SHORTAGE OF BILLETS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30143, 29 May 1963, Page 17

SHORTAGE OF BILLETS

Doubt Over Match With Otago

“This is a very serious matter: the situation is grave," said Mr G. D. Reid, the chairman of Canterbury Hockey Association's management committee at a meeting last evening. The secretary of the association. Mr R. W. Harris, reported that only one player from the Canterbury A and B teams was prepared to billet a member of the Nelson or Otago representative teams for one night when they visited Christchurch on Queen's Birthday week-end to play representative matches with Canterbury. Mr Harris said that one player was willing to take a billet and Mr R. P. Thomson, the provincial selector, would accommodate two. “But 24 players from the two teams are required to be given accommodation,” he said, “and it is a very poor reaction.” Mr I. D. Armstrong said that as nothing really positive had been received from the Otago association in regard to its team or arrival, that if a toll call to Otago yielded no satisfaction, the main game would be that between Nelson and the Canterbury A team and that commitments with the Otago association regarding representative fixtures would terminate.