Letter Box

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27990, 9 June 1956, Page 3

Letter Box

PROFESSIONAL SOCCER “How many of today’s players and spectators will live to see the days when players can live solely on their earnings on the soccer field? These days will surely come and although in 50 years the population of New Zealand will still not be sufficient to support full-time professionalism, the part-time professional clubs should be getting under way. It is well-known that in most* countries it is the clubs which pay their players that have the highest class of footballers at their disposal. Even the few pseudo-amateur let ms which hfeve good reputations reward their players with good jobs or in some other manner. When a is being paid for doing a job well, especially if it is a job which he likes, then he will do all in his power to keep that job. With others striving to

obtain places in the side then the men must train and play harder than ever “Professionalism would help tne sport and for that reason the New Zealand Football Association should considei it. A start could be made with provincial teams. If the stronger provinces were asked to form a league in which they would be allowed to pay their players, at least four provinces would be in a position to accept if they wished to dq so. The authorities might raise objections on the ground that these professionals would also be playing in weekly competition garnet controlled by amateur bodies, but investigation would show that several of today’s stars were paid by their clubs in England or on the continent before they came to New Zealand. CRYSTAL BALL. I. J. Lawson, (Addington): A plan is being prepared for publication. R.MJ. (Papanui): The 1937 Springboks played against Maori players, but not a Maori team.