28/02/2007 - John Haigh - Answers to Graham Marlow & Tony Winterton

I have read with interest the article and information submitted by Tony Winterton who apparently has extensive knowledge about Federation statutes.  Also welcome is the letter from the Graham, I never reply to e-mails, Marlow who is one of two Assistant Directors of lawn bowling. Both have highlighted issues that they could perhaps further develop for me.  Graham Marlow in his letter cannot understand why discipline is such an important issue? I acknowledge that Graham perhaps uses the same “rose tinted glasses” as Elspeth his wife - I just wish I knew where he obtained them.  It is fair to acknowledge that for the vast majority of bowlers in Spain the elements he has detailed in his letter are correct but for those of us who “crave,” his words, competitive bowling the situation can be quite different.

Discipline

My concern regarding discipline is based on my personal experiences relating to situations that have arisen in the South of Alicante region on the Costa Blanca in the last five years or so.  Graham Marlow in his letter says that one of the reasons for coming to Spain is the weather and playing bowls in this wonderful climate.  What he has failed to mention that as a result of some of the decisions of his “dedicated band of organisers” about 15 bowlers have had their personal lives turned upside down by being illegally suspended and on occasions banned from their clubs.  What grave offences have occurred to necessitate such draconian measures?  Let me give you two examples; a lady bowler was banned for life from her club because she complained about the Xmas dinner seating arrangements and a male bowler was banned for three months because he got upset about waiting for his coffee.  In the “coffee” incident letters arrived at his club saying he had done nothing wrong nevertheless he was banned from his club for three months.  Tony Winterton’s advice in this kind of situation is to take the club to court which as we all know with the Spanish legal system could take for ever.  It is not too long ago that the Federation’s President here on the Costa Blanca had to take his own club to court because of an injustice concerning his wife that was administered by one of Graham Marlow’s “band of dedicated organisers.”  And before anyone jumps in and says that if you are unhappy with your club committee you can always replace them at the AGM.  In a club of 200 members about 70 turn up for the AGM and for the remainder of members what the committee does or does not do is of little importance to them.  That is a fact!

Now lets consider Tony’s contribution relating to discipline and grave situations:

• when deliberately and repeatedly action is taken to impede or put obstacles in the club complying with its objects to its detriment

•  when intentionally and repeatedly the management of the club is obstructed and damaged

• when the conduct of the member is considered especially blameworthy

What on earth does the above mean? Surely Tony can give examples of the type of  “grave offences”  that would fall into the categories mentioned above? It seems to me that they are in such broad terms that it could give carte blanche to committees to do what ever they think is appropriate at that time and could be dependent on the personalities of the current committee members in control.  Tony’s advice is if you feel there has been an injustice is that you can go to court but why should that be necessary?   Tony is a strong advocate of the benefits of joining the Federation but whenever anyone joins a “club” such as the Federation they expect to be protected against injustice when it does occur and it appears  that the Federation gives no such protection and what is more worrying they don’t appear to be interested! 

Discrimination

On the Costa Blanca discrimination is horrendous and Committees have frequently refused applications from bowlers wishing to gain membership to their clubs.  It is not too long ago that a well known and respected international bowler had his membership refused when he applied to join a club because of his associates who were joining the club with him.  His associates were apparently not considered suitable? 

Tony could perhaps explain what the following means as they apply to Spanish Sports Clubs.

Article 8 - Modelo de Estatutos de Club Deportiva 

The number of members will be limitless; nevertheless, the Directive meeting will be able to suspend the temporary admission of new members due to seating capacity or physical capacity of the facilities.

Article 10

The principle of members - equality without discrimination for reason of race, sex, religion, ideology or any other condition or personal or social circumstances.

 Section 20 – Spanish Constitution 1978

 1(a)       the right to freely express and spread thoughts, ideas and opinions through words, in writing or by any other means of reproduction

Article 10 - The Human Rights Act 1998

Everyone has the right to freedom of expression.  This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference.

The above articles make it clear I hope to everyone that individual members have the right to freely express opinions on the activities of their club, that prevention of membership to a sports club is a form of discrimination and should not be allowed.  The Federation should be issuing clear guidelines on what is considered unacceptable behaviour and when I refer to the Federation I am referring to the Lawn Bowls section of the Federation.

The National Executive

We have all heard of the National Executive but can anyone name all its members?  I believe that the smallest bowls region, Almeria, has the largest number of delegates.  Why?  Who are these people on the National Executive and how do they get appointed to the ruling body of Spanish Bowling.  Is there a term of office? Or are they in for “life” When does the opportunity arrive to introduce new people with new ideas? Graham Marlow says it is our National Executive but I cannot remember being involved in any of the appointments.  Surely we should have a say on who are to be the guardians of Spanish bowling?

The National Executive presumably organised and had an input into the pre-qualifying tournament for the men and ladies singles.  The tournament in the South of Alicante has been an absolute disaster.  In one Group a club will be sending four men and four ladies to the singles finals in May.  The ladies have not played one match because they did not have any opponents and the men are playing an internal competition because they had no opponents.  In another Group they changed the format after the first round and redrew the second and then the third round.  As a result the players who played away on the first game expecting a home advantage were then drawn away again.  You had the ridiculous situation of the player drawn no 3 playing a player drawn no 29 and so on. In the North of Alicante they did it the correct way by having a neutral ground so that there was no advantage to any player ensuring a fair and honest approach to the tournament. The first rule on the distributed papers stated that the competition was played under the same ‘Rules and Conditions of Play as apply to the main tournament’.  If my memory serves me well I cannot recall in the singles competition that every round is redrawn so why was this allowed to happen in the South Alicante region?  It seems obvious to me that to have organised a South Alicante, North Alicante, Almeria and Costa del Sol  pre-qualifying tournaments would have been the easiest and fairest way to decide who turned up for the singes finals in Javea.  Surely the “luck of the draw” should not be taken out of any tournament.

Before everyone starts writing in to defend their club committees let me make it clear that the vast majority of committee members are hard working and yes dedicated to their task of organising their clubs.  Without their talents and efforts clubs would not function as they should but to believe that club politics should be dismissed as trivial as intimated by Graham Marlow is going to the other extreme.  Suspension or banning of a player from playing this wonderful sport of lawn bowling should not occur unless it is a grave incident and simply expressing a point of view should never incur a 12 month suspension without an appeal as happened in my case.  I took Tony Winterton’s advice and I am looking forward to my day in court when I shall prove that the actions of my club were illegal and certainly over the top for what was such a minor incident as freely expressing my point of view.

John Haig