PETONE FOOTBALL GROUNDS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 181, 27 April 1921, Page 8

PETONE FOOTBALL GROUNDS

RU6BY UNION’S CASE

REPLY TO LEAGUE STATEMENT

The chairman of the Wellington Rugby Union (Mr J. Prendeville) made reference at last night’s meeting of the Management Committee to tho arguments put forward by the Wellington Rugby Football League in its letter to the Petone Borough Council regarding the allocation of football grounds at Petone. Mr. Prendeville said that tho union was fighting the matter not for its own benefit, but for tho benefit of the Petone Football Club. As ho saw tho case, the Petone Borough Council was preferring the various associations controlling the league, hockey, and "soccer” games to its local club. The Petono Football Club had seven teams at present in tho competition, and there was a possibility of its having ono or two more if 'tho grounds were available. Tho Petono Club had a serious ground of complaint against the Borough Council, inasmuch as the club liad made Petone’s name in sport. He was informed on the best authority that the club was the founder of the particular ground over’which the dispute had arisen, and that the revenue from the ground through Rugby matches had gone largely towards developing tile ground. The Petone Council was not considering its local club, but was bargaining for what might benefit its funds most, at the expense of the local club. In reply to particular statements made on behalf of the league, he had to say that though the Petone Club was by far the largest body concerned, the other associations were benefiting far more than it was. The league secretary had “fated, said Mr. Prendeville, thnt on numerous occasions last year No. 1 ground was not used by the union, although the union had the sole use of the ground. That was not according to. fact. The only occasion on which the ground was not used by senior teams last year wag towards the end of the season, when the -representative matches were on. Then the Petone junior matches were played there. He believed that there had been ono Saturday on which the ground was not used; then it was jumped by the union’s opponents. The argument that if the playing Saturday allotted turned out wet, the league would not be able to play any game on the ground for at least four weeks, applied with equal force to the union players if they struck a wet Saturday. He thought that further representations ought to lie made to the Petone Borough Council. He understood that the Petono Football Club, thinking the Borough Council (would meet on the Monday, had a- deputation appointed to attend the meeting. It found, however, that the meeting was not on tho Monday. On Wednesday morning it woke up to find that the council had met on the Tuesday, and had had before it the letter and the deputation of the league. The union could not accept the drastic conditions laid down by the council.

Mr. W. .T. Hardham suggested that a sub-committee should lie set nip to consult with a sub-committee of the Petone Club. ’l’he Union should be sure of tho co-operation of tho club in any action it thought necessary to take. Finally, it was decided that the chairman. the secretary, and Mtv ITardhnm should meet a sub-committee*of the Petone Club on Friday evening.