THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, WEDNESDAY,
Are English Soccer Teams Overcoached?
ASKS RAYMOND
GLENDINNING
Are English teams over-coached? That is a question always asked when their soccer failures are discussed. It cropped up again after that football fiasco at Ibrox Park.
One famous professional player made no bones about it. "Most of the English players are being dazzled with science," he said. "Their heads are dizzy trying to remem- ber a lot of fanciful ideas.
"What's the use of carving all these pretty-to-watch patterns when everybody seems to have forgotten how to shoot."
He asserted that the art of won't get them if forwards hitting a moving ball is a fast-catry on with their futile dying one.
cross-field moves that give de- fences so much time--to že- A colleague who counted | cover, Appoint Rafch Carter the League forwards' shots at to teach them how.” Glasgow," said there were only seven worthy of the name. It is a sad commentary.
"What's your solution?” I asked. Back came the answer -"Concentrate on shooting practice. Goals count, and we
Parkhouse To Replace McIntyre?
Sydney, Dec. 19. Improved form by Gilbert Parkhouse, the 25-year-old Glamorgan batsman, in the MCC's drawn match with an Australian XI here is almost certain to win him a place in England's team for the second Test.
Well, there is another recipe to add to the endless reasons given for the football decline.
WRONG METHOD
Another player said his little piece packed with common sense. He agreed it was right that England should have a plan for their International teams. But he argued that the method was all wrong.
Instead of first preparing the plan and picking a collec- tion of individual stars the selectors should choose their men and mould their plan round them. Passed to Lancas- ter Gate.
Now here is a crumb of con- solation from Mitic, the Yugo- slay captain. "England's for- wards were especially good," he says, "but the backs' tactics were bad. They did not hold
their wings or go for the ball enough. Their aim was more to protect their goal than pre- vent wing action."
2
GLASS CASE NEXT?
Wednesday's sight of mudlarking Ditchburn fighting his way out of a milling scrum His inclusion at the expense of on the England goal-line" be- Surrey's Arthur McIntyre is ex-fore desperately hurling the pected to be the only change ball to safety would have from the side which lost to warmed the heart of a Australia in the rain-affected fan of fifty years Brisbane match.
whose plea for a more robust soccer game found its way into my postbag this week.
It was largely due to the fine display of pluck and character by Parkhouse and John Dewes that the MCC warded off the danger of defeat which at one time looked imminent.
When the Welshman joined Dewes with two second innings wickets down for 22 runs, the MCC were 183 runs behind with just over three and a half hours left for play,
a
soccer
standing,
RANDOLPH TURPIN WINS
Tommy Yarosz (left) and Randolph Turpin, both get home with a left during the fight at Harringay. Turpin won, Yarosz being disqualified in the eighth round for persistant holding.
1940.
Arsenal Have A
Double Gift
Says IVAN SHARPE
It's a hardy annual, I know, to suggest that this or that Club may achieve the double event by winning Cup and League, a feat which has defeated all challengers since Aston Villa's performance in the less competitive days of 1897.
The
Sports Roundabout
By W. Capel Kirby And David Jack
Special training time ahead, At least, that's the usual Soccer Loutlook with Cup-ties around. Club directors thinking along those lines might have had second thoughts if they could have heard Southend United full back Frank Walton after his club's kayo.
མ
"Special training does more harm than good," says Frank. "More food, less sleep and sheer boredom resulted from our week's stay at a luxury hotel."
Majority of footballers still feel that the best way of training for football is with a football. The Southend lads hardly saw a ball other than when they played head-tennis in the fog after last Saturday's game had been scrubbed out.
*
Attempts
*
by
the home countries to bring about a united Ireland for international Soccer are being blocked by the Sunday play problem on which neither Northern Ireland nor Eire are likely to give way.
"They may be a London club but I'll wager they've as much Northern talent as most." Re- mark about Arsenal prompted our Highbury check-up which showed that only two hail from Lancashire. Odd men out are centre half Bill Healey, from Chorley, who, says Tom Whit- taker, is "going places, and Norman Smith, ex-rear gunner from Darwen.. Norman, in
cidentally, has one cartilage
left out of four.
If Lancaster Gate supports a Barnsley proposal that pro- fessional players could become referees without going through the usual minor football channels, apart from passing the exam, look out for fireworks.
We're told the Referees' Asso- ciation would guard its Interests zealously, which means they would tell football tolk where referees and linesmen. they could go for their minor
#
successful forwards, Wilf Grant, Three of Cardiff City's most
Roley-Williams and Doug Blair,. were nearly lost to the club a It is also the fashion, because of that long interval, few weeks ago. Williams was "I've seen em all," he says, to assume that double days are over. and they were infinitely grea-
to Torquay, a going on loan "great goal-keepers and small,
small fee would have secured Grant, while Blair refused to move when a big offer was made for his transfer.
But how near were ter in the days when they ex-mouth only two seasons back, as every bit as dangerous for Ports-attack, that they must be marked pected to be changed in pos- when they won the League the double honour. session, and before this Con- Championship yet fell so un-as Portsmouth were in 1949,
this season tinental habit of wrapping a expectedly to Leicester City in goalkeeper up in cotton wool the Cup semi-final. was adopted by our referees. Why, the FA will be putting them in a glass case next!"
Betwixt and between, Hud- dersfield Town in 1928 fell be tween two stools, and there have been other near things, in- cluding the year (1918) when the Villa, Cup winners, and A goalkeeper IN POSSES- Sunderland, League champions, SION-that's important, mind were winners or runners-up in you-should expect more each competition. preferential treatment. Dewes was determined on а I'd also like to see the old policy of safety first and not hefty shoulder change come
was certain did back
The pitch was
I don't think it's as bad as taking considerable amount of spin
that, but our soccer wouldn't and Compton was
suffer from an injection of the the only reliable batsman left
old "he-man". technique. in the team and even he was suffer- ing from the handicap of his painful knee.
no.
though nowadays
I know this may not please the good people of Tottenham, Newcastle and elsewhere but, in the long-drawn struggles of to- day, style and flash count less than power and steadiness; and these gifts the Arsenal possess.
Club managers who have sought the whereabouts of Alan Brown will be disappointed to learn that the former Burnley and Notts County centre half's cafe is doing very nicely, thank
you.
more
With
For instance, at centré-half A great player, a certificated Daniel has shown in interna-coach and a qualified referee, tional football for Wales that he yet he finds business is ready at any time to step in lucrative than football, and ease
the strain on Leslie Soccer players price-tagged at Compton; and in attack the £30,000, it doesn't make sense. Batley's star three-quarter, Arsenal's power has been in-
Yorkshire's Rugby. John Etty, creased by the departure of and shadow surrounding the happy. He's been playing in the England team in Australia; as centre recently, and is now. have always regarded him as a insisting on a return to
at cricket and
normal positioni.
popse will mean a transfer-list applica→ second-rater af Soccer.
tion.
Possibilities but, feo-fi-fo-fum, I Denis Compton for the sunshine League left-wing man isn't
TWO ASSETS
until a draw
any- It is full early in the season he attempt anything in the thing but the most gentleman- to be pointing to such nature of a forcing stroke.
ly tackle arouses a howl of He batted right through to protest from the terraces.
smell the blood the Arsenal the end, having given one All the players I know tasted last April at Wembley. chance when only three runs would prefer a little
more They have been moving with during a stand of nearly four healthy shoulder and
a little such
confidence and purpose, Trumper hours-Reuter.
less stealthy “élog.”
and with such improvement in
THE
GAMBOLS
IT'S ON THE OREEN
IT · DOWN? DARE
[VIPE-E
WAIT TILL I TELL THE”
BOYS
YOU DON'T
SOUL
?
by Barry Appleby
THOSE" COARSE MEN IN THE CLUB-HOUSE, WOULD ONLY MAKE YOU SPEND THE WHOLE EVENING. IN THE BAR BUYŐR THEM ORIK AFTER DRINK
Blackpool Pays £25,000 For Alan Brown
Alark Brown, the ternational ins
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