WELLINGTON FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 147, 17 March 1919, Page 5

WELLINGTON FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

The annual report of the .committee of the "Wellington Football Association, after reviewing the principal events of last season, state, with.reference to the city reserves, that as usual a fair share of grounds was awarded for the use of the association, but it is regretted that in several instances full use could not be made of eome of them owing to there lipiu'ii'oiiliy not being unanimity amongst the caretakers as to \rlien grounds wero fit for play. This resulted in several frames having to be postponed, with the inevitable result that the season could not be closed as early as was desired. Anotlwr point necessary for consideration is the fact that for each playing area used a charge of £5 ss. is made by the City Council, with the result that ground, fees have to be charged by the association (oils players, so as to help rnaka up the amount required." This mrans that by tho end of the season a fairly largo amount has been subscribed by individual players. The wnr has proved that the encouragement of sport is necessary for tho future welfare of a natioi, and this point should be thoroughly considered by those who are in charge of sports grounds. Before the commencement of the war the charges imposed were ,£lO IDs. per playing area, and considering the fact that the reserres are after all the property of the cjtize.is, it behoves the incoming management cominitteo to carefully watch the future action of the City Council during the incoiniiift season. The result of the recent epidemic should be a warning .to thosa who have the interest of the city at heart, and instead of exorbitant rents behg charged the grounds should be thrown open for use undor tho jurisdiction of the various sports bodies, who, together with, members of the City Council, should form a committee to administer them. With propor combination the sports bodies are strong enough to elect a representative to the City Council to look after their interests, and efforts to do so should be made during tho forthcoming municipal elections, for whhh purpose the various sports bodies should combine. Now that the war has comb to a conclusion the question of onlarsitig Anderson Park should bo considered by the council. This could easily be done with what appears to be a minimum of expense, by filling in the gully from the adjacent hill, which, after all, is merely an eyesore to those who make a regalar attendance to this popular and hard-worked ground. Sports grounds are all too congested at the present time, and with the influx of' other winter sports extra grounds will be urgently rennired. •

"One regret the committee has to voice is, that, while prominence has been given by the newspapers of the Dominion to the Rugby matches .played in England and elsewhere by members of the Expeditionary Forces, and although it is well known to enthusiasts that a great number of Association matches have al-io been played, very little prominence has been siven to the fact. This aspect of Association football is outside the dutiss of any local association, and seems to us to be a matter which has been greatly neglected by the governing body of ■New Zealand."