No wives to travel to Spain

Press, 14 January 1982, Page 24

No wives to travel to Spain

PA Wellington New Zealand will be entitled to send a delegation of 30 to the World Cup soccer finals in Spain at the expense of the international football federation, FIFA.

The party will comprise the squad of 22 players and two coaches, and support staff yet to be named by the New Zealand World Cup committee. The World Cup director, Mr Charlie Dempsey, yesterday denied that the World Cup committee would be paying for the wives and girlfriends of the New Zealand players to travel to the finals in June. It was reported on Tuesday that New Zealand’s one goal win over China would mean a free trip to the Spanish football festival for the players’ wives and girlfriends. "Our responsibility is to our players, and we will be sending them away with the support staff necessary for them to represent our country with dignity and honour in Spain," said Mr Dempsey. "There is simply no way we could possibly use World Cup funds, which are so badly needed to promote football in New Zealand, to send their loved ones on the trip," said Mr Dempsey. Meanwhile the New Zealand manager John Adshead has retained his 22-man squad for the finals. The squad is.— Richard Wilson, Frank Van Hattum, Barry Pickering, Adrian Elrick. Glen Dods, Bobby Almond, John Hill, Alan . Boath, Glen Adam, Steve I Sumner, Peter Simonsen. Grant Turner, Keith Mac Kay, Dave Bright, Ken Cresswell. Sam Malcolmson, Duncan Cole, Ricki Herbert, Billy McClure, Brian Turner, Wynton Rufer, and Steve

Wooddin. Mr Adshead said he doubted whether any other player could force his way into the squad in the coming season.