Former Soccer Captain Returning To Chch

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31448, 15 August 1967, Page 17

Former Soccer Captain Returning To Chch

The former Canterbury soccer captain and present holder of the “Player of the Year” trophy, T. Conley, is returning to Christchurch from Australia.

Conley will not rejoin New Brighton, the club he left a year ago, but is returning as player-coach to Shamrock. Shamrock officials yesterday received a signed contract from the player, who will stay with the club for at least two years. Final transfer arrangements are being made this week between Shamrock and Conley’s present club, Hakoah (Melbourne), which is seeking a fee of $5OO for the player. Brighton has given Conley permission to sign for Shamrock. This was necessary under the gentleman’s agreement between the club and Conley when he left New Zealand. Released By Club Conley’s emigration from England was sponsored by the Brighton club and he agreed that he would play only for Brighton if he returned to New Zealand. However, Brighton was unwilling to pay the transfer fee being asked by Hakoah to have released him from the

agreement made with the club. Conley will join Shamrock as the result of the breakdown of negotiations the club was making with another Hakoah player, the former Irish international full-back, J. O’Neil, who was a professional for seven years with Preston North End before going to Australia. O’Neil, the Hakoah club captain, was interested in joining Shamrock when Hakoah offered him substantial inducements to remain in Melbourne. They were too good for O’Neil to decline and it was then that Conley, who had known cf the negotiations, let Shamrock know that he would be willing to return to Christchurch if a club could pay the transfer fee being asked by Hakoah. Conley will probably join Shamrock in January, at a time when the club’s fortunes are at a low point. Shamrock finished last in this season's Hurley Shield competition and is due to be relegated to the second division. However, the position will not be new to Conley. He played a great part in Brighton’s promotion from the second division last season and in forging the successful side that has three times finished runner-up to Christchurch City in this season’s cup and league competitions. A spokesman for the Shamrock club, Mr P. Fletcher, said yesterday: “We are extremely

pleased to have signed Conley, because of his proven playing and coaching ability and his dedicated enthusiasm for the game. “With so much promising material in the club, we are confident that Conley can weld together a very good team next season. “In his contract Conley has asked for three coaching sessions with the senior squad each week. By having three, he expects all of the squad to attend at least two. It is now over to the players and I am sure they will respond to the challenge.” Conley, aged 24, played 17 times for Canterbury, captaining the team on seven occasions. He also led a New Zealand invitation eleven against the national under-23 team at Masterton. Before coming to New Zealand he was an amateur player with the English professional club, Holton Wanderers, and played as a semi-professional for Darwin in the Lancashire Combination League.