The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Debate directly related to English Chess Federation matters.
Jonathan Rogers
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The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Post by Jonathan Rogers » Tue Jun 20, 2017 5:10 pm

It would be worthwhile if we would agree what it is for (popularity? Selfless devotion to promoting chess? Competitive success, by some relative measurement?), if there were an obvious way of shortlisting and if there were wide interest among the membership in voting. Also, perhaps, if the prospect of winning it might spur potential winners onto greater things (as opposed to encouraging only parents to get involved with campaigns for their own children or for the children of others).

But none of these apply, and having tried and failed at attending all of the above for quite some time now, I suggest we should scrap it. Every year there are complaints about the shortlisting or voting patterns, and we can be thankful that this year it has been suspended this year before the ECF lost further credibility.

What would we lose, apart from extra forum threads twice per year, and the odd blog by Justin (and even he seems busy enough to survive without commenting on it these days)?

By way of comparison, I offer the 4NCL experience. For a few years, 1998-2001 or thereabouts, they ran votes for player of the year, manager of the year, best game of the year. For a while it worked, and the awards accompanied a start of season dinner for those who liked to dress up. But then the dinner went, and it was just the vote; and then fewer people voted. I recall that everyone we (Barbican, with three votes for three teams) voted for in 2001 won their section, and I did wonder who else actually voted (and whether we might have won some sections ourselves, if we hadn't given so many votes for other people!).

So what happened next? Well, the votes and awards were scrapped too ... and life went on quite easily.

Isn't this the simplest answer - If people won't bother to vote, there shouldn't be awards?

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Michael Farthing
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Re: The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Post by Michael Farthing » Tue Jun 20, 2017 5:13 pm

I concur.

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Christopher Kreuzer
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Re: The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Post by Christopher Kreuzer » Tue Jun 20, 2017 5:36 pm

You have to have sustained interest both from those giving the awards and those receiving them. What helps is things like: prestige, monetary awards, and publicity. If the ECF had something like an Annual Dinner to go with its AGM, and sponsorship, then the award might regain some of the status it once had (did it have such status in previous years?).

Out of interest, does anyone know if any actual awarding ceremonies take place or if any certificates or trophy-like commemorative objects are produced? If all you have is some sort of voting, and an announcing of the results, and an entry filled in on a webpage and/or an entry in the Yearbook (if that still exists), then I am not surprise it has declined.

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JustinHorton
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Re: The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Post by JustinHorton » Tue Jun 20, 2017 5:52 pm

Jonathan Rogers wrote: What would we lose, apart from extra forum threads twice per year, and the odd blog by Justin (and even he seems busy enough to survive without commenting on it these days)?
Not sure I ever did, though my memory may betray me. Jonathan certainly has been known to.
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David Robertson

Re: The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Post by David Robertson » Tue Jun 20, 2017 8:01 pm

I'm against!

Thin end of the wedge. Slippery slope. Don't give 'em an inch. The minute you scrap Player of the Year, they'll be straight in with Arbiter of the Year

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Michael Farthing
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Re: The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Post by Michael Farthing » Tue Jun 20, 2017 8:36 pm

Umm.

And then Organiser of the Year...

And then Nexus of the Year...

Mike Gunn
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Re: The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Post by Mike Gunn » Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:32 pm

Arbiers/ organisers already have a prize for best contribution to running the British Championships: it's called the Boxall Plate.

David Robertson

Re: The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Post by David Robertson » Tue Jun 20, 2017 10:21 pm

Mike Gunn wrote:it's called the Boxall Plate.
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Carl Hibbard
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Re: The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Post by Carl Hibbard » Tue Jun 20, 2017 10:37 pm

Michael Farthing wrote:Umm.

And then Organiser of the Year...

And then Nexus of the Year...
Web site?
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

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John Upham
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Re: The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Post by John Upham » Wed Jun 21, 2017 9:47 am

Michael Farthing wrote:Umm.

And then Organiser of the Year...

And then Nexus of the Year...

And Governance Committee Member of the Year...
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Michael Farthing
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Re: The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Post by Michael Farthing » Wed Jun 21, 2017 11:12 am

John Upham wrote:
And Governance Committee Member of the Year...
It would seem you are party to unannounced infomation :wink:

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John Upham
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Re: The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Post by John Upham » Wed Jun 21, 2017 11:49 am

Michael Farthing wrote:
John Upham wrote:
And Governance Committee Member of the Year...
It would seem you are party to unannounced infomation :wink:
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Matthew Turner
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Re: The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Post by Matthew Turner » Wed Jun 21, 2017 1:43 pm

I don't think the award should be scrapped, because it is a good way of focusing attention on the successes of the previous year. I am not terribly bothered who wins.

Jonathan Bryant
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Re: The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Post by Jonathan Bryant » Wed Jun 21, 2017 4:16 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote:Out of interest, does anyone know if any actual awarding ceremonies take place or if any certificates or trophy-like commemorative objects are produced?

I don’t know about now but many moons ago - this would have been 2007/2008 or thereabouts the S&B Blog won website of the year. This was back when it was still the S&B Chess Club Blog - and Peter Sowray came to a club night one evening and awarded a certificate I think/ I’m not sure 100% sure any more.

I must admit I have always thought that all awards from the Oscars down are a little silly. Is this player more deserving than that one? Is this film better than that one? Would you rather have steak and kidney pie or apple crumble? The only sensible answer is always going to be, "well, it depends".

That said, as long as everybody treats it as the bit of fun that it is, I don’t really see the harm - as long as the award giver doesn’t make themselves look foolish along the way.

Nick Grey
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Re: The case for scrapping "Player of the Year"

Post by Nick Grey » Thu Jun 22, 2017 8:25 pm

If you have awards you need to do it properly. I would have been livid if a Chelsea player had not won a player of the year award.
Personally I think it is a service that ought to be done properly as part of membership. So why not make refunds for those that voted (£5 seems fine to me).

Otherwise we ought to seek the resignation of the awards committee which seems the way democracy and mob rule works.
It has been a very bad week.

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