In answer to Napier Phoenix suggestion:
The grey building directly across the road from the Rec is the Petone Workingmens Club. (13000 members). To the right of the club is the Masoinic Lodge. Behind these buildings are the Petone Rugby clubrooms next to North Park. Behind North Park is the Petone Tennis Club The remainder of the block that is circled is owned by the PWMC.
To the right of the circle is the Central Bowling Club and Petone Swimming Club. If you dont think stirring up a fight with that lot is enough, I could probably point out a couple of Gang Headquarters for you to visit.
It would well have helped matters if Petone FC, the code's representative in the area, had been consulted by Hutt City Council, Phoenix or Yellow Fever before bullets were fired. Petone residents are not all Nimbys.They probably would have been a great deal more supportive for the Arena if more consultation had been made available. With 36 sports clubs in the village, they are very much people who have an interest in sport. There are areas in Petone and surrounding districts that could accomodate a stadium without destroying grass roots sport. Someone might like to post an ariel picture of the Unilever site at the Eastern End of Jackson St.
As a Life Member of Petone FC and Foundation Member of the Phoenix, I
totally endorse Petone FC's submission which is displayed on the club's
website and above on this thread.
I endorse all of this except for one thing. Don't throw stones in our direction. I spoke to both Kristy Whalen and Barry Pickering about this prior to "firing any bullets" and in fact I suspect that my speaking to them is the only reason the club did anything about making a submission at all.
/rant.
Edit: Apparently a Petone FC submission was underway before I spoke to anyone. This is great, however my original point stands which is: don't have a go at us for doing nothing when we were just about the only ones doing anything! CFT and Welnix deserve those brickbats, not the Fever.