SOCCER

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 9 April 1927, Page 13

SOCCER

PROGRESS nr MANY COUNTRIES,

FOOTBALL KILLING THE BULLEIGHT.

The growth of the soccer cotie in the United States has been remarkable. It has also shown amazing development in Europe. T3i& Italians, it said, play the fastest football in the world, and the bullfelit- is being. killed by it. been seen in Milan, Amsterdam arid Spain. A good game, too, is played by t|ie Swiss, the Dutch, and the Germaris. Jii various parts qf Spain, such as Barcelona, Madrid, and other cities, the grounds will hold up to 50,000 people and the populace goes mad over their national players. It ;ssaid that this season they have invited the cream of the English Clubs to tour the country. LOCAL, FIXTURES. Soccer fixtures commenced to-day. Mianaia playing Hawera, and Stratford meeting ' Auroa. There will then be a gap of three' weeks,' the next matches taking place on April 30. CANADA'S RERRESENTATIVES

HARD TASK FOR NEW, ZEALAND

The Canadian team, which is due to arrive in Auckland mi May 23 tor a ten-weeks’ tour of New Zealand, has now been finally selected. When one has read of their achievements, it will be realised that New Zealand repiesentative teams will be up against the stiffest proposition it has ever been their let to meet. Some of the players are natives of Canada,, well built and trained in a good school of football, with the advantage that they have had experience in playing against English and Scottish professional teams, from which games they have emerged with credit if not with success. Severial of them, says ia: sporting writer in another centre, were born in the nursery of association football, Scotland, and learned to' play with teams of considerable reputation. They have a fine combination of weight, speed, and good tacticians. They have "at least two first-class centre-forwards, one of them 6ft. in height, and over 12 stone in weight. First of all, they have one man for each position, accustomed to play in the place which he will occupy in the team, and there are three, or four of those versatile players who can fill almost any position with equal facility. They have a regular goal-keeper, but also they have a fine back who — put between the sticks owing to an accident to the “goalie”—proved to be one of the best goal-keepers in Canada, and ia, terribly hard man to beat. The defence of the visitors appears to be what one might describe as cast iron, and will call for the utmost endeavours of the New Zealand forward pack to penetrate. There are three full-backs, and one of these can play centre-for-ward, land the other is probably a better goal-keeper than a full-back; there are two right-halves, two centrehalves capable of playing in the forward line, one left-half who can fill a place at inside-left, two left-wing-ers, two centre-forwards—both with formidable reputations as scorers. While no one seems to be definitely allocated to the right-wing, 'the remainder, with the exception of Tait. th team goalkeeper can play* in practically any position in the forward line, and even in other places. They have what are considered three fairly easy matches to start with, Taranaki/' Wanganui.' and Manawatu, but 1 these should put them in good tune to meet Wellington' on June 3, and from then on they' will be a team: to be reckoned with/ for they will have got into their stride. The first test in on June '25. at Dunedin, by which time they will have played at ieast ten games, arid this will he a real trial of strength. The second'' arid third tests will follow on succeeding Saturdays at Christchurch and Wellington, and the last at Auckland, just before they leave. It is a big tour that the New Zealand Council has undertaben. but its optimistic estimate of the success of the visit is fully justified ’ The negotiations opened in 1925, but it was not possible to .secure a visit in 1.926, and the local and Dominion competitions * gave clubs everywhere a bin/ programme to carry out. Finally the arrangements were completed, the Canadian Association to send a first-class team/ the council giving way on the question of allowances in order to secure the best. The tour will cost New Zealand £7OOO, which means an average of practically £350 per match for 21 games. In addition there are other heavy expenses to be incurred, and the assembling of the New Zealand representative teams for the test matches will be a considerable item. It looks' as. if the total expenses will figure l round about £lO.000, which will require an approximate average of £SOO a match to cover. Most of the guarantees have already come to band, arid the remainder are expected to reach headquarters very shortly. It will be upon the four test matches, and the four games with the four main centres upon which the council will rely for the greater portion of the receipts, and, as; it will be first-class football, there is little- doubt that the public will throng to see it. The Canadian team is a far stronger one than that which visited Australia two seasons ago. and no- .side as goo# has hitherto visited New Zealand. The--are assured of a great welcome from soccer enthusiasts in all parts of the Dominion, and there are more of them than is generally realised/ Take the number of people who arrive in the Dominion from- the Old Country every year, 90 per cent, of whom are interested in the round ball game. Practically all the men in the Dominion navy are devotees to the game, and, with the old and present day school who will follow no other pastime in the winter, the number runs into many thousands. Not only will the visit promote good relations between the sports bodies of the two Dominions, but it should do much to cement and improve commercial relations.

The revised Itinerary is as follows: May 23,' 1927.—Arrive Auckland. May 25 (Wednesday).—Versus Taranaki, at New Plymouth. May 28 (Saturday).—V ersii.s Wanganui, at Wanganui. June 1 (Wednesday).—Versus Manawatu. at Palmerston North. June 3 (Friday).—Versus Wellington, at Wellington. June 4 (Saturday).—

Juno 7 (Tuesday).—Versus Marlborough. at Blenheim. June 9 (Thursday).—Versus Nelson, at Nelson. June 11 (Saturday) .—Versus Duller, at Westport. June 15 (Wednesday).—Versus Westland, at Greymouth.

June 18 (Saturday).—\ ersus Otago, at Dunedin. June 22 (Wednesday).—Versus Soutuland, iat Invercargill. June 25 (Saturday). —Versus New Zealand at Dunedin (first test). June 29 (Wednesday).—Versus Canterbury. at -Christchurch. July 2 (Saturday).—Versus New Zealand, at Christchurch (second test). July 4 (Wednesday). —Versus South ‘ Canterbury, at Timaru. .July 0 (Saturday).—Versus. New Zealand, at We lington (third test). _ July 13 (Wednesday). —Versus Hawke s Bav, at Napier. July 4.6 (Saturday).—Versus Poverty Bav, at Gisborne. July 20 (Wednesday).—Versus South Auckland, at Hamilton. July 23 (Saturday).—Versus Auckland, iat Auckland. July 27 (Wednesday).—Versus. North Auckland, at Whnng'arei. July 30 (Saturday). l —Versus New Zealand, at Auckland (fourth test). August 2. 1927.—Leave Auckland.