ENGLISH SOCCER TEAM

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 49, 26 August 1922, Page 8

ENGLISH SOCCER TEAM

A LETTER! TO THE ■ N.Z.F;A.

■"} *.By?the last mail from:;England;Mr. B. :;i'-:i,■'•-, ■ .',£•.■ Salmon, aecretary of the NiZ/F-A., . <\ •■ .-.V-1 'has .'received a letter from Mr. A. E. ■Tftj Gibbs; "■ ■■ Australasian•; .representative' in •Jll/^' (Soccer matters at' Home, Confirming and V>>^>- •■•' enlarging'upon a cabled message receiv- , S;-■'..' ,"v■.', ed by,.3V&. : Sahnori some weeks'ago statf. 7 ..: ; ingithat there ,was lio'chance of a visit ;:' , ', iby aii Englißh teani'.to ■' Australia and '',' , '.New Zealand next year. Hr.; Gibbs w ':■ ;-,' .; '..'wiote'tliat he' anS ■ Mr: H.. F. Boper, •i -■.■"•-! representing the Commonwealth Football Jj ' [ .''. lAssociation, had waited upon; the Engr/ itjV ' \ ■ iish Football Association and' had been £?■':■ ' informed that efforis to" secure a team of ■"vi -p. amateurs to1 make -the tour had so 'far '^ ■ t !•-;'.v been fruitless. The Fobtball Association, !/> :. -, ' however, recognised its duty: in the' mat-. "^ ' : ■: ter, and would; pursue its endeavours to 'r,.-. •'••'..: • -■■'.':•. iecnre.a team' at. the .earliest possible Tv „'i-.'. imoment.; -' '. ' .'-. ',- .'.^: ...V,..;'. '■■ ''■■■-.- / '■-■■'■. ''l\, '-'■■'. In the days before'th© war, Mr. Gibbs ['i ;v \ v; iadded,; no great difficulty would have '.J'',';'; y'• ibiaeriirietjn getting together a team 'of ! Yh■ '. good amateurs ''to'mak^th'e-' trip.- They ; J i. : -would have been only too eager'to under-: <''':"'-:V take the tourandjso .derive . enjoyment .-^.Tv vand.'undpuDtedly >n experience of great »; i i ,-* educational value to -them, .but it ap-, j .' •'-. .'■■,' peared tna^vsinc«'.the. war'jlife.'h'ad' bej; -.'•./ 'come' so' streniious that many .men from ',] „' V.the^ universities were-not-.-now-ithe free 'I : ' .-agents-, they before.-the war.1 Perv i.. ; , sonally, Mr. Gibbs .wrote,'.he feared that '■t '■' it might be some cpnaiderable^ timo be- [" ■".-■" ). \ ',' ifore it-. would,be! possible '■] to send out the *• ■,■',.'■' , -teani..,,,-.- ■„;>•;.'. ..;=' v ;..':•'';•.),.. ■•.'., -.■ .....'".-! !:' - ■'. ..' .': A footnote,, to/.the'letter.'gave ;the. con- «•';-', ; .tents :of. an official minute of a meetjng 4? .'■.'."'(■ of the FootbairAssociatibh held'oh 308i,.i pi ;, ".': I.:■■; June'last.';'',A 'yaember Reported ■'upon' the; h •'■'."' '<..': reSults'bf 'inquiries at the TJniver-r $ "X. sitie's of Oxford '•and'i Cambridge and the ,C; , ■'■■ committee, feared that .the • difficulties ■of z'i ■-..■■■'■ an early arrangement\of -the tour were \ ".-• '•'.-■■''.:. insurmountaHle., The matter, however, , > i -! then-finally: decided.:; ■-.•';