1983 Southland Soccer Competition to be close

Southland's soccer competition in 1983 shows all the signs to be a close fought season....

Thistle was in the Rothmans national league, when half a dozen Christchurch players were added to the senior team.  This added to the displacement caused by fielding a combined team with Old Boys in the Hertz - Otago- Southland grade.  Many of the 1982 squad have been promoted to senior team status and the new team will have its work cut out to repeat the win. Peter Ottley and George Mark have both been promoted to the senior team and with the experience of Brian Clarkson, Peter Dick and Doug Lawrence and player coach Fred Simpson, Thistle is in a good chance to retain its crown.
Gore Wanderers, The ambitious Eastern Southland Club, is looking good and has done well recruiting new players.  The club should strengthen their team this year by claiming Thistle's mid fielder Mike O'Donnell as player-coach and hs also signed Keith Neighborg and forward Kevin Snell. Other new arrivals are Charles De Canne, from Christchurch and Dunedin attacker Dave Stenhouse. David Miller is expected to feature in many goals this year straight from high school.
Old Boys should also be able to pepper up the competition, with its decision to field its top players in this grade after combining with Thistle last year. Old Boys will be coached by Peter de Ruyter and looks to be one of the fitter teams going into the competition.  The club has to weather many defections, including Snell, Nieborg and Graeme Wilkie, who is now  with Queens Park.  But they will still have a core of  Hertz players in Steve Andrews, Roger Jackson and Gary Rose. Two new signings are striker Dean Miller and full-back Robbie Crawford, both from the ranks of junior Southland reps.
United has lost attackers Kevin Siddoway (to Christchurch) and Lindsay Thomas (to rugby) while midfielder Ian Kilsby has transferred to  Queenspark and centre back Andy Wheeler has changed grades. Experienced midfielder Gavin Goudie will not see out the season -  he is leaving for Auckland next month.  Timaru City's Philip Linton will join midfielders Roy Start, of Wellington and James Morris of Christchurch while Southland under 16 sweeper Gary Ward comes into the squad.
Marist has lost right wing Greg Van Dugteren  and midfielder Alan Brian but has signed Derek Groves from Scotland.  This year the club plans to make good use of centre half John Brown who joined last season from Old Boys but missed a number of games through his commitments to Southland badminton.  A young player bought up has been first team berth, Peter Turnout. Defender Phil Rhodes will go into this second season as player-coach.
Queens Park has a new signing in John Meys who will join the defence, while Martin Coxhead and Mark Marshall have been promoted from second grade as forwards. After an absence last season Ruda Suleian return to the attack.  Ken Abelman will add experience in the defence but the team has lost left back Keith Steel who is now attending university.  Young players Emile Gillet and Gregory Williams will fill midfield roles, while Roger Edwards will be placed as either midfielder or forward.