Soccer put off by downpour

Press, 25 May 1977, Page 42

Soccer put off by downpour

Special correspondent Auckland

Last evening’s soccer international between New Zealand and Luton Town was postponed after torrential rain flooded Auckland’s Newmarket Park.

While officials turned away disappointed fans, the Auckland Football Association and the English tourists agreed to play the match tonight. But at least three fans who missed out on last night’s game will not be at Newmarket Park tonight. David Wallace, Paul Dayley and John Brown took yesterday off work to drive from New Plymouth to see the game; they did not know the game had been postponed until they arrived at the ground 10 minutes before the proposed kick-off. Mr Dayley, who comes from Christchurch but is working at the New Plymouth power site, said the trip had cost him $l5 in petrol and to add insult to injury his car had broken down during the trip. “There’s no way we could have stayed to see the match We made our arrangements a week ahead and we’ve got to be back at work in the morning,” Mr Wallace said.

The Victory Park Board’s race against time to reconstruct the No. 2 stand at Lancaster Park will have to be won before the Lions been won before the Lions the park on June 14. Work began on the stand early last September, and when finished the Nos 1,2 and 3 stands will be covered by the same stretch of roofing.

The secretary of the Victory Park Board, (Mr K. N. McGillivray), said recently that the stand should

be ready for the Lions’ first match in Christchurch, against the New Zealand Universities, four days before the first test match in Wellington. He added that seating in the stand will be increased by about 1600, to 2200. The extensions have cost approximately $400,000, and loans have been raised from the New Zealand Rugby Union, the Canterbury Rugby Union and the New Zealand Cricket Council. As well as increasing the

seating capacity of the stand, three squash courts have been built underneath and an enclosed viewing area for officials has been added. The grounds chairman of the Victory Park Board (Mr C. H. J. Rhodes), said yesterday it was hoped that both the viewing area and the squash courts would be ready for the Canterbury match on June 25. A squash club may be formed and therefore the courts might not jecessari-

ly be available for public use. The scheme to offer 500 seats in the reconstructed stand at $3OO each, on a 15-year basis, has received an encouraging response, according to Mr Rhodes, and there are still some seats for sale. These alterations should bring the ground’s maximum capacity up to just under 60,000. The photograph shows the almost - completed new stand, looking from the No. 1 stand.