SOCCER TOUR

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20639, 30 January 1937, Page 16

SOCCER TOUR

ENGLISH TEAM'S VISIT Large Expense Involved The selection of an English amateur Association football team to tour New Zealand and Australia from April 17 to August 3 is the culmination of many years of earnest endeavour on the part of the Dominion authorities to bring a team from England. Australia had the benefit of a visit from an English professional team in 1925. and the resultant rise in the standard of the Australian’s play provided proof of the value of such visits. The cost of the tour will be £7500, and the original intention was for the tourists to play 14 games in New Zealand. However, strong represtntations were made by Australia for the tour to be extended to the Commonwealth, and it Is understood that the Australian Board of Control was prepared to pay £2OOO for five games, leaving New Zealand £5500 to pay for nine games. Latest advices, however, are that the visitors will play eight or nine games in Australia after visiting New Zealand. No mention is made of an increase in Australia’s guarantee, which hardly seems fair to New Zealand, which is shouldering all the trouble and most of the expense of arranging the tour.

The team has been selected from players who can afford the time to make the trip and is not truly representative of the amateur Leagues It seems to have been chosen mostly from clubs around London. The main strength of the side appears to lie in the fact that the foremost club combinations have been favoured. For instance, a centre and two wing-for-wards have been chosen from the same club, while the internationals comprising the half and forward lines have played together several times this esason. English critics state that the team is a good one and should provide strong opposition to the sides of both Dominions.