Global InformationVictoria Recreation Ground information
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| Ground information | |||
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| Location | Newport, Isle of Wight | ||
| Coordinates | 50°41′48″N 1°18′23″W / 50.6968°N 1.3065°W 50°41′48″N 1°18′23″W / 50.6968°N 1.3065°W | ||
| Establishment | circa 1902 | ||
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| As of 21 October 2009 Source: Ground profile | |||
Victoria Recreation Ground is a park located on Recreation Ground Road, just off Carisbrooke Road, in Newport, on the Isle of Wight, England. It was opened in 1902.
The park comprises a cricket pitch, tennis courts, petanque terrain, pavilion and a sports hall. It operates as Newport Victoria Sports and Social Club, formed in 1983 by the amalgamation of the Newport Cricket Club, IW Hockey Club, Newport Victoria Sports Club (Lawn Tennis and Table Tennis) and the IW Ladies' Hockey Club. At that time, the Medina Borough Council gave a grant of £17,500 to upgrade the facilities at the recreation ground. This was received by Mr Roy Kinner, the chairman of the newly formed Newport Victoria Sports and Social Club, together with a grant of £2,000 from the National Sports Council. The money was used to improve and extend the pavilion and bring the ground and pavilion up to standard.[1]
The pavilion was virtually doubled in size by connecting a large prefabricated extension. The newly formed club undertook to ensure that the ground was capable of holding hockey and netball festivals, County cricket matches and County table tennis matches. At the same time, the new club took out a 28-year lease on the pavilion from the Medina Borough Council. [1]
In 2014, the ground was said to be in crisis and there were real fears of its closure. This was because the £4,000 annual grant from the Council was set to be axed and there was genuine concern that the ground would face insolvency without it. It was said that it could also mean that the pavilion would have to be pulled down and the recreation ground closed.[2] However, the ground's future was secured when Newport Parish Council agreed to take over the lease and pledged £7,600 to the upkeep of the pavilion. The parish councillors also agreed to pursue £17,000 which was said to be owed to the ground by the Isle of Wight Council.[3]
- ^ a b Isle of Wight County Press dated 6 May 1983, Page 7
- ^ Isle of Wight County Press dated 25 July 2014, Page 88
- ^ Isle of Wight County Press dated 16 January 2015, Page 9