MEN BEHIND THE TEAMS

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32385, 26 August 1970, Page 10

MEN BEHIND THE TEAMS

There will be two lets of contestant! when the third place in the Rothmans’ National Soccer League and the third prize of $lOOO Is disputed under floodlights at English Park on Saturday evening. On the field will be Christchurch United and Mount Wellington, playing their last national league matches of the season, with Christchurch now In third place, a point ahead of the Mount, and needing only a draw to stay there. Off the field, trying to plan the destruction of the other’s team, will be two members of the national selection panel—Mr G. Evans, the convener, and Christchurch United’s coach, and Mr K. Armstrong, who three weeks ago became Mount Wellington’s coach after moving from North Shore. Both are widely experienced coaches, both are former professionals with London dubs (Mr Armstrong at Chelsea, Mr Evans at Crystal Palace), and both are strong-willed, determined men, who have built themselves highlyregarded soccer reputations in New Zealand since they moved here. Armstrong, who will also have his two sons, Brian and Ron, in the Mount team to play United, watched the Christchurch club topple Eastern Suburbs in their memorable match at Auckland last Saturday.

Afterwards, he went Into the United dressing room, congratulated the team and Mr Evans, and then added: “I’ve got it all down on paper,’* pointing at a notebook in his hands, “all your weaknesses and the way we will beat you next week.” He was smiling when he said it, but that was no indication he was joking. Mr Evans simply replied: “If you don’t beat Hungaria tomorrow (on the Sunday) you can burn the notes. They wouldn’t matter any more.” But the Mount did beat Hungaria, but only after a great battle, by 3-2, thus paving the way for ' Saturday’s crucial confrontation and giving Mr Armstrong a strong private satisfaction.

It was Hungaria, in the playoff series at the end of last season, that ousted North Shore, Mr Armstrong’s club at the time, and won the eighth and last place in the national league.

Only once before have Messrs Evans and Armstrong been in opposing camps for a major competitive club match. Mr Evans was player-coach of Christchurch City, Mr Armstrong was coach of North Shore, when the two clubs met in the Chatham Cup final of 1967, and when North Shore, overrun for most of the match, came back to win 2-1 late in the second half.