Criticism of Chatham Cup date

Press, 2 September 1980, Page 36

Criticism of Chatham Cup date

By

DAVID LEGGAT

“A matter of principle” Is likely to compel a Christchurch member of the New Zealand Football Association to vote against playing the Adidas Chatham Cup final next Sunday. Mr Trevor Gottermeyer is angry at the way some members of the N.Z.F.A. council brought forward by a week the date of the Cup final, in order to allow members of the New Zealand team involved, to play before leaving on the tour of Canada, Central and South America on September 12. But now.that the tour has been cancelled, because of financial problems, there would probably be no difficulty in switching the final back to its original date, except that accommodation for the two teams, Mount Wellington and Dunedin City, has been organised and full plans for a final on September 7 have been arranged. Mr Gottermeyer believes that the N.Z.F.A. council members responsible for bringing the final forward had no right to do so without consulting the remainder of the council. As a result, a stormy meeting of the council on Friday in Wellington seems certain. _ Having ruled some months ago that the final would 'be on September 14, it will take a notice of motion to rescind that ruling. Mr Got-

termeyer believes a unanimous show of support is needed for that motion to be taken up. j t Mr Gottermeyer said he "fully realises the complications” his actions would cause but added that “it is not as though I am springing this on them suddenly.” He had informed the N.Z.F.A. secretary (Mr Steuart Goodman) two months ago. of his alarm at the possibility of altering the date of the final. “Its the principle of the thing,” said Mr Gottermeyer. “If the South American tour was on, I would have supported a notice of motion, because then we would have been working within the rules. But now there is no reason to play on the seventh.” Mr Gottermeyer admitted that possibly what he was intending to do amounted to a vote of no confidence in the top men in the N.Z.F.A.-, Messrs Terry ■ Killalea and Charlie Dempsey, and Mr Dempsey’s promotions and sponsorship committee. “Who can trust us if we go ahead with this. It is not my way of running an association at the top, or any, level,” said Mr Gottermeyer. But he did say that if he was given a good, valid reason for bringing the final forward a week, he would seriously consider changing his mind.- . ’ ’