Tom Wilson Decision
The article below seeks to outline the facts in relation to the decision reached by the Faber Shield Committee regarding the Tom Wilson incident on 9th September 2009. I shall refrain from making any personal response to the issues raised on this page as I feel it would cloud the issue further. However I do feel that I need to respond to some of the matters raised in the joint letter from the players that was presented at the Faber Shield Meeting on 27th November 2009. Please click here for my personal response and for the reasoning behind my decision on 16th November 2009 to bring forward my previously announced decision to step down as Secretary at the 2010 AGM.
The Ruling
At the Faber Shield Meeting on Friday 27th November, the decision was reached to penalise Fulford A one point after Tom Wilson played for both Fulford teams on the same night on 9th September. This has been a long running saga with Fulford B being penalised the point originally at the 2nd October meeting and then Fulford successfully appealing that no penalties be applied to either side at the following meeting on 30th October.
The Chairman had sought external advice that concluded at the previous meetings Fulford should not have voted as they were directly involved in the matter at hand. This would have meant that the amendment vote at the previous meeting, proposing that Fulford A be penalised rather than Fulford B, would have been tied a 2-2. The Faber Shield Chairman would then have used his casting vote to support this motion meaning it would have been carried and the subsequent vote on the Fulford Appeal Letter would not have been required.
Prior to making a ruling on the matter at the Faber Shield Meeting on the 27th November 2009, the Committee considered a letter signed by 19 players in the Carlsberg-UK Snooker league (for reference at the time of writing 90 players have competed in the league so far this season).
At this point, I should like to make it clear that Fulford made the decision not the contest the matter any further. This was done in the interests of drawing a line under the matter and putting it behind us so that the league can continue without this debate continuing meeting after meeting. As such, Fulford accepted that they were not entitled to vote at the last meeting and recognised the fact that this vote would then have been tied at 2-2. This meant the the Chairman had the casting vote and the committee asked him to exercise it. The Chairman, Colin Robinson, voted to support the motion to penalise Fulford A one point thereby declaring the Tom Wilson victory for Fulford A against Phil Hart (who now receives a walkover) void and meaning the result of that match was now to be recorded as Fulford A 4-3 Malton A.
Summary
It is the hope of Fulford Conservative Club that this matter is now put behind us and not revisited at subsequent meetings. This is the reason why, despite having reservations over the above ruling and particularly at the mechanics at how this was achieved, that Fulford chose not to contest the matter any further.
Response from Richard Stroughair (ex-Secretary)
Please click here for my personal response to the matters raised above and the reasoning behind my decision on 16th November 2009 to bring forward my previously announced decision to step down as Secretary at the 2010 AGM.
