Soccer rule wrong

Press, 3 May 1984, Page 38

Soccer rule wrong

Charlie Dempsey, the chairman of the New Zealand Football Association, has discounted a statement by the president of the International Football Federation saying that all players who have played in the World Cup are ineligible to compete at the Los Angeles Olympic Games. The president of F.1.F.A., Joao Havelange, has said, “There are now three categories of footballers. Those who play in the world youth championships, those who play in the World Cup and those who play in the Olympics,” said Mr Havelange, in Santiago. This would meant that six of the New Zealand squad which took part, unsuccessfully, in the Olympic playoff series in Singapore last month, could not have competed at Los Angeles as they had taken part in New Zealand’s World Cup matches in Spain two years ago. The six are Frank van Hattum, Ricki Herbert, Adrian Elrick, Keith Mackay, Duncan Cole, and Allan Boath. In addition, Steve Sumner, who was ruled out of the Olympic matches through injury,

would have been unable to go to Los Angeles. Mr Dempsey said that the statement by Mr Havelange had been misinterpreted. “In Argentina in 1978 it was passed that confederations other than Europe and South America could use players in the Olympic Games provided they were not professionals.” The only New Zealander thus affected would be Wynton Rufer, who is playing for F.C. Zurich. Mr Dempsey pointed out that countries such as Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union were not allowed to play World Cup players at the Olympics, but they had on call players from the army. “The whole thing is a farce,” said Mr Dempsey. “It is not all above board. But what I am saying is old hat.” In any case, said Mr Dempsey, the World Cup remains the No. 1 priority for New Zealand. The venue for the 1990 World Cup finals will be decided at a F.I.F.A. meeting in Zurich on May 19. The choice is between Italy and the Soviet Union.