ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27631, 12 April 1955, Page 16

ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

GOOD PLAY LIKELY THIS SEASON

ADDITIONAL STRENGTH IN SEVERAL TEAMS This season is expected to be a turning point In Association football in Canterbury. The work of the management committee of the Canterbury Football Association assured good entries in all grades. The decision made last season to confine the senior first division to six teams will ensure a better balanced competition, with the pressure always on the bottom team if it wishes to retain senior status. The following sides will comprise the championship grade:—Western, Technical Old Boys, Nomads, Shamrock, Thistle, and University.

Western, which won both the championship and the knock-out last year, will have one of its best sides on record, in spite of losing C. Banham to Technical. J. Voogt, the former Thistle and Atlantis player, will be in goal, and ahead of him will be the pick of Haydon, Bradlay, and Shardlow. Longmuir, Laffey, and Ralph will be the half line. R. Lilley, an English player, has shown good form at practice, and will appear on the right wing, and inside him will be Olley, Cole, and Saunderson.

Technical will have all last season’s side available, with the addition of C. Banham, the former New Zealand and Western right half, to boost up the defence. Another newcqmer, who will appear in the forwards, is A. Charlton, and this player has already given glimpses of outstanding form. It is expected that the mercurial Gardenbrock will be available in all games.

Nomads at Full Strength Nomads has all of last season’s complement available, and with the new talent it would appear that there will be strong competition for places in the regular side. Newcomers are Steeman, a very useful forward from Atlantis; Munro, RoslynWakari (Dunedin), and Stephens, North Shore (Auckland). Shamrock made a good impression last season, and in spite of losing the Canterbury outside-right D. Gentry and K. Gray to the North Island, has gained a former Liverpool man, E. Bell, to strengthen the forward line. W. Joyce has also returned, and with B. Newsome, E. Fields, and J. Price also turning out. the side should not lack scoring material. T. Campion and J. Cavanagh will again be the full-backs.

Thistle has lost first-class material in R. Wilson, J. Gordon, A. Clarkson, and R. Codling to Christchurch City, a second division side, but A. McAnulty, G. McAnulty, J. Blackburn, and J. King will again be playing. An acquistion is N. Wheeler, the former Atlantis right fullback. Thistle has several recent arrivals in training, and the side’s strength is an unknown quantity. University, by winning the second division last season, is the newcomer to senior ranks this year. The side has all'of last year’s combination available, including the Canterbury players, Feenstra, Mahomed, and Langley. Additions are H. Nath and R. Marsden, formerly of North Shore (Auckland). Provisional representative fixtures so far this season are: v. Wellington (M. A. Gordon Cup), July 2; v. Otago (Jones Cup), June 4; Overseas v. New Zealandborn, July 6. It is expected that Canterbury will challenge Waikato for the English Football Association trophy.