Welsh soccer tour confirmed

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32524, 6 February 1971, Page 44

Welsh soccer tour confirmed

(N.Z.P.A. Staff Correspondent) LONDON. The six-match tour of New Zealand by the Welsh soccer team, consisting entirely of full and under 23 internationals, in June and July, was confirmed in an announcement by the Welsh F.A. yesterday. Final details of the tour were completed in a telephone call from the Welsh F.A. headquarters in Wrexham to the N.Z.F.A. tours director, Mr C. J. Dempsey, in Auckland. The matches are: June 27, at Auckland; June 30, at Christchurch (floodlight); July 3, at Dunedin; July 4, at Wellington; July 7, at Napier; July 10, v. New Zea-

land, at Auckland (floodlight). Wales has had a splendid record in full and under-23 international matches in the last year. At full level in 1970, it drew with England and Scotland, and beat Northern Ireland, to share the Home international championship with England and Scotland on four points each. As England used its match with Wales as a warm-up for the World Cup play-offs in Mexico, the Welsh effort in drawing 1-1 and nearly beating England with two late shots at goal was first rate. The England manager (Sir Alf Ramsey) had to take off two forwards late in the game and substitute defenders, so strong were the Welsh attarlf q At under-23 level, Wales in recent weeks has drawn 0-0 with England and defeated Scotland, 1-0. The England

side was at full strength and consisted entirely of toprated players from the first division. Wales has no clubs in the English first division and only one, Cardiff City, in the second. Other Welsh clubs are in the third and fourth divisions. However, it can call for internationals on Welshmen playing for English clubs,' and these include three men widely considered to be the best in their positions anywhere in Britain—the Tottenham Hotspur centre-half, M. England, the Leeds goalkeeper, G. Sprake, and the Southampton centre-forward, R. Davies.

Wales has been captained recently by the Derby County skipper, T. Hennessy, and the acting secretary of the Welsh F.A. (Mr T. Morris) said the first division star would probably lead the Welsh team in New Zealand. Mr Morris will probably

act as tour manager, and there will be 16 or 17 players. It has not yet been decided whether a team manager will also make the tour. Mr Morris said the financial arrangements for the tour would provide Wales with guarantees of full' air travel to New Zealand and back, and full hotel costs and internal travel within New Zealand. The Welsh F.A. would pay its players fees.

To help tour finances, the side would like to play games on the way, at Los Angeles and New Caledonia, and on the way back, in Singapore and Bangkok. Mr Dempsey had suggested a game in Kuala Lumpur but travel arrangements would make Singapore much more suitable, Mr Morris added. This will be Wales’ first soccer tour of New Zealand, but it has previously beer as far as Brazil.