HUGE “GATES”

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6887, 18 April 1929, Page 4

HUGE “GATES”

Over £70,000 Taken at Cricket Tests Official figures show that the huge sum of £73,878 was taken at the gates during the five Test matches played in Australia this season. This sum is more than £B,OOO above that taken in the 1924-25 series, despite the fact that a test match was played on this occasion in Brisbane instead of Sydney. New ivorld’s records have also been established. The total attendance was 855,362, and at the Third Test at Melbourne 262,1/67 people were present at some time during the game. Of the huge gate of £73,000 for the tests alone, the Marylebone Club lakes a substantial share, including half of the gross takings for the

outer ground and half the amount for “pass-in” payments from the outer ground to the stand. The Marylebone Club does not disclose its profits on such tours as the present one (says the Sydney “Sun”). It was reported, at the time, that In 1924-25 the amount received by the club was £22,000. Responsible officials here believe that £30,000 would be a fairer estimate. The profit will be a little more on this occasion. The Marylebone Club does not show these profits in its annual bal-ance-sheet. It pays them into a fund for tours abroad, to the West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand, and other parts of the Empire. Even the members’ board of control do not know what the profit on each tour of Australia is, though they know the share of the gate by the manager of the English team.