SOCCER

Southland Times, Issue 20499, 30 May 1928, Page 8

SOCCER

DOMINION COUNCIL SCHOOLBOYS’ TOUR OF AUSTRALIA PROPOSAL FAVOURABLY CONSIDERED (Per United Press Association.) j Wellington, May 29. The Council of the New Zealand Football Association met to-night, Mr F. Campbell presiding. SCHOOLBOY TOUR.

The competitions committee reported on the proposed tour by a New Zealand school, boy team to Australia during the present season and made the following recommendations:—That the tour should be for a period of five weeks including time of travel; that it should include New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia; that the team should assemble two days before date of leaving; that the team should consist of 18 players, two centre forwards, three right and three left wing forwards, five halves of whom two must be able to play centre, three backs, one goalkeeper and one goalkeeper who should be able to play full back; that the team should be chosen from all associations under the jurisdiction of the New Zealand Football Association and the committee desired that a thoroughly representative team should be selected irrespective of associations; that North Island and South Island Public Schools Football Associations be asked to nominate selectors, two from each island, one selector to be chairman to be selected by the New Zealand Council; if possible the age of the team be fixed at 15 on June 30, 1928, the team to leave New Zealand about August 1 so as to include term holidays and so reduce the time from school to a minimum; that the tour should be educational as well as ath letic; that a manager and assistant manager be appointed, nomination to be called for; that entertainment should chiefly comprise visits to places of interest, geographical, historical and industrial; that a full night’s rest is essential after any train or boat travel before a match is played and that there be no entertainment the night preceding a match. The committee estimated that the expenses of the tour, including assembly in Wellington would be approximately £420 and recommended that each of the associations give £22 10/- for each boy from its district and managers also pay £l5 towards the fund. The sum raised would then amount to £435. The committee recommended that the equipment of the teams be provided if possible and it had been suggested that possibly a great deal of assistance could be obtained from New Zealand manufacturers. The boys’ pocket money should be limited to £5 which should be placed in the hands of the manager. The report was unanimously adopted and is to be communicated to associations. The secretary read a letter from the Scot tish Football Association enclosing a copy of a letter it had received from the Wanganui Association. The letter of the Wanganui Association asked the Scottish Association if it could donate a trophy to the Wanganui Association to be competed for in a special football competition. Fully 60 per cent, of the players in Wanganui hailed from the land of the thistle and their keenness in upholding the code and bringing their homeland to the fore was unequalled. They would esteem a truly Scottish trophy, “not an elaborate affair you know, but just something which sight and thought of would bring back to them the joy of belonging to such a grand country and instil to greater effort the cleanness and sportsmanship of Scottish tradition.” The Scottish Association asked for particulars regarding the Wanganui Association the number of clubs in the membership of the association their relationship tb the New Zealand Football Association and whether the Wanganui Association were entitled to the consideration asked. The secretary was requested to forward the information to the Scottish Association and to write to Wanganui and state that as a matter of courtesy the letter to the Scottish Association should have been forwarded through the New Zealand Football Association. On the motion of Mr H. I. Graves, it was decided to send a letter of congratulation to Mr F. J. Wales, secretary to the English Football Association upon his seventieth birthday. Mr Graves remarked that it was wonderful that a man of that age should continue to control the game. Mr Graves said that the council might congratulate the Wellington Association upon the very prompt payment of its 1928 fees amounting to £2O and entry fees for the Chatham Cup amounting to £7 7/-. If . other associations would pay up as promptly it would save the council having to pay 7 per cent, on bank overdraft.