THE OVAL.

Evening Star, Issue 4140, 3 June 1876, Page 4

THE OVAL.

Te ttetiOtof.

and Wednesday?* iisue# have hadtheir say n on behalf of the Cricket dub, and I must a wiy#> ll ‘ Fair Play ”, the credit, of haying made; the dost of hiksnbject, and regret that he' spoiled to able letter by stooping to make a meanapd .personal attack upon Mr Rose under cover of a norm, de plume t .. ‘&afc;Flay” states the question at issue I to iWhO has tho best right to the Oval ?” a point upon which.there is ho doubt, thereby T aasurintr his argument so fat as it goes. The presents itself ; ’to; football ] playeftK itfHSVe the Cricket Club-sufficient ‘ flftftn to the s ole use of'the #bdud 'to war- ‘ *«nt„ them in requesting the Clhb. . to and they feel fßy'can coneoientiously say no. The, chief arguments that have been used against .the football the Cnqket CluJrha# a - prescriptive right 5 to; the sole’ Use of the ground through a large expenditure incurred by itan iu..»pwg ? it;-and ■> ball'damages the ground and..qnckete# msapprove of it. Inopcto-give your reader* a further insight ipto thcfe disputed points* Therois no have spent a large sum at various times upon the mere maintenance of. : the.'ground in- a condition suitable for. cricket, but this has absorbed all ■ seeking ip’eisons outside the Cricket Club, who have always been looked to-When improvement# Were required. I speak from a close acquaintance with facts for some years past.-’I Jbbk upon money raisedfrom the public as received from persons who desire 'to, promote - healthy manly exercises as such, and not as money for cricket only. Every year cricketers have gone round win; the hat; and the public has kindly responded*knowing that by so doing they were dealing as it were with'good tenants, who were improving the publioproperty, and in this,way year -by year the ’"public iti ownership and ;fignt- over, the Cricketers did in the first instance spend at large-sum upon the ground in the good old days, when time and money were plentiful and thus gained a-■.prescriptive right for their game., After all they only did what the public must sooner or later have done for themselves* and though they .have firat right to thd’ground. when they require it, they cannot claim to-be the only persons interested ii} it, as of'kite years all improvements have been collected for, and few-of the members of the Cricket Club- as at present organised had any share in the first outiay. cause, notwithstanding the heavy ontkfc it was the most suitable, tod in fact it was a hecessity to them, : Suitable ground, for recrea- * ti»u. h«f hot become, more plentiful, thStigh tW requiring, recreation have Ctly increased. With the closer office •a and reduced salaries of .the present day young men, such as compose the Football Club; have not the means or the leisure to expend in forming a ground for-, themselves. The majority in the. Cricket Club itself which voted, against. football On the Oval vm oily one, and commands only a respect where SO many were abssnti V: The ,'damage - done by football to the Cricket Ground, as stated on the part; of some ot the dricketers, is an exaggeration. In support, of their, assertion parallels have been drawn‘from the .practice -'of othefr cricket grounds of a totally different character M prove: that, football must injure •this Otttt ’The ifaixbs. of last season, in the judgiliSnt -of more than half of those, who expcrience'last season tod before, disprove it is only those:who havtVseSfi )^h'mdbs : 6f the questibh*.whose Worth taking. I could mention four br five men, all Of whom have acted on thei Committee of the Cricket , r Cluh,, and VnoWLhthe cqst .of ' played cricket on the Oval before, football waS and played, crieket last season after- football; - held sway ; and? if. .-the questito' was put to them, Boes football dtokge the Cricket; Ground, they would answer ‘ <! ho,” or “ a little/’ The mamtenaiiGebf the ground is a, constant expense Jo cricketers, but this is not through the action bf the football players; it arises from the oft-recurring necessity for mowing the rich growth., of, grass in,,the. summer months and from the large holes worn by bowlep and,-batsmen playing for,a whole day s#ie Jew feet of turf; destibymg.tlie very roots tod newvturfihg. This occurring at pltoe’after place-on the ‘ ■ pitch ” whancricket is played * every. day;fot!Sip mbnths and for fow bpurs fortyblr ififty-doads of turf which football players got tfis credit of making roomtfor kstiswson. year asthecncket gotten when. half obvered tbe of grass arq-b»ipght to light .aiiter,'the'close of ffljkbali pky 1 by the .first mowing, and footmfrgefe the credit of them. No persoiij flvifig'the matter fair' consideration can he* evethat a football-player could with one hick'destroy so strong and deep-rooted a turf as there is on the t»val, and as the play does not confine itself to working on one acrap of. ground or in anyon andas only- an occasional kick soratohes jjhe surface of the r grotmd? the grass has ample time to recover itself by the following week. In my opiuion a roller and broom arc all that are necessary, to; remove all traces of, football from so soft a ; soil, andbn the outskirts of the ground football is absolutely 1 beneficial, treading down and preventing the tussooky growth of the grass. ThOv comparison between the annual penditvfre Of the Cricket and Football Clubs show nothing. The Cricket Club's expenses are necessary to the.season of the year And the character of the game. The footballers • play eply op.ee a week in the winter season,, and toe not at the expense of mowing or tnrfing, and ib 'fact footballs _ are their only outlay as agaihst' expensive tod various materiaLrequired for cricket, A large number of thoFootball Ciub are also cricketers, ‘ and in'the erjeket season subscribe their quota to cricket. I have no dpubt this, number -wonld be much increased if the did not make such an unnecessary and imperious opposition to their playing on the themselves cannot.nse it. The obpdsitiop-bf the cricketers is the more and futile, sndbnly • claimants to df .the Crldkwi au>ihe Football Club have deolared'ifOr Football, and still the other hall of-the Cricket Club holds Out. I think: ifc- would ri be politic in;;them -to a weak:; position, and. .J«wi where they toe unable ; .tb; stem-the gather.-, ing tide of Odnion. What could;.;, bp] done as two clubs ? Even does damage, which i do not Sited ®pptW nrijbilty. Cricket dlnb, and are ’ n«t the bf ’'lS& .bnqh/e h<sa :ffA ; ~r: H ; w«il . mtasrpi sL- 4 'i ■»./*. JsißT ■s

they are persisting in wbat is at best but a churlish act, and granting t it would secure good feeling. , ' • < - X^ologisuiglor'this large demand oh yohr -spdoe, I am, &0., "* \ - - -Audi Ax/terak’ Pahtem; Jnhel. ' [Each side had now its fair chum upon our Space; and this letter mnstclose the cor* respondence, unless paid . fijr as advertise* ments.— Ei). E. S.] . •