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Re: City of Oxford

Cameron,

You mention the NCC - I will reply to you personally regarding my own
experiences with them.

Monkey


Cameron Mabon wrote:

> Firstly, I will make it clear that I am writing of my own volition, and
> my views may not co-incide with those of the rest of the City of Oxford
> Band...
>
> I was surprised that the appeal presented by the City of Oxford Band was
> rejected. There was an irrefutable body of evidence in our favour, and
> the committee did acknowledge that the band had not deliberately tried to
> cheat, nor had we gained anything by omitting one name from a signature
> form.
>
> It seems surprising, then, that the committee should have chosen to
> re-inforce the strongest possible penalty. To my mind, it would have
> sufficed to remove our prize-money, or trophies, or even our place at the
> Royal Albert Hall. (This is an important point. We are not continuing the
> struggle because we want to play at the Royal Albert Hall (although, of
> course, we do!!!). We are still
> fighting because we feel that we have been dealt an unjustified blow by
> the L+SC committee. Had we finished seventh in the contest, we would
> be campaigning just as hard).
>
> The punishment meted out by the committee was as harsh as it could have
> been.
>
> Not only has the band lost its finals place, we have lost our position in
> the ranking tables (instead of third, we will now be placed second-last!)
> despite the fact that we have not lost to any other Championship Section
> band from this area (apart from Aveley) in the last 18 months!
>
> If the tax disc on a car was found to bear the wrong registration plate
> number, the penalty would be a small one - perhaps a nominal fine. For a
> similar transgression,
> the members of the City of Oxford Band have been sentenced to ten years
> hard labour! (Well, at least three - we have to obtain good results at
> the areas for the next two years to stay in the Championship Section).
>
> The "rule" we broke (if, indeed, the rules stipulate that all contesting
> players must appear on the signature form - I haven't read the rules) was
> a trivial one and completely irrelevant to our performance or the result
> of the contest. If we had broken the rule that makes it mandatory to wear
> black socks, would we have been disqualified? or the rule that stipulates
> that all bands must have a giraffe on stage?
>
> I think it is sad that, if our disqualification is upheld by the NCC, the
> London and Southern Counties Area will not be represented at the finals by
> the best
> bands in the area. (It is worth re-stating that the adjudicator said that
> two bands stood out on the day, despite the fact that we played badly
> compared to our expectations).
>
> As for the L+SC committee, I am still unconvinced that they provided an
> unbiased verdict. I know that I could not have made an unbiased decision
> in their shoes. The last time the topic was discussed, I was assured by
> members of the committee and others that they would maintain
> impartiality. Nevertheless, I find this difficult to believe, given the
> undoubted vested interests of several members of the committee. I firmly
> believe that the matter should have been resolved by another regional
> committee (e.g. the West of England) although I appreciate that this
> would be a new approach (though it would be valid in this rather unique
> case). I also find it strange that even the Oxfordshire Association's
> representatives did not support us!
>
> I hope that readers of the British Bandsman will read the centre-page
> spread on the City of Oxford Band in this week's issue. It presents an
> accurate picture of the band's team spirit and commitment. It also
> re-iterates the fact that our disqualification was based upon a technical
> error rather than any deliberate attempt to cheat.
>
> I appreciate that rules are necessary in band competitions. However, I
> think the rules need to be changed if a band like ours can be
> disqualified when we have acted only in the spirit of banding, with no
> intention of breaking the rules whatsoever. (As Alastair pointed
> out, the band members did not have to sign the form before the contest -
> if we had, then the error could never have arisen).
>
> I should add that the band is considering taking legal advice, and that I
> think we have a very strong case to put before the NCC. It is a fact that
> the NCC does not generally overturn decisions made by its member
> associations. In this case, I think it would be entirely justified for
> them to do so.
>
> Finally, I would like to mention that, when the the band's
> disqualification was last discussed, I received between twenty and thirty
> personal email messages. Of these, the vast majority agreed that our
> disqualification was unfair. I know that there are many bandsmen across
> the country who share my sentiments, and I hope that they will make their
> views known by whatever means to aid not only the cause of the City
> of Oxford Band, but the cause of fair brass band contesting.
>
> Once again, these are my own views.
>
> Thanks for reading such a long message, and I hope that you will see fit
> to make appropriate comment on it, before or after the band's official
> statement next week.
>
> Regards,
>
> Cameron
>
> --
>   Cameron Mabon (International Crusader)	cmabon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>   Piano, cornet and duck-call
>   Fundamental Brass	       http://users.ox.ac.uk/~newc0349/fun
>   City of Oxford Band     http://www.jesus.ox.ac.uk/~cmabon/COSB.html
>
> --
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