Brighton back to where it began soccer season

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31760, 17 August 1968, Page 11

Brighton back to where it began soccer season

IT is a strange twist in the 1 fortunes of New Brighton that its last fixture in this season's southern league soccer competition should decide whether the club will play in the first division next season. Only four months ago Brighton’s opening game had the same significance. Victory over ShirleyNomads on August 24 will win Brighton the second division championship, the first prize of $250 and automatic promotion. When

Brighton was last in this position it floundered badly, being beaten, 4-1, by Shamrock, and thus lost the chance of playing in the first division this season. The Southern League Committee, when sorting out the 18 entries into this season's competition, made the startling error of placing Brighton in the second division. The club had had an outstanding season the previous year, but the committee decided that the losses of players Brighton had suffered would prevent the team doing itself full justice in the first division. The decision caused an uproar, allegations flying fast and furiously, and it was resolved only when it was decided that Brighton and Shamrock, which had been placed in the first division although it had finished bottom of the Canterbury competition in 1967, should play for the place in the first division. Few expected Brighton to fail after its promising play in the pre-season floodlight tournament—but fail it did. Shamrock rose to the occasion magnificently and Brighton stayed in the second division. But Brighton has proved in the past that it may be down but not out, and for

the whole of the season has been a contender, with the two Dunedin clubs, Mosgiel and Caversham, for the second division championship. There has never been more than a point or two between them, and an exciting finish has now been. assured. Of the two Dunedin clubs, Caversham finally put in the better finish, beating Mosgiel, 3-2, last week, to complete its programme with 22 points from 14 matches. Brighton, beating Timaru City, 4-1, moved into second place, two points behind Caversham, with a game to play and the slightly better goal average. Brighton must now beat Shirley, but can afford to concede six goals as long as it scores seven, and still carry off the championship. It is an intriguing position for Brighton to find itself in and everyone in Canterbury soccer will be behind the club when it takes the field against Shirley at Rawhiti Domain. There was great sympathy for Brighton when it was left out of the first division at the start of the season; there will be greater enjoyment if Brighton beats Shirley and regains the position it so richly deserves.