1958-02-01 — Page 17

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1958.

I. M. MacTavish's Saturday Soccer Spot

A TEAM-BUILDING POLICY NEEDED

IT'S CASH ON THE NAIL

FOR "KILLER"

By ALAN HOBY

BRIAN

When Brian Sydney Harper was 11 they took him to London, dressed, in his best suit, to see the big, bull-chested man he called "Dad" defend his title as the British Heavyweight; Champion.

That was on the night of July 17, 1945, at the ground of Tottenham

Hotspur Football Club.

But young Brian, a bewil- dered little figure in his ringside seat, saw 'Dad''-Jnek London. knocked out in six rounds by Bruce Woodcock, who became the new champion. Since then moro thun 12 years have passed....

Today Brian Harper, better known as Brian London, has Erown into an angry you! heavyweight with cold eyes, a Jutting prow of a chin and a re- putation 01 a fighter with u "killer" atreak.

His Guide

Today, too, his father, the old heavyweight king, stands solidly behind him--for ever gulding Brian over every foot or the pain-paved path to fistic glory. "It's extraordinary," rumbled Jack London senior, now. a Inellow 17 stone, when I called on the London fumily at their Blackpool home recently.

€3 10s, for a top of the bill Bght. His first three outings 45 a professional earned hlin 12. Od.. 12. 8d., and C1 59.

Another time he fought twice in 24 hours in towns 350 miles apart after travelling through

Fur the night in a friend's car. these two bouts he pocketed

£50.

But, however bad the times. Jock London senior always saw that his growing boys ate well. Even, says Brian London, "If he had to eat out of tins himself."

Hard Days

Indeed. Jack Lendon wAS EO hund up in his early days he could only afford to pay £26 for a secondhand car.

"Nowadays,

there's decent money around," says Jack London, "but I fought for nowt." In the lush 'fies his son Brian-"I owe everything 10 Ded"--has banked more money "Here s Brian matched at in three years of prize-fighting Jurringay next month in than his battle-scarred father world-class night with Willle did in nearly 19 years of mul

the fourth-ranked and brawl,

It took Jack London 13 slogging years to win the heavy- weight title. It has tulin Brian just three years and 27 fights to earn £12,000 with his 1918-culminating in his clash with the slippery Pastrano on February 25,

ht in America. "Yet when he was a kid had to bribe him with ten-bob nutes before he would box at all. "He was only seven, but he was quick even in those days. I'm not going to fight unless you pay me, he would say.

"That's right," Brion chipped in. "We lived in West Hartle- pool then and my elder brother Jack, now a light-heavy, used to fight my battle for me. I didn't like boxing, didn't like trouble of any kind."

1 said: now?"

"Do you like boxing

No one, unless they're daft, likes boxing," Brlan London replied bluntly. " hox for cash-on the nail.”

The Realist

For Brian-the wildent 1491. 2b. heavyweight with a punch in either fist (17 of his lights have been won inside the dis- tance) is as hard-headed as his native North,

At 23, and with only four de- fests in 108 contests (87 amateur 2 pro) he is a realist.

He remembers what his old mun went through in the bleak days before the war-cheap Incals, fighting for a few pounds, often after oll-night train

ever he could.

This bout, I estimate, will bring Brian the fattest purse of his career. £3,500,

at

When I talked to him at his home, and later during an inter- sive course of "circuit" training at the local RAF station Weeton-Brian used to be a PT Instructor there found him likeable, calm, and completely

honest.

Now Home

Brian London-"I owe everything to my

Dad:

As Little Reason For Some Of Those Selected As For Those Dropped

Have the Colony soccer selectors gone completely off the rails? Or have they hit on some fantastic secret method of team-building' that is not understood by loss for- tunate mortals?

It is almost impossible not to ask such questions after read- ing the teams chosen to represent All-Hongkong and the Hongkong Selection against the visiting Korean National side.

perfect example of hotchpotch picking, then surely If ever there was a

we have it this time.... and I have to admit that even after I was

given a chance to read a manuscript copy of the two selections I did not believe it.

came

play well together when the playera cannot be confident that they will keep their place over

It seemed

When the Austrians utterly in- | 80

Targ consistent that I was suspicious nocently,

Sum... the that someOLLE had made an best middleman in the Colony.... error in copying the information wasn't considered good enough a fair period; that they will be or that I was on the receiving to get a place in either of the given a chance to build them-

the

end of a playful hoax. Alas, Hongkong sides. This time helves into a team in the best neither was true. The in- returns from the wilderness to sense of the word: that they

which had been capialn formation

All-Hongkong will not be cast aside at the shown to me was only too eleven. That, of course, is his nickle whim of the men who sit the Interport Com- necurate even if it was almost rhiful place but what an ad- around

mission it in by the selectors.mittee table. beyond understanding.

Scaro д thought now for the

displaces. man he

Mendum, to make any teal headway, there

A Mystery

If Hongkong football is going

If you want to measure the who led the right half post-must bo

tico in the st Colony fantasy-or should I say farce-

side building polley for the Colony's

re-

of the latest effort, look down hi time finds himself a the list of players nominated for terve for the second team. the Hongkong Selection and

his display

ʼn progressive team-

representative teams.

will find in the centre half you fand that is a demotion he does players from game to gamo will

for not déserva, posl.

tan the name of Ko Po-keung. arainst the Austrians was as as that given by any How this player cornered good the confidence of the selectors other member of the hall back

is a mystery... and his fur-line. ther nomination to the captaincy

of the side makes affair something of mockery. Here

To lose his place to Tang the whole Sum is no slight on his ability

to find himself playing a soccer but

second fiddle to Lak Tak-hay Colony's second tcam in the

a bit

of understanding takes

in fact it will merely

Eastern

इ

one more totally illogical bit of team-building.

Back In Favour

D4

Changing and chopping of

never get us anywhere.

The Two Teams

It is worthwhile examining the two teams that have now boen selected and comparing thêm with the sides that repres ented us when the Austrianis came here a few short weeks ago. Several changes have been made in both teams. Players have been shuffled around like cards in a pack and the only

thing that is important now to ask: what has been done in Connection with the teams to meet the Koreans; is football progress achieved from lessons during the last series of Colony games?

are the facts. Ko Po- koung was injured many weeks rgo while playing in the League •** for Eastern against Kitchee at appear to most followers of the the Club Ground. His injury game and don't forget he has suffered from a troublesome leg condi- tion for ages took a long time to respond to treatment. Then a

Exactly the emme Bort of couple of weeks ago decided to risk him in their situation has arisen as far Senior Shield match with South the goalkeepers are concerned.

If the changes are progressive then there is no complaint to China. No doubt his presence This Lime Wal Fat-kim, com-

in but made was intended as a boost to the pletely ignored in the last series, team's morale... but instead Konds himself right back making that decision it is neces- remember the points sary to and certainly he wrs right out kong goal.

Last time, not in the first that have been raised in

all the article: to examine of touch.

three....this time top of the tree switching that has taken place: ----what a wonderful EDOCET | UW zeesaw it all is. It might be to look at the present form of Who His poor performance in that easier to understand it if any of players who have been brought

remember those garno was far short of First the goalkeepers nominated for in, and

and serica had failed have been left out: Division standard, let alone that the Wacker of representative football, and They did no such thing and it then to wonder one can only wonder by what was obvious to all that Lau Kin- All- strange token, and by what chung who played for soccer yardstick, his worthiness Hongkong was benefiting from for the present job has been the experience he was gaining while MacNicol had an absolutely satisfying game in the Hongkong

HOME SOCCER 20-kung appeared quilte, waft Cavour defending the All-Hong-

FIXTURES

are

the

"My mother and father have

Following I have just their own home. built myself £3,500 bungalow soccer fixtures for today: with central heating and every modern convenience. I also have a nice car with a new one on Villa i on order.

First Division

Arenal

Edian W "I think I'm reasonably turniry Everton telligent," he say's. "I shall Manchester C

Newcastle probably get married this year

Nottingham and all I need now is a bit more Piestch

Then Wednesday

Wolves cash to buy a business. they can have boxing."

Goal Scorer

املا

Home

Manchester U

Blackpool

W

Lets

Chelard

Y Luton

West Brom

V

Sunderland

Portsmouth

น

arningham

Tottenham

Y Leicester

Second Division

V Ipswich

บ

Cardif

U

Bristol. I Chariton Derur FOLL of a Doncaster

Fulham HudderЛeld

Journeys, snatching sleep wher- And with those words Brian

In the hungry thirties Jack London, fighting London tenior was once paid famous father, went off to play

Answers To Sports Quiz

1. Jaroslav Drobny,

2. Paris. 1900.

3. Reynoldstown.

4. Jess Willard.

5 Captain Matthew Webb, the

first man to swim the Eng- glish Channel.

6. Australia.

7. Esther Willams.

8. Basketball

0. Waltor Hammond. India.

10. Jimmy Wilde

-football, As

Middlesbrough

Mortensen- Layton style inside left he has scored Lincoln 20 gools this season for two Bluckpool teams-Vauxhall in the Wednesday League und Metal Mechanics on Saturdays,

Rotherham Swansea

Third

And the future? I predict that Aldershot It will be some time yet before Patford Brian Losden has enough in the Colchester

Crystal Palace bank to quit his punishing trade. Newport

His father is starry-eyed about Nerthampton

"With Norwich his son's prospects.

Plymouth tuck," he declares, "Brian van Port Vale

Bouthampton earn £100,000.

Third

But my great ambition is to Torquay Watford see him in back my old title. That's been my hope ever since Woodcock beat me all those Barrow years ago that one of my two radford sons would win back the Heavy-Carlisle weight Championship for the Crowe family.

Darlington Bartlepoola "And I don't think 11 will be Oldham

Rochelade long now....`

Sounthospo Southport Wrexham

-(London Express Service).

(COPYRIGHT)

York

Blackburn

y firistol C

น

West Ham

v Grimsby

Y Liverpoǝ

No C

リ Fornsley

V Stoke C V Sheffield

Dividon (South)

v Millwall

v Waball

v Balunemouth

~ Strewsbury

v Queen's PA.

v Swindon

✔ Brighten

y Gillingham

V Exeter

Southend

v Coventry v Reading” Division' (North)

V Pluty

y Tranmere

Chesterfield'

Manafeld

Galeshead

*

Halitax

✔ Strekport

*

Workington

V Bradford C

♥ Accrington

སྙ

Strange Token

Descasex.

Selecions such as these can do nothing but harm to the Selection goal.

the

我盐 the

Brighter Note

this

This week it is possible to Anish on a brighter note by flashing our minds back to the excellant Charity game played Club Stadium on Wednesday evening.

at the

It a long time since the soccer masses have enjoyed a match quite as much as they so obviously enjoyed this

A

The players excelled them-

ag wholesome selves with display as any twenty-two-ny apologies to Kwok You...

soccerites could twenty-three

When the tents were chosen game and must surely act to play the Austrians I said that an effective damper to

Wai Fat-kim had been shabbily enthustusin and progressive de- velopment of

younger treated and I do not retract a players like Lam Sheung-yee single word of that now, but very when selectors start flirting one. for example. How can any W players be convinced that indi- with the loyalty of player vidual merit is the sole quali- they simply asic for trouble.... Acation after this. They may and, as the teams for the Aus- well be pardoned wondering if trian series and the present ones past reputations, however - were virtually selected by the mole, are more important than same men, one can only assume they feel they made bad errors current form.

While the selection of Ko Po- in their carlier efforts and are quite keung

new....or was some really delightful foot- correcting obvious

them the most

inconsistency example of

maybe they are banking on ball played by both sides oven! the two line-ups, there are dangerous principle of variety although they each favoured a different style. I think it wur several others that take a bit being the spice of soccer life.

Team buliding must have this contrast that made the some semblance of method, and gome the fine spectacle I was

... and if this is Charity foot some sense of loyalty must be offered by the selectors to the ball, say let us have players. How can any team more .

is

in

of understanding if one is to belleve that. there is even semblance of a team-building polley in the plans of the Inter- port Committee.

TUE

WEEK-END

GAMBOLS

GEORGE, WAKE UP. YOU'RE DREAMING T

ERG

OH, WAS DREAMING THAT I WAS TAKING A GLAMOROUS GIRL OUT TO THE THEATRE AND SUPPER J

be expected to give.

game was The speed of the

there astonishing and

lots more..

some

of it.

Page-17

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