PENDING SOCCER TOUR

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 31, 6 February 1937, Page 11 (Supplement)

PENDING SOCCER TOUR

BRITISH TEAM FOR N.Z. GAMES GROWTH IN AUSTRALIA LIST OF CHOSEN PLAYERS Soccer has made wonderful strides in Australia and acocrding to a writer in the Sydney Referee the announcement of the personnel of the English soccer football team to tour Australia and New Zealand this year has caused great jubilation in both countries. Few people not direct.y associated with soccer in this country have any idea regarding the progress it is making in our national sporting life. This applies especially to schoolboys, and, after all, the school playground is the cradle for all sporting activities. Soccer can boast a far more formidable array of playing nations than all other codes combined, for no less than 87 field teams in regular competition. Secretary Tom Hastie,*of the New South Wales Soccer Asosciation, can produce a wealth of figures relative to players in N.S.W. and in every State to confirm the fact that progress is being made in the sport in Australia, states the Referee. I’or instance. there are 21 clubs in Sydney League; 26 in the South Coast; 21 North Coast; 16 South Maitland; 100 Protestant Churches (Sydney); 35 teams in the Junior Soccer Association; 14 Manly and suburbs competition; 22 St. George competition; 10 Ryde competition: 7 East and West competition; 14 midweek, and eight each in Eastern Suburbs, Granville, and Southern Districts. Altogether there are over 5000 players affiliated with the head body in N.S.W. In Queensland, the same sort of thing obtains according to the last annual report and the game Is making great progress In Brisbane. Too woomba, Bundaberg, Gympie, and throughout North Queensland. The Reason Of course, there must always be a reason for progress and it is claimed, logically, by soccerites that those ai the head of affairs produced a master stroke when they decided to take the game right to the homes of the people, says the same writer. There was a time when thet match of the day, in Sydney, was played on Sydney Cricket Ground, but that meant bringing spectators too many miles to see tthe fun and <i change was made to the suburbs—the outer suburbs at that. Big crowds assemble at the most important matches each Saturday afternoon, but generally speaking the great bulk of the population Is unaware of the activity or interest displayed. It i 3 there, nevertheless, and growing. Should Teach Lesson The English combination is entirely amateur and should teach Australians many valuable lessons. It is not claimed by even the most ardent aimirers of local talent that our standard of play is as yet in world class, but, on the other hand, it is claimed with emphasis that given fair opportunity to learn and imbibe the finer points, there will soon appear over the horizon a group of Australians who will at least make the best teams of any nation go flat out to finish in front. It has proved so in every other sport and there is no valid reason why it should not be so In this case. The absence of professional “stars” should be all to the good. The games might be expected to finish in favour of the visitors for awhile, but the main point is they will be games, not debacles, such as would be expected were our Unseasoned players faced with adevastating avalanche of topliners. But, we might provide a surprise. The team selected, according to expert opinion, would beat any amateur team in England, and that is sufficient recommendation. There is a treat in store for fans of this country and New Zealand. Huge Fees The value of a first-class professional in England is almost beyonu comprehension. Quite recently it was announced that manager Frank Womack, of Leicester City, had £20,000 to hand out to the right players while Manchester City made it an open secret that a similar amount was at call for approved talent. Just where all the money comes from nobody seems to know for certain and “gates” are certainly not the only source of revenue. It is known that Sir John D. Siddeley, the motor magnate, offered a loan of £20,000 *o Coventry City Club. Much interest is centred on the way the clubs are spending the money at their disposal. Leicester started the ball rolling by paying j £6OOO for the transfer of Jack Bowers | from Derby, while Manchester United I laid °ut £4OOO to Blackburn Rovers for Jack Thompson, and followed up j with £2250 for Tom Breen, of Celtic. Baby of Team In the band of players soon to come to Australia one of the number will be “Billy” Pickering, of Sheffield Wednesday—a mere stripling of 16 years. Probably that is a record, for it seems incredible that one of such tender years could possibly be selected to represent his country. Looked at from every angle, the next few months should provide thrills aplenty and by the time cricket bats are brought out again at the end of the winter, it is a safe bet that a few more thousands of Australians and New Zealanders will have become interested in the game which, in England, is regarded almost in the same light as religion. The Players The following players comprise the English soccer team to visit Australia. Nine internationals are included

and the tour will extend from April 17 to September 3. The players chosen are:— Goalkeepers: L. T. Huddle (Casuals); A. H. Woolcock (Cambridge). Full-backs: G. G. Holmes (Ilford), G. A. Strasser (Corinthians), W. Pickering (Sheffield Wednesday). Half-backs: B. Joy (Casuals), J. W. Lewis (Walthamstowc Avenue), T. H. Leek (Moor Green), J. cliffe (Corinthians), E. Cunningham (Lloyd’s Bank). Forwards: R. J. Matthews, E. C. Collins and F. A. Davis (Walthamstowe Avenue), J. Sowerby (Ipswich Town), L. C. Thornton (Derbyshire Amateurs), F. Riley (Casuals), I. Gillespie (Harwich), Lance-Corporal Eastham (Army). Messrs. Wreford Brown and T. Thorne will be in charge of the team.