NOT PESSIMISTS

Evening Post, Issue 28, 1 August 1936, Page 23

NOT PESSIMISTS

STANDARD OF GAME

Several references to the fact that Association football is making ; good progress in New Zealand, and' not declining as some ' people seem to think, were made by speakers at a reception in Wanganui to the louring Australian Football Association representatives.. Other speakers stressed the fact that there was room in the city for both Rugby and Soccer codes. A? practical example of a broadminded view in this connection was given by one speaker who mentioned that selected to play against the' Australians was a Wanganui boy whose father was a Rugby selector. -'

Mr. W. Herd, patron of the Wanganui Football Association, said that it was incorrect to say that the game had not rhade progress in New Zealand. In his opinion Soccer had never been so strong as it was at present. Today, 90, per cent, of the Dominion's representative players were New Zealanders. "Those who think that Soccer is going back need only look at the wonderful standard of play in our junior football. We have nothing to fear for the code in New Zealand today," Mr. Herd declared. ;

The Australian manager, Mr. S. A. Storey, said (according to the "Chronicle") that'the standard of Soccer in New Zealand was not as low as the scores made by the Australians would indicate. One had to remember that in New Zealand the teams had fewopportunities of international play.