QUEEN'S PARK MIGHT SEND ELEVEN

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 104, 4 May 1935, Page 30

QUEEN'S PARK MIGHT SEND ELEVEN

:nS£~ to inquire in Vscotl^nd

' Anyone who s has!investigated ' the question knows the difficulties facing the New Zealand Football Association in its efforts to Obtain an English or Scottish eleven''to mike a visit to New Zealand. More obvious. still is the.' good that niust.-result to Soccgr here if such <a4our does eventuate.

■ The: two main, difficulties are finance, and the length of .'the; British: football season, which* precludes the possibility of necessary' league players being 'spared for the trip across• the ■ world and back.' A scheme whereby both obstacles could be, overcome has been suggested by Mr. S. P.-Lunn, who.has been, connected, with football in Scotland for many years and now lives in Dunedin. He suggests, in a letter to Mr.' B. L. Salmon, chairman of the Council of t}ie N.Z.F..A., that'an invitation, to .tour; New, Zealand should be extended to Queen's Park, the leading club in .the^British: Isles. ■' •

Mr. Lunn referred in his letter _to the newspaper report; of the proceedings of the annual meeting of the N.Z.FA. when the desirability), of" securing a visit from an overseas team was mentioned. .' "I trust-that-you will, pardon my offermg a suggestion; but it is one which I.think.Avpuld'have good prospects of being realised," he said.

"I come from the nursery of football —Glasgow," He continued. "In Glasgow is the premier club in the United Kingdom, Queen's Park, which is the oldest team ny existence; It is the only amateur club playing in the First Division in Scotland: and it owns the biggest football pitch in Great Britain. One huhdredVand thirty thousand

were present at '..the recent interna-' tional game there between Scotland and England. ,' "Queen's Park is a very wealthy club and runs a first league team and several other minor - teams—all amateurs. The club spends a lot of money in missionary woric and" encouraging the development of. the game among the smaller clubs, and I 'feel sure that if the club were approached and the position of the game in this country were explained it wouWreadily agree to send a team out to, New Zealand. Failing a senior team, it might consider sending a team of secondary school boys, for the Queen's Park Club is a liberal supporter of school football. I think,, however, that it would be possible for them to send an amateur senior team/ and if they would, they would provide a wonderful draw throughout New Zealand and boost the round-ball code.". , ■ The letter was read at the meeting of the council this week and members discussed the suggestions . enthusias-, tically. The Association's representative in England, Brigadier-General w! R. N. Madocks is to be asked to make overtures to the Queen's Park Club on the project. '