Soccer team in ‘book’ of records?

Press, 2 September 1981, Page 40

Soccer team in ‘book’ of records?

PA Wellington An application will be made for the New Zealand soccer team’s inclusion in the “Guinness Book of Records,” after the 13-0 win over Fiji last month, said the World Cup director, Charlie Dempsey, yesterday. The decision to make the formal application follows receipt of a telex from the world soccer headquarters in Zurich concerning New Zealand’s claim that its team had established two World Cup records during the first round of qualifying matches, said Mr Dempsey. He had as.Xed the headquarters to confirm that the team had scored the biggest winning margin ever in the 51-year history of the competition, and that its seven consecutive matches in the qualifying round, without a single goal being scored against it, was also a record. The world body replied that while it did not maintain statistical records which would prove New Zealand’s two claims, it believed both to be correct. “The publishers of the ‘Guinness Book of Records’ have the staff and resources to check past World Cup results to confirm the accuracy of our claims, so on that basis we will proceed,” Mr Dempjey said.