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| STAN BENNETT Technical Committee Chairman | You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Proverb, early 16th century There's no fool like an old fool. Proverb, mid 16th century |
You may or may not know that I am chairman of the Technical Committee (I am supremely indifferent to whether or not you know that) - a job I do, not because I want to, but because I can. It is not yet clear to me, or anyone else I know, that your position is similar.....
When you made your rather pathetic speech to the faithful you lacked even the common courtesy to thank directly your predecessor for what he has done for us. You are, sir, nothing short of a disgrace and have, with the aid of your followers, already brought the Association into very considerable disrepute.....
I have not always seen eye to eye with Barrie. Some time ago I tackled him robustly, head on (though on quite different issues). His response was positive and won me over to his side. I support everything he stood for even though, at times, his ways could be irritating. He knew where he was going and it was where I wanted to go. He did it with conviction and with an energy that was breathtaking. He put us in the public view so much that hard-headed businessmen pledged large sums of money to our cause. He moved us forward into the 21st Century......
And when you had the opportunity to thank him for it you couldn't....Such an attitude speaks volumes - and you appear to support it. Your having umpired at Minor County level means nothing.
You will find me receptive to any genuine, positive, forward-looking ideas. You will find in me a firm ally or a committed opponent. The choice is yours. I suspect it doesn't matter to you. You will probably see me as one of those trendy youngsters who cannot see the benefits of the past and thinks if it is new it must be good. Certainly I am younger than you are, not in years perhaps (73 of them come April), but clearly in attitude.
You have an awfully long way to go in clearing your name, it is time to start. Perhaps a statement of your intention to resign would help.
20.3.2005: e-mail welcoming David Burden as the new chairman, on the day following the AGM.
It may be that the batsmen appeared not to be seeking an advantage, but none of us can say whether they might have tried to turn their celebration into a run had the throw been off target.
I fail to see how an umpire, acting within the Laws, can sour an atmosphere. That is much more likely to happen if the umpire ignores the Law in favour of one of the sides.
Spring 2006: How's That? no.302. Bennett demonstrates his receptive, forward- looking attitude in reply to an inquiry about the running out of the non-striker leaving his ground to offer congratulations to a century-maker.