N.Z. to make strong soccer protest

Press, 18 November 1981, Page 56

N.Z. to make strong soccer protest

PA Auckland The New Zealand World Cup soccer committee is to strongly protest against the appointment of Asian officials to control the return match between New Zealand and Kuwait, in Kuwait next month. . After New Zealand’s controversial 1-2 loss to Kuwait in their first encounter at Auckland’s Mount Smart Stadium last month, the committee told the international soccer federation, F.1.F.A., that match officials from Asia and the Pacific were not acceptable.

This was because teams from these two regions comprised the; qualifying group in which New Zealand played. But the referees’ committee of F.I.F.A. had apparently already decided to appoint Mr Chan Tam Sun, of Hong Kong, as referee and Messrs M. D. Souza and S. Hakeem, of India, as linesmen for the return match with Kuwait, according to the World Cup director, Mr Charlie Dempsey. . “Ethnically, there is no difference between a referee from Hong Kong and a re-

feree from China, which is now leading our qualifying group,” said Mr Dempsey yesterday. “When China scores, all Hong Kong cheers and claps. It would be totally unfair of F.I.F.A. to go ahead with these appointments,” he said. "Whilst we would not for a moment suggest that Mr Chan, or for that matter the two Indians, were not completely trustworthy, we are sure all three will understand, without any offence being taken, that we simply cannot sit back and accept

their appointments without protest.” Mr Dempsey said his committee did not want a repeat of the assaults on the Indone-. sian referee and the two Thai linesmen during the first match between Kuwait and New -Zealand, when there were many accusations of bribery and corruption. He said that F.I.F.A. had replaced an Australian with a Portugese referee when Indonesia had. objected before its qualifying match in Auckland against New Zealand, and he was hoping for similar success.

“We would much prefer match officials from outside Asia/Oceania.” ' Meanwhile, alcohol will be banned from Mount Smart Stadium when New Zealand plays its final home match against Saudi Arabia on Saturday week. Fifty police will be at the . stadium to control crowd behaviour and ensure there is no repetition of the uproar associated with New Zealand’s last World Cup match. Security guards will be employed to check bags of

spectators for alcohol at all gates leading into the stadium, and if spectators protest, the police will be called in. They will then ask those with alcohol to cooperate. If not, they will be refused entry to the stadium. Thirty policemen will encircle the playing pitch while the World Cup qualifying game is in progress — standing either on the greyhound track or the 400 m running track. . The other 20 policemen will be at the stadium gates or involved in other duties.