Next Season's Soccer.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 211, 6 September 1941, Page 5 (Supplement)

Next Season's Soccer.

T ONDON clubs were attacked and "gagged at the annual meeting of the Football at Nottingham. Their offence was that, in spite of all efforts to prevent it, they ran the London Cup competition, and this saved themselves serious financial loss.

The president •(Mr. W. C. Cuff) took an early opportunity to castigate London for their action, refused to allow any reply at that juncture, but promised a hearing later.

Subsequently he withdrew his promise, and even when another club representative attacked London the president refused their representatives a hearing. So London was prevented from saying a word in its own defence.

Further, the Management Committee announced that they would not permit another competition on the lines of the London Cup, yet they recommended the adoption of a proposal to run the League Cup on similar lines. Insult To Injury So far as the League can smash it, the London Cup, on its original lines, has been smashed for next season, though the parent body has copied the method and profited by London's experience.

Another grievance of the metropolitan clubs is the way in which they have been grouped for next season's League games.

They are condemned to a series of long journeys which will effectively prevent their having representative teams for these away games, if they are able to raise a side at all.

It is stated that the Management Committee are seeking means to overcome this position, and the affected clubs, who had proposed to hold a meeting to consider the position, have postponed action pending the outcome.

For the purpose of the League matches, which are to run fr'6m August 30 to December 2G, the clubs have been grouped as under: O) Arsenal, Charlton, Luton. Mlllwal'. Tottenham. West Ham, Clapton Orient. Crystal Palace. Norwich, Southend. Watford. (2) Brentlord. Chelsea. Portsmouth. Fulham, Southampton. Aldershot. Bournemouth. Brighton, Bristol C., Cardiff. Queen's Pr- k R.. Reading. Swindon. (3) Stoke. Birmingham. Leicester. Nottingham Forest. West Bromuich. Crewe. Northampton. Notts County, Walsall. (4) Grimsby. Sheffield United. B&rnsley. Chesterfield, Sheffield Wednesday. Doncaster. Lincoln, Mansfield, Hotherham. (5) Blackburn. Bolton. Blackpool. Preston, Burnley. Bury, Oldham. Rochdale. Southport. (6) Everton. Liverpool. Manchester G\. Manchester United. Chester. New Brighton. Stockport. Tranmere. Wrexham. (7) Huddersfleld. Leeds. Middlesbrough. Sunderland. Brad lord. Newcastle. Bradford C., Halifax, York, Gateshead. Ten Matches

Beginning on December 27. each club will play five home and five away games, not necessarily with clubs of its own group. These games will be the qualifying competition for the League Cup, and the 32 clubs with the best results on these games will take part in the Cup.

The othei* 38 will play what fixtures they may arrange with other League clubs, or in county cups run on the knock-out method.

Ties in the League Cup. all on the home and away principle, will begin on March 7 with the final on May 2 There will be the usual pool on the knock-out section 'if the League Cup. M.O.C. I'erturbrd Cricketers in Kngland are beginning to be worried over encroachments by Soccer on the all-too-short days of summer.

At one time. September to April inclusive was regarded as the proper football season, but this period has Gradually been extended by the occer code authorities until July is now the 'only month without "any full-scale matches between leading clubs.

The M.C.C.. according to a report from London, is seriously concerned whether the wartime precedent will be regarded as normal procedure when peace returns, especially as a number of first-class cricketers are also Soccer professionals and have more than once, even in the last month or two, found it difficult to gain their release for the summer sport.

Considering the English climate, it is presumably useless to suggest that the M.C.C. might retaliate by threatening to play cricket in winter.