PETONE GROUNDS

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 96, 23 April 1921, Page 6

PETONE GROUNDS

LEAGUE'S SIDE OF THE CASE The Wellington Rugby Football League's attitude regarding the allocation of football grounds at Petoue is the subject of correspondence from the secretary of the League (Mr. J. Murphy). "At the laßt meeting of the Petone Borough Council," he states, "a counter proposal to the agreement already made was discussed by that body. The press report of the meeting made it appear as if some councillors were of the opinion that the Rugby Union were harshly dealt with, and it was mentioned that the Rugby League would be appealed to as sports." Tho reasons which influenced the League in deciding to protest against any alteration to the original agreement are set out in a letter to the Borough Council. These are (1) That the original agreement was a fair one —"an honest attempt by the council to hold the balance fairly between equally deserving sections of Petone's sports"; (2) that the proposal would debar Petone players from playing their chosen game on alternate Saturdays, the League having insufficient grounds, and the Rugby Union being able to accommodate the Petone players on town grounds when they were not playing at Petone; (3) that under the proposal a wet Saturday would prevent League players from having' a game for four weeks; (4) "that as tho Rugby Union in the past Nhas lit tho most only played senior games at Petone on alternative Saturdays, and whereas the League has always played both a senior and a junior game on the one ground evory Saturday it was fit to play on, the present arrangement to play every Saturday on alternative grounds' will not in any way cause the Rugby Unic/n to depart from its former customs." • (5) "That as the gate money is now to be taken wholly by the council for ground improvement, it matters not which game attracts the larger attendance. In tho past, League supporters over the actual team had to pay into the Rugby Union funAl to see its own game played, and my league sees no reason why this question of gate should be raised. If. however, the Rugby Union is willing to do, as it evidently wishes done by us, viz., get off the ground altog-ether, then my league is prepared to guarantee the council the same amount of gate money as was arranged in former yea.ra when the union had cole control." It is also stated that although "the league wishea at aJI times to act in a truly sportsmanlike manner towards all kindred sports, it cannot willingly agree to the proposal brought forward-, because of the unsportsmanlike attitude taken up by the Wellington Rugby Union towards ■as." The, letter then refers to the proposal as kn "attempt to carry out tho threat made to put us off Petone ground."