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City of Oxford appeal - long

If you have read the latest issue of the bandsman, you'll have noticed a
couple of articals on City of Oxford, and our disqualification at the area
contest in Basildon.  Whilst the band is probably going to get Cameron or
me to post an official statement to the list and put a copy on the webpage
(http://www.jesus.ox.ac.uk/~cmabon/COSB.html if memory serves) I thought
I'd post my own thoughts and the facts as I see them.  So, disclaimer,
this post doesn't nessecarily represent the views of the band as an
organisation.

Just before we were due to go on stage at Basildon (this was the 15th of
March, I think) we noticed to our horror that one of our players name did
not appear on the signature form.  We were informed we effectivly had 3
options: withdraw, play without said player, or play as we had rehearsed
and face disqualification.  We chose the 3rd option, the band philosophy
being that we had worked as a team so we were going to 'field' the same
team.  Nigel Taken, our MD, negotiated for about 40 minutes with the
organisers that we would not have our disqualification announced on the
day, and things would be kept reasonably quiet pending an appeal.

The band played under considerable pressure, and came second.  Joanne
Henderson once more picked up the best soloist award, despite being our
band secretary who admits to making the error.  You may remember that
James Scott, adjudactaing, commented along the lines of 'there were three
good performances, but two stood out'

(in case you didn't know, City Band won the 1st section area last year.  I
believe the highest any other newly promoted 1st section band came was
4th, Glossop band in the Midland are)

The error came about in the following way:  The signature form, which is a
list of players that 'to the best of the band secretary's knowledge'
could possibly include members who would not be on stage. [It is also
possible that in this occasion that the form did not have to be signed by
the players themselves prior to the concert, but I am unsure of this]  Jo
therefore got out her pile of cards and wrote them all down on the form,
ommiting Dave Smith as she didn't have to check players against positions.
Jo didn't have Dave's card for one of 2 reasons I think, either he was
getting a new card, or a band had borrowed him and not returned his card.

* What a stupid system - why not just send off to the registry for a list
of player?  far easier, and more accurate.

* Dave has been registered with the band for 5 years, I believe.  He has
played timps in every contest I have played in since I joined in summer
'96.

* Jo was asked if she could have missed her own name off, and said no, as
her card would be on top of the pile as principal :)

A week ago, Saturday the 16th, Nigel, Jo and Steve Henderson (bandmaster)
presented our case to the L+SC committee.  This was, in essence, that we
had not intened to 'cheat' in any way, did not gain in doing so, and did
not breach the spirit of the rules.  The committee heard their half-hour
presentation in silence, then after brief deliberation rejected the
appeal, though accepted there was no intention to cheat/deceive on our
part. The grounds were that if the rules about not adding players to a
signature form were not obeyed bands such as Hendon and Staines who
withdrew for lack of players may have been able to compete.

* actually, we broke 'the rules as they are understood.'  There is nowhere
in the rules which says 'thou shalt not add players to the signature form' 

* In fact, in the '95 areas, City Band did just that.  One of our bass
players was ill two weeks before the contest, and the NCC was contacted
for permision to add a player, and aggreed.  Steve, in conversation with a
representative of the NCC who denied that this could ever happen recieved
a 'no comment' when he presented this solid evidence.

* At least 4 members of the L+SC committee could be said to have vested
interests in a poor result for City Band.  Our two local representatives,
who incidentally didn't contact us before the appeal, are both associated
with Morrells Concert Brass (Kidlington), our local rivals.  John
Underwood is subscribed to this list, the other is Ken Membury.  Also on
the committee was a man connected with Redbridge (who go to the RAH if we
don't) and a man from Hendon.

* Ken Membury told a local band shortly after Basildon that 'City of
Oxford were caught blatantly cheating, trying to sneak an unregistered
player onto the stage'
  blatant cheating = honest mistake
  sneak = in full view of the organisers
  unregistered = joke.
 Ken had had the situation explained to him, I believe he also knows Dave.

* Hendon's interest was that disqualification would put us in the second
relegation position instead of them.  This was in fact the second case we
had to put to the L+SC committee, after the appeal against
disqualification.  In the actual event, we did not have to do this, and
will not be relegated. (though we have to achieve good results at the
areas for the next couple of years)  This decision was made before our
appeal was heard, and must have been made in the light of us being
expected to fail.  The situation could be described as a 'Kangaroo court'

* Credit to the rep from Redbridge for absenting himself from the room
after the presentation.  However, if they had already disscussed the
matter...

* I believe either said rep from Redbridge or Ken M. admited afterwards
to the effect that we they had already decided, and we may as well have
stayed at home and watched the football.  This was done 'off the record'
and is now denied.

* It may interest you to know that we are aware of another registration
form violation, an unsigned players name on the form (presumably without
their permission)  and I suspect the band involved would be most surprised
and displeased if this was pointed out to them.  Not meant as a 'low
point' to the detriment of that band, but people who live in glass
houses....

I think that's all my comments, the band is taking this to the NCC, even
trying to convene an emergency meeting.  Prospects look down there though,
even though we know we have support there, as a favourable result would in
effect be a vote of no confidence in the L+SC committee.  If that fails,
as it says in the bandsman we are considering taking legal advice (there
appears to be a large body of law relevent to fair play in amateur
organisations)

Many people (several of them from this list) have given votes of support
to the band, and expressed their amazment at the situation.  Any further
comments would be most welcome, whether to the list or to Cameron or me
personally.

This is bound to be a big talking point in Cambridge tomorrow, I'm sure
I'll meet many of you there.  Bonus points for recognising me from my left
hand! (I appear to have a BBb bass in front of my face)  If you want to
know, Cameron doesn't need a chair, and Dave Read should be obvious.
Actually, Cameron won't be there, best of luck for his finals which start
on Monday.

Best of luck also to all the bands competing tomorrow, I'll be seeing you
in the pub.

-- 
  Alastair Wheeler	 
  Euphonium & Trombone				   Fundamental Brass
  Bass Trombone				  City of Oxford Brass Band
  alastair@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx	http://www.new.ox.ac.uk/~alastair
  "I am following my fish"


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