SPORTS GROUNDS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 454, 12 March 1909, Page 9

SPORTS GROUNDS.

WILL THE NEW GBOUNDS BE AVAILABLE?

A parartrapli in The Dominion a few rlajs ago stated that Kelburne Park, and the Duppa Street sround, Island Bay, would not be available for use by eports bodies this season. Iho sports bodies concerned, however, are not tanin? kindly to this decision. In Hie opinion of a gentleman well informed on these matters,- there -.is no reason why hockev and Association football should not be played this winter on the big ground at Duppa Street, and ho considered that tho grounds should not be idle for so ong when such n large nmount of money had been expended upon them. He thought there vrns room for four games ot hockey, or possibly five A glance at the surface would show that the finished top was fairly . regular, whereas Kelburne Park was bumpy m park. Carts had passed over the Jnppa btreet ground, and they scarcely made a mark. Ihe difference in the two grounds is that English grass waa used at the former, and tougher and more wiry kinds at the latter A strong point was also made of tho fact that if the Duppa Street ground was made available, tramway revenue would benefit greatly during the winter months, when the traffic could not bo as great ns in the summer. This expert considers that even if. the result of using tho grounds cost tho, council £&0- ur making the turf right again, which , he did not think would be the case, , that action would be justified. Hockey and. Association football misrht well be played, but ho admitted that Eugby could not be played there, as it would out up the ground very badly. Another point concerning the ground,was that even after the heaviest rain, ■,it would not show it to any extent on account of the excellent drainage The matter, which vitally affects the various sports bodies, will be discussed shortly.