SOCCER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19773, 22 February 1927, Page 4

SOCCER

WANDERING PLAYERS MIGRATION TO AMERICA. Big attempts are being made to launch Association football in Amerida, and already there are a good many professional clubs, writes the London correspondent of the "Chronicle.” Afost of these have been recruited from British sources. For two yelars or more there have been agents in this country, who have dangled tempting baits before players to go to the other side, and in many cases they have landed their mon'

For the most plart these players have been in disagreement with their clubs, and have departed because they could not get the terras lhey demanded. But the conditions under which the game in America is played are very different from those which obtain in this country . In Amerida football is being exploited openlv for profit. The clubs are owned by irllividuals, who make the contracts with players, and who take all the receipts. Ab much as £2O a week is plaid to the men, as compared with the maximum of £8 which it is possible for them to earn in England. Not Bushing Big Money. In these circumstances it might be thought that there would have been a rush of players to America. The reverse, however, has been the dase, and, as a mattr of fact, most of those who have tried American football have soon got out of it, and returned home. A pllayer who has just come back is the Irish international centre-half, Michael O ’Brien, who refused to resign for Hull City at the end of last season.

He has left American football in utter disgust. After one miatch he was informed that he had been fined 50 dollars because his form was not satisfactory. In his opinion he was the outstanding player in the miatch, and it would have been surprising if he had not been. O ’Brien was still a registered Hull City player, but the club did not wish him to reappear in the team, and so they arranged for his transfer to Derby Count>. Registration Deferred. The latter expected to play him in a League match two days later, but they were informed by the (authorities that his registration had been held over. It is now known that the League intend to take steps to prevent players deserting their clubs in search of the American dollar. This cannot be done unless America will enter into some agreement, but it &s quite easy to make a rule disqualifying men Irom English football after they have broken their contract with a club. That is to say, a player who goes to America without permission may not be allowed to take part in the game in the event of his return. If this is done, it is probable that there will be an end to what has been called the American menace.

Football League Reform. Most of the big Association clubs are alarmed by the heavy demands which the game now makes on their financial resources. Wage bills amount to as much as £12,000 a year, transfer fees are double what they were five years ago, and altogether the strain is very severe, indeed, of the eighty-eight clubs who form the four sections of the League almost half arc in debt. The Arsenal club, through their manager, Air Herbert Chapman, have now sounded a halt. In effect Mr Chapman says: "The spending of thousands of pounds, with directors backing bank overdrafts, cannot go on much longer. We shall hlavo to reduce our expenses. ’ The remedy, as propounded by Air Chapman, is to lessen competition, which has got beyond the bounds of reasonable keenness. He points out that there is an ever-pre-sent threat for the senior clubs of relegation to the {Second Division. It confronts all in turn. Buying Their Way Out. At the present time such clubs las Everton, who have never lost their place since the competition was started, and Aston Villa are seriously concerned as to the future. It is not anticipated that they will remain tit the bottom of the table, but they can escape only by the costly process of buying new men. Similarly, competition is Utmost as keen in the Second Division to gain promotion, and the flame heavy expenses have to be faced to achieve this ambition.

Minimise the seriousness of relegation, says Air Chapman, and lessen the importance of promotion. To do this he has proposed a scheme 'whereby Us many as eleven clubs of the First Division would change places with an equal number from the Second Division each season. He desires to give the two competitions equal standing. It is a revolutionUry reform, and it has not much chance of being adopted. No Transfers In Season. Air Chapman, with the same object, also suggests that the transfer system should not be in operation during the playing scsUon. He would compel all clubs to make their arrangements during the closed season, and insist that they should abide by them, no matter what circumstances might ainse after pluy had begun. There is little doubt that this would bring about a reduction in fees.

On the other hand, considerably larger staffs would have to be engaged, and the wage bills would be substantially increased. It is to be feared, however, that the clubs will not saddle themselves with such restrictions, and, unless a more practical plan is suggested, the money will continue to be poured out.