Soccer coach to stay in N.Z.

Press, 15 August 1978, Page 6

Soccer coach to stay in N.Z.

PA , Wellington! The national soccer coach. Mr Banie Truman, will stay in New Zealand to guide the country’s next World Cup bid. Mr Truman decided yesterday to decline a lucrative three-year Australian state contract in favour of the World Cup offer made more than a week ago after an emergency meeting of the New Zealand Football Association s executive. "Eve made up my mind to stay, provided the national team goes to Korea next month (see back page i. and there now seems no doubt about that,” said Mr Truman, weary after hectic hours spent yesterday picking the team to go. He had virtually decided to accept the Brisbane-based Queensland state job when the N.Z.F.A. council approved the offer that largely met his requirements to stay. It offered him a two-year contract committing him as national team boss and national director of coach-' ing up to and including the: World Cup play-offs after he said! he was being driven out of New Zealand by the lack of job se-' curity caused by the “campaign: against him” from Auckland. Tt was this international involvement that has been the decider,”. Mr Truman said yesterday. “I made up my mind this! morning and told the N.Z.F.A.” He called it the hardest decision of his life, torn between the desire to stay and enjoy the budding fruits of his eight years of labour—“l feel myself a’New Zealander”--and the attractive prospects offered by Queensland —including a salary worth in effect an extra $5OOO. Enthusiastic about this country's soccer future, he said: “For the first time in my eight years. I’ve got a chance to really establish things at the national team level—the usual handicaps are gone.”

i However, controversy still surrounds the New Zealand team which has been named to take pari in the President’a Cup tournament in South Korea next month. Sixteen players were named yesterday by the president of the New Zealand Football Association (Mr Terry Killale3' to represent this country in the tournament, but already there are definite signs of a storm brewing between some clubs and the association. Mount Wellington, for example. has repeated its earlier ultimatum that its plavers will be released only if the Rothmans league—or at least games involving Mount Wellington—has been completed. Tw o players. Tony Sibley—w ho would play his fiftieth game for New' Zealand should he go away a £d is also likely to be captain of the team—and Brian Turner—the most experienced inter, national in the country—have been included. [ The club chairman. Mr Clive .Herbert, confirmed last night ;that the policy remains unchanged and that it would be ■ most unlikely the players conleemed would be released. j The Eastern Suburbs coach. Mr [Ken Armstrong, reaffirmed his stand last night by saving his club would not release any players unless the league was comipleted. North Shore, with three players, remains the best represented club m the team and all its players. Adrian Elrick, Duncan Cole, and Neil Hames, will go with the club blessing. “We should be clear of our league games by then,” said the North Shore coach. Mr Don Jones, “and w’e can see no reason to stand in their way." The Manurewa club b.as adopted the same attitude in the case of Mark Armstrong, and he i will go with the full backing of the club.