COST OF A TOUR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17945, 24 November 1932, Page 2

COST OF A TOUR

ENGLISH SOCCER TEAM VISIT TO DOMINION Correspondence and reports received by tho council of the New Zealand Football Association show that tho Australian Football Association has in- \ ited separate teams from England and Scotland to visit Australia next year, playing a triangular series of matches. The Commonwealth Association has offered the English team for a tour of New Zealand next season over a period of four, playing Saturdays. If tlie invitations are accepted the New Zealand Football Association is to pay £3OOO to Australia for the visit of the English team, and to pay the usual expenses of an overseas team in New Zealand. Beyond this no further expenses are expected, aiul Australia will pay professional wages and steamship passages to and from New Zealand.

At a meeting of the council at which Mr. I l '. Campbell presided, the finance committee reported that the expenses in Mew Zealand, including those of the New Zealand Test players, would Lie £IBOO, making a total of £4BOO. Against that, it would he necessary to take £6OOO in gates. That would ho possible by making a 2s gate at each match; an itinerary of four mid-week and four Saturday matches, all except one to lie against major associations.

Three major associations, it was recommended. should each guarantee £3OO, one £2CO, and one minor association £IOO, the council to guarantee the balance. Any loss or profit to he shared pro rata. Mr. 15. L. Salmon suggested that if the team arrived on a Monday the itinerary should be: Wednesday, v. a minor association; Saturday, Wellington; Wednesday, Otago; Saturday, first tost, Dunedin ; Wednesday, Canterbury, at Christchurch ; Saturday, second test at Wellington; Wednesday, Auckland: Saturday, third test, at Auckland. The matter was very much in the air, lor the committee had no definite knowledge as yet as to what was likely to occur next, year. If the invitation was not accepted then the New Zealand team would leave on May 19 for a tour of Australia. The chairman said it would he impossible to tour an English team on a. Is gate, which was not, sufficient for the Canadian tour. With good weather the gates on the four Saturdays should reach £9OCO, hut they had to allow for I,ail weal her. On a good day he reckoned they would get 25,000 people on Athletic. Park to see the English team. On the motion of Mr. E. Mackay. it was decided to write to the associations asking them if they arc prepared to give the necessary guarantees.