Mcßobb Perth-bound

Press, 17 June 1986, Page 40

Mcßobb Perth-bound

By

KEVIN TUTTY

Craig Mcßobb, a young hockey player whose fortunes have turned full circle in the last eight months, will leave in three weeks to play the remainder of the 1986 season in Perth. Mcßobb has been lured by a former New Zealand and Canterbury player, Alan Chesney, to play for the Claremont-Collegians club in the Perth second division.

In the last eight months Mcßobb has experienced the rough and the smooth in New Zealand hockey. Last September he was included in the New Zealand senior World Cup squad of 28 players after several outstanding performances for Canterbury B at the national tournament in Christchurch last September.

There was never a real prospect that Mcßobb would be chosen for the World Cup team, but at 18

he was obviously considered a player of potential by the national selectors. Last month he played for Canterbury colts’ at the P. 0.5.8. national tournament in Blenheim, but a leg muscle injury before the first of three crucial matches hampered his play and he missed selection in the New Zealand junior team. When Chesney contacted Mcßobb last week he decided he had nothing to hold him in Christchurch for the remainder of the season and felt the experience of playing in one of the strongest hockey competitions in the world would benefit his development."The call came out of the blue and it didn’t take me too long to make up my mind. I will miss not playing for Pegasus (his club side) and Canterbury B. Pegasus is starting to come right now. “But I will only be away

until the end of the season and will definitely be coming back to Christchurch.

“They have some of the best players in the world in the premier division over there, and I should learn just from watching them. It will be good playing on the artificial turf there too,” Mcßobb said.

The Claremont club hopes to gain promotion to the premier division next year, and has been seeking overseas players to boost its strength. It will pay Mcßobb’s fares and will find him a job and accommodation in Perth. He has had to resign from his job with a Christchurch stock firm.

The Liquorland Harewood and Canterbury player, lan Riach, spent two months playing for the same club last season, and helped it win “promotion to the second division.