ECF Yearbook

[Neil Graham]

As shops are stocking up on their 2017 annuals ready for Christmas, just in time for September, the 2016 ECF Yearbook has arrived.

It dropped through the letterbox this morning - luckily no-one was injured and it didn't dent the floorboards though at almost 170 pages it's capable of both.

I know the ECF is thinking of getting rid of the Yearbook. This one is so late, there are so many inconsistencies and omissions that its value is limited. As a historical tool the Yearbook is extremely useful but maybe the time has come to replace it with an on-line living document.

[David Robertson]

maybe the time has come to replace it with an on-line living document

Hasten the day! I plan to downgrade my membership from Platinum to Gold in order not to receive it

[David Pardoe]

Two points come to mind..
What are the main deficiencies and what additional content could be added to make this a more useful reference work.
How could the messages be got out to our main chess bodies to encourage better and more active support.
Also, I`m in favour of any major hard copy work that enables the ECF to promote chess and provide publicity and advertising options, and to reach out to the public. The web is fine, but doesn't always reach the desired audience...
Anything which could improve the uptake of such publications would be good, and if it helps add to the numbers playing and supporting chess, all the better.
I`d certainly hope that all County bodies and major leagues/clubs are encouraged to subscribe, ( and actively support/contribute..), and offered some discounts for bulk subscriptions.

[IM Jack Rudd]

The main deficiency is that it takes a year for it to react to any change in information. There is no way round this for an annually printed document.

[John Upham]

The main deficiency is that it takes a year for it to react to any change in information. There is no way round this for an annually printed document.

I've just received catalogues from various suppliers for the 2016 - 2017 season.

Perhaps instead they should wait a year for reaction?

[IM Jack Rudd]

The main deficiency is that it takes a year for it to react to any change in information. There is no way round this for an annually printed document.

I've just received catalogues from various suppliers for the 2016 - 2017 season.

Perhaps instead they should wait a year for reaction?

The difference here is that the organizations responsible for the catalogues are also responsible for any changes to the information contained in them. This isn't the case with the ECF Yearbook, where the ECF is acting to collate information from hundreds of independently-run clubs.

[John Upham]

The main deficiency is that it takes a year for it to react to any change in information. There is no way round this for an annually printed document.

I've just received catalogues from various suppliers for the 2016 - 2017 season.

Perhaps instead they should wait a year for reaction?

The difference here is that the organizations responsible for the catalogues are also responsible for any changes to the information contained in them. This isn't the case with the ECF Yearbook, where the ECF is acting to collate information from hundreds of independently-run clubs.

The suppliers are provided with information from the manufacturers about new products, updated products and deleted products and modfy their catalogues accordingly.

[Neil Graham]

The main deficiency is that it takes a year for it to react to any change in information. There is no way round this for an annually printed document.

So you have an idea of the timeline that used to be adopted.

Affiliated organisations used to have to put their copy in by July 31st and the last event that appeared in the Yearbook was the British Championships.
There was then a period where amendments/last minute additions were accepted and the Yearbook was put to bed by the end of September and submitted to the printers. It then usually appeared by the end of November/start of December - the 2016 Yearbook would actually have appeared in December 2015. This has become later over the years but is usually out by February - the 2016 Yearbook is now reporting on the events that finished over a year ago. The ECF should actually be closing the book on the 2017 Yearbook now; not producing a 2016 Yearbook nine months behind schedule.

[Neil Graham]

Two points come to mind..
What are the main deficiencies and what additional content could be added to make this a more useful reference work.
How could the messages be got out to our main chess bodies to encourage better and more active support.
Also, I`m in favour of any major hard copy work that enables the ECF to promote chess and provide publicity and advertising options, and to reach out to the public. The web is fine, but doesn't always reach the desired audience...
Anything which could improve the uptake of such publications would be good, and if it helps add to the numbers playing and supporting chess, all the better.
I`d certainly hope that all County bodies and major leagues/clubs are encouraged to subscribe, ( and actively support/contribute..), and offered some discounts for bulk subscriptions.

Here are just a few of the deficiencies/omissions/inconsistencies:-

* There is a list of contents - but no page numbers to refer to
* The 4NCL Report consists of report on Weekend 5 of Division 1; Div Two, Three & Four are not even mentioned. However if you want to see the Oxford & District League Div Four you have a full League table.
* Despite the work done on this forum, the British Championship winners lists contain a mish-mash of names, some with first names, some with just initials, non standardisation of Mrs, Ms or Miss etc.
* Perhaps the worst problem is the list of names at the back. That is supposed to be an index of officials so, for example if you wanted to find me you should be able to see my contact details under ECF Arbiters and Nottinghamshire officials. Unfortunately whoever compiled the index clearly got fed up with the job; I'm not mentioned. Try finding listings for county officials and you'll be sorely disappointed. However for some reason other random people such as the late IM Colin Crouch and Garry Kasparov seem to be in the list - the reason for their inclusion escapes me.

I could go on but it's almost time for Match of the Day!

[John Upham]

I suspect the problem here is the resourcing or lack of resourcing for Yearbook production. It is probably viewed as a legacy publication of little value with low demand by the Board.

The ECF Office staff almost certainly do their very best to produce the YB in a timely fashion but are expected to fit this onerous task in amongst three persons in an already busy day. The YB should be outsourced from the office to knowledgeable chess persons who have a passion to make it excellent.

The board needs to decide under which Director the remit falls to produce the YB and then fund its production and leave the office staff to do what they are best at. The same goes for Chess Moves.

There are people who would probably proof read and correct the YB for a small consideration if the ECF does not wish to pay commercial rates.

September 1st 2016 would be an excellent timeline for the appearance of the 2017 YB.

[Mike Truran]

Well, for a number of reasons (all avoidable) we dropped the ball badly on this one, and I apologise on behalf of the ECF. We'll do better next time - although a 1 September 2016 deadline to get next year's Yearbook out may be a little ambitious.

[Ian Thompson]

Here are just a few of the deficiencies/omissions/inconsistencies:-

* The 4NCL Report consists of report on Weekend 5 of Division 1; Div Two, Three & Four are not even mentioned. However if you want to see the Oxford & District League Div Four you have a full League table.

That's the sort of thing I'd expect to see when organisations are paying to have their results published (or not paying and not having them published).

[John Upham]

I wonder how many leagues would consider attempting to obtain publicity for themselves?

How many have a Press / Publicity Officer appointed and further to that how many of those appointed officers would get press releases and reports into the local media?

Apart from 4NCL I would estimate the answer as approximating to zero.

So, the prospect of them paying anything to appear in the YB is as likely as Donald Trump being fit to be President of the USA.

[Carl Portman]

Well I live in a small village and I am way ahead of the anoraks, but I have always enjoyed receiving the Yearbook and I have always used them for reference, sometimes taking hard copy with me on meetings around schools and prisons. That said, it is terribly late and would put many people off but Mike Truran was big enough to post that the ball was dropped on this issue. It must takes ages to put together and so few HO staff have a plethora of other business matters to attend to. I pay Platinum for the Yearbook (and for several other reasons) and would like it to continue but clearly it has to be more time bound and accurate.

[Andrew Zigmond]

It does sound like the yearbook is a bit of a relic in the internet era; I came by a copy in 2013 and must admit I didn't refer to it much. It may yet still have a place but it sounds like it needs a dedicated compiler and some thought as to who the target audience is.