THE SPORTS GROUND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 243, 4 March 1913, Page 4

THE SPORTS GROUND.

CRICKET OR FOOTBALL. At last night's meeting of the Pulifikiira Park Hoard the financial position of tile sports ground formed the. subject of some discussion. The neglected stale of a portion of it was mentioned, when a member remarked that it. was stated that the Cricket Association was about to remove to the Racecourse. Mr. W. K. Newman, however, did not think that this would eventuate. In fact, he understood that the cricketers were approaching the Board to ask that the pine trees on the west side should be topped so as to improve the light. Mr. Ambury considered this would improve the appearance of the "rounds. In fact if not topped they would soon be coming down. Mr. Hughes thought that as thev got no revenue out of cricketing he did not * see that they should be considered. Mr. Newman thought that the trees might well come down altogether, and be replaced with shrubs. If they could do anything to improve the ground for the cricketers they should do so. It was suggested that the attention of the Sports Ground Committee should be drawn to the state of the ground.

Mr. Newman considered that that body took no interest in the ground, and should hand its eontrol back to the Board, who could hand it to the Cricket Association. The latter body would take an interest in it and improve it, provided no football was allowed on it. It was useless for the footballers to destroy all the good they had done. Betting on football, he continued, was dead professionalism, and was destroying football, which did not create one-tenth the interest now that it did ten years ago. The Sports Ground Committee owed the Rugby Union £250, and hardly any of the matches were played here.

After some further discussion it was resolved to invite the Sports Ground Committee to attend the next Board meeting and discuss the position.