FOOTBALL GROUNDS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 227, 18 June 1908, Page 9

FOOTBALL GROUNDS.

MIRAMAR v. ATHLETIC PARK. -I'RESH ARRANGEMENT WITH THE PARK COMPANY. i __ PLAIN SPEAKING BY THE CHAIRMAN. General dissatisfaction was expressed by ■ footballers and followers of the game when it was'announced at the beginning of tlio season that tlio Wellington Rugby Union had cancellcd its arrangement with the Athletic I'avk Company, and had entered into a three years' agreement for the leastf of Miramar Park witli the intention of playing all senior matches .-there;" Mr. S. Si- Brown, chairman of the Union, was absent from Now Zealaud when the fresh agreement was eu« tered into, bht sinco his return has interested himself in straightening out matters with the park company. At last night's'meeting. of the Management Committee, Mr. Brown announced that the Athlotic Park Company was prepared to let the Union havo the use '■ ;of the Athletic Park for the rest of the sea-, son, commoncinjj from Saturday next, for a .cash payment of £60,! the Union toitake 60 — por cent. of tho net gate and Stand. Mr. Brown pointed out that the revenue * from Miramar had so far Keen about £170,. aiid there wero seven matches left, out of which tlio Union must clear £180. "This wolild moan taking £26 per wpek/'br art average attendance of 1000. per week. Tho attendance Inst week had been 70, tho week before 500, and the takings when tho Ath- - . lotic-Ponoko match' was tho draw were £21 13s. 3d. IJo did not think the Union could averago £26 pel' week. On the other hand, ' they would £et '50 per cent, of the net gato .and stand from. the 'Athletic Park, wjiich would mean that tho averago attendance, to put it; on the low side, say 2000, would produce a net gate of £50. Saying there would .bp .another 400 ill the.ptand there would be another £10,'. which would-bring the gats up to £60. Tho Union, after the first couplo of Saturdays, would clear off its first' payment to the Company, and would have five left clear. Ho did not think Miramar' Could possibly pay for'itself. Sir. Hales: I doubt it.

Mr. Brown went on to say "that tho first day lie went to Miramar it was a beautiful • day in town, but oil arrival .it Miramar it }was cold and bleak "and. if it was not that I was a member of tho Management Committee of tho Union," continued' Mr. ■Brown, "and duty called .me, I- would' not liave : gone otit to Miramar again. would hfivo preferred going to Petono. Mr. Brown considered ttiorc would' be. a profit of from £160 to £200 in the arrangement' with the Park Company. ■ The Company had an ar'rangomont with tho Hookey Association and 'tho ■.-'Wellington Football . Association,, bltt these bodies had been approached, and tlioy could be bought out -for-£6O, which, was tho reason £60 was asked of tho' Union. .Mr. lirown proceeded' to explain: that it cost about £1000 a year-to run football in Wellington, and how,' lie. asked, wore they .going-to runV it'from tho takings at Miraniar.:- . In answer, to a question, . the secretary stated that, in addition to Miramar receipts, the Union would. get,. roughly, £100 from ■ Petono and £45 or £50 from tho railways as the Union's sharo of. train fares., . .., Mr. Brown was of opinion that tho Union was-going .to lose money on. this, year's working, but considered the loss would ba less under tho arrangement with the Parjc than if tlioy continued on at Miramar. Tlfe present ■ idea was to guarantee tile use of the Park until the end of tho season. ;-and ...be would movo that tho offer or -the r Company should ■ bcr accepted. ...■■Mr. Murray: .The -terms are certainly ■bettor ;.ihau we have ever had before. ...' : Mr. Burns considered tho term's; woro bet•tor than before, but' lie was of opinion that ' they, should. have an offer from tho Park ■.Company, in writing. ... ' ~' . . Tho:,Union had-enteredTnto an agreement ■ jvithviliQ -Miramar people,'] ,bnt if they could get a_ bettor return from tho park they should certainly accept the oiler of tho company. :At .the. same time ho would like to see the offer in writing, if tho company had any offer to,make as to the.lease or purchase of its interest in the ground.' .';■ Mr. -Brown: The Park. Company is absolutely "full up"- or the Rugby Union, and I sympathise with them. - Mr.' Brown went on to point out that the i company had stood by the Union for years past," and contended that the proposition the company had'mado to tho committee at the beginning of the soason was a sound one for both sides.. : Mr. Burns admitted that Miramar was not a suitable place for football, but at tho time 'it was a matter with tho committee of any port';iu a storm. - v ••'-■ , ■ 'Mr. Brown: The' plain '".truth, 'gentlemen, is that you have been 'bluffed right into the Miramar arrangement.: Mr. Alpe considered. the terms, offered by tho park company should be accepted. - When the Union went to Miramar they did so because there was nowhero else to go. He dollied that .the. committee;,had been "bluffed into it. They had gone 'carefully into the ■.figures, and thought tlioy could make-it pay., He still though tlioy could make ifc pay-in time . When they wont to Miramar they never thought the park company would coma down and make terms liko these. ''• '■"Mr. Brown: They did not approach us! I approached-them. ' ' , Mr. O'Sullivaii remarked that if. the terms, offered now had been placed beforo the Union at.the'beginning the committee would have snapped tnem up. On the figures placed beforo tho committee :lt the beginning of tho season he. did not see how they could have ; inado tho arrangement pay. Ho would sup. port the scliomo put forward by Mr. Brown. ■ On tho motion being put to tho meeting it was carried with.one.dissentient voice. 1 This will moan that, starting from Saturday next, senior ltugby ! games will again bo played on the Park; It-was resolved that the Oriental-Molrose, and the •WellingtonSouthern matches will bo played on'tins Park on Saturday,' the other games being played at Miramar and Fetonc.