Soccer squad revamped

Press, 6 December 1979, Page 40

Soccer squad revamped

Sweeping changes haved been made to the New Zea-C land soccer team to in the Oceania tournament. Jin New Caledonia from Feb-a ruary 22 to March 2 next r vear. t Ten players named in the. i original squad have been I discarded and only six —r Mark Armstrong, Frank van Hattum, Lee Stickland (all 11 Manurewa), Bill de Graaf a (Mount Wellington), Keith Ji Hobbs (Hanimex United) and f Alister Elder (Mount Ros-It kill) — have been retained. Two Trans Tours United J players named in October 1 for the tour, Peter Moot and;r James Margaritis, have been I

dropped but three of their club-mates. Bobby Almond, Steve Sumner and Ross Durant. have won inclusion. Both Sumner and Almond were members of the' national team which toured the Middle East and Britain in October while it will be Durant’s first taste of international soccer. Although on holiday in'. Britain at present, Durant: will be aware of his selec-l tion as his mother was informed by United as soon as I the club was notified. One notable omission is ; Johann Verweij, United’s; leading scorer in the Rothmans League last season.. His indecision about which 1

side of the Tasman Sea he j will play next year possibly . went against him and might) have swayed the decision of: .the national coach (Mr John' ■Adshead). Verweij was another to take part in the ■world tour. In addition to Sumner and Almond, four players — Glen Adam (Blockhouse ißay), Tony Sibley (Mount : Wellington), Chris Turner I (Manurewa) and Richard Wilson (Newmans Nelson: United) — also made the! overseas tour in October. The surprise selection is I Glen Dods, now playing for; Adelaide City in the Austra-J Ilian Phillips League. His in-: 'elusion, after a year’s ab-.

; sence from the national .team, proves that players !who leave New Zealand to I play in Australia will not necessarily be forgotten. The squad of 16, which is’ems certain to provide considerable controversy, is: van Hattum, Stickland. Armstrong. Turner (all Manurewa), Almond, Sumner, Durant (Trans Tours United), Sibley, de Graaf (Mount Wellington), Wilson (New|mans Nelson United), Adam (Blockhouse Bay), Gary Welch (Wellington Diamond United), Elder (Moun( RosIkill), Michael Groom (Hamilton), Hobbs and Dods.