AMBITIOUS INDOOR SOCCER PROGRAMME

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30342, 18 January 1964, Page 11

AMBITIOUS INDOOR SOCCER PROGRAMME

QOCCER comes back for a 10-week sipell on Monday when the indoor five-a-side competitions start at Cowles Stadium, with the most ambitious programme contemplated by the Canterbury Football Association. Not only will there be three nights of competition— Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of each week—but also on the first and third nights soccer will join forces with women’s indoor basketball to produce a combined programme. Women’s basketball received a big popular boost by the successful tour of Britain last year when the reports of the New Zealand team’s matches in the world championships were eagerly awaited, and the indoor section of the game will gain from those victories. Indoor soccer has now become an accepted part of clubs’ summer training, and this will be the third year of competition. However, several differences have been made, by increasing the length of the games and offering a money prize to the successful team. Indoor soccer, played keenly and skilfully, is one of the most exciting of indoor sports, it’s non-stop play being one of the prime fascinations. In Britain it has become a highly successful competitive sport, and the national tourna-

ment held in London is usually packed to capacity. It breeds ball control, quick thinking, intelligent passing and accurate shooting, and undertaken in this spirit is a first-class warming-up for the outdoor season. The competitions have been increased to cater for the record number of applications received by the organising committee. The main competition will be the major league of eight to be played each Monday night. Twelve under-20 teams will play on Tuesdays and a minor league of eight each Wednesday. The outstanding club in Christchurch last season, Nomads, the national ChatiiiiiniiiiiiHiiiHiifiiiiiiiiiiiitittittiintiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiu

ham Cup finalists, will be strong contenders for the top prize in the major league, and the farmer Scottish professional, G. Donaldson, will play a leading role for the club as he did in the outdoor season. City and Shamrock will run Nomads very close, City with its professional coach, G. Evans, who has had considerable five-a-side experience in Britain, and Shamrock led by the Canterbury representative, H. Taylor. There are still season tickets available, priced at 25s which will enable the holder to attend all three match evenings during the 10-week period. These can be obtained at Cowles Stadium on the opening three nights of the soccer and indoor basketball.