Daniell gives guarantee to United

Fears of Wairarapa United vanishing from the local football scene because of inadequate facilities at their home base at the Pugh Sports Bowl in Masterton are to be officially addressed.
That was the guarantee made yesterday by Masterton Mayor Gary Daniell who said a meeting involving himself, Masterton District Council chief executive officer Wes ten Hove and Wairarapa United chairman Phil Keinzley was in the throes of being organised.
Daniell said the main thrust of the discussions would revolve around Wairarapa United's concerns over the state of the playing surface at the Pugh Sports Bowl and other amenities there.
"We have a few options to explore and that's what we will be doing," Daniell said.
"Just what the answer is we will have to wait and see."
For Phil Keinzley the sentiments expressed by Daniell were welcome news although he was quick to note that similar meetings had been talked about in the past, and basically come to nothing.
"It's great to know the Mayor is willing to get involved to try and turn things round but when it all boils down it's action rather than words that we need," Keinzley said.
"There's been a heck of a lot words spoken over the last two or three years but bugger all action."
It was the council's inaction over the Pugh Sports Bowl hassles which actually led to Keinzley announcing in the Times-Age last week he was quitting as chairman of Wairarapa United and also from his role as coach of their flagship side, which is in their debut season in the Central League.
He pointed out at the time that only three of Wairarapa's United Central Lague home games this season had been able to be played at the Sports Bowl because of the poor state of the pitch, and how frustrated he had become at raising the issue without success.
That decision by Keinzley immediately had local football supporters talking about the possibility of Wairarapa United folding although the man himself was adamant it was personal, and did not necessarily mean anything of the sort.
However, there is no question that without the enthusiastic leadership of Phil Keinzley Wairarapa United's survival would be in jeopardy, both in terms of their administration and their playing resources.
The loss of their Central League squad, in particular would be a huge blow as they have already achieved results this season which suggest they could be a serious contender for the title in 2010.
Their stunning 3-2 over the powerful Petone side on Sunday was their third win in succession and their sixth overall and took them to sixth on the points table, ahead of all the other non-Wellington teams in the competition, Napier City Rovers, Taranaki and Palmerston North Marist.
Never one to wax lyrical, Keinzley was moved enough to suggest the performance was not only the best by Wairarapa United season but perhaps the best in the whole of their 15-year history.
"To outplay a team the calibre of Petone is something special, we couldn't have asked for anything better, "he said.