Never on Sunday, says Webster
The Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association has jumped out of the frying pan into the fire in introducing Sunday morning hard court play to solve the problem of disintegrating grass surfaces at Wilding Park.
That is the opinion of Ralph Webster, the United senior team’s captain and probably the most experienced player in the grade in Christchurch. The association’s decision to programme four of the next five rounds of men’s senior inter-club matches on Sunday mornings was labelled “ludicrous” by Webster yesterday. “I’m absolutely amazed and very unhappy about this move,” he said. “I’ve probably played more seasons here than any other senior and I’ve never known anything like it.
“Deliberately programming the premier grade in the competitions on Sunday mornings defeats the purpose of having such a grade. “The association is supposedly attracting publicity for. tennis through the top grade, but there will be no radio and only limited newspaper coverage of matches on a Sunday morning.
“It looks as though we have left one controversy, the state of the grass courts, and arrived at another one, playing on Sundays.” Webster anticipated problems in teams holding all their regular players, because several had other commitments on Sundays. “Personally, I regard Sunday as a day for the family and for church attendance, and I know of others who
are in the same boat. On religious grounds I don’t object to Sunday play, but my family is my first priority on that day. Now I’ll have to make a decision on what comes first — my tennis or my family.” On Monday evening the management committee of the C.L.T.A. resolved to play all future men’s senior matches this season on the hard courts, with four of the next five rounds being on Sunday mornings. Although a meeting of senior team captains had agreed to plump for hard court play, it certainly did not want the matches played on Sundays, Webster said.
“I object strenuously to this treatment — it’s just not on,” he thundered. “It could have dramatic and devastating effects on the competition.”
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19831214.2.222
Bibliographic details
Press, 14 December 1983, Page 72
Word Count
345Never on Sunday, says Webster Press, 14 December 1983, Page 72
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
Log in