TOURS FUND CRISIS FOR N.Z.F.A. South-East Asian tour by N.Z. team in doubt

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33967, 7 October 1975, Page 36

TOURS FUND CRISIS FOR N.Z.F.A. South-East Asian tour by N.Z. team in doubt

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. New Zealand's soccer tour of South-East Asia, due to start on Wednesday week, is in serious danger of being cancelled.

I ht crisis point arose at the week-end when gate-returns from the \ew Zealand-Indonesia test in Christchurch on Saturday were known.

Only $75(1 was taken from a crowd of about '>•••». Other attendance receipts from the disastrous Indonesian tour were $2500 in Auckland. ,$5OO in Wellington, and probably only $5OO from the match against Otago n Dunedin on Sunday.

‘■The visit of the Indonesians has been a killer,” said the secretary of the New Zealand Football Association (Mr S C. Goodman) last night “It cos? us $26,000 to bring them here ”

With the association only] breaking even on the July] series of games by the: Peoples Republic of China —! which cost .$16,000 —the N.Z.-I F.A. was relying on substantial gates from the Indonesians to boost the overseas I tour coffers. The five-week trip to China. Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia will set back the N.Z.F.A. to the tune of • at least $30,000. The national coach (Barrie Truman) said from his Raumati Beach home last night ithat he would be “extremely disappointed” if the tour was i scrapped Players “I consider it as a test-run! for our World Cup elimination matches in two years, ■ and it can only do us a great deal of good,” he said. “It is the sort of trip to mould a side to do well in ithe World Cup, blooding ■them in the tropical condiItions we are likely to meet. “This is the best New Zealand squad we have had, certainly in the five years I’ve been coach and possibly in a i decade. The players have put iin a lot of endeavour, dedication and hard work to get into the team, and I would Teel verv sorry for them.” Players and officials have j already had innoculations and macle arrangements for time off in their businesses. The Canterbury players involved are Phil Dando, Kevin

i Mulgrew, and lan Park i (Christchurch United) and Graham Storer (New Brighton).

The N.Z.F.A. executive discussed the tour at a meeting in Wellington that lasted two hours and a half last night, but the association would not disclose the outcome of the talks. Mr Goodman said that the N.Z.F.A. chairman (Mr R. Kelly) would not be making any statement. i Asked when a statement I might be likely, Mr Goodman replied: “We will probably (issue one sometime tomorrow.” Mr Goodman agreed that pack of finance had caused I the association to have second (thoughts about the tour. | The N.Z.F.A, seems to have come unstuck in its original dealings with Indonesia. Mr Goodman said that in all pre-tour correspondence the Indonesians had said they would be sending their best team. Commitments "Subsequently it has come out that internal commitments in Indonesia prevented the full team being sent,” said Mr Goodman. “Had we known this beforehand it would have placed a different complexion on the tour.” The original negotiating (was done by the N.Z.F.A.’s [tour director, Mr C. Dempsey, of Auckland.