1960-02-20 — Page 19

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1980.

SATURDAY SPORTS SPOT

Hold it, critics-

tax smacks the soccer lakhs

7

Money

་་*

By 1. M. MacTAVISH

money

LETTERS TO WEEKEND SOFTBALL

THE EDITOR

UNDEFEATED CHEYENNES

MacTavish reports FACE BIG TEST

Sir, I refer to the soccer articles written by your corres- | pondent I. M. MacTavish in last Thursday's and Saturday's edilions of the China Mail, ond In particular to his remarka re- garding the lajury to the HIFA the

against money. It may be the root of evil player, Toledo, but it is also a vital ingredient in any plans for the promotion of sport on an international level.

In this modern materialistic age little can be achieved without

a healthy bank balance and a steady source of income.

May I recup briefly on some of his comments About this

a referee to decide by a cursery glance whether a player has been seriously injured... expert medical assistance must be

wise memorable occasion,...the consequences could have been serious....it WDS obvious to most people that he had re-

and that is equally true whether amateur or professional mmoned...biota on an other sport is concerned.

the present I was reminded vividly of this, then for Ister the other day when I structure....and just as board an ill-informed gentleman making truly Innlastle stale- ments about the "fabulous fur- funts" being heartlessly wrong from the long suffering public by the Hongkong Football Asso- ciatio

Inancial

de-! nitely there would be equally ponvincing counter-arguments in favor of sweeping revision:

The Hongkong Football Asso- elation is charged with the task of promoting and furthering the interests of soccer in this com- In particular, the individual munity. Without the incentive concerned was quoting seriously and stimulant of regular visits hrsccurate returns for the recent

from overseas teams our dome- series of

against the stic Ramer

football would slump Peruvians and, 45 similar through sheer boredom and the thoughts may be harboured by endless repetition of seeing the others. I thought i might be worthwhile this week to review reasonably accurate round-figure sinisiler regarding

visit the successful

of the colourful South Americans.

game after

game,

known that the subsequent concessions they made in sonceived CARCE. and the compiete abolition of tax in others, has done a great deal to encourage sporis administrators in the

UK to a more progressive and ambitious approach to every thing

do with their particular game.

Tremendous burden

AGAINST

UNPREDICTABLE PANDAS

By OLLY VAS

Cardinals after only five innings it would be surprising If the Indians, now fifth in the league, win this one.

Not up to form

incident? "It is impossible for Five softball matches are scheduled for this week- end. Two of these will see the Junior league Indians engaged in the season's first "double header against the Pandas tomorrow afternoon and against the Cheyennes in the opening game on Sunday at 9.30 a.m. The Indies league title has already been won by SCAA, nasty knock....the

this being their second championship in as many first man on the spot was the referee, without taking time to

years. Two more matches still remain to be played examine the extent of the injury in this league before the next ladies' competition ....he was more worried about

begins in the form of the Knockout Series. pushing on with the game than retling assistance for the injured

The situation is the same in section where the mon...The Hongkong Football the Junior Association should take warning | Dodgers have won the cham- from this incident".

plonship and the scramble now serious Blather

accusations, is for the runners-up and minor

placings, doubt that and all levelled by your corres~ There can be no

The main interest is there- Government made magni-pondent without checking with

fore in the Senior Alvislon cent contribution to sport when the player himself, the team

where the Cheyennes remain and ma-cotch or doctor, or even the same faces

I built the modern

undefeated in six starts. year after year.

jestic Hongkong Stadium. But referee to ascertain the actual

Sunday they face the extent of Toledo's injury. It is imperative to the He-

moment at the as things are

As the referee of the malch

fest football football is

when they play the un

The Cheyennes are currently and progress of

the only sporting in question may take this predictable Pandas. Hongkong that our players should

languishing at the wrong end of to clarify the

the league table and though they have the opportunity of pitting activity which is capable of

by informing

*The weekend programme position

your

have had the measure of the with a their talents against their coun- repaying anything of Govern-pportunity

off tomorrow readers that the player Toledo starts terparts from other countries, ment's cxpenditure

sides are not playing the brand To bring attractive and suitable there are now many people who advised me that he was suffer- Junior match at 3.30 pan. be- opposition before, by 11-7, both the of softball they are capable of opposition to the Colony is of belleve that it is being asked ing from "CRAMP", a complaint tween

Do make big a contribution which hardly suggests the Pandas. expensive bust- The facts as they unfolded course # very

necessity for expert medical The Pandas have every pro-and it could go either way. too quickly.

At 11.00 a.m. the Pandas themselves

shown ness and the enterprise quite

End The #nancial statistics of the attention

which surely spect of finishing Eccond in the teams Bike

table astonishing and i was rather arranging for

re-league their own permits the player to be

this year. They come to grips with the Choyennes Peruvian series tell Robering to find that, after all Blackpool and the Peruvians is

support story of the tremendous burden moved to the touchlines so that have already beaten the Indians in the week's attraction. the enterprise, financial risk, worthy of the greatest

a real in which laxation and other obliga- the game may be proceeded once before, by 8-5. After lost from everyone with hardwork, public loyalty and

week's debacle when they had tions place upon the coffers of with. of the crust in the game. progressive planning

to toss In the towel against the the Football Association. When Hongkong Football Association

a series realises almost half a in staging the series, it will-

A tragedy

million dollars yet apparently after

relevant paying ali

Taking Hongkong teams away nets government more than it certainly expenses almost

on tour in the restricted foot-puts into the account of the or- nih up

ally. hall markets available with A

In the anisation which accepis all the smaller share of the money

Far East is no less expensive. risks and does all the plarining) taken де the turnstile than

With all these iblags in and promoting, the time has the..

out for it

mind it would seem that the surely come when the position-- could particularly as it applies to tax best long term results

Some

Hard to believe

With this in mind I set about collecting the necessary dats.

were

Hongkong Government. ↑ ¦

At first I found this pretty hard to believe but when I was the facts and Bgures given situation had to be accepted as a fair statement of the circum- stances.

Here are the statistics, and remind you again that for con- venience I am sticking to round figures,

The four official games were watched by pproximately 81,000 fans who paid some $102,500 for the privilege. Now that was a lot of money by any standards but the impressive Kross tatel took a knock from the taxman who claimed just short of $80,000 ns his cut. The running expenses of the Hong- keng Stadium-Police, checkers, aftendants. etc.-absorbed other $20,000...or $5,000 per game.

Well worth

an-

Of course the visitors also took a hefty share under their guaranteed contract-but that is a rivale matter and does not concern the substance of this particular article-although on a purely personal note I feel they were well worth whatever they collected.

But in the HKFA had not renched the store of crediting the balance of the gate receipts In its account....for there was the nuiter of the ground pool to be settled. The pool takes 30 per cent of the net gate after

and

be achieved by ploughing more football matches should

of the wealth derived from be given some serious thought.

the Colony's show rames back Into football.

With the right kind of money

avallable the HKFA would able to

be

all Its short- Football-for comings and complexities--is a As such it should be given all possible great community asset. encouragement both material undertake ambillous and practical.... so what bet-i coaching schemes which would ter than a progressive plan .... in turn contribute much to the to relax the tax! ! ! future of soccer and if is now no great secret that was mainly the heavy financial

finally de obligations which cided the members of the HKFA to abandon the project

that would have brought Stanley Matthews to Hongkong.

11

to

The fact that Stanley is now very unlikely to be invited come here is a tragedy of the greatest magnitude. It is little consolation to Inow that soon ho will almost certainly be playing exhibition games and coaching in the Middle East be- fore taking up a close season Africa engagement in South this summer.

UK example foo3baller. He is an inter

Matthews Es more than a

The question of the duties and responsibilities of a team captain is one which gets request airings when sportsmen meet.

There are plenty of differences af opinion on the subject but must people nowadays belleve that a great deal depends on the personality and integrity of the skipper himself.

The altitudo of determined team captain Jooks ilke having very interesting repercussions. liere la a re- port of his latest exploit.

one

It happened when Red Star (Yugoslavia) met Izmir, one of Turkey's alt-stor sides, last weck.

Sent off own player |

national Institution. It is a cad Things got a bis hectic and, reflection on our complicated after a particularly bad foul. financial affairs that even when Kostle, Hed Star's famous inter- centre-forward, was we were apparently bang in the national middle of a rich financial har- cautioned by the referee,

This lenient treatment did not vest our administrators should

their satisfy team skipper Spastic, feel it necessary to turn backs on the golden opportunity who sent off his own team mate

the payment of tax rtc., and in to bring to this soocer-minded and still led his side to a 1-0

* | victory.

#

centre the man who, like

Naturally this courageous ne- a well

known television per- tion by great sportsman caused conality, has in fact become

aquite a stir... but one cannot legend in his own time',

help wondering how many leum Not long ago the British captains would have had Government reviewed The courage to treat a fometis, whole question of tax onmisbełnavine, colleague as stern- sporting evenis and it is wellly as Spastic did.

this case claimed just a little Jess than $110,000. Quite dizeable amount you will agree.

One-tenth of that amount is divided between

non- the ground-owning Senior Clubs and a three-tenths each goen to ground-owning South China, Hongkong Football Club and ....the

Hongkong Govern- ment. A three-tenths share worth nearly $33,000 their and between tax and share of the ground pool Government almost certainly collected better than $100,000 which I am reliably assured is a bit more than will finally go on the credli aldo

Football Association

book.

of the

bank

No doubt it would be possible

to build arguments of justifica-

Sports Diary

TO-DAY

Hongkong University Eports meal. br. Hortulam, 1 p.in. Cricket

1st Division: COC v Brigade, RAF

v Paik, Optimisticisertion

Scorpions, Beoreta v XEC.

and lei; DBS'Y RAF, IRO V Centours REC V Recres, KGV Catrion

Boccer

Senior Shield semi-nal: South Chibs v Kitche (FFIC Atoulure, I

p.m

Junior Shield semi-final: RAY Bat Wan v Caroline Rin (HK Bladium).

sad Division: ŘEME v Hon, Ving ENAVYO BAR.

bra Diwirka: Dodwall v Part Olda. (Navy) 2.30 pm.

„Hacker.

Ladise" Ghasidas Cuda Creml [EMA ROC (17) 130 p.m.1 B1 Cap. Vistor new JAY) ↑ RA KOY HA

BE CAREFIX, SANG. BY HORSE IS KÜMLER FIVE. IT LOOKS LIKE WINNAJ

STEVURE MEN MAY STOP "AT NOTHING NIETÀ CƠT.

BO MUCH AT STAKE.

SO HAVE

THAT'S FOR

LUCK, I'LL SAN

YOU AFTER THE

RACE.

YOU VOLAR

NIEB TRY HØYTE) BUT THERE

THE OTHER "TAKES OVERE

NO YOU DON'T!

the

but

IAN PETRIE.

the Indians and

Nominate YOUR

HONGKONG FOOTBALLER

OF THE YEAR

They will be seen in action again on Sunday morning when Othey play the Cheyennen, the acid season's biggest disappointment.

Members of the public are invited to ʼn minate Hongkong's Footballer of the Year for the current

season.

It is a popularity poll organised by the China Mail, and nomination coupons will be accepted until the closing date to be announced later,

are:

The two qualifications for nomination

(7) Footballing prowess.

Unless memory serves me wrong the Pandas, in the first-round match, were shrad of the Cheyennes Init elected to take it easy and the league- leaders came from behind to take a 10-7 decision.

Jackte Wei will probably toss the strikes for the Pandas and though he has had a long lay- off from pitching the veteran stili has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. The Cheyennes would rather face "Junior" Pang.

The outcome of this game will depend a great deal on whoever is given the job of pitching.

On the strength of their hitting power the Cheyennes must be favoured to stretch their win- ning streak to seven games. Of course we should not overlook the fact that the Cheyennes rely hurling of too on the grand Dave 'Porky' Malig who so far has not had an of day.

Minlig has been the inspiration behind the team this year and to climax a great season it would be due reward indeed if he were to win the Most Valuable Player title this year.

(2) Sportsmanship on the field of play. New U.S. Navy team

Nominations should be addressed to the Editor, China Mail, Wyndham Street.

To the Editur, China Mail,

My nominalia for Hongkong's Footballer of the Year, taking into account his playing ability and his sportsmanship on the field of play, is:

of the

(Signed)

NOTE: No person is allowed to vote more than once in this poll)

WHILE HOYTE SHADOWS ONE OF SILVER'S GUNMEN, JANE FOLLOWS THE OTHER WHO DOES TO THEL RAILS

HEAR, THE WAUNIINO RIST.

NUMBER FIVE

NUMBER FYZI

SOVABOKS FIRED' DOWN THERAT AT THE LËRDOVO

FÖR THE CIGHTH TIME AN QU SIDER BACHED BY HOUTE IN HIS STRANGE DET WITH GAVER DEFER FORM. HUMBIA, FIVE TAKEN THE LEAD AT THE BENET WHERE THE FAST DUNAWAN WAJ

LOOK OUR

WHAT HAPPENED

ARE TWO OF US - ONE FALS AND

At 2.00 p.m. another Senior game will be played off. This will be between the fading SCAA nine and the U.S. Navy team from the new sisilon skip the "Tortuga."

30

No information is available about the American side as the softball team from this ship has not played here before. If they should come up with a side any thing like those of the "Pro methus," "Salisbury Sound" the "Oren" the Caroliners Will have a Aght on their hands.

The last game of the day sees Club. the Cardinals pitted against the Giants whom they have beaten before. The Cards have made a phenomenal return to playing form, although at belated stage. They have averaged 10 hita per game recently and this is a good enough basis for pre- dicting a Cardinal victory.

HAIG'S

SCOTCH WHISKY

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