First Battle Tonight

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31383, 31 May 1967, Page 13

First Battle Tonight

•THE popular conception of x the New Zealand team to play Manchester United is hardly a flattering one: it is being looked upon as the extras needed only to fill the minor roles while the stars put on their dassic performance. Nor is it really surprising that this should be the scene spectators expect to be enacted for them this evening, because there is nothing in New Zealand’s soccer history that compares with the ordeal the current representatives face against Manchester United. Since 1904, there have been internationals against Australia, South Africa, Fiji, New Caledonia and Tahiti, matches against European Club sides, Preussen Munster, FJC. Austria and F.C. Basel; there have been, too, the visits by the English F.A., South China and Chinese Universities. But none of these teams, not even the English F.A. XI, induded such a wealth of soccer talent as has been welded together to make the present Manchester United side. ' Although New Zealand has not fielded a national senior team since 1964, the majority of the current side are experienced players. Only two have never played for New Zealand and of these. T. McNab is a former

Scottish League professional fa The other newcomer is G. t ■ York, and his dub play in a Auckland this year has v greatly impressed the New li Zealand selectors, even if he fl was only a reserve for the t Auckland team that met Manchester on Sunday. t A. Stroud, the former j Arbrouth goal-keeper; went t on the 1964 world tour and r since P. L. Whiting went to • j England to join the second v division dub, Charlton « Athletic, has been the auto- j matte first choice. p The full-backs, W. Hunter and G. Lake, have been s under-23 representatives, t Hunter having been named a captain of the team to play 1 Scotland at Hutt next Mon- t day. I, The granite-faced McNab ii fills the key defensive posi- y tion at centre-half, and on t either side of him are players who need no intro- t duction to Canterbury soc- 2 cer supporters, A. Gowans ,u and G. P. Bilby, the team c captain. g Gowans, Canterbury’s S “Soccer Player of the Year” p in 1965, is being groomed as f the next captain of the fa under-23 team, and has been s a dominant wing-half in the highly-successful Christ- t church City side, the Canter- r bury inter-dub champion g for the last three years. I Bilby is a double cap, hav- v Ing opened the New Zealand a

batting against England the season before last He and Stroud are the only survivors from the world tourists and Bilby captained the first national under-23 side to be selected in 1965. The forward line must be the youngest to represent New Zealand, York being the “veteran” at 26. The right-wing pair, C. Rennie and G. Lamont, and the leftwing combination, M. Burgess and C. Rennie, are all in the under-23 squad to play Scotland. Legg was one of the few successes in the Auckland team beaten by Manchester, and Lamont scored Auckland's only goal from a pass by Burgess, who, like Bilby, is another double cap, having been selected for this year’s cricket tour of Australia. This is a young national team, with an average age of 22. For the next three years, under the new director of coaching, the former Hungarian international, Mr J. Schwanner, the whole emphasis is on building a team for the future and laying the basis for future national sides. Tonight at English Park the first battle of the campaign will be fought; tn good tradition, it should be lost, so that the war ean be won on another field and on another day.