Top Soccer Division To Have Eight Clubs

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30393, 18 March 1964, Page 18

Top Soccer Division To Have Eight Clubs

The management committee of the Canterbury Football Association last evening decided that the top division will this year comprise eight teams. It was also decided that the name of the division be changed from premier to first division.

The division will comprise the six premier grade teams of last season—Shamrock. Nomads, New Brighton, Western, City and Technical—plus the top two teams from the next division. University and Rangers. The reserve division will comprise the reserve teams of the eight first division clubs. Mr T. Gottermeyer said that eight teams would be ideal. With this number the match committee would have extra Saturdays to allow for postponements. Mr R. van der Monde moved that eight teams be accepted for the grade. Although the motion was passed it was not unanimous.

The committee decided that there would be only one selector for each grade. After a long discussion the motion was passed by five votes to three on a show of hands. The selectors elected were— First grade: Mr V. Smith; under 20: Mr L. Woods: under 18: Mr R. Storer.

The committee decided to instruct its delegates to vote against an Auckland remit to be raised at the special general meeting of the New Zealand Football Association that the number of votes for each association be in proportion to the number of players in the province.

Mr R. Storer said that Auckland, Wellington and one minor association could then out-vote the rest of the country. The delegates were also instructed to speak against the formation of a regional league being set up. Mr Gottermeyer expressed the view that the council should be ashamed to have changed from a national league to a regional league. Mr Storer said that the league would be no more than glorified representative matches, almost identical with some Sunday fixtures now played between clubs.