SOCCER CODE

NZ Truth, Issue 1016, 16 May 1925, Page 11

SOCCER CODE

I The English Tour (By "Kick Off.") Whilst attending a match last Saturday I was surpi-ised to hear so many people express regret at the failure of the New Zealand Council to bring the English team, which opened its tour m Australia during the last week, to New Zealand. t One could not put into print the uncomplimentary things that were said about our controlling body. "A parcel of old women," "A lot of duds," were mild remarks to some that were uttered. Now,, let us try and find out the reasons. '■":■" ,'y It was estimated that th'e-cdst, of bringing the team ,■ to New . Zealand ' would be m the vicinity of. £7000. ,. A big sum, we will admit. But'\the\ gate takings of the Chinese tour came to £6996 10s sd, and almost , from.;,' the first match of the tour the team' was a losing one. Many people say that thousands of people went to see the Chinese out of .curiosity. Perhaps "that was so, but thousands more would go to see an English team. Another point ' is this: the admission to the Chinese games was Is, whereas . 'no one would begrudge 2s to see the Englishmen. • The general impression is -that the Australian people m charge of the game are just, a little bit too clever for the members of the New Zealand Council, and, what is rn-ore, they have good reason for thinking so. This is the third occasion that the Aussies have beaten us. The first occasion was when the first Chinese team came west, the second was the Canadian bungle, and last, but not least, the English team. The public of New Zealand has never yet seen a first class exhibition of the Soccer code, and it appears as if we shall have to wait a few years more before we do. We want a team that will set a pattern for our school boys to copy, and this team is the one to do it. Perhaps my dreams are too y fantastic, but I look forward to the time when jNew Zealand will be able to send a team Home to participate m the Olympic Games, and like Uraguay, become champions' of the world. Wherever an English team has travelled the game has spread like wildfire, and when nations like Spain, Italy and Turkey go crazy over the game it must be some game. ' In 1923 the New Zealand Council got into touch with Mr. Walls, secretary of the ,English Football Association, asking for an amateur team, and an invitation was sent out to all the leading amateurs, but very few accepted the invitation to come; m fact, only one accepted for this tour. Mr. Walls, after a meeting of the English Football Association, denfiitely promised that a team would be sent out to Australia and New Zealand m 1925. So. after, practically begging for a team, the council failed at the critical moment. . Auckland wished for more amateurs, despite the fact that these igentlemen had refused ' to travel, and that was one of the principal reasons they (Auckland) refused to put up a guarantee. There is really some excuse for Auckland, insofar that they have a big financial hurdle to overcome m Blandford Park, but despite that fact they could, to my mind, have found the guarantee. At the annual meeting the Auckland delegate was a proper pessimist, suggesting a probable loss of £1500 which would put the game back five or six years. We often heard these sort of croakers m the Old Country when clubs were thinking of .^adopting professionalism. Otago was' the- other association that would not stump up, but recent events have explained their attitude. It appears that the rumor went around that the Chinese tour was a failure, and that the guarantors would lose money over it. Now, Otago at this late hour asks the council to open up negotiations with Australia. Well, the Aussies are not likely to, do that, and will m the future ignore New Zealand and their yes-no attitude. The referees of New Zealand, had the Englishmen come over here, would have had the pleasure of meeting and hearing Mr. John Lewis, the famous referee, give lectures upon that side of the game. The grounds of New Zealand would suit . the team better than the hard grounds of Australia. Now the chances are that if any of these players go back injured the professional clubs will be reluctant to let their players go on a long tour again. The team as constituted is a fairly good all-round one, and thex-e is not a defence m the whole of Australasia that can keep the forward line , out. And we are not, to see them!