KILBIRNIE STADIUM

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 128, 2 June 1938, Page 20

KILBIRNIE STADIUM

STATE OF SURFACE

TEMPORARY CLOSING

Dissatisfaction with the state of the surface of the Kllbirnie Stadium, which has steadily increased among those As'sociation football players who have had to play on it this season, provoked a serious discussion at last night's meeting of the management committee of the Wellington Football Association, and it was decided that the ground be temporarily closed pending an inspection by the committee and further consideration.

Mr. E. J. Gates withdrew a motion that, the Stadium be closed and that no further games be played there until the area had been put into a satisfactory playing condition.

The referee of the Marist-Technical Old Boys first A division game at the Stadium last Saturday wrote that M. Duffy, a Marist player, suffered a broken leg through Dalziell, an opposing player, attempting to block Duffy's cross delivery. The game was held up until the removal of the injured player, and both teams then left the field as a protest against the state of the ground. The accident took place in the 20th minute of the second half.

The Marist Club wrote stating that the players in its first four teams would refuse to play on the Stadium. The Technical Club also protested against the dangerous nature of the ground and the condition of the dressing'room.

The chairman of the committee, Mr. J. Meltzer, said that he had spoken to both the referee and the injured player. The former was not able to say that the accident was due to the condition of the ground, though he said the ground was not in a fit condition. The injured player was noncommittal, but he veered to the suggestion that the state of the ground was probably not the direct cause of the accident. Mr. Meltzer pointed out that players had broken their legs on the Basin Reserve. "I think we can reasonably assume that this particular accident, was not directly connected with the condition of the ground," said Mr. Meltzer. Although he had thought that the ground at the beginning of the season was in a better condition than at any time last year, said Mr. Meltzer, he was now afraid to take the risk of playing any team on the ground. That was not to be taken as an admission by the management committee that last Saturday's accident was caused by the ground. ' Other members criticised the state of the ground, but Mr. A. J. CosteUoe said it was the first serious accident he had heard of on the Stadium.