PROPOSED PROFESSIONAL INVASION OF ENGLAND.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 276, 27 May 1907, Page 4

PROPOSED PROFESSIONAL INVASION OF ENGLAND.

FINANCIAL SIDE OF THE QUESTION. Wellington, May 23. Mr 6. H. Dixon, who managed the "All Blacks' " tour in Great Britain, and who therefore should know something about the financial aspect of the question, does not think -hat the proposed tour of a profession)! I New Zealand team in England will |,ay. In an interview with a New Zealand Times reporter yesterday, he stated the case somewhat as follows: —The gross receipts from the 'All Blacks' " tour of thirty-three natrhes in Great Britain and France amounted to £14,813, but of that sum, i; 8749 was obtained from nine matches, which would not be available tr. a professional team. Scotland, Treland, and Wales are absolutely closed against professionalism, nnd international matches would also be impossible to professionals. The rrat of the takings from the other 24 matches in England and France amounted to £6064, an average of £253 per match. If that average he applied to the 33 matches, it will show a total of £8349. Tho terms offered by the Northern Mnton are reported to be 32 or 33 mattes, to be played on Wednesdays and 1 Stitnrdays, with a guarantee of I'fiO for the Wednesday, and £100 for the Satnrday matches, an average of £."5 per match. It would appear from this that the estimate of £2.53 won'd be an extravagant one. Mr Dixon figures out the total expenses of the professionals at £7365, and shows that after the allowance, and a liberal estimate of the receipts, there would remain 'a margin of only £9SI, say £1000, divided between 28 men. It would yield a little over £35 per head, assuming the players •and promoters share alike. The margin of profit under most favourable conditions does not strike Mr Dixon as being sufficient to warrant any person in taking the very great risk that undertaking involves. If the professional team should not prove itself able to win matches, for the strength of Northern Union football is an unknown quantity to us, their positi>n will become a very serious one. Referring to the "All Blacks' " tour Mr Dixon said: "We burst upon the British people like a meteor, and a great wave of enthusiasm rose up about us, so that we had great attendances. Will the professional team have the same experience? They are barred, at all events, from international matches, and unless they do something very wonderful, their matches will fall to the level of ordinary club matches, and then — "