Big Canty cricket profit

Press, 6 August 1987, Page 44

Big Canty cricket profit

By

JOHN COFFEY

Dave Gallop, the Canterbury Cricket Association treasurer, will have a particular happy tale to spin when he reports to the annual meeting at Lancaster Park on August 19. The association’s accounts show a profit of $31,575 (compared with $27,522 in the previous financial year), even after making an $lB,OOO allocation to clubs. ■ “It is the first time we have been in a situation to help the clubs in a direct financial manner," said the association’s chairman, Brian Adams, last evening. “The C.C.A. also provided clubs with pitch 'Covers and if we continue to make money this policy will continue. In just two years our position has changed from a loss of about $6OOO to a surplus of over $90,000 because of a lot of hard work,” said Mr Adams. Just about every item on the income side of the ledger showed a marked increase in 1986-81 The exceptions were cAering,

which was down $l4OO, and, especially, printed publications, which lost almost $5OO after bringing in almost $ll,OOO in 198586. Over-all, the total income of $121,155 was up by about $23,500. The Hagley Sports Centre returns increased from $4600 to $ll,OOO, interest increased by $3500, the excess income from booth licences rose from $1444 to $4026, hospitality tents also produced better business by $l7OO, and team levies were boosted by $1750. Among the new items of income were revenue from ground signs ($7125), a New Zealand Cricket Council grant ($5000) and the Toshiba match with Auckland ($1246). After suffering heavy losses in previous years, the Shell Series was selfsupporting until a $4OOO allocation was made towards a fitness assessment programme with the Canterbury Institute of Sport and Corporate Health for 1987-88. Expenses for the Shell Series squad amounted to

$58,885 before the fitness allocation, and proceeds aggregated $59,008. The Shell Cup profit of $27,749 was up from $23,048, and a $6049 Shell Trophy loss the previous summer was transformed into a $7265 surplus. That was achieved in spite of an $BOOO increase in travel expenses and another $ll,OOO in team payments and practice costs. Only one home Shell Trophy game lost money — $386 when Northern Districts played at Lancaster Park. Mr Gallop, however, expressed disappointment with the returns from the Shell Cup games against Wellington (at Timaru) and Central Districts (at Lancaster Park). The gross gates for those games were just over $ll,OOO. The second cup fixture at Lancaster Park, against Otago, brought in over $lB,OOO. “It is of concern that three home Shell Cup matches produced gate receipts of $40,626 compared with $33,009 for two matches in 1985-86,” said Mr Gallop in his report

“For the first time the association paid a daily reimbursement of expenses to the non-profes-sional players. Although this is in line with the other major associations, it increases the fixed costs associated with the Shell programme and the aim of making the Shell Series financially self-supporting will therefore become more difficult,” he said. Next season Canterbury has only two home Cup matches, to be played while the New Zealand team is in Australia. “While we accept the necessity for New Zealand to be overseas at the time of the- Shell Series in some seasons, we must also recognise the almost certain detrimental effect on our finances,” said Mr Gallop. The allocations to clubs and the Hagley Park grounds committee, made from the handsome profit, “should result in better club pitches and therefore better club cricket with an anticipated expectation of an improved performance at the firsj>class level.”