ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22058, 14 September 1933, Page 7

ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

EFFORTS TO RESTORE FINANCE LOSS ON AUSTRALIAN TOUR. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, September 13. The New Zealand Football Association last night adopted the proposals drafted by the Finance Committee to assist the Council financially. All first and second division players, it is proposed; shall be charged an annual registration fee of 2s 6d, to be apportioned to the council and the affiliated associations concerned in the proportion of three to two. All third division players will pay Is each, the division ratio being two to one. It is also proposed to raise the Chatham Cup entrance fee to two guineas, and the annual subscriptions from associations from five to eight guineas for major bodies, and from two to four guineas for minor bodies. It is estimated that an additional £240 will be raised annually by these means. It was suggested that first and second proposals should be reserved to meet losses on the Chatham Cup. The committee was of opinion that, failing these ideas being agreed to, the only alternative was that all grants for the immediate future should be stopped. The suggestions will be forwarded to the associations, and will be finally discussed at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Football Association. A supplementary report was submitted by Mr Godber on the Australian tour. He said the Australian Association now stated that the financial loss was caused by the indifferent form of the New Zealand team. He combated this, and attributed the position to the depression ami unemployment, especially in the mining and industrial areas, the price of admission, and the inadequate publicity. In regard to the complaint of the laundry charge of £B2 incurred on the tour, Mr Godber said he was of opinion that the complaint was trivial and in bad taste, as he saved the Australian Association over £SO in travelling expenses, and gave them an pxtra game, the gate of which produced £45. The report was adopted, as also was one from the Finance Committee, which suggested that in connection with future tours the first charge on the profits, if any, of a return visit by an Australian team must be the assembly charges incurred during the present season by the New Zealand Football Association. Australia should be advised that though the New Zealaud Football Association had

lost money during the 1922-23 season series no appeal had been made to them for the losses to be met. It was considered* by the committee that the following causes contributed to the loss on the recent tour:—The present economic stress, the tour taking place too early in the season, the New Zealand team being called upon to play hard matches at the commencement of the tour, inadequate publicity, and the players’ allowances, which were too high.