Sportsman’s Notebook Swift Promotion For New Brighton

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29866, 5 July 1962, Page 6

Sportsman’s Notebook Swift Promotion For New Brighton

When the New Brighton soccer team takes its place in the premier division of the local competitions next season, it will have behind it a record of an unusually swift rise from the lower grades. New Brighton, which won the first division this season to gain the right of promotion to the premier division, was formed only three seasons ago. In its first season, 1960. New Brighton failed to win a match in the second division, but after a slow start last season the side won the first division. After a thrilling struggle throughout the season with Neerlandia and University, New Brighton, with its 2-0 win over Neerlandia last Saturday, made certain of winning the grade and earning promotion again. Neerlandia was strongly favoured to win this grade, as it had taken the C. E Keys Cup for the last two seasons. Similarly, High School Old Boys were thought to have a good chance, but they have faded this season.

New Brighton is a team with a most enthusiastic following in its home district. The members of the side live mainly in Aranui and New Brighton, and in matches and training sessions a fine club spirit is evident. This is a team which has played good football because it has had nothing to lose, and good football has paid dividends in the form of seven wins, two draws and only one loss in 10 matches this season. The team’s only loss was to University in a seventhround meeting. ¥ ¥ ¥ Ski Races Off There is still insufficient snow on Canterbury ski fields for the season to begin Already the Stamers-Smitb memorial giant slalom and the Christchurch and Canterbury University ski club championships have had to be postponed indefinitely and the latest postponements are the Canterbury inter-club teams events, the McLeod no-fall downhill race and

the Tony St. Elmo ski jump which were to have been held at Cheeseman this week-end. No advice is available yet on the Broken River Basin trophy race which is set down for July 21 and 22 but it seems almost certain that this will also have to be put off until later. * * * Loral Success The four Canterbury table tennis players who travelled to Nelson for its open championships last week-end—J Armstrong, N. B. Radford. M. A. Cox and H. P. Holt—were successful in taking several titles. Armstrong beat Radford in the final of the men’s singles in tout games, and also eliminated Cox and Holt in earlier rounds. Radford and Holt won the men's doubles, and Holt, partnered by Miss J. Sara, of Nelson, took the mixed doubles title. * * * Vital Match The soccer curtain-raiser at English Park on Saturday, a Hurley Shield match between Rangers and City, should hold more than usual interest. This is the only match remaining in the Hurley Shield series, and the loser will suffer relegation into the first division next season. It will be replaced m the premier division by New Brighton. Rangers have four points and City three, so that a drawn match would be sufficient to Leave Rangers in the premier division. In their first-round meeting, they drew 3-all.