Softball park benefits from Oclyte’s versatility
Warren Freer Park in Mt Albert is the home ground of the Auckland Ramblers Softball Club who are also the reigning Auckland and national champions. After many years of fundraising, the club has just put the finishing touches on a new diamond, cage and all weather synthetic turf.
“Hilton Earley from the Ramblers Softball club first approached us over a year ago with a rudimentary design for a new cage to go along with the upgrade they were planning for the Ramblers softball diamond,” said Craig Kitchen, Area Sales Manager columns for CSP. “Hilton had originally purchased Oclyte columns from CSP back in the 90s and had built his own makeshift cage. He told me he wanted to make the Ramblers ground into one of the premier grounds in the country and he asked that we work with him to create his dream. So we started with some basic plans.”
After many months and the granting of Council consent, the plans were finalised and then handed to CSP’s production team.
“It was quite an involved project as everything is custom made, nothing is standard,” added Craig. “All the gates and fencing are attached to the columns which we had to allow for in the design. With the first game to be played on the new diamond scheduled for mid February the pressure was on.” With the installation finished and the cage signed off by the Council, the club had their first official game, under lights, on 17 February.
| “CSP worked closely with us on our design as safety was a key element for not only the spectators, but also the kids playground behind the diamond,” said Ricky Earley, Ramblers Softball Club member and Hiltons’s son. “With this design we were able to go very high - which has the least impact on the game and makes it safe for the spectators. We are really happy with the result and CSP were great.” |
The new diamond, which was completed with a grant from the Lion Foundation, will complement clubrooms built by the Ramblers in 1990. The new facility will reduce the number of “rained off” matches for the club and have the ability to host night games. The goal of the club to produce one of the best facilities in the country has certainly been achieved.