FOOTBALL.

Putaruru Press, Volume VIII, Issue 355, 11 September 1930, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

GROUND FOR WAIKATO.

Freehold or Leasehold. President’s Report. N.Z. Union to be Consulted. At a recent meeting of the Waikato Rugby Union a proposal was brought forward by the Hamilton sub-union asking the Waikato union’s approval of an application to the New Zealand Rugby Union for a loan of £3OOO for the erection of a new grandstand at Rugby Park. A sub-committee, consisting of two members of the Hamilton sub-union (Messrs. Speight and Thompson) and Messrs. Yardley and Haselden was formed, and subsequently met without coming to any definite decision. On Friday the sub-committee informed the Waikato union, at its meeting, that it had no report. Mr. Yardley, however, read a report to. the meeting on the ground position generally. In this he stated: “ Unfortunately the Hamilton proposal conflicted with one that I proposed to bring down at a future meeting, so that as far as I was concerned I had not a really open mind on the matter. I was, and am still, of the opinion that the Waikato union should acquire a freehold pro-' perty in Hamilton. “ The meeting under review opened with an enquiry as to the real position of the Hamilton sub-union as regards Rugby Park. This, so far as I gathered, is as follows: Hamilton still has the right to a two years’ lease, the rent for which may be spent on improvements. It has the right to a further seven years, the rent for which period has to be reviewed. However, it is apparently the intention of the sub-union to forego its right to the two years and seven years, and enter into a new lease for twenty-one years on this domain property. The rent for the first seven years of the latter lease is to be £IOO ; for the next seven, £l5O ; and for the last seven, £2OO, an average of £l5O per annum over the whole period. In addition there are rates at approximately £6O per annum at present.

“ If a loan is obtained it is proposed to build the stand on an aero of Glasgow lease (66 years) behind the present grandstand. “In answer to a question, Mr. Speight said the sub-union had not discussed any question of a reduction of rent to the Waikato union it would still be 15 per cent for Wed> nesday matches and 20 per cent for Saturdays. The same gentleman would not agree that the WaikatoAuckland match, from which Hamilton received half the nett revenue (£lB2 this year), had any bearing on this question of rent. As far as I am concerned I cannot make a recommendation in favour of the Hamilton proposal. I have to consider the question from the Waikato union point of view. The opportunity is now present to secure a freehold property of 61 acres at a cost of £I3OO. This is not as close in as Rugby Park, but is not an unreasonable distance, being the other side of Claudelands station. The point of view I take regarding this proposition is that every pound spent on this property would still belong to footballers in Waikato. The ground would provide a permanent home for the Waikato Union and indirectly the Hamilton sub-union. The Rugby Park proposition can never belong to either the union or sub-union, and

there is no degree of certainty as to what the ultimate rent will be. I am of the opinion that the more the subunion spends on the ground the higher will be its ultimate rent One Domain Board cannot commit another beyond the terms of the lease.

“ With regard to finance, if the loan is secured from the New Zea land Union a repayment of 10 per cent of the money borrowed will have to be made each year. This will mean that the sub-union will have to find £595 per annum for rent, rates, interest and repayment. This would, of course, be reduced as the repayments were made. However, it is a very large sum for us to back at the present stage.

“ Referring to the purchase of a property, I think that this is well within the means of the union. Even if it meant scratching for a year or so, I feel that the present members would be conferring a boon to posterity to get in now. Freehold properties of the dimensions required are very few in Hamilton and it is my opinion that if the union does not act now the opportunity of securing a freehold property and a real home will be lost for all time. The rates on the suggested property are approximately £7 15s per annum. If a loan of £I3OO was secured interest would amount to £SB 10s. Add to this the rates and repayments, the total commitments would be £196 5s per annum and at the end of ten years the property would be free. At the end of the present season we should have enough to place in reserve a sum to see us through our commitments should anything unforeseen occur. I have not allowed anything for revenue although the land might be worth about £l2 per annum for grazing; if we secure the goodwill of the Hamilton sub-union in the matter there should be the possibility of a grant of, say, £2O per annum for playing rights for junior footfootball.”

In conclusion, the president suggested that to avoid any friction both suggestions under review be submitted to the New Zealand Rugby Union. He understood, on good authority, Mr. S. S. Dean is visiting Te Kuiti to decide a ground matter for the King Country union in about a fortnight, and he thought he would be willing to come on to Hamilton. At least they would get an independent opinion and that from a man who knows something of the position of unions and sub-unions with grounds in New Zealand.

Mr. C. H. Mclntyre (Morrinsville) seconded a motion on these lines. He sa d he could not support Waikato standing security for a £3OOO loan on a leasehold property. Messrs. Whiting, Speight and the chairman spoke in favour of the Rugby Park ground, the two former particularly emphasising the amount of money which had already been spent on it.

Mr. B. Chapman referred to remarks made by Mr. Whiting that the attitude taken by Mr. Yardley would destroy the spirit of co-operation which had existed between the Waikato union and the Hamilton subunion for some years. This was not so. However, if the sub-union proposal was considered unsound the country delegates could not be expected to blindly support it. Mr. Haselden (Waipa) said he still had an open mind on the matter. The motion was carried without dissent. RUGBY MANAGEMENT. The Taranaki System. Does It Give Best Results ? An informal discussion on the suitability or otherwise of the Taranaki system of organisation for provincial football was indulged in by the members of the Morrinsville Rugby Union on Wednesday. “ I played under it in Taranaki and I was down in Taranaki this season, and I came back absolutely convinced that it is the system for the Waikato,” said the chairman, Mr. T. A. Colson. Mr. C. H. Mclntyre outlined the organisation in the Poland Cup district in the Thames Valley, which seemed to work admirably, as each 1 union played off its club competitions, while its representative teams played a regular competition. There was not the need for the sub-unions to write to each other to arrange dates, as was the case in the Waikato. .>*; T«rjgj

Mr. Colson detailed the organisa- I tii.n in Taranaki, where there was one union, the Taranaki Union, and v.o sub-unions, but a number of strong club teams. There were three sen>or teams in New Plymouth, and a team in each of the smaller centres. The clubs played two rounds, so that each had half its games on i the home ground. The union was divided into north and south sections and the section winners played off j fcr the club championship of Taranaki. He had seen two of the leading clubs play a competition game, and there was a £IOO gate. Mr. F. Thomas favoured a somewhat similar scheme under which picked teams from the Waikato sub-unions would compete, while other players went on with their local competitions. This would give goad players a chance of playing in good company and against good opponents. If a sub-union had a potential Cooke playing second five-eighths outside a poor first five-eighths such a player would never develop. A good back with weak outsides naturally tried to go through on his own, 'and was condemned as being selfish. There was a further debate as to whether the introduction of the Taranaki system would not reduce the number of players in all grades by say one-half, as many juniors would not be able to travel to other centres to play. One member thought it would be a good thing if many of those at present playing did not get a game, as they were not much good at it, and the public got disgusted with the standard of play. Another member contended that these awkward and untrained players enjoyed themselves and that was all that mattered.

The discussion closed with Mr. Colson urging that the public did not get the best of football fare served up to them this season, and consequently every effort should be made to improve the standard of play and hold the interest of the public.

Mr. Mclntyre considered that the lean year was due to the counterattraction of the British team. It was stated that a few years ago Taranaki was seriously considering adopting Waikato’s system of organisation.