Nigel Short wishes Gerry Walsh 'Merry Xmas & Begone!'

[David Robertson]

Good grief! Isn't it obvious? Why isn't it obvious?

If our FIDE delegate is encumbered by an aging mother on visits, he has my support as a dutiful son - but not as a FIDE delegate, His first concern must be the care of his mother; somewhere distant will be his responsibilities as a FIDE delegate. And if he needs to look after an aging mother, he should better do it properly for her sake rather than do both jobs badly. Moreover, where in his candidancy statement have I ever read that his capacity as a FIDE delegate will be circumscribed by his duty of care to his mother? Nowhere has this been mentioned to my knowledge.

Think about it. We have all had, or will have, aging dependents. That requires we make compromises and sacrifices. It does not mean we carry on as if nothing had changed. That is an insult both to our dependent(s), and to our duty of care to our professional role. Surely this is self-evident after a moment's thought. Surely too, a delegate who thinks it appropriate to have his aging mother in tow at international events has neither the interests of his mother, nor that of his constituents at heart. He is only truly interested in himself.

David
Atticus CC

[Nigel Short]

Gerry takes his elderly mother with him presumably because she requires care and attention (I also live with a 92 year-old mother-in-law, by the way, so I am very well aware that old people need lots of help ) . If one were to take a decidedly benign view of these distractions, then one would say it would have little or no impact on his ability to discharge his ECF duties. Alternatively if you consider that his attention is likely to be distracted by caring duties, as is highly likely, then obviously that would be deeply detrimental to his proper functioning as an ECF officer. The key question here, of course, is what Gerry has done during his extrmely lengthy tenure as ECF Delegate? Apart from sitting on the Committee for the Disabled, does anyone know what Gerry stands for? What proposals has he made to the General Assembly to further the cause of English or international chess? To name one topical issue: England's leading player has just withdrawn in disgust from the FIDE Grand Prix: how vigourously did Gerry Walsh protest against the sudden changes to the cycle, if indeed he protested at all? Did he understand the implications of the change and did he care?
Gerry has never consulted with me on any matter of any substance - and I am supposed to be one of England's leading players. David Anderton was never so uncommunicative: on the contrary - he was attuned to all developments and consulted with those they affected. Did Gerry realise that the time-controls in use in Liverpool, Gibraltar and, I understand, Hastings have been abolished are just about to be become illegal ? Does he really have the faintest clue?
When the founder of the Grandmasters Association and organiser of numerous top tournaments, Bessel Kok, arrived at the FIDE Congress in Dresden in 2005, Gerry had to phone a previous ECF Delegate to ask who he was. That is just one of the numerous reasons why I say he is grossly ignorant. It is inconceivable that anyone who even vaguely follows international chess would not know such an important figure.
Some people have got distracted by sharp words. However, there are major issues here which are just not being addressed. Gerry is not only exceptionally lazy and uncommunicative but also hopelessly out of his depth. Unfortunately, as I discovered when I ran against him in 2006, he is also armed with a considerable number of proxies and a determination to cling to power matched only by Robert Mugabe.

[Steve Henderson]

Nigel / David
Who pays for these trips aboard?
Who pays for his mother ?

Nigel
I agree with what you are saying and there is a need for change and positive steps to move English Chess forward. Attacking GW personally will not help, but bringing to the attention of this forum the issues that GW should deal with and has failed to do so will enlighten us all.

GW is renowned for his lack of communication, his failing to grasps issues and deal with them effectively, and he hardly ever puts anything in writing.

GW once said to me "They tried to remove me from the ECF and failed, what makes you think that you can remove me from Cleveland"

GW hides behind Council, his view is ECF Council decide what happens and that he is a servant to them.
When GW got D Anderton to ask ECF Council to server links to the then ECF Forum (and as I understand it GW 2nd the proposal, and the item was not even on the ECF Agenda) was he been a servant then or was he being the master?!

Merry Christmas Gerry & yes begone.

[Charles W. Wood]

Hi All

I am going to stand alone here before the mad wrath of you all. Heres a tiny part of England. Gerry Walsh called me to ask how he could help me before my involvement in the "Chess For Schools" Project. I told him what support I needed and he agreed to help. He helped in every way possible. We now have 7 professional coaches and 4 volunteers if not more because of Gerry and others.

He was head "Arbiter" at the first Bradford Schools Championship and we didn't pay him a penny. He coached over 30 kids during the event. He is regarded as a hero by the Lord Mayor and the Chief Executive of Bradford Council for lighting up the kids lives. As far as I can see he pays his own way on ALL local (being England) events and I don't see other people paying for him going abroad.

Do me and Gerry agree the answer is no, not even slightly, (Gerry Walsh refers to me as his "biggest critic") but I also don't agree with Stuart Ruben, Ernie, Ihor Lewyk or Stuart Johnson on just about the same amount of things but I regard all of them not only as friends but also as Great Chess Activists. We don't need to agree to respect each other we just need respect, something sadly lacking here right now.

All I know about Nigel Short is every one calls him "Nasty" Nigel, I can't comment beyond that as I have never met the man, I have just spoke to him once on the phone; after that call I referred to him as "Nasty" Nigel too.

[William Metcalfe]

But we did get rid of him in cleveland it took 2/3 years and we just let him hang himself by being economical with the truth and me getting the evidence to prove it

[Charles W. Wood]

But we did get rid of him in cleveland it took 2/3 years and we just let him hang himself by being economical with the truth and me getting the evidence to prove it

And good on you for doing that, most say he was holding things back there. BUT I say he didn't here, and he did well for us. So as President of the ECF he did well for Bradford, a small back water with no-one caring what happens here until he came. Now we owe him a massive debt in which he never asked payment. Do I support the Presidency... No... Do we support the current ECF electoral system ..... No.... Do we support Gerry Walsh ....... He has helped us, so yes! I will nail my colours up as a supporter of Gerry Walsh, a man who debates every thing I stand for.... a man who argues every time we speak ..... a man who wants to change the ECF for the greater good...... Yes I support Gerry Walsh because he isn't Martin "Can I resign" Regan.

[JustinHorton]

I'm not sure how Gerry Walsh complaining or otherwise would have made one jot of difference to the changes in the Grand Prix schedule, and I am also unsure that sudden changes to world championship arrangements are entirely new to the gentleman from Leigh.

A refusal (or perhaps an inability) to communicate with the members is a grievous fault: so, too, is a preference for communicating by means of feud and abuse.

[Nigel Short]

To Justin Horton:

"I'm not sure how Gerry Walsh complaining or otherwise would have made one jot of difference to the changes in the Grand Prix schedule"
I am sure that would have been Gerry's position too - not that he needs an excuse for inactivity.

"I am also unsure that sudden changes to world championship arrangements are entirely new to the gentleman from Leigh."
Correct. So what is your point? That one should fatalistically accept every imbecility the FIDE Presidential Board attempts to foist on us? That has been Gerry's modus operandi for years. Unlike you, I think it worthwhile to try to use whatever influence we may have to effect change. If we have a Delegate who is inert, that will never happen.

"A refusal (or perhaps an inability) to communicate with the members is a grievous fault"
Good. I am glad that you finally acknowledge that Gerry Walsh might be unfit for office. This is the subject under discussion - not whether I have a sharp tongue.

[JustinHorton]

Firstly, the subjects under discussion are not limited to those subjects which you wish to be under discussion. Secondly, my points are the ones I made - and not completely different points which I have not made but which you may prefer me to have made.

[andrew martin]

Who is actually VOTING for this inertia and how can the system be changed ? That has to be the main point of address.

Andrew

[JustinHorton]

I think that's quite likely right: as with most ECF issues I think it might be best approached by trying to have a discussion among the wider membership (who I doubt, currently, have much idea how voting takes place or even who gets elected). But it does need to be a discussion and not a personalised slanging match.

[Sean Hewitt]

Who is actually VOTING for this inertia and how can the system be changed ? That has to be the main point of address.

Andrew

The short answer is nearly everyone did last time. I voted against GW's re=-election at the 2008 AGM, but I believe I was the only delegate to do so. The following are entitled to vote at ECF general meetings via their appointed delegates:-

Unions (17 votes)
County Associations (79 votes)
Leagues* (73 votes)
Congresses* (65 votes)
ECF Officers + Trustees (15 votes)
ECF Members Representatives (8 votes)
Other Organisations - Such as Braille CA, Womens CA etc (10 votes)

* Leagues and Congresses get multiple votes dependent upon how many games they send in for grading.

Congress delegates can pretty much do what they like as they are not representing players, they represent their own organisation. All other delegates are representing the players who elect them as that organisations delegate. So you should find out who the delegate for your league / county / union is and canvass their views. If you dont like their views you can either stand against them as ECF rep at that organisations AGM or put a motion to that organisations AGM seeking to direct the delegate to vote in a particular way.

Making a case to the membership is pretty pointless as the members reps only get 8 votes between them.

I should state for the record that I am the delegate for both the Leicestershire Chess Association and the Coventry Chess League as well representing my own congresses.

[Carl Hibbard]

FINALLY there is an undertone to the comments about Gerrys mother travelling with him- if someone has evidence that there concerns about who finances the trips abroad then they should make it known to all. Continued references to this can only be seen as mud slinging if theres nothing to back it up.

I personally took those comments more as being not appropriate for what should be a very busy ECF representative?

[Sean Hewitt]

Carl you may recall 2 years ago that Gerry put a statement out on the ECF webb site saying people had been making suggestions that the trips abroad by his mother where being paid for by the ECF.

As I recall this allegation was made in the 2006 election campaign, and it was scotched by a statement from the Chair of the Finance Committee and GW stating that the ECF did not fund his mothers trips, they were paid for by GW himself.

[John Upham]

Carl you may recall 2 years ago that Gerry put a statement out on the ECF webb site saying people had been making suggestions that the trips abroad by his mother where being paid for by the ECF.

Perhaps wrongly I have detected a veiled reference to this by several posters maybe inviting further comments. This one issue needs putting to bed once and for all if its just mud slinging with no foundation.

Ernie,
I would like it published in the public domain (since becoming ECF President) which of GFWs trips (and any other activities) are funded (or part funded) by

1. ECF
2. ECU
3. FIDE
4. Any other chess related funding body

I've no idea (formally) how to obtain this information. Maybe we can request it under the Freedom of Information Act? Can you help on this inquiry please?