"JUST A MUD POOL"

BLANDFORD PARK

AUCKLAND'S FOOTBALL GROUND

For years Association football teams visiting Auckland have complained of the exceeding muddiness of Blandford Park, where the interprovincial matches are played. Aucklanders are used to its treacherous surface but the Mother three major provinces claim that they cannot'play football on it. Last season both Wellington and Otago were beaten by Auckland in Blandford Park matches for the F.A. Trophy. . At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Football Association on Friday, Mr. W. Duncan (Wellington) raised the question of sending teams to play on.Blandford Park. 'Delegates at the recent annual meeting of the Wellington Football Association, he said, were strongly of the opinion that unless something were done to improve the Auckland ground Wellington should not play there any more. "I'm of that opinion because.it's just a mudpool," he said. Wellington had a ground which was 100 per cent, better than Blandford Park, but senior footballers would not play on it as they thought it too rough. "Aucklanders became used to their ground, and the New Zealand Council should seriously consider the question of,the handicap imposed upon visiting'teams.

"It's a pity that a referee or a visiting team has not reported the condition of the ground to the council," said Mr. Frank Campbell (Otago), who presided.

"The remarks to some extent are unfortunately true," said Mr. L. Brown (Auckland), "but Blandford Park is not as black .as it is painted ——" . Mr. Campbell: Is it as wet as it is muddy? , Mr. Brown continued ,that on almost every occasion Wellington had visited the Park' the weather had been very wet. At other times the ground was in the pink of condition and he did not think the criticism was altogether warranted.

"I'm not going to run Blandford Park down again," said Mr. J. M. Coleman (Poverty Bay). "I saw it about three weeks ago in summer time and it was under water."

The Wellington public had not had a chance of seeing an Auckland. club team play here in the North Island final of the Chatham Cup competition, he continued, and he thought the council should try and arrange such a match here. : • ;