Fife will return as United coach

Press, 30 August 1989, Page 35

Fife will return as United coach

United’s old mentor, Leon Fife, has been persuaded back into the coach’s box after a season off, but the softball club has not yet decided whether it will enter the Lion Red national league again. Mr Fife coached the United premiers for six straight seasons, including its first two national league campaigns, before stepping down last year. Now that Mr Fife is available again as coach a grateful Paul McFarlane will be able to concentrate on playing. Asked whether his arm had to be twisted Mr Fife quipped that it was "more my neck.” "They got me at a loose moment — about 4 o’clock in the morning." For the last three years United has been Canterbury’s

only representative in the 12team national league, though this year the association is permitted to have two teams in the series. Whether United will attempt to qualify for the league for the fourth time will depend on its final line-' up. “The club’s taken a bit of a (financial) hammering the last couple of years,” Mr Fife said. "We won’t be entering for the sake of entering.” According to the United coach, the team would have to have a chance of qualifying and doing reasonably well in the league. Last year United could finish only eleventh, one spot off the bottom of the table, after narrowly failing to make the top-four playoffs the previous

season. With the pitching in mind United is talking at present

with the North Island-based Mac Tangaroa, the Canterbury “softballer of the year” two seasons ago. Tangaroa is expected to join United in mid-November, as soon as a metal pin — the aftermath of a bad rugby injury 18 months ago — is removed from his knee. The big Gerard Graham is getting married to his American girlfriend and staying stateside and at this stage United is “scouting around" for another pitcher. “Old Dave might have to do a bit of bowling,” said Mr Fife, referring to the veteran hurler, David Bradbury, who has returned to the United fold from Merivale to help out as part player, part' coach. The United team is much the same as last year, minus

Graham, the first baseman, Paul Shannon, and the speedy utility, lan Hall. Shannon is taking a year off while a leg injury might have ended Hall’s softball career. Fortunately the valuable outfielder, Neil Stuart, is recovering well from the shoulder injury he suffered last summer. The new recruits so far are Bradbury and the big-hitting Grant McCarroll, also from Merivale, while a couple of United B team youngsters are being considered for promotion. Mr Fife referred to the team as “golden oldies” but he said the players still had what it took. Cars driving past Malvern Park during a recent batting practice would be very much aware of that, he said.