FOOTBALL ON THE PARK OVAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10405, 28 August 1911, Page 5

FOOTBALL ON THE PARK OVAL.

{To The Editor.}

Sir, — In treading the report of the Solway ißeoognitiion Committee meeting in the Age on Saturday, I notdc-; ed that Mr Crosbie, .in_ reporting re! the "oompliaints" a'gaim&t a football match being played on the Park | Oval, said that a match played on the ground would not hurt • the cricket i pitches in ,the least.. Surely Alrr Ci-os- I IMe &'.totai% igtijoi'aat of the present state of is*e ground, or he 'would never hiave made such a statement. If (tihat genltleman was. to take a walk down to the Park arad esamdnio- tibe pitches, I am quite islaiti&fied that he would change his opinion. The Oval is not Hike other grounds. It is isurrouinidied by big trees, and, cohsequein,tly, losieis a.great deal of the isun, '.and iait the present time is in a very damp and .soft state. It has now been decided to hold, not an ordimary raaitahi,- but a seyen-aHsidie tournament, which is .wonse. Mr, Crosbde innocently informied the .meeting on Friday night tihat would ibe only fourteen players in each match, and it wa.s not as, i£ scruminiages "would take place as iin ..an ordimaxy match." In an ordinary match thirty players, would take part. In this isieveriHarTSidiei tourniactrueint, both senior 'and 'junior teams will take part, aad I am informed that at least ten or eleven iteaiias are expected to enter. This would trepriesent about 77 players taking part—of icourse, not 77 indi.vidual ptoyers, as most' of them would play in two or three matches. Seventy-seven players compared with 301 And yet Mr Orosbie isayp it would' not he like an ordin.ary match 1 I don't think it would! Then, with aneferenoe to ecrummages;, Mr Crosbie says: "It -was inot as if scrummages would take place as in an> ordinairy match." I. bnm' never taken' very much interest djn( footlbaOl; still, I haive eeen a good number of matches, and I have never witnessed . one yet, either seven-a-side or ordinary, iin which there ■were-,, no "scrummages." Certainly, in iseven-1 a-iside imatches the games are of a j more open nature, but fltill there aTe j to a ceiiain.extent, and i quite enougih to do considerable harm ) to -tine cricket pitches. After the ex- ; iperienoe.Mr CroslbLe had lost season on- a>. "bumpy".wicket; he should- understaind : well.eho'ugli what it meains,'; kinocked aibout. That; to' coiraplain) when a jpitoh' had not been ivielll rolled,^"aindi 'an unrolled i ! pitch would he nothing compared Uvith'on© torn'into holes' by spiked boots. Perhaps the rumour that _Mr Crosbie does mot .intend to play cricket this year explains the matter. Personally > he will not in any way be affected'by bad 'wickets, and he doesn't care if anybody else is. At leaist, that is the only interpretation} that .can he placed on the .matter. At .anfyrate,' I would suggest thai't Coun-. •cillor Hoar, who is a lover of the good old"English game, 'bring the matter ibefore the ■Oou'iioil meeting on Tuesday eveninig, Hv'hen it. could he fully disouesed. If' ithis match is allowed ito .talce place om the Oval, it will' iprolbaibly iesta'blish a dangerous precedent. Ciioket is likely to be d.i*terfered with quite enough 'by mili.tairy itoaininig paradeg, witQuout players having jo face injuries on positively darigerouis pitches. thies are with, the Solway ißeoognition miovemiGntj ..aind jl ; would,mot dn-any wiay offer' objept^on ■'■s£■ there wa,s. too other ground to play on. But the bid .ishfetwgrouaid 'is : an : ideal [football 'and' I -ven!ture to isltatte' ; ifcbiaifc. tbere be practically too' difference in the amount iraaisied at the gate. At .least, .should. th.ere.Jbe'iany difference, it would not justify the course thlalt is' now proposed. Thanking you, Sir, for trespassing on) your valuable .apace'.-—I am., etc., ■;.'•'.' INDIGNANT CRICKETER.