PROPOSED ENGLISH VISIT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 29 July 1922, Page 4

PROPOSED ENGLISH VISIT.

THE PROBABLE ARRANGEMENTS. Tbe council of the New Zealand Football Association met Mr. Storey, assistant manager of the Australian football team, to discuss the question of a visit of an English team m 1923 or the following year. Mr. Storey stressed Australia's anxiety to bring a team out next year, largely on account of the visit of an English League team the following year. He stated that the Commonwealth* Association had already extended an invitation to a British team for 1923, and estimated the_ cost of bringing eighteen players and a ' manager, at first-class rates, to be £9234. The difference between that and £11.000 was asked to cover the ' out-of-pocket expenses. New Zealand' would be well treated under the proposed tour, which would cover fifteen Saturdays. New Zealand would get four Saturdays and mid-week matches; New South Wales and Queensland, two Saturdays and one holiday; Victoria, i West Australia, and South Australia, ; two matches; Tasmania, one. Thus j New Zealand would be on a much bet- • ter footing than New South Wales or ' Queensland, though the smaller States , were well treated in view of their lesser guarantee of £750, as against £3000 asked of New South Wales* Queensland, and New Zealand. If New Zealand were not satisfied, Australia was willing, perhaps, to give another match or to agree to some arrangement other than pooling. Australia wanted a team next year and wanted New Zealand's , co-operation. j The Ne.v Zealand Council's offer, subject to ratification by the affiliated associations, v.-as that New Zealand bear the cost of bringing the team from Sydney, the whole expenses of conducting a tour through the Dominion, and c.f the. .return to Sydney, and alw hand the Australian control £1000 as. an offset against the cost of bringing the team as far as Sydney. Mr. Storey replied that the proposal was apparently a very fair one. and be was pleased to be able to report such a concrete suggestion on his return to Australia. There was a discussion also upon the

status oi the team, the council making it c.ear that New Zealand wants none but an amateur team, and that if a professional were included he would nave to come on an amateur status and without pay. Mr. Storey answered that Mr. Gibbs, the London representative of Australasia in Soccer matters, had stated that in aU probability the team would be largeiy composed of university men. The number to be brought out was discussed, and opinions were expressed that twenty to twenty.one would need to be the minimum for safety. Mr. Gibbs, captain of the Australian team, considered eighteen ridiculous for so extended a tour. An alternative suggested of a New Zealand return visit Jn the event of fa'lure of negotiations with a Home team was also talked over, and a working basis arrived at. A suggestion was made that the profit from the Australian tour, amounting to some hundreds of pounds, be banked as a- setoft against th»_ guarantees to be found for the English tour.