Newmarket men slumped to a 4-0 defeat against Broadland in the East
league Division 2 North at Ely on Saturday.
Meeting called over hockey
club's future
Newmarket Hockey Club committee has called an
extraordinary meeting at the town's sports centre on Monday when the
future of the club will be under discussion.
All club and life members are urged to attend
what the committee says will be a very important meeting, which
starts at 7.30pm. People with an interest in and a concern for the
club are also invited as the committee considers the fullest
possible discussion is most important.
Although no-one believes the club is in immediate
danger of folding there are fears that the absence of people willing
to undertake administrative responsibilities - the secretary and
treasurer's posts have been vacated recently - and the lack of an
artificial pitch in Newmarket could lead to players defecting to
neighbours Ely, whose facilities the club uses for league games, or
a possible merger with Ely.
On Monday a full discussion on the short and
medium term future of the club will centre on these issues: the
composition of the committee for the 1995-96, the number of teams
for 1995-96 and the captains of teams for the same period. The
decisions on East League teams for the two men's sides has to be
taken before the end of this month.
Also on the agenda is a report on the present
position with regard to the provision of an artificial pitch in
Newmarket and a discussion on where Newmarket should play and train.
The meeting will consider any options which will safeguard the
playing of or the access to hockey in Newmarket including the
possibility of merging with another club.
There will be no motions proposed before the
meeting but should it be necessary the chairman will accept motions
with seconders, proposed by members and life members connected
specifically and solely with items on the agenda to be voted on at
the extraordinary general meeting.
One club member said: "None of this would be
happening if there was a guarantee of an artificial pitch in
Newmarket next season. We want to know what the current situation is
as far as the local authority is concerned. Not only will we have
problems keeping our existing players but we won't be able to
attract newcomers without a plastic pitch. They will go to clubs
around us who do have the facilities".
Despite the problems Newmarket have recruited
young players from local schools who have progressed so well they
have gained county representative honours.
Newmarket's first team captain Bob Townson said
the number of committee members had dwindled to only five or six who
were active and they wanted to alert members to the potential
seriousness of the situation if others departed.
There was no shortage of players but there was a
need for those with some administrative ability to undertake other
duties to help the club.
Townson did not think the club would fold but
members needed to discuss the situation and he hoped people would
come forward to help run the club. More senior people with
administrative ability had to get involved. The sooner they have an
artificial pitch of their own the better. "Everyone seems to be in
favour of there being one at the upper school, including the
headmaster and now were just waiting for someone to say 'yes, we're
going to do it' " said Townson.
