Soccer tour valuable

Press, 24 September 1987, Page 52

Soccer tour valuable

By

GARY BIRKETT

The Canterbury under 17 soccer team’s five week tour of Canada and Britain was a great sue*, cess, according to the team coach, Terry Conley. The 18-strong party arrived home on Tuesday after completing the 10match tour, ending up with a record of three wins, a draw and six losses. Mr Conley said some of the British clubs fielded very strong sides and Canterbury had not disgraced itself in any match. The highlight of the British section of the tour was a 1-0 win over a Portsmouth youth selection. Mr Conley used to play in the same Bolton side as the Portsmouth manager, Alan Ball, so was delighted to record a victory against his old

.team-mate. •Mr. Conley said there were, no serious injury problems . with the . 15 players and he noted a , sharp improvement in their skills and attitude. 1 The side trained every day in Britain and also saw seven top,games, including the ./Scotland versus England : international at Hampden Park. The N.Z.F.A. liaison officer with the England Football Association, Mr Paul Kirby, arranged stand tickets for all the games plus two seats in the director’s box. Among the spectators with the team at the Arsenal versus Portsmouth first division game was the Christchurch national league player, Graeme Archer, who was in England pn business. Archer is a nephew of

the Arsenal manager, George Graham, and met him after-,' the game, which Arsehal: won, 6-0. •/Mr Conley plans to “keep . the side together and it. will’ resume training at Hagley Park in two weeks. /. The assistant . coach, Eddie Brownlie, said the three outstanding players to emerge from the’tour were the midfielder, Vaughan Conley, and the defenders, Anthony Barrett and Phil Waller. Results were:—bt British Colombia club champion, 3-2; lost to B.C. under 18 team, 01; bt Ontario club champion, 2-1; drew with Ontario under 17s, 1-1; lost to Chelsea youth, 1-3; bt Portsmouth youth, 1-0; lost to Manchester United youth, 1-3; lost to Celtic youth, 0-5; lost to Hearts youth, 0-1; lost to Tottdjttiam youth, 0-1.