SUNDAY FOOTBALL

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24945, 14 July 1944, Page 4

SUNDAY FOOTBALL

WALKER PARK GAMES COUNCIL IMPOSES BAN The playing of football at Walker Park, Point Chevalier, on Sundays was prohibited by a resolution passed at a meeting of the Auckland City Council last night. Protests against the Sunday games from two churches and five residents in the vicinity of the park were contained in letters before the council, which had also received a communication from the Auckland Transport Hoard asking the council's attitude in the matter. The Transport Hoard stated that, owing to the long hours being worked by the tramway traffic staff, it was unreasonable to detail them for special duty to cater for the crowds attending the games and it was being found that the regular service to Point Chevalier was being overcrowded to the exclusion of ordinary passengers. The protesting churches were the Point Chevalier Presbyterian and Baptist Churches. Detailed reports on the question as it was affected by the bylaws were provided by the town clerk, Mr. T. W. M. Ashby, and the city solicitor, Mr. J. Stanton. It was stated that the matches were sponsored by the New Zealand All Golds Old Boys' Association Social Club, Incorporated, one of whose objects was to foster and assist the Rugby League code. The council decided to inform the association that the holding of organised football on Walker Park on Sundays constituted an entertainment for which the consent of the council was required under section 313 of the Municipal Corporations Act, and further that, in the event of application being made to the council for permission to hold organised football matches on Sundays, the council would not be prepared to grant its consent, in those circumstances the council required the Sunday matches at, present being conducted by the association to be discontinued.