Club invests in new turf

BY SCOTT MORGAN

Decades of running weekly sausage sizzles and meat raffles is finally paying off for the Mt Albert Ramblers Softball Club.

The club, founded in 1945, has put the finishing touches on a new diamond and cage and all-weather synthetic turf.

While the Auckland City Council owns their home ground, Warren Freer Park in St Lukes, project manager Hilton Earley says the club raised more than $200,000 itself.

The Ramblers’ development fund has been built up over 20 years through grassroots fundraising events.

"We would have liked to have done something when we came to Warren Freer in 1990," Earley says.

"It wasn’t practical because rugby’s played here and there’s a lack of funding."

The new diamond, which was completed with a grant from the Lion Foundation, will complement clubrooms built by the Ramblers in 1990.

Before relocating to Warren Freer Park, the Ramblers had several other home grounds including Anderson Park, Fowlds Park and Coca Cola Ball Park, where Mt Albert Pak’nSave now sits.

Club president Carl Jackson says the new diamond is a huge step for the club, who are the reigning Auckland and national champions.

"I think it’s going to benefit all of softball. If we can make a success of it, I expect other clubs might follow."

Along with reducing the number of rained off matches, Jackson says the bases pop off when people slide into them making them safer.

"The older bases are fixed in, which can easily break an ankle."

Rugby will continue to be played at the park in winter, with the field moved slightly to the right of the diamond.

To celebrate the new development, the Ramblers are holding the inaugural Bert Chote Memorial Series at Warren Freer Park from today until Sunday.

It will feature four premier men’s teams and four premier women’s teams.

Chote was one of the driving forces behind the club in its early days and was a life member.

While he passed away several years ago, his son Rocky and daughter-in-law Bev are still heavily involved in the club.

For more information about the tournament or the club go to www.ramblerssoftballclub.co.nz or call 815-2227.

- © Fairfax NZ News