Crystal Palace may tour

Press, 21 January 1982, Page 28

Crystal Palace may tour

NZPA staff correspondent London The English second division club, Crystal Palace, is interested in taking up the invitation from the New Zealand World Cup football director. Mr Charlie Dempsey. to play against the New Zealanders before they go to Spain. "It is very early days but we would certainly be interested in a tour of New Zealand.” the Crystal Palace

secretary, Mr Alan Leather, said yesterday. Mr Dempsey said during a brief visit to London that he was keen to get a British side to play in New Zealand as a warm-up for Spain. Mr Leather was unable to contact Mr Dempsey before the New Zealander left for Los Angeles yesterday, but the Crystal Palace secretary spoke to Mr Norman Morris, the New Zealand Football Association’s representative in London.

Crystal Palace played in the first division in the early 1970 s and again two seasons ago. Its last match of the present season is against Newcastle United on May 15. “We would fly to New Zealand straight after that and play the following Tuesday or Wednesday,” Mr Leather said. Crystal Palace, a south London club, was founded in 1905.

i Meanwhile there was good r news for New Zealand World • Cup fans yesterday with the announcement that an extra allocation of seats has been made for New Zealanders travelling to Spain from London. Mr Simon Nutt, a director of Sportsworld Travel, which has exclusive British ticket rights, said that the World Cup authorities had made the ! extra seats available for j New Zealanders as a result of Saturday’s draw.