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AN OPEN LETTER TO MEMBERS OF GENERAL COUNCIL
From: Keir Hopley
General Secretary 1996-2001
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO VOTE ON 8 APRIL?
I know that I have had some harsh things to say about some of your recently, but I thought I would take the liberty of offering you some advice for the forthcoming meeting.
Derek Rowley said at the AGM, when introducing the Annual Report - which the General Secretary had signally failed to arrive to present - that members of Council had been treated as mushrooms: kept in the dark. To some extent, that is true, and Derek deserves plaudits for being honest enough to admit it. But it may also be fair say that at least some members of General Council have been as much ostriches as mushrooms: putting their heads in the sand and refusing to believe what was happening. David Burden put before you various statements indicating financial incompetence at best. Yet you chose not to take action but, instead, to maintain your support of Barrie Stuart-King and his cronies.
The Annual General Meeting placed on record that:
Faced with this situation, you will be asked on 8 April to consider a paper from the Institute of Cricket Officials. This document, running to 30 pages, offers to take over the affairs of the Association, including assets and liabilities. So confident are its proposers that they have already usurped the ACU&S logo, which they have used on the front cover.
What is on offer? A new organization with a complex structure of three companies (why on earth do you need three companies to run an umpires' and scorers' organization?!), rather than an unincorporated members' association. The advantage, its proponents say, is good governance. What they really mean is that the membership will no longer have a say, be able to vote them out of office, or change the direction of the organization.
So who are "they"? In large part, the very same people who got us into the current mess, including David Brandon (witnessed one of the leases and travelled the country drumming up support for his previous idea of turning ACU&S into an Institute), Peter Freeman (Treasurer of ACU&S during the period of obliteration of our assets and a signatory to one of the leases), Chris Rawson (former Assistant Treasurer Accounts who pleads now that he was bringing dangers to attention yet merrily paid out all the cheques and also kept his mouth shut when he knew blatant untruths were being told) and Tony Bastable (allegedly our media officer but seemingly working now for this new and rival organization). And, of course, Barrie Stuart-King is also named as a director of one of the companies. As I have said elsewhere, the crew of the Titanic selling tickets for their next voyage.
I hope they explain things clearly to you and can respond to questions. They were not keen on this at the AGM. First, they tried to get me and Peter Ray excluded from the meeting. Exactly a week beforehand, we received letters purporting to suspend us from membership as a result of complaints about our website giving information to members, www.cricketofficials.co.uk". Who made the complaints? None other than the aforementioned Chris Rawson and Joy Muir, Regional Councillor for Ireland and mistress of the former General Secretary!
When our solicitor sent a letter indicating that, if these wholly improper suspensions were not withdrawn, we would immediately apply to the High Court for judicial review, the Chairman and President withdrew the suspensions. So the proponents of the Institute decided (largely) to stay away: no Smith (not named, but on record as supporting them), no Freeman, no Rawson, no Brandon; and a brief refusal to comment by John Fielden when invited to speak. They did not want to face the membership and their critics, preparing instead to wait for General Council, when they can expect to be in a majority.
So - what are you going to do about it? Are you going to let them take over the Association, including our training and examination materials, or are you going to treat them with contempt equal to that with which they have treated the membership in general and you in particular?
My advice would be resounding: decline any dealings with the Institute and its associated companies; and remove from office as many of its supporters as the constitution enables you to remove. We are better off without them, even if that means a few vacancies. Members may be suspicious of partnership with ECB but, if there is a straight choice, it is between an alliance with the governing body of the game with a strong interest in promoting it on the one hand; and those who are interested in promoting only themselves on the other. They have done their best to ruin the Association. Don't give them a chance to finish the job.
Instead, cast them adrift. After all, they have the sponsorship raising skills of Barrie Stuart-King, so they may not go hungry.
8 April represents the last chance for the Association. If you vote for the Institute, you are voting to end independence, membership participation and integrity. If you vote against the Institute, the Association still may not survive - the financial position is dire - but at least you hold open the chance for sensible negotiations with ECB and fund raising efforts over the summer.
The matter is in your hands. Please do not sit on them.
KEIR HOPLEY