SOCCER TOUR BUNGLED?

Chronicle (Levin), 6 May 1947, Page 7

SOCCER TOUR BUNGLED?

(Special' Australian Correspondent.;

south africans complain at Australian conditions

Received Monday, 9 p.m. SYDNEY, May 5. If ' sports ' rcpresentatives are re garded as ambassadors of their coun cries, the relations between Australia and Soutli Africa are not likely to be improved by the visit- of the SoutJi . African soccer team which is now in Sy dney in the course of a tour 0 i Australia hnd New Zealand. Since arrival in ' the Commonwealth the management of the' team has lodged aseries of complaints on subjects rang ing from travelling conditions ' and aecommodation, the size of groi.nds anu the durability of Australian fou: ...is. The players arrived in Fremui-. ... by the immigrant "hellship" Misr aboui which their comments were undcrsiandably terse. The train journey between Perth and Adelaide brought the first complaint of treatment within. Austra lia. The English cricketers voiced nu protest about this long • and tedious journey but the South Africans thoughL they shouid have been given an air trip The manager, Mr. J. Barbour, pro tested when m Adelaide at some f'oot oaliors having to share double beds. The Sydney aecommodation ' brought bitter complaints in the press. , 1 ' jl almost collapsed When 1 reached thc notel and was shown a dorinitory in which were 14 beds , for my players, '* said Mr. Barbour. He demanded and received a change but is still not satislied. Hotel mea'ls were also made the subjeet of a newspaper complaint. The South Africans objected to thc quality of the meals, tlie fact that only lwo per day were avatlable at the hotei, and to the type of luncheon oft'erec them at the .Sydney cricket ground be fore the match with New South vVales. "By the way we have been herdeu round Australia the oflicials must hav. t-hought we were a iot of Zuius," com mented Mr. Barbour. He said befort the New South Waics game that th^ piaying field of 110 by 75 yards wa.much too small. South African field, - were 130 by 90 yards and the regulation interntional field 120 by 90 yards. Thc width of the field was increased befon the game to 80 yards. The visitors claim that the Austra lian-made footballs lose their shap-, because of inferior leather. Mr. Barbour 's remarks rsceiveo proininence in the South African prcs., and at Bulawayo, Mr. F. W. Fell, presi dent of the South African Footbali Association, expressed surpiise tha. proper acconiniodation had not been provided for the tourists in Australia. At a special conference in -Sydney Mr. Barbour gained, his points. It was agreed that hencefbrth only the best aecommodation shouid be provided foi 1 tlie team and that Mr. Barbour shouiu be notified in advance ox all furthe.

bookmgs. . , Charges of bungling are being levei led at ,the Aus,i^ralian Associatioi. officials by several,'i?poi:ting writers. The South Afriejtps, are loolcing for ward to ,bettpr ;>^ftcommodation am. travelling conditjons when they go ti New Zealand, Theyiare already assured of flying both;)\vays across the Tasman