SOCCER Jugoslav Coach May Start City Classes

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29763, 5 March 1962, Page 11

SOCCER Jugoslav Coach May Start City Classes

Within a week, Canterbury soccer enthusiasts should know whether the province will have the services of the experienced and highly-quali-fied Jugoslav coach, Mr L. Brocic, for the coming season. Mr Brocic arrived in Christchurch on Saturday for negotiations with the Canterbury Football Association. Selector-coach of the Jugoslav national side, and the well-performed Red Star club team from Belgrade until he left the country for political reasons in 1954, Mr Brocic has since coached extensively in several European countries. These engagements have included coaching the national teams in Egypt and the Lebanon, and club sides in Holland, Italy and Spain. Since his arrival in New Zealand in January. Mr Brocic has been living in Wellington, had has impressed officials in that centre with his ability. He has talked with members of the Wellington Football Association and with the national body, and has met Wellington coaches. Yesterday afternoon Mr Brocic went with members of the Canterbury Football Association's management committee to the Cowles Stadium, where he demonstrated some of his techniques with a group of club players. Mr Brocic was formerly a professor at the Jugoslav State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports in Belgrade. and he also holds high qualifications in general teaching. In Christchurch he

would be seeking a job which would leave some time free for coaching, and it is understood that several offers have already been made. This evening Mr Brocic will watch the local indoor soccer competitions at the Cowles Stadium, and during his stay of a few days in Christchurch he will look into the employment offers. Impressed With Knowledge Members of the Canterbury Football Association who met Mr Brocic, and saw him in action yesterday, are impressed by the range of his knowledge, and by his obvious enthusiasm for coaching young players in the fundamentals of the game. If he accepts a position in Christchurch, Mr Brocic has expressed a wish that he should be able to begin his coaching classes as early as next week. The secretary of the Canterbury Football Association (Mr E. H. Williams) said yesterday that the engagement of Mr Brocic, provided suitable terms were agreed upon, could open the way for an immediate improvement in the standard of the sport in Christchurch, especially among the players in the younger age groups. Mr Williams said that the standard of play in the South Island had lagged behind in recent seasons owing to the lack of a qualified director of coaching with the time to carry out a largescale programme. The New Zealand Football Association’s director of coaching (Mr K. Armstrong)

has his home in Auckland. Mr Armstrong was in Christchurch last week instructing local coaches.