Seats for the Games

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33251, 14 June 1973, Page 16

Seats for the Games

Sir, —After applying for five seats in the stand early on the day that booking for the Commonwealth Games opened in Ashburton, I was deeply disappointed this week to receive $2 seats which are presumably in the most remote part of the stadium. For the benefit of others it would be helpful if the agent could explain why we were not given better seats. Even the refund advice is redeemable only in Christchurch, which would cost me a further day of travel. We had hoped to take three young girls with us, but bearing in mind the conduct of patrons on the bank at Lancaster Park and other places, one hesitates to go on this occasion.—Yours, etc., NOT A V.I.P. Ashburton. June 2, 1973. [Mr J. E. Davies, chairman of the tickets committee for the Commonwealth Games, replies: “I sympathise with ‘Not a V.I.P.’ in his disappointment. Unfortunately, high-priced seating at all Games venues is very limited, and applications far exceeded the seats available. If your correspondent cares to write in, we can identify his application and specifically answer his inquiry. Otherwise it is only possible to reply in general terms and confirm that available opening and closing top-priced seating to the general public was exhausted when the Games tickets office was processing February 1 and 2 applications. Contrary to your correspondent’s belief, $2 seats provide an admirable view of the Q.E. II stadium area. In fact they comprise over half the seating at the park and bear no resemblance o the embankment accommodation at Lancaster Park. At the Q.E. II stadium all spectators will be occupying individual seats of a plastic moulded type, and the angle of the seating is exactly the same in the high and low priced range of seating. If ‘Not a V.I.P.’ will contact me I shall be pleased to see that a cheque is sent to him to the value of his recredit advice note.”]