SOCCER FOOTBALL

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 80, 28 December 1921, Page 3

SOCCER FOOTBALL

ITS PROGRESS IN AUSTRALASIA EFFORTS TO BRING OUT ENGLISH TEAM Though Rugby has long been supreme in New Zealand ae the national winter pastime, its sister game, "Soccer,” is slowly but steadily gaining ground, and is already much stronger than the majority of people imagine. Mr. J. G. Orange, writing in the London "Evening News” of November 5, has some light to throw' upon the advancement the game is making beneath the light of the Southern Cross, and incidentally bears testimony to the good work an old Wellingtonian, Mr. A. E. Gibbs, is doing. "My notes of a week ago," writes Mr. Orange, "appertaining to the welfare of Association football in our’colonies have aroused much interest, particularly among Australian sportsmen in this country. Incidentally, they have brought to light the fact that a strong body—called the Commonwealth Football Association—has been formed in Australasia to further the interests of the game, and that Australasia is actually represented on the council of our football association. "During the week I had a short chat with Mr. A. E. Gibbs, who, when in New Zealand many years ago, laid the foundations on which "Soccer” out there is being built up at the present time. An old ardent supporter of the Association code, Mr. Gibbs had a lot to do with bringing the game to the front when in the Antipodes, and since his return to England he has worked unceasingly on behalf of Australasian "Soccer.” Ho it is who holds a watching brief for Australia on our football associa-

tion.” I "Naturally enough,” the English writer goes on to say, "one of Mr. Gibbs’s pet schemes is to get an English team sent out on missionary work. Such a side need not be one of great strength, for the game is still really in its infancy out there, and whatever sort of a team we sent across would doubtless be strong enough to hold its own. As a matter of fact, a good team of amateurs would fill Australia’s requirement very well, for the time being at any rate, for at present there are no professional "Soccer” players in our Dominions, nor are there likely to be any for some considerable time to come. Australian Football. Mr. Orange understands that the Football Association has already been approached regarding an English team for Australia. There are difficulties in the way, but these are not by any means insurmountable. But to begin with, such a tour would take the players (at least 20 would be necessary) out of the country, and, of course, away from their clubs for at least six months, and very probably eight. A team that would fill the mission as well as any would be one of university players just going down, who had time on their hands and had not yet set out on a life of business. To a side such as this, the tour would be of inestimable value from an educational standpoint alone, for qne sees the greater part of the world on a journey to the Antipodes. The big barrier to an English tour of Australasia at the present time is the financial problem. The Football Association is hardly prepared to sink a big sum in missionary work, though a better outlet for any sums that may have accrued it would be difficult to imagine. And the game itself is not in such a condition in Australasia just now that a financial success could be guaranteed. However, such a consideration should be the last, rather than the first, thought. Mr. Gibbs gave it as his opinion that the biggest task "Soccer” football has on hand in Australia is in coping with the game known as Australian football, which has a 'big following and is exceedingly strong in some centres. "But," declares Mr. Orange, "the soldiers have taken home with them a great liking for "Soccer,” which slowly, but very surely, is coming into its own out there." f Eager for an English Team. "In New Zealand,” proceeds the English writer, "our'winter game has made much greater strides than in Australia itself. In the first-named place Association is taught in the schools, and the game is going ahead very rapidly under the careful guidance of Mr. B. L. Salmon, who has worked tremendously hard for the cause. "The chief difficulty in New Zealand is in finding suitable grounds, for in some places the land has been recovered from the sea. The high winds experienced in some parts are also against the game. But one can easily gather how much interest is being taken in‘"Soccer” out there by'l the fact that no fewer than sixty dozen copies of the 'Referees’ Chart’ were ordered from England at the beginning of the season. And this in a place with a very small population, comparatively speaking.”

Negotiations With Football Association. The following motion was carried at the annual meeting of the Commonwealth Football ’Association, held in Melbourne last August:—"That the C.F.A. open up negotiations with the British F.A.,’ asking for definite terms, conditions, and dates for rilie dispatch of an English team for an Australasian tour fot 1923 or 1924."

"It will be gathered from the foregoing," continues Mr. Orange, “that Australasia is firmly bent on getting an English team out before long. I understand that two members of the Commonwealth F.A. are at present in London, and, with Mr. Gibbs, are doing their utmost to get our authorities round to their way of thinking. I hope they will succeed, for it will lx> to the good of all concerned. Thus it will be seen," concludes the English writer, "how keen an interest Australian Soccer players take in our doings. Their hearts are right in the game, and they will not rest content until we have helped them along by sending out. a team. And when once that has been done..,it won’t be many years before they will able to challenge us at Association.” i