No soccer confirmation

Press, 15 April 1978, Page 56

No soccer confirmation

NZPA Staff correspondent London The England soccer side to make a short tour of New Zealand in June will not be named for at least two weeks, the Football Association said yesterday. Despite the announcement in New Zealand that several “name” players would be in the 18-man squad, a spokesman for the Football Association’s international division told the NZPA yesterday that these could not yet be confirmed. “We’ve written to the clubs and to the players and we’re still waiting on a lot of replies,” the spokesman said. “It would not be fair to anyone involved to say at this stage just who has so far accepted, ur who has been asked.” But the spokesman denied that the eventual squad would be composed entirely of full international players and under-21 and 23 caps. “We’ve gone right across the board for full caps, England ‘B’ players, players who have not been capped at all, and age group caps,” he said. The proposed itinerary for the team of games in Dune-

din, Wellington and Auckland, and an “international” against New Zealand in Christchurch, has also yet to be confirmed, the F.A. said. Meanwhile, in Auckland yesterday two New Zealand soccer chiefs, Messrs Terry Killalea and Charlie Dempsey, were hammering out a compromise on tours. iMr Killalea, the New Zealand Football Association’s chairman, made it clear that the tour by the English team in June took priority over anything Auckland had scheduled. But Mr Dempsey, the Auckland chairman, was just as emphatic that his association’s traditional role of the country’s most active and progressive soccer promoter would not be jeopardised. The NZFA, with a private promoter, Mr Graham Moore, is bringing out the English side for four games on June 5,7, 11 and 14. Auckland has booked onegame visits by a Bobby Charlton All Stars team, Derby County and Dundee on May 5, 17 and 23. Concerned that the Auckland games will detract from its English tour, the NZFA is seeking to restrict Auckland to only one game, against

the Bobby Charlton side. I “It’s not a case of us standing over Auckland and telling them what to do,” said Mr Killalea. “We have to protect our interest in the English F.A. tour and the N.Z.F.A. executive feels three games in Auckland before the English team arrives will be too many. The public will spend only so much money on touring teams.” Mr Killalea admitted that the N.Z.F.A. was hoping to ease its financial problems with a profit on the English team.

Mr Dempsey had no comments to make. “They’ve come from Wellington to see us,” he said. “Until we know what they have in mind, I’ve nothing to say/))