HOCKEY FACES SERIOUS POSITION

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 319, 2 April 1928, Page 11

HOCKEY FACES SERIOUS POSITION

GROUNDS WILL HAVE TO BE FOUND FOR THOUSAND PLAYERS The transfer of the lease of the Remuera recreation ground from the Auckland Hockey Association to the Auckland Girls’ Athletic Association indicates a still further congestion of playing fields. The difficult problem of making room for over 1,000 hockey players will have to be faced toward the end of the coming season. The position is undoubtedly a seri- | ous one as far as hockey in Auckland is concerned. After holding the Remuera ground for 20 years, and spending £855 on the ground in the past four years alone, the association has now to join the rank and file of the many bodies in search of grounds, at a time when there is a severe shortage of playing areas. In an interview, Mr. Arthur Playle, chairman of the executive committee

of the Hockey Association, said that its tender was only > £62 a year lower than the successful ’ one, and considering the substantial amount of money which they had at times sunk in the property, making permanent improvements, they thought their offer would certainly be accepted. IMPROVEMENTS TO GROUND During the last four seasons the Hockey Association spent £855 on general improvements to the ground. These included draining, providing a new water service, new paths, and new sheds. This money was not raised by the public, but by a special levy on the players during those four years, besides the psual association fees. “Now, I suppose we will have to reckon on all this money which we have spent as a dead loss,” said Mr. Playle. “Throughout, we have paid

our rent without fail, and after the willingness with which our members assisted in improving the ground, it seems hard that it is to be taken from them. HELP TO OTHERS No profit had been made out of the tennis courts which were leased during the summer monflis, while free use of the grounds had been given to the Primary Schools’ Cricket Association, King’s School, the Remuera School, and to golfers for practice. Regarding the Trust Board’s decision to grant to the new lessees permission to play on Sunday afternoons, Mr. Playle remarked that it was certainly a privilege which would have been much appreciated by tennis players and many other people, who had in past years approached* the association with requests to play on Sunday, but in mere courtesy to the owners the association declined these many requests. Regret was expressed by Mr. Playle at the fact that the trust board had altered the conditions of the tender by substituting a five years’ lease instead of a 21 years’ lease, without even giving the unsuccessful tenderers the chance of reviewing their offers accordingly.

During the association’s lease at Remuera, the grounds had always been fully taxed. On Saturday afternoons, three matches were played on each ground, and the secondary and primary schools played in the mornings. With the loss of its grounds, the Hockey Association has now no option but to fall back on the City Council, and ask for provision for 15 grounds, in order that their full programme of matches might be carried out.