Amalgamation the best way to salvation?

Press, 5 July 1978, Page 23

Amalgamation the best way to salvation?

By

W. R. CARSTON

. The arna^amat i° n the three Addington-based trotting clubs might he the best way of assuring the salvation of Addington Raceway in years to come. I his provocative statement for members to ponder was made by the president of the New Brighton Trotting Club. Mr Bruce Woods, when he presented his report at the annual meeting last evening.

Mr Woods said that he believed the time had come when clubs racing at Addington could do well to seek a feasibility study on their amalgamation. “I know there are many problems, too numerous to mention, but none that are insurmountable,” he said. “I believe it could have tremendous results.” Mr Woods said that one problem that came to mind could be members’ privileges but he believed that could be overcome in a verv short time. “With 29 permits now we are all striving to get members to come to the races,” he said. “On few occasions do we go into the members’

I stand and see it over-): I crowded.” Mr Woods said that the ■ ! percentage of members 1 i attending meetings was not parge and he was quite sure (that after a feasibility study

! it should be possible to operate on a graduated scale ifor particular days. Mr Woods pointed out that the benefits of such a move could be numerous. It would be of particular benefit with regard to sponsorships, for which all clubs! are striving. “Our sponsors |

are only getting part of the coverage they could possibly get if we were one large family,” he said. Mr Woods said he could see stakes rising substantially. He also suggested that

an extension of the three carnivals which had readymade interest, namely the Auckland Trotting Cup, the N.Z. Cup and the Inter-Do-minion Championships when held here, would be of great benefit. “It has been said that Australia has been leaving

us behind by the very reason they are running local series such as the Viscount series, the Cup series in Perth, the series in Victoria and the series in Queensland,” he said. “All these series are leading up to promotions in these particular areas. I can see no reason at all why, if we. were one club, we could not follow this type of promotion.”

Mr Woods said that he thought the great advantage of an amalgamation would be the saving on administration costs of running Addington Raceway. “These are becoming astronomical and we are being forced into running an empire here which I don’t believe we are in a position to carry at this stage,” he said. “I believe that if we were running as one club the administrative work could be cut by 25 per cent plus.”