Voting Deadlock For Cycling Role

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32119, 15 October 1969, Page 16

Voting Deadlock For Cycling Role

After two deadlocked ballots, and with the chairman refusing to make a casting vote, the Canterbury Cycling Centre last evening decided to forward two nominations for the position of manager of the New Zealand team at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh next year.

The centre had the nominations of Mr H. Litolff, of Canterbury (by the Westport club), and Mr D. Smith, of Auckland (Papanui club), for the position. Both ballots to support one of these came out at 9-9. The chairman, Mr D. Johnston, saying that he felt there was no status quo for him to support, did not vote.

An amendment put by Mr W. S. Williams, that the centre support the local nominee, Mr Litolff, also deadlocked and consequently lapsed. Mr Smith’s assent will have to be received before both nominations can go forward.

Mr Williams said cyclists frequently complained that they do not get a fair deal from the North Island. By supporting one nomination, the Canterbury centre would do something for the South Island. Commenting on the suitability of both nominations before the voting, Mr Johnston said it appeared that Mr Smith had close contacts with all the cyclists and would get on well with them as a team manager. Mr Litolff, however, as a member of Commonwealth Games Promotion

(New Zealand), could help the case for bringing the games to Christchurch in 1974. Mr R. Treloar said that the manager of a team had a first responsibility to that team and not to schemes for promotion. Mr Litolff replied that he would, as manager, talk to the cycling community and find out what people were thinking in the sport. The centre supported the nomination of Mr W. W. Thorpe as mechanic-coach to the Commonwealth Games team. This was the only nomination received. The nominations have to be received by the New Zealand association in Wellington by October 28. Cyclists Reprimanded The centre, after receiving a report on the recent national road-cycling championships at Auckland from Mr A. Day, the team manager, decided to write letters to G. Goodall and R. Knight, two members of the Canterbury team, expressing concern at their attitude towards the team manager. Mr Williams said that team managers gave riders assistance on these occasions and deserved some help in return.