, May 16, 1979 - North Shore New

Whitecaps unique to sports ‘ent

Ah, the difference a year makes. Rarlier this
month, when San Diego Sockers were at Empire
Stadium for a midweek North American Soccer
League game, the guy on the ‘PA’ system | an-
nounced the crowd count.

“Only 17,000?” shdrted ied a -

Whitecaps “official in” the
press box.

One year ago, in “ early
May, a 17,000 crowd count.
would have sent that official
out the door and down the

Stairs in a series of joyous .

backflips.

That was a point in the
then five-year life and times
of the Vancouver club that
10,000 an occasion
for a party. Shortly after, in
the second half of the
schedule, they ran away on.a
13-game. win streak. Sud-
‘denly, their crowd troubles

_were over. Now, any at-

'tendance figure under
20,000. is considered bad
news..

summer

Modem cars run at a higher temperature
. Close to the boiling point, in.fact
Uniess you keep your car's cooling
system in top shape, boil-over could
happen sometime this summer. Probabty
at an awkward time. Take advantage now
of the Radman’s Holiday Tune-Up. Don’

sweat it You won't regrat it.

“What's gone— there’s: no substitute

es _

by Jim Kearney

When it comes to putting
backsides on the seats,
for
. Winning, a state of affairs for
which Vancouver teams in
various sports aren’t really
noted. In that respect, the
“Whitecaps were a genuine.
Vancouver oddity. They had
to be seen to be believed.

But now that Vancouver —

believes. and likes what it
sees, the club has this
problem of living up to last
year’s performance. It will
be expected to fashion as-
good a season as 1978's 24
wins andgaly six losses.

So fas: the Caps are pretty
well on schedule ~. six wins

in eight starts and-aa,
whopping lead in the
National Conference’s

western division. Certainty,
says team. boss Tony)
Waiters, both the record and
the team’s standard of play

_ are ahead of last May.

“We weren't playing as
well last year at this. time.”
he. was saying, following a
~two-hour workout the other
day. “Only in the last half of

_the season did we get in

‘gear. |

“But you must remember

‘that of our first cight mat-

‘ches, five have been at
home. And after Friday's
game here against
Philadelphia, it will be six of
nine. But, it’s going to start
getting tougher quite soon.”

FOUR ON THE ROAD

Quite soon is immediately
after Philadelphia leaves
town. Four of the next five
will be on the road. When
that stretch is done, Waiters _
should have a pretty good
idea whether this year’s club
will have as good a record as
last year's.

With every 12 Point Tune-
Up we will instal a new
thermostat at no charge
from now until June 30.

THE RADMAN

12 POINT TUNE-UP

1.Pressure test the system
2.Check the operation of woter pump
3.Remove the radator

7
8 .Pressuve test the rodeotor cop

9.Anotyse the cooling capacity of the antifreeze
10. Test the thermostat

V1 Point the rodiotor with onti corrosive pomt

12.Re-instoll the rodiator
‘locally owned & operated’

—_ THE RADMAN

keeps it cool

864 W. 15th, North Voncouver

986-4205

(across from Dave Buck Ford) |

“summers, then si

Bring this ad with you

*39.2...

One. of the problems; he.

was saying, ‘is. when. a ti
_ gets. itself a. ‘reputation, it .
[= invites special attention from
“ Opponents. ~~ . ~

our forwards — Trevor
Whymark, Cari Valentine,
Kevin Hector and Willie
Johnston” --. have found
they’re getting closer
marking here than in

England.

“They might get more
skilled) marking in the

‘English League, but it’s not™
as close... Y6u saw the Cup
final Saturday on TV. Lots of.
open space; room to work
in. If Liam Brady were
playing here, he’d be man-
marked. He'd have someone
on him all the time.”

It Brady - were playing
here? They'd need a tandem
truck to carry all the moncy

he'd command. Waiters’ top
_ assistant, Bobby McNab,

was playing fullback with
Arsenal when Brady came
across the sea from Ireland.

Arsenal
spotted him playing
schoolboy football in
Dublin: He was oaly 13 when

scouts

he first landed in London to -

spend the school holidays
training with Arsenal.
NOT PLAYING WELL.
He did this for two
ed on as
ab apprentice when he was
15 and made his league
debut at 17. McNab talked
to him on the long distance
blower two days before the

Cup final. Brady told him he

wasn't playing well.

‘the auto center’

| THE RADMANE

| Can help you keep
your cool this

had

-a few thousand TV viewers -:

hereabouts who'd like to see -

\ him when he’s on. top of his:

game. At Wemblicy he was.

; certainly the best man on the
“In the matches : to: date - :

field.

“I would think right now |

he’s -the ‘best “player in >
Europe,” McNab was saying.
“He has a great left foot.

He's deceptively fast. He has

marvellous vision and when.
he gets around - the op-
position goal, he just. walks
by people.”

He has one problem,
however. At 23,° he’s just

hitting his peak and he’d love

to stay with Arsenal. But his ,
contract expires next year
and-he wants to start making
the kind of money that can_

. secure his future.

in late 1975 pila 100
power winch and more.

_could double his wages, “but.
“he'd losé ‘almost alt of: it in

taxes. It’s not only a problem - =
for“him. It's. a_ Problem f for
- the team. ae

McNab explained. “The: ‘club: :

- “If he wants to make the OY

money and hold onto it, he’ll~ a
have to move from England, '
the way Kevin Keegan did —

when he went to Germany.”

There's ‘an opportunity. uni

the Whitecaps... if they

_ happen to have a million or
So in the petty cash box. But’
what would be~ the - point?. -_
teams play, they'd put aman: .
on him with instructions to.
kick off his kneecaps every ~
time he touched ball. '

The way so

i

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 _

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