Soccer Officials On Collision Course

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31728, 11 July 1968, Page 19

Soccer Officials On Collision Course

(By Our Soccer Reporter) The national soccer selectors (Messrs J. G. Shankie, G. S. Smith and D. Wallace) and the director of coaching (Mr J. Sch wanner) are on a collision course over arrangements for the World Cup qualifying matches with Australia. And unless there is a change of direction by one or both, or the national associaion finally, and belatedly, steps in and lays down the aw. New Zealand soccer is being threatened by the biggest blow-up it has suffered in recent years. It may result in either the selectors or the coach resigning. only two months before New Zealand meets Australia in the first of the home-and-away matches, to decide which will go forward to the next round of the Asia and Oceania group qualifying competition.

And it might equally well result in a widespread condemnation of the dominance Auckland has been gaining both in the numbers of its national representatives and its taking over of major policy decisions that should be controlled by the N.Z.F.A. executive. The question being asked is: Who is choosing the national squad—the selectors or Mr Schwanner? It was asked at Tuesday evening’s meeting of the Canterbury F.A. management committee by Mr A. W. Wilson, and there was noone in a position to furnish an answer. It will probably be the major item on the agenda when the national selectors meet in Wellington this weekend. And it will be discussed, too, by the full N.Z.F.A. council the following week-end. Two recent moves by the national coach have sparked off the latest round in the controversy, which has been simmering for months and has developed into a slanging match over the mismanaged Huntly training course at Easter.

At Huntly It became obvious to all observers that Mr Schwanner and Mr Shankie. the convener of the selectors, were at loggerheads and unable to act in concert. It is no secret that Mr Shankie, after the course, wrote a very critical report on Mr Schwan-, ner, which was sent to the N.Z.F.A. The N.Z.F.A. executive was itself largely responsible for much of the trouble at Huntly, by allowing the Auckland players, who formed a majority of the squad, to return to Auckland on the Saturday, midway through the course, to play their normal club matches, leaving the rest of the players kicking their heels. Mr Schwanner’s recent letters to players outside of Auckland, asking them if they would move to Auckland for three months, where jobs and accommodation would be found for them, and transfers to Auckland clubs arranged, without the permission of the N.Z.F.A. or the knowledge of the selectors, have added fuel to the fire. And Mr Schwanner, by an

announcement in Auckland i this week, has widened the issue. He said that the former New Zealand centre-half, J. G. Kemp, has been added to the national squad, which will begin training next Monday. Four factors concerning this recent announcement are causing great concern: Kemp has not played soccer for more than two years and is not even attached to an Auckland club at present>the selectors had no knowledge of Mr Schwanner’s action; the selectors are at present forming a squad of 16 to go into a week’s special training; and no arrangements have been made by the selectors or the N.Z.F.A. for the squad to begin training on Monday. Inevitably the question will be asked: Is this the New Zealand national squad or the Auckland national squad Mr Schwanner is to begin training for the World Cup? The dispute that is crippling New Zealand’s preparation for the most adventurous soccer foray the country has made—into the World Cup—stems from four main causes:

1. The inefficiency, procras tination, lack of organisation and failure to control and direct by the national association;

2. The basing of the national coach in one area, Auckland, where he is also provincial selector, and from where he rarely moves; 3. The fact that Mr Schwanner has no direct say in the selection of the squad or the national team; 4. The inevitable conflict of personalities when control at the top is weak and vacillating. However, the final blow-up is not inevitable, and the collision can still be avoided. But it will be avoided only if the N.Z.F.A. takes a tight hold on the reins and provincial associations, clubs and supporters recognise what is being done in their name. No-one—neither national administrators nor selectors nor coach—is irreplaceable. But effective and imaginative direction is. And there has not been enough of either in the last few months, in national soccer.