Bates Banter

We welcome Wanderers Sports Club to Gower Park (No 6) today in circumstances that have been less than ideal for both clubs, given the upheaval necessary to facilitate hosting for the forthcoming FIFAWomen’sWorldCup.

Wanderers have had to find a new training base at discovery Park, while here at Melville our latest hurdle is working around a floodlight upgrade to Gower No 6 (and 7) while pitch 1 is still out of commission.

The floodlight upgrade is a club-financed initiative that has been in the works for over 18 months and is distinct from the Hamilton City Council plan to offer floodlighting to alowerilluminationonpitches3,4,and5laterintheyear.

HostingWanderersisalwaysoneoftheseason’shighlights,soinasenseitisashame the game couldn’t have been scheduled for a time when we had access to our No 1 pitch–andperhapsevenusedasoneofthefirstmatchesforthenewfloodlights

In the same contest last year Melville won 4-1 in a thrilling performance at Gower Park, though it is also worth noting that all Melville’s goalscorers on that day are no longerwiththeclub.

So it was a real tonic for the Unicorns to win 1-0 away to Takapuna last week It mirrored events of the 2022 season when we also went to Taharoto Park seeking our firstpointsoftheseasonandcameawaywitha1-0win.

Our women’s premier team have had their season start delayed after Tauranga City sought a postponement last Sunday, so now don’t begin their campaign in the WLeagueuntilSundayApril16,athometoOtumoetaiat1pm

On the facility development front, the club is currently soliciting professional advice on preparation of a business plan to press the case for new clubrooms development on the eastern side of Gower No 1. This follows advice from Hamilton City Council on the best way to proceed in the wake of in-principal approval to progress such development.

A reminder we have the Melville Golf Classic (ambrose event) coming up on Sunday April 30 at Ngaruawahia Golf Club, 11.30am, $50 per head. See the club website for moredetails.