Soccer kicks off tomorrow

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34119, 3 April 1976, Page 52

Soccer kicks off tomorrow

(By

DERRICK MANSBRIDGE)

New Brighton has named its side but Christchurch United will give two players final fitness tests for the clubs’ opening matches in the 1976 Rothmans National Soccer League championship tomorrow.

The two United men in doubt are Laurie Blyth and Bobby Almond — and Blyth, at least, will be keeping his fingers crossed over the next 24 hours.

He strained a hamstring muscle in training .on Thursday and yesterday was under treatment from the club’s physiotherapist. Blyth reported yesterday that the examination showed the muscle had not been torn — and breathed a sigh of relief. That would have kept him out of the side. And Blyth knows only too well what that can mean. Before the start of the 1975 season he suffered a broken bone in a leg playing against Hertha Berlin, came back too soon, broke down again, and did not regain his place in the United side until his replacement, Ross Durant, went down with injury several months later. Treatment Blyth has made his way into the present United side at centre-back in place of Graham Griffiths, who has been having medical treatment. Griffiths, who was in the New Zealand squad earlier this year for the two tests against Australia, has

lost a stone and a half in recent weeks.

He has now been passed fit again, trained this week, is putting weight back on, and will stand by as Blyth’s replacement, should it be necessary. Almond suffered an ankle injury playing against Shamrock last Sunday, missed training on Tuesday, but was able to run fairly easily on Thursday. However, both Blyth and Almond are expected to take their places in the United side for the clash of New Zealand’s two soccer giants, against Mount Wellington, at Queen Elizabeth II Park tomorrow. Own problems The Mount has its own problems, with injuries to three players and the transfer request of the New Zealand striker, Earle Thomas. The club coach, Ken Armstrong, gave the impression

this week that he would have to leave a final team selection until the last minute. However, with its squad filled with national representatives, including the newcomer from North Shore, Kevin Weymouth, the Mount will provide United with a classic opening to the season, and the Christchurch club’s first defence of the national league title. Their meetings in the past have provided most of the highlights of New Zealand soccer in the last six seasons and such is the intense rivalry between the teams — not to say their coaches — that tomorrow’s clash at Q.E. II will be another out of the same top drawer. Brighton, its bitterlycontested administration dispute now seemingly died down, if not yet completely resolved, has a great task ahead of it tomorrow —away to Stop Out. The Lower Hutt club has, season after season, made all the early running, and is the only national league side never to have lost an opening national league game. It has made several important captures in the pre-season transfer market, including the former Brighton player, Graham Storer, and the highscoring striker who for a short time was a team-mate of Storer, Jimmy Richardson. Many people are tipping Stop Out as potential 1976 champion.

Even more “experts” see Brighton as the prime relegation candidate —but fewer, perhaps, now after the determined performances the seasiders put up against Christchurch United, Caversham, and Nelson United. Brighton, too, will start the season almost at full strength. Paul Glasson, the left-back, has not been able to resume training yet, but Alan Smith is back in the side, for Geoff Neal, at rightback, making the only change from the side that beat Nelson, 4-0, last Sunday. “We know it will be a hard game, but the players are all fit and are out to give a good impression,” was all a cautious coach, Martin Stewart, was prepared to say yesterday. Team Brighton’s team is: Robert Wilson; Smith, Rab Brown, Andy Lower, Stan Wooliscroft; Fred Roest, Keith Granger, Graham Dacombe; Michael Glubb, Johan Verweij, Frank Madrussan. The other national league matches this week-end are: Blockhouse Bay v WellingtonDiamond United (today), North Shore v Gisborne City, Caversham v Eastern Suburbs (tomorrow).