NUAFC 1968-2018

2012
WAIKATO C DIVISION, 2012
Rear: Courtney Williams, Jeff Tozer, Brian Holloway, _____, Toby Stone, Peter Morris, Jason Hussey, Jared Williams, Robert Wills,
Marek Shirnack.
Front: Jarrod Gemmel, Richard Harris, Haydn Douglas, Rodi Rojas, Johnny Bell, Tom Horrox, Michael Cumming.
Maxine Williams (Club President), Audrey Harron (nee Templeton) and Rachael Hancock present at the unveiling of the
plaque that renamed Centennial Park’s #1 pitch as Templeton Field on the 28th of July 2012, as a memorial to club
founder Joe Templeton.
Letter to the Borough Council
This is an exploratory enquiry regarding the steps to be taken in the
possible renaming of a public park.
At the Annual General Meeting of the Ngaruawahia United
Association Football Club to be held at the end of October a motion
will be put about approaching the Council with respect to renaming
all or part of Ngaruawahia’s Centennial Park.
Two alternatives will be placed before the membership –
That the Council be approached with respect to the renaming of
Centennial Park to Templeton Park.
That the Council be approached with respect to the renaming of
Centennial Park No.1 pitch, adjacent to Kiatoa Road, to
Templeton Field.
Rationale
Mr Joe Templeton was the force in re-establishing football in our
town, following a brief presence of the code in 1921-1922. Club
football was started in 1968 with the first matches played in 1969 at
the local High School before being given permission by the then
Ngaruawahia Borough Council to make use of Centennial Park,
previously a cricket pitch.
The club has done much, along with the council, in facilitating the
upgrade of the fields. The building of a clubrooms, the council adding
changing and toilet facilities and the preparation and upgrading and
fencing of the No.1 pitch has been a part of the scheme.
Over the past few years we have hosted international teams as well
as New Zealand provincial sides (Otago, Canterbury, Wellington,
Auckland) in regular competition. With the current upgrade in
progress we will have the best footballing surface in the Waikato,
only matched by Hamilton’s Seddon Park (cricket) and the Hamilton
Stadium (Rugby). This will ensure top-line teams from around New
Zealand will return to Ngaruawahia to play.
The legacy of Mr Joe Templeton (now deceased) is very real and alive
and we wish it to be more prominent by affixing his name to the
realisation of his dream.
The Council plans to hand back to Ngaruawahia United the upgraded
field in April 2012 and we would like that to combine with the official
renaming of the field/pitch.
The only occurrence of a “Templeton Park” in New Zealand that we
can ascertain is that of a housing development in the South Island,
whereas there are at least eight Centennial Parks, the closest being in
Te Kuiti.
We look forward to your response.
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