Gowans Will Probably Play Against Manchester

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31365, 10 May 1967, Page 21

Gowans Will Probably Play Against Manchester

<Bp Our Soccer Reporter J

Although Canterbury has three players included in the 19 named yesterday for the New Zealand senior and under-23 soccer teams, only one of these—A. W. Gowans, the Christchurch City right-half—is likely to play in the match against the English League champion, Manchester United, at English Park on Wednesday, May 31.

However, it is probable that all three— Gowans, the City goalkeeper, 0. F. Nuttridge, and the Western right-wing, C. Rennie—will play for the under-23s against Scotland at Hutt on Monday, June 5.

The selectors (Mr G. Smith, Canterbury, and Mr D. Wallace, Auckland) named 15 for the senior team and 14 in the under-235. The two parties are: Senior: A. Stroud (Auckland), 0. F. Nuttridge (Canterbury); W. Hunter, G. Lake (Auckland); A. W. Gowans (Canterbury), T. McNab (Auckland, G. P. Bilby (Wellington), B. Smith (Otago), D. R. Wallace (Wellington); J. Legg, G. Lamont, C. Shaw, M. G. Burgess (Auckland), K. Ironside (Waikato), C. Rennie (Canterbury). Under-23: Nuttridge, N. Siebert (Auckland); Hunter, Lake; Gowans, J. Moyes (Waikato), Smith, D. Salt (Auckland); Rennie, Legg, Lamont, E. Thomas (Waikato), Burgess, Ironside. AVERAGE AGE 22

Bilby was nominated by the selectors to captain the senior team, with McNab vice-cap-tain, and Hunter as captain of the under-235, with Gowans vice-captain.

The party comprises two “veterans,” the former Scot-

tish League professionals, Stroud and McNab, both aged 31, but it is otherwise a young combination, with an average age of only 22. Stroud and Bilby, the New Zealand representative cricketer, are the only survivors of the team that went on the 1964 world tour, and Wallace is the only ether full representative.

Salt, at 17, is the youngest player, and is the first of the national under-15 team that made a very successful tour of Australia in 1965, to burst through into the senior teams. Eleven of the 19 have been members of the national under-23 coaching squad and of the team that toured the country playing against provincial sides two years ago. Several players were on the verge of selection and narrowly missed out, including the Canterbury representative, K. France, who was a leading candidate for one of the full-back positions. There are some notable omissions from both teams—

G. Evans (Canterbury), the Polyansky brothers and J. Burk (Wellington), B. Patterson (Otago), C. Latimour, B. Leuschke, I. Ormond and 3. Wrathall, all of Auckland.

Auckland has supplied 10 of the 19 players, Canterbury and Waikato three each, Wellington two and Otago one. The selectors will not announce the final teams until a few days before the games, but the likely sides are:

Senior: Stroud; Hunter, Lake; Gowans, McNab, Bilby; Legg, Lamont, Shaw, Burgess, Ironside. Under-23: Nuttridge; Hunter, Lake; Gowans, Moyes, Smith; Rennie, Lamont, Thomas, Burgess, Legg. The senior selector, Mr Smith, said yesterday: “We have combined experience, youth, talent and speed, plus great shooting power in the forwards.

“No-one will expect us to beat Manchester United or Scotland but the players will be told—and they have the enthusiasm and keenness to respond to it—that we wil' not admit defeat until the final whistle blows.

"Nothing is ever certain ir soccer, not even with all the odds stacked against a team. And Manchester knows that only too well, after being beaten in the English Cup competition by a third division side.”

The incentive to the under--23 players in both games is

high. Negotiations for a three-test under-23 series in Australia later his year are well advanced, and for a return series in New Zealand next year. All 19 players will assemble in Christchurch on May 29, the same day as the Manchester United team arrives from Auckland where on the previous day it will have played the provincial side.