Liverpool F. C. thought that a recommendation should be made from the meeting to The League Management Committee that, whatever happened, the benefits to the players under the Provident Fund should not suffer. They supported the vigorous action contemplated in other directions, but in the event of it being found impossible to obtain sufficient increased income The League should stage sufficient matches to bring in the income to meet the needs of the Provident Fund. International Wolverhampton Wanderers F. C. were strongly of the opinion that International matches were Tours. getting to the stage when they must be stopped. The Clubs were paying the players, but apparently they belonged to The Football Association. Two or three years ago, the Club put forward a similar suggestion that The Football Association should be asked to arrange their tours in alternate years to give the Clubs a chance to have tours themselves. Sympathetic consideration is as far as it had got. The League Clubs were being dictated to by The Football Association and in the opinion of Wolverhampton Wanderers, now was the time to ask for tours to be made only in alternate years. Sunderland F. C. supported the suggestions made. They thought that Clubs should have a right to refuse to release their players when they themselves had important matches. They were strongly of the opinion that Clubs should not be penalised by having star players taken away when they themselves required them, and it was their intention to bring this matter forward at the Annual General Meeting. West Bromwich Albion F. C. spoke in support and expressed the opinion that the root of the whole matter was that there should not be so many International Matches. Torquay United F. C. felt that the position was largely due to the Clubs' own inactivity. If Clubs took an active part in the work of the County Associations they would eventually have a better representation within The Football Association. The President referred to a remark which had been made during the debate that a member of the Management Committee had proposed in Vienna the formation of a European Cup Com- petition. The member in question was Mr. Mears, and he thought it only right that he should have an opportunity to make his position quite clear. Mr. Mears said that, once again, the Press were responsible for misquoting what happened. Briefly, what The Football Association did in Vienna was to say—and he said it himself—we had no objection to a European Cup Competition taking place, providing the entry was purely voluntary. We had no intention of entering the European Cup at all. Manchester United F. C. said that whilst there was concern about national prestige on the Continent, we had also to consider the prestige of League Clubs who go to the Continent. Club tours were arranged on the understanding that they were made with full Club strength. Clubs who were not in this position felt that they did not want to tour, and, consequently, two or three players who went with The Football Association were getting all the plums and the other players got nothing at all. The President, in reply, said it was not a simple question. He was sure that everyone realised that if The Football Association were to send an England Team abroad they should have the best players the country could produce. He wanted the Clubs to know that he and his colleagues were most sympathetic and appreciative of the Clubs' problems and their aim was to do justice to the Clubs who wanted themselves to accept invitations to Tour abroad. Floodlight and Manchester City F. C. suggested that a maximum fee of £5, irrespective of bonus, should be paid Other Friendly to the players in all friendly matches. They did not want to encroach on what other Clubs wished Matches. to say, but felt that their suggestion was sound and financially just to the players. Sunderland F. C. supported the suggestion and reminded the meeting that they brought forward a similar suggestion last year. Tottenham Hotspur F. C. put forward the suggestion that, for Floodlight matches only, 11 players and 1 reserve should receive a match fee of £3, subject to a limit of 8 matches played by a Club in any one season. They did not wish to include friendly matches played on a Saturday afternoon in this arrangement. West Bromwich Albion F. C. spoke against the suggestion and said that, in their opinion, if these additional payments are made, The League would have to do away with any limit on payments to players altogether. They thought the Clubs were treading on very dangerous ground. 2