Tennis Assn. May Promote Squash

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30708, 25 March 1965, Page 14

Tennis Assn. May Promote Squash

The Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association will convene a special general meeting to consider promoting squash at Wilding Park.

Motions moved by Mr F. Gwatkin were unanimously passed at a quarterly meeting of the club delegates last evening.

Mr Gwatkin moved: “That we convene a special general meeting to amend the constitution to allow the squash court programme to be proceeded with and further, to consider and, if thought fit, to approve the plans which have been formulated and the project be proceeded with on the receipt of 200 applications for membership. “That a brochure publicising the courts be approved by this meeting.” The. future of squash rackets in Canterbury was assured and the future of tennis, if it promoted squash, was equally financially assured, said the chairman of the management committee (Mr M. C. Healey). “I don’t think the raising of affiliation fees is the answer to our tennis problems,” said Mr Healey. “I am convinced that squash is. “If we cannot get 400 members I will eat my hat.” Mr Healey said the connexion between tennis and squash had worked elsewhere and would work in Canterbury. Auckland had spent £70,000 on squash and its tennis was booming. Messrs S. Bullen and R.

Brown, the squash sub-com-mittee, spoke on the proposed squash courts. Big Losses

“Each year we have extreme difficulty in balancing our budget,” said Mr Bullen. “During the last 10 years this association has lost £l2OO. “Therefore, the management committee has looked at a number of propositions, and we have been mainly concerned with squash." He said the project would need to make £1530 to break even and it was expected the proposed club would have a membership of about 400. This membership would give an annual profit of about £lOOO over expenses, and maintenance would be light for many years. “Building costs will come to about £12,500.” said Mr Bullen. “This is probably an over-estimate but is a fair one." “Solve Worries" “The courts will solve our eternal financial worries.” said Mr Brown. ‘There is also a great demand for squash facilities and we can ride the boom.” The club would have three completely enclosed courts with full fittings. It was hoped to raise debentures on Wilding Park to produce the money, administration to be handled by the association’s executive. Some delegates considered squash harmed tennis but a report on the Auckland squash courts, run by the Auckland association, refuted this.

Mr R. Flesher questioned that the project was constitutional and said the local clubs would be financially penalised.

“There is no suggestion that tennis players should be expected to contribute," said Mr Bullen.