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MATSON REFUSED CLEARANCE
May .Return to Perth
Phil. Matson, whom WVestern Anstra
lians and many others regard as the best
football coach in Australia, has been re
fused permission to join Richmond this
year. He was to have coached that club.
The Victorian permit and umpire com
mittee gave its decision in the matter
last week.
Subsequently Matson said:--"I have
been in the game for 23 years, and have
never been before the league. There
is not a stain on my character. There
is something radically wrong some
where."
Richmond and .1atson are indignant
at the attitude of the committee. The
coach said the league should have given
reasons for the refusal. Western Atf~
tralia had given himn a clearance and had
rcpeatiedly askeid him to go back.
"The only reason I can see why I have
been treated in such a way by the per
mit committee is that I have always!
stuck up for Western Australian football
by claiming that there was nothing be
tween the play of the westerners and
Victorians," said Matson.
"I was cleared to Victoria by the
Western Australian league, andl last
year I coached Castlemaine club. When
I wa~s leaving Castlemaine I was givenl
a goldl medal and an illuminated address.
My character ,vas set down by the club
on the clearance form as 'most excellent."
It was mny amblition (,on cominig to Vic
toria to finish my football career by
coaching a Victorian league team."
MIatson, it is reported, has decided td
return immediately to Western Austra
lia to coach the East Perth team.
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