BOOKSHELF

Press, 13 April 1984, Page 10

BOOKSHELF

The beginning of the 1984 soccer season coincides with the release of the New Zealand Soccer Annual, covering the events of the past year. It is edited again by one of the country’s most enthusiastic supporters of the sport, Vic Deverill. The annual, 136 pages and priced at $3.00, reviews a busy year for the New Zealand team, encompassing 12 matches; it deals with the inaugural Oceania youth tournament in Auckland last December; the under 15 national side’s trip to Australia for the inter-state championships; as well as tours of New Zealand by Queen’s Park Rangers and New Caledonia.

In addition, the New Zealand Junior and Women’s Football Associations’ activities of 1983 are covered. But the bulk of the annual is again devoted to a review of the Rothmans and regional league competi-

tions, with tables, team appearances and goalscorers all listed, where supplied. It is here that certain Canterbury clubs deserve a rap over the knuckles. The only national league clubs not to supply details of league and Adidas Chatham Cup goalscorers were Christchurch Brother United and the relegated Dunedin Technical. United also failed to produce its league appearances and goalscorers for its second team in the Hertz League, for the second successive year, as did New Brighton and CashmereWanderers. Halswell United, Woolston W.M.C. and Shamrock were other clubs which omitted part of the requested information. Certainly, they were not the only clubs at fault in the country, but that does not excuse the overlooking of important, if relatively minor, details. D.G.L.