No news is bad news

[Paul McKeown]

So far the "feud-monger" has proven remarkably prophetic. Wear the badge with pride, David!

[David Robertson]

I'm sure you're right, Paul - just it doesn't go too well with my 'Wild Party Animal' reputation

And for the record, I tried to respond to Horton's snide reference on the S&B blog earlier this morning. I feared it would not pass his censorious judgement, so I made a copy. Another's post has since appeared, so I assume mine will not now be allowed through. Here it is anyway:

I am the alleged "feud-monger" you are too shy to name, preferring instead your trademark sneer and name-calling at my expense again. It is my comment you selectively cite, your trademark manipulation of data. I have been critical of this project, and of the ECF's competence in managing it, for more than a year, long before you arrived pompously to blunder about in the matter. On every count, I've been proved correct in my assessment.

You plead for politeness in contributions to this thread: your trademark hypocrisy in evidence again. You seek to protect yourself from forthright comment, but are quite unable to extend politeness to your critics - of which I might become merely the most vocal

He is one tiresome and rancorous nuisance

David
Atticus CC

Postscript: Fancy that! After posting here, and two hours pass, my comments above finally make it to the S&B blog. No grounds for suspicion then

[Paul Stimpson]

The above commentary is OK I guess, but ..

Where is Peter JB Wilson? What is he doing and what does he have to say? What is the status of the project and is it Holloid's project or Fergus Christie's?

The thrust of this argument is lay off the ECF it's not their fault. Well Charles Wood stated that this was "An ECF Project" his exact words.

OK, Holloid may be the supplier but this is not quite the same analogy. The ECF own the project and have announced free chess sets to Schools. The Schools, MP's, General Public etc will not see Holloid Plastics in a bad light, it will be the ECF that carry the can. If you order a book from a company and then they blame their supplier, with whom does the ill feeling and bad experience get associated with?

The thing that most irritates me about this article though is to miss the point that the ECF are to blame regardless of Holloid's failure. The ECF should have been talking to Schools YEARS AGO!!! Basman shouldn't be doing it on is own with the UK Chess Challenge. The ECF should have had some sort of Schools project way before all this. Not on this scale of course, but small beginnings, however the ECF never made even the first step!

I agree with David that unfortunately a few of us on this Forum had genuine concerns as to how this project would proceed, because we asked at times difficult but nonetheless pertinent questions we were cast aside, much like this Forum, treated as ungrateful and unhelpful.

The truth is most of us were "ready", as Charles Wood put it so emphatically himself to move the ECF in to the organisation we all want it to be, promoting chess and making real efforts to bring the game to all Schools across the country. Alas on that front we were cruelly misled.

[Paul McKeown]

Paul - of course you are right - the ECF will be blamed for this by the public, not its suppliers. Therefore, anyone who cares about chess in this country must hold the ECF management to account if this project fails.

David - the Streatham blog is noted for its vanity and egotism. I wouldn't take the criticism seriously.

[JustinHorton]

Another's post has since appeared, so I assume mine will not now be allowed through.

Or if Professor Robertson had thought about it, he would have realised that the other comment was from someone with automatic posting privileges. Others, due to abuse problems we have had in the past, have to be moderated: the moderator, on return from lunch and siesta, passed it as he normally does.

David - the Streatham blog is noted for its vanity and egotism. I wouldn't take the criticism seriously.

We are cut to the quick. A bad review from Paul McKeown - can we survive the humiliation?

[JustinHorton]

The above commentary is OK I guess, but ..

Where is Peter JB Wilson? What is he doing and what does he have to say? What is the status of the project and is it Holloid's project or Fergus Christie's?

The thrust of this argument is lay off the ECF it's not their fault. Well Charles Wood stated that this was "An ECF Project" his exact words.

OK, Holloid may be the supplier but this is not quite the same analogy. The ECF own the project and have announced free chess sets to Schools. The Schools, MP's, General Public etc will not see Holloid Plastics in a bad light, it will be the ECF that carry the can. If you order a book from a company and then they blame their supplier, with whom does the ill feeling and bad experience get associated with?

The thing that most irritates me about this article though is to miss the point that the ECF are to blame regardless of Holloid's failure.

Er Paul, why would you think that? Perhaps read the article again...

[Steve Henderson]

The above (commentary) article is one mans opinion based on what he has read and then it is his interpretation of the information his read – so its his view.

However its not the full picture, as many of us know.

Who’s to blame – In my opinion the man who has his picture on the web site shouldering up to MP’s. ECF President Gerry Walsh

Quote from the ECF Web Site - http://www.englishchess.org.uk/chess4schools/index.htm
The gathering, at the House of Commons on Monday 17th December, of many juniors who had recently represented England at various World events provided us with the opportunity to make a formal announcement that the "Chess sets in schools" project would be under way in early 2008 with some 250,000 sets and boards being produced during 2008. Gerry Walsh master-minded the whole event and it was good to see him on first-name terms with so many MPs. The Minister for Sport was presented with a set of prototype pieces by Holloid Plastics Limited.

And this one
http://www.englishchess.org.uk/chess4sc ... _jun08.htm
Mr Walsh said: "This national programme is picking up pace, and I'm proud that one of the first schools to have taken advantage of it is in Teesside.''

It was all smiles and handshakes, GW was quite happy to bask in glory, rub shoulders with MP’s, have his photo taken and make statements!
Where are the statements from the ECF president now that things have gone pear shaped?

The customer is the Schools, the supplier is ECF – full Stop!!

My view is that GW has courted publicity and not been prudent in the ECF been involved with Holloid Plastic’s. I reckon that this was all a word of mouth project, (in good faith) nothing on paper so the ECF now sit embarrassed by the events that have come to pass. GW incompetent? My view is that he knew exactly what he was doing; furthering his career in the hope that maybe, one day the OBE will be awarded for services to chess. If this project had been a success (and I wish that it had!!) then GW would have been hailed the hero of the century – MR Chess OBE !!!

Now there’s a thought for you all

However, there maybe away out of this mess – can I copyright this bit - lol
The ECF buy the tools required (Money from the JRT) from Holloid, hand them to Fergus, Fergus starts production of the sets, and the ECF are back on track!!

Lets see what happens next in the continuing saga of the ECF and its president.

[JustinHorton]

The customer is the Schools, the supplier is ECF – full Stop!!

It's the "full Stop!!" which I have a problem with here: I don't think it fits well with the invocation of "the full picture". You can't simply restrict responsibility to only one individual at fault and demand "the full picture". They're two opposite things.

hand them to Fergus, Fergus starts production of the sets, and the ECF are back on track!!

Is it then your opinion that Fergus is somebody whose reliability can be assumed?

[Matthew Turner]

I think Justin has provided an excellent summary of events and I cannot fault his analysis. Well done

[Jonathan Bryant]

... the Streatham blog is noted for its vanity and egotism. I wouldn't take the criticism seriously.

We are "known"? I think you rather overstate our importance there Paul. I'm pretty sure we're not known for anything. And rightly so.

[Paul McKeown]

I think the Streatham blog is known for many things, including accusing a respected English GM of plagiarism, withdrawing the comment when he was indignant, then sniping away now that he is no longer watching the blog. That inter alia.

[Paul McKeown]

But that probably deserves a different thread...

[JustinHorton]

But that probably deserves a different thread...

By all means start one Paul, if you think us worth it. You could perhaps use it to tell us - how would we know who is not watching the blog? It'd be a damned useful function that.

[Carl Hibbard]

Enough kiddies

[Matthew Turner]

Am I alone in thinking this is a bizarre posting from Martin Regan. Once Martin realised the gravitas of the offer from Fergus Christie he entrusted the negotiations to Gerry Walsh?

Martin seems to think all the problems sprung from the early press release - NO
The problems stem from the fact the Holloid and Fergus Christie cannot produce any sets. Distribution and storage is really not that big an issue since I can fit all the sets that Holloid can produce in my back pocket