Victory Park Board Affirms Decision

Press, Volume C, Issue 29452, 2 March 1961, Page 14

Victory Park Board Affirms Decision

English soccer players will not be allowed to play on Lancaster Park on June 3. The Victory Park Board last evening affirmed its decision after considering a second application from the New Zealand Football Association for use of the park.

After nearly two hours in committee the meeting was formally opened with the reading of the last meeting’s minutes. Letters from the Christchurch City Council and the Football Association were read and five of the six members of the board present approved of the decision made in committee that the application be declined. Mr p. A. Colville’s vote of disapproval was recorded.

During the discussion in committee nine members of the board were present as well as the chairman (Mr H. C. Blazey) and the secretary (Mr K. N. McGillivray).

The following statement was then issued by the board:

“The board has reconsidered the application of the New Zealand Football Association for the use pf Lancaster Park on June 3 for a match with the English Association Football team and after full consideration regrets that it cannot see its way clear to alter its previous decision declining the application. “In arriving at this decision, the board has followed one of the essential conditions under which the Commercial Travellers’ Association undertook to organise the raffle which cleared the park of debt and to carry out also the trust imposed on it under the Victory Park Act. The essential condition Referred to was that “the affairs of the park shall be administered solely in the interests <jf amateur sport.” said the statement. “This condition was accepted unreservedly by the Canterbury Rugfcy Football Union which was half owner of the park, but it was agreed mutually that the act should be so written tqs permit the Canterbury Cricket Association, the other half-owner, to continue to allow professional cricketers to play on the park, as they had done from time to time since the earliest beginnings of Lancaster Park.

“It must be, remembered that it was founded and owned by cricketers alone from 18® to 1911. Cricket had borne the financial burden

alone for all those years and had earned the right to have professional cricketers play there, if it wished. “On the other hand, the Canterbury Rugby Football Union under its rules cannot countenance any form of professional football and, it opposed the present application from the New Zealand Football Association solely on the grounds that the visiting team will contain professional footballers. In view of the outstanding contribution that Rugby has made to the finances of the park and the very substantial loans on generous terms that it has made to the board: together with the fact that it is, by right, the winter tenant of the park, the board is not prepared to ignore the claims of the Rugby union for the use of the park.” the statement said "Contii.uing Policy” ■ “It should be emphasised that, in arriving at its decision, the board is continuing a policy which has been in operation for many years and which was conveyed to the New Zealand Football Association and the public as recently. as May 30. 1959 “At that time, the then chairman of the Board (Mr J C. Saunders) with the unanimous approval of his fellow members issued a comprehensive statement of the history and

development of Lancaster Park and said in dealing with the subject of professional football: ‘ln these cases, it is emphasised that the sports bodies must ensure (a) dates do not clash with Rugby union fixtures (b) the fixture warrants a ground of such size (c) players must be amateurs. . In conclusion the board wishes to state that it is determined to abide by the decisions and policies laid down in the history of Lancaster Park, and under the Victory Park Act.' “Finally, the board is confident that it has administered the trust imposed on it by the act, and those who sponsored the act, faithfully and well. The Rugby Union has been loyal to the park for 80 years and the board believes that it is entitled to be loyal in return, not only to the union, but also to those who struggled so hard for so many years to found and build Lancaster Park,” said the statement [Rugby Union’s Statemen? on Page 16.]