Moving on, but staying put in Petone
By Tim O?Connell
As Petone Hockey Club moves towards their 100 year centenary in 2011, members are pondering the years ahead-both on and off the field. Speaking to the Petone Herald last week, club president Niell Hamilton and his fellow members were bracing themselves for a new era in the club?s history. The club?s lease at its Petone Recreation Ground headquarters expired recently and the club will be moving in with Petone Cricket Club in Udy Street.? The arrangement brings them no closer to having a turf of their own but will ensure the club maintains close links with the area it has been a part of for the last 98 years. ?While we no longer play on grass, we believe it is important to keep our presence in Petone,? said Mr Hamilton. Hutt City Council had offered Petone Hockey some space at North Park and some financial assistance to install an artificial half turf. But, with the $500,000-$600,000 price estimate both parties realised it would not be achievable. For now, Petone teams will continue using the Fraser Park complex in Avalon as their home turf. While content that the facilities provided to Wellington?s hockey community were sufficient, Mr Hamilton held a faint hope for a turf closer to home in the near future. ?A turf at Hutt Park would be great-however, new turfs have been opened in Elsdon and Kapiti, so playing times are much more reasonable than they were a couple of years ago,? he said. ?With a new turf costing approximately $1,000,000 it would be hard to justify another.? Player numbers are modest in 2009, with a lack of players in the junior ranks causing particular concern for the future of the club. Mr Hamilton said that this year Petone is fielding two women?s teams and three men?s teams.
