RUGBY PLAYER EXPELLED

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 January 1939, Page 8

RUGBY PLAYER EXPELLED

FULL-BACK’S MATCH EXPENSES.

LONDON, December 6.

Alban Davies, the Cardiff Rugby Union full-back, has been expelled from the game owing to an alleged contravention of the laws on professionalism. This announcement was made yesterday by Captain Walter E. Rees, secretary of the Welsh Union, who stated that. Davies had been informed of his expulsion. “When sending in his expenses for the match at. Oxford, in which he assisted Major R. V. Stanley’s team on November 23, he included the sum of £3 for the loss of work,” said Captain Rees. “A claim for such an item is a contravention of the laws and sufficient to bring about his expulsion from the game.” Seen at his home at Machen (Mon.) yesterday, Alban Davies said that after the Oxford University game with Major Stanley's XV., he was told by Major Stanley to “charge the amount by which you are out of pocket.” “I lost three days’ -work,” said Davies, “as I left Cardiff on the Tuesday and did not return until Thursday. I have my widowed mother to support, and 1 thought I was entitled to charge for the loss of work. No one told me anything to the contrary. “I am dumbfounded, however, by the Wesh Union’s decision. I did not know any objection had been raised, and I was not invited to the meeting of the union. I have been condemned before I have been allowed to state my case and 1 intend to appeal.” Major Stanley denied that he had ever told Alban Davies that he could charge for loss of work.

“The real facts are these. We selected two full-backs for the match with Oxford —Cranmer and Grieve. Neither could play, so I asked Captain Rees, and also the secretary of the Cardiff club, Mr. Watters, if either of them could get in touch with Alban Davies.

“Mr. Watters sent me the player’s address and told me he had got him for the match. I then wrote to Alban Davies and told him that if he liked to stay the night, at Oxford I would pay his hotel expenses. Actually I never asked him to play; Mr. Watters went to see him and asked him. “After the match I wrote to Mr Watters expressing my great surprise to have a statement made for ‘out-of-work £3 for four days.' Mr. Watters replied as follows: 1 am astounded at your letter of November 29, and cannot understand' what he is talking about. He is a working man, and I knew that he did not have train fare to go to Oxford, so I advanced him £3 out of my pocket so that he would not be short. As you know, we are perfectly aware of the professional laws of the Welsh Rugby Union, and this is quite out of order.

“Actually 1 have never spoken to Davies in my life,” added Major Stanley.