National League FIFTH JOINS SOCCER PLAN

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31092, 22 June 1966, Page 15

National League FIFTH JOINS SOCCER PLAN

A fifth senior Christchurch soccer club, Shamrock, has joined forces with the original four clubs in the bid to form a united team to play in a national league competition.

Shamrock's application was welcomed and unanimously approved at a meeting of delegates of the four clubs Christchurch City, Rangers, Technical Old Boys and Western. Two delegates of the Shamrock club attended the meeting and reported that their club’s committee had voted unanimously to join the other four. The addition of a fifth club will substantially reduce the financial burden the original four clubs would have had to bear if the united club were formed. It was reported that in the three weeks since the first announcement of the scheme nearly half the required num-

Five Games

ber of 50 £25 shareholders had been guaranteed. A sub-committee attempting to gain a commercial sponsor for the club had had talks with Christchurch manufacturers and other interviews had been arranged. Contact had also been made with prominent soccer officials in other centres and great interest had been shown in the proposals of the Christchurch clubs. A statement issued by the committee after its latest meeting said: "Strong Support” “The committee is very satisfied with the response it has met so far from Christchurch soccer supporters and with the interest being shown in other New Zealand centres. “In only three weeks considerable progress has been made and this has further convinced the committee that there is strong support among soccer supporters in Christchurch and elsewhere for the formation of a national league of club teams . “Much work has still to be done before the united Christchurch club can be formed. The first essential must be to recruit the other 25 persons willing to buy £25 shares in the club. “However, the committee has been greatly encouraged, by the response it has met so far and the joining forces with the large Shamrock club, to bring its plans to a successful conclusion.”

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. A Hong Kong soccer club, Sing Tao, has now completed arrangements to tour New Zealand in August The chairman of the N.Z.F.A. tours committee (Mr C. R. Wilkins) said yesterday that the club will play five games in New Zealand and probably five in Australia.