Former Masterton mayor Bob Francis has called for local government to press for a dedicated football facility in the Wairarapa region.
Francis believes the achievement of Wairarapa United in reaching the semi-finals of the country's most prestigious knockout competition, the Chatham Cup, should be the catalyst for the three Wairarapa councils - Masterton, Carterton and South Wairarapa - to properly recognise the growing popularity of football throughout the province.
"There is no question that football in this area is going from strength to strength and we need to encourage that growth," Francis said.
"The councils have the resources to lead the way and hopefully they are up for that challenge."
Francis said other sports in Wairarapa such as rugby, cricket and hockey had already benefited hugely from ratepayers contributing towards them having permanent, quality grounds on which to play and there was no good reason why football should be treated any differently. If current playing numbers were to be the guide, they should almost be top of any list.
Francis did emphasise, though, that the footballing fraternity also needed to be proactive in searching out, and developing, a facility that would be the headquarters of their code.
"Obviously their administrators should be at the forefront of preparing any plan for a permanent home, if they sit back and expect others to do all the hard yards then nothing will happen."
Francis himself has no definite views on where any footballing facility should be sited, saying that was something that needed to be decided after consultation between all of the interested parties.
But it was important that everybody recognised from a funding viewpoint it would benefit the whole region, not just the district in which it was sited, similar to what had happened with the Clareville hockey complex.
"The big thing is to right the present unsatisfactory situation, to provide football with a ground they can rightfully call their own." Francis said.
Francis backs Masterton facility
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