B3-Wednesday, May 21, 1980 - North Shore News Great week for soccer The two big soccer games this week .. side- by And 'y Fraser . tonight against Roma of Italy and on Saturday against Manchester City should go a long way to proving whether Vancouver fans are sports fans Or, aS we suggested last week, nothing more than ‘winning’ fans. Roma, who last week won the Italian League Cup, are a solid, skillful side with players who have represented their country in World competition, Along with Manchester City, one of the hard-as-nail Enghsh first division sides. the two teams will not only test the struggling Whitecaps to their himits, but should also provide fans with some of the best soccer they will ever sec. However, exhibition matches do not always draw that well. Many) excuses have been put forward in- cluding not enough build-up, the teams don’t try that hard. there's nothing at stake. Bul none of those excuses should hold this week The Whitecaps, have been having their problems finding form this year, and that is something that just wasn't supposed to happen. President John Best and other officials of the club claim the team has the personnel to play at a world class level mght now and they need strong perfor- mances to prove that they are, in fact, capable of playing with the best. Another added feature for the home town club will be the first appearance of Rudi Krol, the big name Dutch centre back recently acquired by the Caps. Krol is classed among the top three or five active players around the world and ts a lop leader as well as players. His forays from the central defense to an allack are talked about in virtually all countmes where he has Watch your eyes Racquetball, tennis and squash eye injumes could be reduced if players would wear adequate protection according to Dr. Tom Pashby, Toronto opthal- mologist. So far he has reports of 85 eye mjunes with three eyes suffering \egal bhndness. The ball accounted for twice as many injunes as the racquet. Pashby and his colleague. Dr. Michael Easterbrook of Toronto's Wellesley Hospital, have been collecting staustics on eye injunes to squash = and racquetball players for the last 18 months “We were really shocked when we the high number of cye injumes,” says Pashby “Fourteen cyes were injured while players were saw wearing open type eye protectors Sixty per cent of those inyured had to be hospitalized which iso many more than in hockey Ten players were wearing glasses These injunes are happening to players 3’ and the avcrage number of year the game has been played ius five So. Unis in expenenced the average age is dicates to us that many people are not weanng cye protectors and some on the market are inadequate.” In order to reduce these injunes, Pashby will chair a new Canadian Standards Association (CSA) “Com- mittee on Racquet Sports Eye Protectors”. A task force has been formed and is now prepamng a draft standard. Also, taking part on the committee are producers, users 1in- cluding the Consumers’ Association of Canada, general interest people such as medical, sports and research groups and regulatory authorities The US National Society to Prevent Blindness, which is an associate member of the committee, reports a shocking 18,000 eye injures over a six year penod to badminton squash players tennis, and “When you look at these figures, ats obvious we need standards and ai certificate program " explains Pashby “In our standard, we will make sure the protectors do protect the eyes. don't distort ovisson and are comfortable ; ,.BRASSO, ' UL ae a See = \y o . ALL MAKES 988-7172 appeared and his presence is expected to be just some- thing just short of the second coming. A LOT TO PROVE So even though coaches may say that while they hope to do well, they must con- tend first and foremost with the league, don’t buy it all the way. Whitecaps have a lot to prove and they would like nothing better than lo come up with a good result against their visitors, who in turn do not want to be thumped by these upstarts oul in the colonies. All this leads us back to the fans. Will they come oul to see good soccer, or will they sit on their back sides waiting for the regular league play because this ‘challenge cup’ doesn’t really mean anything? Its always been difficult for me to understand why so few ‘fans’ turn up to some of these so-called contests. exhibition Racquetball & Tennis NORTH SHORE WINTER CLUB ANNOUNCES A SPECIAL LIMITED OFFERg OF ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIPS HURRY AS THESE SPECIAL MEMBERSHIPS WILL GO QUICKLY Okay, so at times some of the games have lacked the excitement of a soccer bowl, but by and large they consist of teams by many of us measure our own boys. EMPTY SEATS Last season when Bristol City came to call, the echo of the fans voices could be heard rebounding through- out the stands and when Kaiserslautern of the West German first division put in an appearance against a B.C. Select team, only five or six thousand bothered to show. And the select team had added Stuart Pearson, — remember him with West Ham against Arsenal the other week? — and Lou Macani a perennial Scottish International and Man- chester United star. But very few cared. ‘It almost would seem as though there are a few ‘fans’ who enjoy the game and relish the opportunity to see what the world has to offer, and a great number of ‘winners’ who come out to see their team win no matter what the sport and no matter how itis done. Let’s hope that the White- caps have been able to build the sport to the point where more and more people will be going to the field because they are seeing great soccer, win or lose. Yics top the champs Last Thursday night at Inter River Park, North Shore Yic’s Sr. Baseball team defeated defending Canadian Champs Van- couver Pharoahs 4-2. Pitcher Mitch Sokalski picked up the win in relief of starter Rick Mosher. Yic’s iniual run came in the first when shortstop” Keith Furlotte laid down a bunt single and scored on Gord Wishniki's double. Trailing 2-! in the Sth inning, Yic’s Wayne Stewart was safe on an error, Mitch Sokalski executed the perfect hit and run play. and Stewart scored on Meith Furlotte’s second bunt single of the game. Sokalski scored on anerror. The insurance run was picked up in the &th when Gord Wishmki and Brooke with f or further detatls drop in to see us al Keith Rd. & Mountain Highway or PHONE: MARIE WARD 985-4135 Jordan had back to back singles to right field. Wishniki scored on a delayed double steal. bases times and employing hit and run plays to their advantage. Yic’s once again ran the well, stealing five Jr.B action resumes The next league game for the North Shore Jr. B Mountaineers will be played 6:30 Thursday against Burnaby at Central Park. IHAVE A BALLTHISSUMMER S "ECi4, Lend a hand... to clean our land Sunday has the Mounts hosting a double header against Vancouver Cable- vision at Inter River Park. Game times are 11 am and 1 pm.