Photo courtesy of Tom Wersderfer
MONTREAL (CP) — Despite a sudden reduction in its schedule that led to reports the National Lacrosse League was in trouble, commissioner Gerry Patterson insists it is alive and well and will operate in 1976.
“At our semi-annual meeting in July. Sixty percent of our time was spent reviewing our future plans,” said Patterson. “The most important thing that the governors decided was that we will remain in the same marketing areas for the 1976 season.”
“One area I would think is a problem is Boston. So you have to look at that area and say why is it a problem? We are playing in a non-air-conditioned facility in Boston. We had difficulties at the start of the season in terms of performance of the team.”
The performance has picked up but attendance has not, and Boston Bolts now have an average attendance of about 3,400.
“We’ve had a restructuring of management and a restructuring of financing in Boston. And I think you will see a strong effort to market the product. To be very realistic, for the future in New England, we must look at a better facility.
There are air-conditioned arenas in Hartford, Conn., and Providence, R.I., and a new one is being built in Portland, Me., that will seat 8,000.”
Photo courtesy of Tom Wersderfer
The schedule for all six teams was reduced to 48 games from 56, sparking reports of impending doom for the second attempt at establishing a professional lacrosse league in North America.
Patterson recommended the schedule reduction.
“The reasons I made the recommendations were, first of all, we started our season too early I think we recognized that.
“We started against hockey playoffs, basketball playoffs and opening dates in major-league baseball. In spite of that, I thought we did very well in attendance against that competition.
“I thought we could finish our season strongly in terms of competition by tightening up our scheduling.”
Meanwhile, Patterson said the league does not plan to expand for 1976 although there have been solid inquiries from Ottawa, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Edmonton and Houston.
“We don’t want to make some of the errors that the senior leagues have made. We want to remain and consolidate our position and continue to educate and promote the game in the markets we’re now in.”
Photo courtesy of Tom Wersderfer
In league action over the weekend, Boston Bolts had their six-game win streak halted Saturday night but went to work on a new one Monday.
After taking a 16-11 lacing before only 1,382 Boston fans, the Bolts moved to Landover, Md., and thumped the Maryland Arrows 12-8 to break a three-way tie for fourth place before 4,530 fans. Maryland had stopped Montreal Quebecois 16-15 before 3,560 hometown fans Saturday.
Meanwhile, in Montreal, Patterson has fined Ron Ryan of Philadelphia Wings $250 and suspended him for one game as a result of intentional physical contact with referee Noel Turner in a game last Wednesday against Boston.
Goaltender Merv Marshall of Long Island Tomahawks was fined $100 and suspended for one game for the same offence in a game at Uniondale. N.Y., July 28.
