helped, he thought, to cause the rough play. Thomas had made a smack at McEwan.
McEwan said there was a loose scrum, and he came round it. He did not know whether Thomas tried to strike him or not. He did not say anything. The referee then ordered the two of them off. Thomas said he did only what any man would have done. He saw an Alhambra man down and a Zingari man put his boot into his head. He then made a lunge forward to stop him from carrying on with it, and he (Thomas) was ordered off. McEwan was not the Zingari man. McEwan had nothing to do with it. McEwan said he did not ask the referee why he was ordered off.
Mr Eckhold said he saw the boot go in but he did not know whether the Zingari man was attempting to kick Thomas or not. After cautioning the teams three times he had told them the next man who offended would have to go off. He was not in a position to say exactly who the Zingari man was. There were two of them close together. The Chairman said it was very hard for a man to be ordered off when the referee could not make a definite charge against him.
Mr Harris: Might I ask the name of the Alhambra player who was kicked? Mr Thomas said he preferred not to answer that question. Some officials of the union were present, and saw the game. Mr King said he intended to make a charge against a player. The Zingari player who had done the kicking was not McEwan. He did not know the man’s name at the time, but he now knew it was Eckhoff. McEwan had been very unfortunate. An Alhambra player was lying on the ground, and Thomas lunged out to push Eckhoff away just as McEwan came round the scrum and kind of put his hands up. Mr Eckhold was not in a position to see the actual incident — he was on the other side of the scrum. Mr King added that the name of the Alhambra player who was kicked was McMillan. Thomas said he saw the whole thing. He was a little hot-headed, and he had made an attempt to stop Eckhoff from putting the boot in.
Mr Stuart moved that McEwan be entirely exonerated. It should be clearly understood that McEwan was absolutely clear of any charge. Mr King seconded the motion. Mr Harris said he thought any referee might have made the mistake Mr Eckhold did.
Mr Nelson: "Have we authority to exonerate McEwan?" A member: "We are taking the right. The referee said he was not sure of the man." Other members agreed that Mr Eckhold could hardly be blamed. The motion was put and carried unanimously. The Chairman remarked that Thomas would be eligible to play next Saturday. He had not yet been found guilty.
— ODT, 24.6.1924 (Compiled by Peter Dowden)
