UNIQUE PLAYING GROUND

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 175, 9 July 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

UNIQUE PLAYING GROUND

“POCKET HANDKERCHIEF SIZE” AMUSING FOOTBALL IN THE MOUNTAINS. CREEK FORMS A NOVEL BOUNDARY. Perhaps the smallest, yet the most interesting football competition in Victoria is that played between three teams—Jamieson, Gaffney’s Creek and Wood’s Point. Yet this competition is noted for the keenness with which the players and the public rally to the support of the sport. Difficulties are nothing to the supporters of football in these districts. In fact, they thrive on them, states a writer in the “Sporting Globe.’’

When Gaffney’s Creek rose in flood and cut a new course and channel, 10ft. wide and Bft. deep, through the middle of the local football ground—a small basin of land surrounded by mountains which are for the greater part of the year snow’-capped—were the local football team discouraged? NO!!

They damned back the creek, filled in the channel, and flooded the ground with a three feet deep layer of sand and gravel from the local mines. They dug a new course for the creek, and diverted its waters round one side of the tiny ground and so made a novel boundary, over which no spectators would willingly encroach. Bumped Into River. Wood’s Point, too, have their river boundary line. Hero the Goulbourn forms the outside edge of the ground, and during the course of a match, when the play has become fast and furious, it is a common sight to seo players bumped into the river, to emerge dripping and mud-bcslimcd, and return to their places in the field.

The ball often bobs off merrily down the current of the river and is pursued, amid the encouraging cries of the barraekers, by a small boy armed with a long pole, to which is attached a net. He fishes the ball from the water as speedily as possible. Up and down the boundary this occurs match after match. ,

Gaffney’s however, have gone one better. They have part of their creek boundary covered over with boards, under which the creek flows as through a tunnel. The rest of the creek is uncovered. When the ball is kicked into the creek on the upstream side (say 40 times a match) the little Gaffney’s boy races down to the end of the tunnel with his net and polo and patiently waits till the ball emerges from its r._ 'erground journey. Then the ball being retrieved ... On with the game. Miniature Ground. There is, of course, a spare ball to be used while the first ball is in the tunnel, .but time off is usually declared until the ball is retrieved, because some of the players refuse to play with the spare ball, since it is usually old and the lost ball new. Such is a Gaffney’s Creek football match! The Gaffney’s Creek ground is shaped somewhat like a pear, being about 90 to 100 yards long, 40 yards wide at the widest part, and about 20 yards at the narrowest. The creek flows round one side of the ground and forms one boundary. Behind the creek rises a small hill with a succession of timber-covered ranges beyond it. The other boundary consists of a solid wall of rock, about six feet up which is a small and narrow path which leads to two tin sheds for the spectators’ use. The majority of the spectators, however, congregate on the top of this rocky hill, on which is the local hotel.

During the course of a match it is an uncanny thing to hear floating down from mid-air the fervent voices of barraekers giving such advice as, “Bump him in the creek!” “Drop him over and drown him!”

The Gaffney’s ground is so small that there was talk of the local publican fencing it off, rolling the surface, and using it as a billiard table. Each team plays 12 men to a side, as the Wood’s Point ground, too, is of pocket handkerchief size. The games on these small grounds is very crowded, the open type of game being useless because of the closeness of the goals to the centre line. The old rule of throwing in the ball when out of bounds is played in all matches on all grounds, as the new rule caused too many spills in the river and ereek. Each team has its own local umpire, the home team supplying the official in each case. Football In The Snow. The altitude and the bitter winters bring snow to each of the grounds, and games are often played in a flurry of falling snowflakes, when players, ball and ground all rccciv*c a share of the falling snow. Cries of, “Hoy! Ump! There’s ice on the river”; or “The water's cold,” often come to

that official’s ears when he incurs the wrath of some barracker. This is what football in this portion of Victoria means, but it serves to show that difficulties are nothing to football enthusiasts and that they only add a little spice to the game. It is certainly unique. A Gaffney’s Crock football match is one that will long be remembered, by any spectator.