Winter Sports Grounds

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28534, 13 March 1958, Page 15

Winter Sports Grounds

More than 230 playing fields situated on 103 sporting grounds throughout Christchurch will cater for Rugby, Association football, Rugby League and hockey when the winter sports season begins early next month. Football will be played on 70 grounds, comprising 108 playing fields and hockey will take 124 playing fields. No new playing fields will be opened this season but two grounds—St. Leonards Park, Sumner, and English Park—will be opened again after being closed for resowing. St. Leonards Park has been closed for a year for renovations and English Park has been closed during the summer. St. Leonards Park will be used for Rugby. The Waimairi County Council hopes to have Jellie Park ready for next year’s winter sports season. Earthmoving equipment will operate there soon. Another ground in the Waimairi county. Burnside Park, is now in its second .year as a hockey and Rugby ground. Jellicoe Park Jellicoe Park at South Brighton is becoming very popular as a sports ground' because of the washing facilities. Players are making full use of the hot showers after their matches. Last year the ground proved very useful when Rawhiti Domain was unsuitable after heavy rain and this year the Canterbury Rugby Union will use it as a full-time ground. The City Council finds that the Canterbury Rugby Union, the Canterbury Football Association and the Canterbury Hockey Association are the biggest bookers of grounds. They book grounds for all their matches. Many other sporting bodies leave it to the clubs to make their bookings. A spokesman for the council said there were ample sports grounds available. The change-over from summer to winter sports did not require as much work as at the start of the summer sports season.

At the end of the summer the council just sowed fresh grass seed in the worn areas, he said.