Verweij may stay for full season

Press, 20 April 1982, Page 36

Verweij may stay for full season

By

ALISTAIR ARMSTRONG

Johan Verweij, one of the “finds” of Christchurch Mogal United’s revamped Rothmans league soccer lineup this season, may be staying with his former club this year after all. The tall 26-year-old target man has been a key link in United's attack and with three goals already to his credit, the club’s supporters must be anxious to see him remain, but the availability of Verweij, a former New Zealand representative, has been under a cloud.

Verweij has been at the centre of a transfer wrangle that has prevented him leaving his Australian club of the last two seasons, Brisbane Lions, to play for Melbourne’s Footscray. The Brisbane club wants $BOOO for releasing Verweij, but to date Footscray has not been prepared to pay this amount. Verweij cannot play for any other Australian club until the problem is sorted out, so in the meantime he has returned to United. The last time he played for the Christchurch team, in 1979, he was the Rothmans league’s top scorer, with a season tally of 16 goals, and it seems he has lost little of his touch or usefulness in the meantime. The coaches at ‘ United, Terry Conley and Terry Mann, both rate him as one of the best strikers in New Zealand, and according to Mr Mann, Verweij has added new dimensions to his game during his spell in Australia. “He has always been very

skilful but now with a little more application and ability

to work off the ball he. is even better.’’ he said. Verweij himself has enjoyed seeing the fortunes of United, hard-hit by player defections at the beginning of the season, improve to a position where it is now fifthequal in the league competition — and his contentment may be good news for the Christchurch club’s supporters.

“I am not looking to get in touch with Lions at the moment to arrange something. things are going quite well here at the moment,” he said, “and they have not contacted me since February so I will be staying here in the meantime. “I could be here until the end of the season. It is sort of a month by month thing but I am starting to enjoy playing for Mogal. “We are getting a reasonable team together and it is improving week by week.” Verweij has been mentioned by Mr Conley as one of the players who would be knocking on the door for a place in the World Cup side if the squad has not already been chosen. The outside chance that there may still be a place left by injury appeals to Verweij, and adds another reason to stay in this country.

“You never know what could happen. If there were any places becoming available the players on the fringe have really got to make sure that they press for those positions. I, like a few other players, am doing my best to make sure I’m there," he said.