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I was driving along the Brooker Highway the other evening and saw some magnificent floodlighting in several areas of the suburbs.
As I approached Elwick Road, I saw the brilliant lighting at the Elwick Racecourse to my left.
It was lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree. And so it should be given that it caters for gallops, trotting and greyhounds.
To my right, I saw the magnificent floodlights of the Glenorchy AFL ground.
At half-time during the recent Glenorchy Knights versus Launceston City game, I walked up the hill behind the goal at the Glenorchy end of the ground to have a quick look at the Aussie Rules game that was in progress.
The lighting was outstanding. I took a few photos and, even at long range, there were no problems and the images were more than acceptable.
I turned around and could only say that the artificial football ground below me looked as if it was in semi-darkness.
It’s a pity the floodlights at the Glenorchy Aussie Rules ground can’t be rotated so that they can illuminate the KGV football ground.
Oh, yes, that ground. KGV Park. As I was driving, I saw the faint glimmer of the so-called floodlights in that general area, but they didn’t warrant a second glance.
As I headed south on the Brooker Highway, I saw another set of huge floodlights. They illuminated the hockey grounds as if it was broad daylight.
To play on those hockey grounds must be a dream. Night or day doesn’t matter. The lights would be just perfect for players and spectators alike.
It’s all quite depressing, really. The world game, the one that uses the round ball, is disadvantaged in Tasmania. Not least in Hobart.
When, oh, when, will we have decent lights to illuminate our sport?
And on a similar theme, when, oh, when, will the first sod of earth be turned at North Chigwell?
Prior to the last federal election three years ago, $12 million was allocated by the federal government for a massive development there.
Here we are, on the eve of the next federal election, and nothing has been done.
I spoke recently to Andrew Wilkie, the federal member for Clark, who was instrumental in obtaining the grant and he was as frustrated as I was at the lack of progress.
Football really is the poor cousin of Tasmanian sport.
Tomorrow night, there’s an NPL game between Kingborough Lions United and Clarence Zebras at Clennett’s Lightwood Park in Kingston.
At least the lights there should be twice as good as at KGV Park.
Playing night games should be a thrill and it should be a brilliant spectacle under decent floodlights.
That is far from the case at KGV Park, the ‘home’ of football in Tasmania.
When the floodlights were installed at KGV Park, or Grove Road, in the 1970s, they were a novelty.
They weren’t that good, but they did enable fans to experience the magic of night games and people were excited.
That is no longer the case and urgent action is required.
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