SCHOOLBOY SOCCER

Wanganui Chronicle, 31 October 1946, Page 3

SCHOOLBOY SOCCER

JUNIOR NATIONAL CONFERENCE During the week-end delegales associated w.th schoolboy association lootball, met in Wellington and many important remits were passed. Th'.major remits will affect both primary and secondary school boys. The old primary and secondary schoolboygrades have been abolished and lour “schoolboy grades” have been Ov.abiished. They are:— Open tall schoolboys). Senior (under 16). Intermediate (under 14). Junior (under 12 and 4ft. IDins.). These grades mean that first year secondary pupils are catered lor, and also small schools have a better chance of linding a team. Th.s cup is at present played for by clubs, out shortly, associations are to be asked to decide between its use for inter-club and representative competition. This remit came from Auckland and concerns the present club junior teams. Each of the four grades will be playing in tournaments during the first week of the next August holidays. These will be controlled by a set of rules yet to be drawn up. I’he North Island Assoc.ations will compete and an island representative team will be selected to play a similarly selected team from the South Island. North Island tournaments are to be held as lollows: Open at Wellington; senior at Manawatu; intermediate at Wanganui and junior at Auckland. It is possible that Wanganui may play Auckland in an inter-provincial match earlier in the season. With the consent of the National Council, a junior advisory committee will be set up with the care of junior soccei as its sole responsibility. This committee will consist of six and their first job is to draw up a set of rules to cover the tournaments. A register of all the soccer players in the training colleges is to be kept. When these students are posted to schools they will be given all help they need for the good of the game. It was decided to invite an Australian senior under 16) team to visit New Zealand during the next season. The modifying of rules for junior grades was discussed. Such issues as reduction « size of field, and dropping of the cross-bar, were fought out, but it was decided to leave the rules as they stood.