Newcomers for Brighton

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33158, 23 February 1973, Page 20

Newcomers for Brighton

Bp

D. P MANSBRIDGE)

Nine of last season’s players and five newcomers make up a squad of 14 announced last evening by the New Brighton coach. Bruce McDonald, for the 1974 Rothmans National Soccer League campaign.

i The squad will be increased to 16 with the addition of two more 'new players, both to be (imported, and there will ]be two backing up the jsquad, including McDonald himself. The 14 players are: goalkeepers. D. Phillips, E. Gar|ner; defenders, A. Daw. J. ] Kroon. J. Souter, W. Chis(holm, T. Blake; mid-field. A. ]Smith, J. Hewson. G. Storer: ] strikers, P. Jarman, W. Quirke, C. Cawley, K. Mulgrew. Hewson and Mulgrew were signed from Nelson United, (Blake from Christchurch United. Jarman from Rangers, and Souter joined Brighton when he read that Mulgrew. I against whom he played in a (North of England competition, had moved to the sea-! siders. ONE UNKNOWN Daw has returned to Brighton after a brief period with Woolston W.M.C. He established himself as a full-back in the national league side early last season, preferred to play in the forward line, and left the club in dispute. One of the two players coming from overseas is the 25-year-old Douglas Eadie, who was on the books of West Ham United, the club to which McDonald was attached. The date of Eadie’s, arrival is not known yet, but he is expected to be in Christchurch before the season I starts on April 6. The name of the other I player will not be announced' until all arrangements have I been completed. ! The other back-up player to] jthe squad will be last year’s' jeaptain, T. Langan, who has been appointed player-coach’ Ito the second team. “GOOD RESPONSE” | McDonald said that he will definitely play during the season when required. “Whether [it will be regularly or not 1 do not know at this stage,” | he added. Although McDonald has not set the team a definite playing pattern, he said that he would probably use the “pyramid system,” with four defenders, two linkmen, and one player to support the three strikers. He had been impressed by the way all the players had responded to training — “those out of the squad as much as those in it.” Officials of the club had told him they' were 100 per cent fitter than

I before the start of last sea- ] son. They had completed their endurance work and would now get down to speed training. The club had played five pre-season games so far. wining four and losing one (to Halswell United. 0-2. when the side was not at full strength). More games were being arranged, including a match against a side selected from regional league teams (as a curtain-raiser to a Canterbury representative softball match at English Park on Thursday. “We are all confident that this is going to be a much more successful season than The last one. Certainly, that is the attitude of everyone in the club,” McDonald said. Regular players from last season missing from the ; square are T. Reece, who returned to England, P. Nicol, i who did not re-sign for the club, W. McKenna, S; Cully. ] D. Duffy, and G. Taylor, who has temporarily retired.