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@ THE OSHAWA TIMES, Soturdey, April 8, 1967 FORMER GENERALS COACH Conacher's Illness Well-Kept Secret By BRUCE LEVETT Canadian Press Sports Editor TORONTO (CP) -- One of the best-kept secrets in sport during the last few months has been the illness of Charlie Conacher. His close-knit family and intimate friends knew that the 57-year-old Conacher, one of the stars of hockey during the 1930s, had throat cancer. But the _ general public, those who didn't hear his suddenly hoarse, whispery voice, did not know. The family closed ranks and refused to talk to reporters checking the rumors. Busi- ness associates were suddenly evasive. LCven Joe Primeau, the af- fluent builder who once cen- tred the Toronto Maple Leafs' Kid Line of Jackson, Primeau and Conacher, didn't know. With Conacher unable to speak, the writers turned to the files and it was all there. SCORED 225 GOALS Charlie is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, in Tor- onto, as is Primeau. Harvey (Busher) Jackson, who played left wing and who died re- cently, is a member of an- other hall of fame in King- ston, Ont. Conacher played 13 years with Toronto, Detroit Red Wings and New York Amer- icans and coached in junior hockey with Oshawa Generals and in the NHL as boss of Chicago Black Hawks. He scored 225 goals and was league scoring champion in 1933-34 and 1934-35. For five years he was top goal-scorer. He got out of hockey for good at the end of the 1949-50 HOCKEY HALL - OF - FAMER ising rookie left winger with the Leafs. But there is other informa- tion in the files, too. There were five boys and five girls in the Conacher fam- ily, children of a teamster. They went into sport in a cal- culated attempt to make money and move out of the Toronto slum where they lived. "We played hockey because it represented money," Char- lie once said, "T skated until I thought my legs would drop off."' In the winter on ponds they skated or practised in empty rinks on Sundays be- tween shifts as rink rats. "If I developed the hardest shot in hockey as they said, then I did it the hard way." PLAYED IN SUMMER The news came out April 3, when Conacher went into hos- pital for a five-hour opera- tion. "He came through very many sports, was Canada's well,' said Dr. Douglas athlete of the half century and Bryce. "The immediate re- died in 1954 at the /age of 54. sults are good." A nephew, Brian, is a prom- season and after a brief fling at operating a Toronto hotel went into semi-retirement. A brother, Lionel, a star at down coal ball. European Soccer League Interests British Teams By JAMES CONWAY LONDON (CP) --Political and economic unity in Europe may still be a pipe dream, but a European soccer league with Britain playing a promi- nent part is a likely prospect. There are already three ma- jor European soccer tourna- ments--the European Cun, the Cup Winners Cup and the Inter-Cities Fair's Cup--but there is no permanent league. The idea has been kicked around for several years as a logical way of improving in- ternational soccer relations, both on and off the soccer pitch. Just as important, it would give British and Euro- pean fans a chance to develop a cosmopolitan taste for dif- ferent styles of soccer from countries that usually don't get much of a chance in the existing competitions. The main hurdles to a new super-league are the organi- zation and whether all the time and money involved would be worth it. Do fans want one? Supporters of the idea say capacity attendances at the present competitions assure a welcome reception from fans everywhere. Organization is a much tougher nut and, so far, no one has been able to crack | it. Some have suggested there isn't enough room for four competitions and the best solu- tion would be to introduce a partial league system by re- shaping the present European Cup. European Cup entry at the moment is limited to the lead- ers of each country's soccer league. CHOOSE TOP TEAMS One idea is to retain some of the present setup and turn it into a miniature World Cup with qualified teams divided into four groups, each group playing off to find the final pair to battle for Europe's most prized sporting trophy. French experts support this scheme, but it still does not go far enough for those who | want to see a completely new league. Some British experts favor a system along the lines of the English and Scottish leagues. A basic group of top Euro- pean teams could be selected, possibly using their past per- formances in the European Cup as a guide. British teams with a re- spectable record in European competitions such as Man- chester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton and Rangers and Celtic from Scotland, are sure to stand a chance of getting into such a league. in the league are: Real Mad- rid and Barcelona from Spain; Inter Milan and Juventus of Italy; Benfica of Portugal; Anderlecht of Belgium; Nan- tes of France and perhaps Borussia Dortmund of West Germany or Vorwaerts from East Germany. Clubs would be placed ac- cording to points scored in regular league matches. At the end of the the two In the summer monica played anthem as. they lined up along the curb--iust as Other teams certain to be | they put sacks to mark the goal and played shinny with hockey sticks and a sponge A kid who had a har- the national came of the | bottom teams in each division | would be replaced either by the leaders of the division be- low or by two new nominees. All three tournaments still could be run alongside the super-league using fans happy and players busy, both on the field and counting the extra cash they could earn. proposed this system, keeping Cgnacher boys did later at the blue line in the National League. The Conachers lived next door to a coal yard and some- times the sponge ball would be fired over the fence. When they went looking for it, they took along the goal sacks and the Conacher home was a little warmer that night. In 1929, not yet 20, Charlie signed a contract for $20,000 for two years to play- with Toronto Maple Leafs and picked up a $5,000 advance. "It seemed like all the money in the world," He bought a yellow Buick with a rumble seat and took his family for a picnic. His high point in hockey-- playing on the Kid Line. "They say we paid the mort- gage on Maple Leaf Gar- dens." If there was a low point, it was in Chicago in 1950, with the Hawks in last place. Charlie Conacher walked away from pro hockey as a half - eaten hot - dog bun bounced off his grey hat. BOXER DIES Sullivan, who won featherweight boxing He was 86. ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Tommy the world title 1904, died Thursday in hospital. By THE CANADIAN PRESS Allan Cup | Kingston 5 Morrisburg 8 | (First game of best-of-seven! iCleveland 4 Rochester 1 eastern semi-final) Drumheller 1 Nelson 4 (First game of best-of-seven western semi-final) Memorial Cup Kitchener 2 Toronto 3 (Toronto leads best-of-seven | Ontario Junior A semi-final and eastern quarter-final 3-2, one tied) Hamilton 4 Niagara Falls 3 (Hamilton wins Ontario Jun-/ ior A semi-final and eastern | quarter-final 3-2, two tied) Sault Ste. Marie 1 Cornwall 8/ (Best-of-seven series tied 2 2) | Thetford Mines 5 Halifax 7 | (Thetford Mines leads best-of-| seven eastern quarter - final | 3-1) Edmonton 0 New Westminster 5) -1) Brandon 3 Flin Flon & (Flin Flon wins best-of five | Manitoba final and western | quarter-final 3-2) | Eastern League Nashville 4 Jersey 2 (Best-of-seven final tied 1-1)| American League Hershey 2 Pittsburgh 3 (Pittsburgh leads best - of-| seven semi-final 2-0) BUSINESSMEN'S LUNCHEONS 95¢ -- 1.35 DINNER 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Good Food Reasonable Prices Porking Rear of Hotel HOTEL LANCASTER 27 KING ST, W | QOACH RESIGNS TRAIL, B.C. (OP) Fletcher, |tional Hockey League, jnounced Friday he _ has jsigned. Seth Martin, coach of Rossland Warriors, and Bobby |Kromm, coach of St. Louis of jthe Central Professional \League, have been mentioned JEwWEL as likely successors. -- Don coach of Trail Smoke Eaters of the Western Interna- an- re- Fast Action HOUSE SALES! 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