Full-Courting Press : British Tabloid Offers a $210,000 Reward to Polish Soccer Team if It Helps England

A British tabloid on Monday offered to pay Poland’s players $15,000 each if they beat the Netherlands on Wednesday and help England possibly qualify for the World Cup.

Sparked by fears that Poland, which already has been eliminated, might not have an incentive to beat the Dutch in Poznan, Poland, the Mirror said it will pay $210,000 to the 11 players who start the game, two substitutes and Coach Ladislaw Cmikiewicz. “This is a wonderful incentive by the Mirror,” Cmikiewicz was quoted by the newspaper. “We believe we have lots of incentives to win. Now this is a very big one.”

But a Polish victory over the Dutch (5-1-3) in Group Two is only half of what England (4-2-3) needs Wednesday. England must also beat San Marino (0-8-1) by seven goals at Bologna.

The Mirror, which angered many last week by publishing secretly taken photos of Princess Diana working out at a health club, has promised to pay the English team $105,000--$15,000 for each goal--if it wins by seven, with the provision that the money go to charity.