B10 - Wednesday, May 16, 1984 - North Shore News

WHITECAPS SEASON PREVIEW

REBUILDING CONFIDENCE A PRIORITY
It’s time to get on with the game

NO ONE WOULD give any
argument that 1984 is going
to be the most critical year in
the 10 year history of the
Vancouver Whitecaps. Not
only is the Jeague fighting a
defensive battte that
threatens to destroy it in
North America, but, this
solid, almost impreturabie
franchise has just finished a
public blood letting that has
left the body still more than
a litthe weak in the view of
the public.

Make no mistake about tt,
after the winter of their
discontent, Whitecaps. will
have to do some hard work
to rebuild public confidence
in the team.

However, by hiring the
Old Fox, Alan Hinton, to
take the reins of the on-field
product, the club has taken a
positive step towards
recovery. The ebullient
coach who once was a fan
favorite of the 'Caps back in
‘78 when he dropped his
precision crosses on to the
feet of his strikers, has a
passion for the game that 15
needed more than ever to
keep the franchise alive.

Rebuilding the confidence
of his talented players will be
the number one priority.
And it is a task that is well
suited to Hinton. A fiery
individual on the sidelines,
Hinton 1s the complete
reverse of the silent and
almost passive John Giles.

Few who were around tn
1978 will ever forget the
night the ‘Caps received the
divisional championship
award after defeating the
Los Angeles Avstecs at
Empire, when Hinton car-
tied the trophy as the team
took their lap of honor He
brought the trophy to the
edge of the stadium grands
tand and stood Ithe the
conquering hero he was
holding wo aloft, exhorung
the fans to thesr feet

That type of man ois
needed again That type ot
passion and fire is) needed
again

The fact that Alan Htoton
i sll um othe game says
something about the man’s
character Uneeremonously
booted out of Tulsa after
giving the Oklahoma team
some oof thea best ever
games, then deceived out of
Seatth by the unlamented
Bruce Anderson who almost
single handedly ripped the
heart out of the Sounders,
Hinton could castly be
forgiven if he tad turned: his
back om the game But he
didn't tic has always cr
pressed a dove for what ts
played on the field and nor
in the boardrooms. and iors
that love of the game tbat
has brought barn once again
tothe coaches beneh

Afters the cputnotic and sacl
moves and oachinations on
the front offfee ie wall be oa
Uctinite ecliet to taye a team
that hopebully wall be able o-
give Chea fall Comecniration
te the product on the tied

Ttoas tiene the pare of sence:

roarcrh over thie Sure ed
headlines Pho gee far ty
aataagcmenn atder | beet
Coaster owsll ablow this
happen

Constant allegatiosy and
meysicpiouws  iifereu.e: crbays
hoe Bical ny a [ro treoade

crovel tet Chey che natty
fos the sport of sancer The
pe arg of se ates cr patel.

not a pretty sight. It's ume the Whitecaps should be a and David Cross and Peter always believed in a bit of Think back to his days
to get on with the game strong and exciting team. Ward running up front, look  ‘elan’ for his teams, a for-

And on the field, tf Hin- With the core group of for some interesting cavalry ward run that brings the See page B15
ton rebuilds that contidence, North Americans sull intact charges. Hinton has whole team along with them.

» ery

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