United in training deal with Cashmere

Press, 15 September 1976, Page 40

United in training deal with Cashmere

By

BARNEY ZWARTZ

Christchurch United has landed another Xew Zealand soccer scoop—it has arranged with Cashmere Wanderers that the Broadlands Southern League side will act as a training ground for its promising players.

This agreement was marked by the installation yesterday of Brian Hardman, the former United star, as the new Cashmere coach. He replaces Terry Seacy, who resigned for business reasons.

The arrangement was announced yesterday by the Cashmere secretary (Mr Peter Lublow), who said the two clubs would co-operate more closely for the benefit of the players from each.

He said it should be stressed that each club would remain a separate entity, in complete control of its'own affairs. The June 30 transfer deadline would still apply.

The idea is for United players who have Rothmans League potential but who cannot quite win a place in the squad to join Cashmere and try to win a place in the southern league team. Any player good enough to achive this will gain experience not available at United, which should hasten his development to national league standard. Mr Lublow said it was also planned to extend such cooperation down through the junior grades, to provide as many players as possible with games. “Often at the start of each

season a club has either not quite enough players for a certain grade or too many, but not enough for another team. Some join other clubs, but many miss out. United and Cashmere will liaise closely on this so that where there is such an imbalance the players involved can get soccer,” Mr Lublow said.

He said this policy was without precedent in Christchurch soccer, and possibly New Zealand, but it could only benefit players and the standard of the game in Christchurch. The effect, of course, is to make Cashmere virtually United’s reserve side. It is a shrewd move for the club — one with great advantages. Equally obviously, it is a substitute for United’s failure to get southern league status for its reserve side, something United’s manager, Terry Conley, attributes to petty jealously. It will keep promising young players linked with the club.

The general reaction, however, has been: What’s in it for Cashmere? Naturally, it can now have no immediate ambition for national league play, but finance would preclude this if nothing else did. According to Conley, the club gains in obtaining Hard-

man as coach. With one year of his contract with Christchurch United to run, he certainly would not have been released for anything else.

His name will certainly be a drawcard for other southern league players to the club, much as Tom Randles was for Technical this season, although Hardman has yet to prove himself as a coach. With players such as Giers Adam, Richard Mulhgan and Peter Simonson —should they fail to make United’s league squad—Cashmere’s standard is bound to rise.

Conley will watch ever; Cashmere game he can, and players will know the club could be a stepping stone to the national league. He promised there would be no “fantastic turnover" between the clubs. "Cashmen. will probably get more mileage from this than us,” he said. On the debit side. Cashmere will inevitably lose something of its identity even if. as it maintains, there is no direction from United The fear has also been expressed that first-team players who have been unable to retain a place at United, might move, but this might be self-defeating.