The website does not exactly make me confident that they have answers to the questions that have been posed on here.
Surely we should have more information about our most local CASC? Even the latest news from Greenwich & Bexley has not been updated for over 6 months! It would be laughable if it were not for the fact that this should be one of the most active and popular branches.
The Fans' Forum has sent the following note to branches of the Supporters' Club earlier today:
Dear Supporters' Clubs and fellow fans,
The Fans' Forum is contacting to you following the survey of Supporters' Club branches which we undertook last month regarding the Player of the Year event. As you may recall, some fans had expressed concern to us about the way in which votes have been collected in previous years and had cited examples of people being unable to register their votes. A few fans also raised questions about the financial aspects associated with the POTY event and these points led to the Fans' Forum looking to see if we might take a more active role in the organisation and running of future POTY events.
Based on the responses received by the Fans' Forum, we decided to contact Steve Bailey to suggest that the formation of a more extensive organising committee for the POTY event might prove beneficial - both in terms of 'sharing the load' and also to provide the transparency that some parties seem to be asking for.
On that basis we are now contacting all branches of the Supporters' Club to suggest that the organising committee could benefit from representation from each branch, plus representatives from the Fans' Forum, but also to involve Paul Ellison, Dave Archer and Matt Wright, for example, from the Football Club. That way, different roles and responsibilities could be shared equally among the representatives rather than a handful of individuals (and in particular, Steve Bailey who seems to be shouldering the brunt of the work).
The Fans' Forum understands from Steve Bailey that Paul Nottage, Tony Jordan, Brenda Parsons, Christine Rix, Ian Cartwright, Rod Gough (CADSA) and Vernon Roper (West Sussex) have been involved in the last three POTY functions, with some branches of the Supporters' Club helping with the collection of votes on Valley Express. While this is admirable, the Fans' Forum would like to encourage more extensive and direct involvement from others. At the moment, the date on 2nd May has been pencilled in for the function and it is hoped that this will be confirmed shortly. Once this is done, a number of key activities (kindly provided by Steve Bailey and listed below) then need to happen:
Formulate ticket prices
Book DJ / MC
Arrange for printing of tickets
Offer 'First Option' sale to those who attended last year
Arrange advertising (website,bulletin, local press, flyers)
Make tickets available on general sale
Pay deposits to the Football Club
Approach local businesses regarding donations of raffle prizes
Decide which trophies / awards will be presented
Select / order trophies
Arrange cameraman / video link
Arrange and pay for an extension to the current POTY Board in Bartrams as it is now full
Organise the collection of votes (which games, which methods, etc)
Other activities will also be required, but the above is likely to take about one month to complete, and that will take us almost into April. For this reason, offers of help and active involvement are now needed on a fairly urgent basis - hence this e-mail.
We understand that Steve Bailey has arranged the next meeting of the POTY organising committee for Tuesday of next week (2nd March) in the function room of the Royal Oak (start time to be confirmed).
As a matter of urgency, the Fans' Forum would appreciate if you could confirm (or otherwise) - on behalf of yourself or the branch that you represent - any of the following:
1) That you are willing to help with this year's POTY event
2) In which capacity you could provide help. Please use the list of activities provided above, or add anything which may have been missed.
3) Your willingness to provide representation (either yourself or a branch representative) at next Tuesday's meeting (2nd March)
The Fans' Forum encourages all branches to respond positively to this invitation (although please try to avoid copying everyone else unnecessarily) as this is a real opportunity to build on previous POTY functions and make the 2010 event as memorable as possible.
We look forward to hearing from you and working with you in the expanded POTY organising committee.
Fans' Forum
PS This email has been sent to the the main contact at each of the following Supporters' Groups: West Country, West Sussex and Brighton, Basingstoke & North Hants, City Addicks, Bromley, Greenwich & Bexley, Hastings and Bexhill, Maidstone & The Weald, North West Kent, West Kent
If we have missed an individual or group, or if our contact information is inaccurate, can you please let us know, either by direct response to this e-mail, or to cafcfansforum@googlemail.com or to any of the individual representatives (contact details may be found at www.charltonfansforum.co.uk)
I was able to attend the Supporters Club 'Player of the Year' committee meeting last night and wanted to provide an update:
First I can confirm that the committee does actually exist (there were eight of us around the table) and that, unless everyone was on their best behaviour last night for my benefit, it seems to operate as well as you would expect a group like this to do. Plenty of things are being progressed, although the whole event is in a bit of a stall as Phil Parkinson is yet to confirm the proposed date of 2nd May. However, via Steve Waggott, we expect the Club to confirm this date in the very near future - at which point a number of activities (ticketing, publicity etc) will be triggered.
I can confirm that a text voting option has been set up, and details will be provided shortly .. including via the match day programme (although not in time for the Colchester game). Other voting methods will be available (web-based, via season ticket coupons etc) and will extend through the Norwich and Leeds games.
There will also be a vote for 'Goal of the Season' - and this is defined as the goal that means most to Charlton fans, not necessarily the best technical goal. Ian Cartwright had prepared a list of seventeen options ahead of the meeting and the committee (me included) whittled this down to a short list of six. Naturally, if Nicky Bailey or someone nets a winner against Southampton tomorrow, that is likely to be included too.
All in all I was re-assured about the way this group is organising the POTY event. No, I did not ask to inspect any accounts from previous years, but I am assured that they do exist. Those who wish to follow up on this should contact Steve Bailey directly. For my part, I will undertake to ensure that there is a proper financial record available for this year as the Fans' Forum focus is on the 2010 Player of the Year event. We are not here to deal with any perceived shortcomings of previous years.
Ian Cartwright recorded a number of actions and summarised these well at the end of the meeting. I don't know if he plans to issue any minutes, but I hope these brief notes give people some insight into what went on last night. Specific questions should be directed towards Steve Bailey, but I'm happy to provide further personal insight if that would be useful.
[quote][cite]Posted By: Dave Rudd[/cite] I can confirm that a text voting option has been set up, and details will be provided shortly .. including via the match day programme (although not in time for the Colchester game). Other voting methods will be available (web-based, via season ticket coupons etc) and will extend through the Norwich and Leeds games..[/quote]
Dave is there any update on this for some reason i thought by now we could vote on line and also there would be vote collectors on Tuesday night, not sure where I got that from, so apologies if not true. Will they be out on Saturday?
It was on the club site Kap. There were no 'volunteers' collecting votes outside any of the stands nor were there any vote collectors inside either the North or East stands on Tuesday. I spoke to a couple of friends in the West who had not seen any collectors either, though they were not specifically looking. I have not been able to vote online either.
What is happening Dave, will we be able to vote on Saturday or not?
[cite]Posted By: Red God[/cite]It was on the club site Kap. There were no 'volunteers' collecting votes outside any of the stands nor were there any vote collectors inside either the North or East stands on Tuesday. I spoke to a couple of friends in the West who had not seen any collectors either, though they were not specifically looking. I have not been able to vote online either.
What is happening Dave, will we be able to vote on Saturday or not?
Same old, same old, by the looks of it. What's the point of POTY when you can't even vote, which begs the question, who decides who POTY is?
on the OS, there's a link to a site which it states will have online voting from saturday. 2 issues with this:
1. Why does this have to wait for saturday? especially as other means to vote are supposedly open?
2. From the looks of it the site linked from the OS hasn't been updated since the 9th august 2009, so I'm not exactly holding much hope for it to work. I could get a simple vote form made on the web for free, which ok wouldn't look pretty, but at least it would give a better impression than a site that hasn't been updated for a year!
and while I'm at it, who thought text voting was a good idea? i certainly won't be paying 25p, out of principle really as I should be able to vote for free. imo that just overcomplicates things. Have a bucket in the superstore, and at the turnstiles to drop vouchers in, and a page on the OS to vote, like they have done in previous years for goal of the season.
I think RedGod and Kap's questions should be directed at Steve Bailey directly, not Dave. The FF have no input to or dealings with the CASC site and I assume it was a CASC spokesperson that advised the Club that online voting would be available from Sat night.....My interpretation of Dave's and the FF's involvement in this season's POTY is to ensure that there is transparency regarding the accounts and to check that voting procedures are in place . I have no doubt that Dave was assured that the methods of voting WOULD be in place and as he stated, had no reason to believe otherwise. Hence, surely the questions as to why there were no collectors on Tues evening and why there is not even a single word about POTY on the CASC site should be directed at those people on the POTY committee eg Steve Bailey as Dave stated in his last post.Don't shoot the messenger.....
I think most of us on here would agree totally with allez's post regarding the cost of a text vote and his query as to why online voting will not be available until Sat night. IMHO, his suggestion of a bucket outside /inside the Superstore & turnstiles for s tkt vouchers is the best policy although this would mean that non s tkt holders would have to rely on the CASC site being updated /the text option. Why make it more complicated ?
Any answers from CASC would be gratefully received.....
CASC site now updated - people are trying to chase the bloke re online stuff but don't shoot the messenger as above! Tuesday was a slight misunderstanding in communications and no more but people will be out tomorrow and at the Leeds game and will use a bit of common sense when it comes to non-season ticket holders.
From what I recall the bucket idea and turnstiles have been broached on quite a few occasions but there is a health and safety issue around keeping queues moving, trip hazards (from safety advisory committee) and that and given we will have potentially a couple of our biggest crowds of the season this is understandable.
Anyway, here's a start. http://www.casc.org.uk/index.php
PS - Just like to add that I have not come out of retirement, just still have a bit of time on my hands - doctor's orders!
[cite]Posted By: Rock Spectacle[/cite]From what I recall the bucket idea and turnstiles have been broached on quite a few occasions but there is a health and safety issue around keeping queues moving, trip hazards (from safety advisory committee) and that and given we will have potentially a couple of our biggest crowds of the season this is understandable.
[cite]Posted By: Fanny Fanackapan[/cite]
I think most of us on here would agree totally with allez's post regarding the cost of a text vote and his query as to why online voting will not be available until Sat night. IMHO, his suggestion of a bucket outside /inside the Superstore & turnstiles for s tkt vouchers is the best policy although this would mean that non s tkt holders would have to rely on the CASC site being updated /the text option. Why make it more complicated ?
How much is a few bits of paper for non-season ticket holders to write their vote on? If cost was an issue I'm sure the club has paper used on a single side it recycles, on which the blank side could be used.
With things like this, I understand that you'll never please everyone, but as stated its been over complicated. All it needed was for the OS to give a fans a known location to drop their vouchers in on the two games, that way if people wanted to vote they'd know where to do it. Might be an old fashioned way of doing it, but it makes it a hell of a lot easier for the collectors too.
The queueing issue Rock Spectacle raises seems a bit silly if it's come from the club; have they not seen some of the queues outside the ticket office this season? if the superstore is an issue, then just give the locations of collectors on the OS (i.e. back of east stand in front of main entrance, back of north under the badge etc). Point being that as it is people don't know where to look for collectors.
Add in a simple online form for those who can't make the games (although I doubt many who aren't at one of those two games would want to vote), and bob's your uncle.
It's not down the football club to provide voting slips/buckets etc. It's meant to be a supporters' club event.
As for making it easier for or easier to find the "collectors" that is the problem. There aren't any or so few - just MOG at the moment it seems ; - ) - that they can't cover all the entrances/pubs/clubs.
Hence the on-line and texting which I think are both good ideas as long as not open to multiple voting . Yes texting costs 25p but that is going to a charity and other free options are available. Would be useful, in the interests of transparency, to know which charity though, Rock
Get people up in crossbars collecting votes. I haven't been able to vote in the past 2 or 3 seasons, have never seen anyone collecting by the time I'm in the ground.
[cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]
It's not down the football club to provide voting slips/buckets etc. It's meant to be a supporters' club event.
As for making it easier for or easier to find the "collectors" that is the problem. There aren't any or so few - just MOG at the moment it seems ; - ) - that they can't cover all the entrances/pubs/clubs.
Understand both points, was merely suggesting that if the cost of providing non season ticket holders with forms was prohibitive, that the club (or any business if they are like the ones I've worked in) must have shedloads of waste paper that could be used for free.
And if the location of the collectors were distributed on the OS, you would only need one collector, in that location.
The organisers appear to me to be putting the emphasis on the collectors finding the voters, when it's much easier if it's the other way round!
[cite]Posted By: Rock Spectacle[/cite]No problem - research into Motor Neurone disease in memory of Bob Curtis.
cheers
Excellent choice.
I think if that was stated it would encourage more people to vote that way.
[cite]Posted By: Ollywozere[/cite]Get people up in crossbars collecting votes. I haven't been able to vote in the past 2 or 3 seasons, have never seen anyone collecting by the time I'm in the ground.
I would suggest that it needs someone who drinks in crossbars to do it. Someone like you Olly.
[cite]Posted By: allez les addicks[/cite]
[cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]
It's not down the football club to provide voting slips/buckets etc. It's meant to be a supporters' club event.
As for making it easier for or easier to find the "collectors" that is the problem. There aren't any or so few - just MOG at the moment it seems ; - ) - that they can't cover all the entrances/pubs/clubs.
Understand both points, was merely suggesting that if the cost of providing non season ticket holders with forms was prohibitive, that the club (or any business if they are like the ones I've worked in) must have shedloads of waste paper that could be used for free.
And if the location of the collectors were distributed on the OS, you would only need one collector, in that location.
The organisers appear to me to be putting the emphasis on the collectors finding the voters, when it's much easier if it's the other way round!
Not disagreeing but if people, as MOG, offered to help turn their ideas and suggestions in to actions it would help make it happen.
I know I've been, and continue to be, critical of some aspects of the POTY organisation but I do know how difficult it is to organise such things without the help of many people willing to give up a little time or offering to print up some voting slips at work.
I am concerned about the queues formed at the food outlet and the bookies on the concourse.
This is especially so, seeing as tomorrow will be biggest gate of the season.
Cheers for that Ian, hope you are fully fit again soon.
Fanny-I addressed my question to Dave & not Steve as he was the one who posted the report of the committee meeting. If I have any further queries I will address them to the Nigel Martin lookalike that is Ian Cartwright!
Apologies to all that I haven't been able to add to this thread in the last couple of days, but I've got back at 1am this morning after a nightmare 36 hour journey from Italy.
It looks like Ian has answered most of the questions. I understand that there will be people collecting votes at the match today and at the Leeds game. The text voting and on-line options are also now available.
I would ask that you give the CASC organising committee a bit of a break. They have come up with some extra voting options this year to make things easier for you to vote - yes texting costs, but a lot of that cost is going to charity. Look at the positive aspects, rather than just jumping on the negatives.
Right - have to go now. It's a long drive from Herts. Let's hope for three points - and lots of votes - to make this a perfect day.
Nice to talk to Ian today & hand him my vote. I was subsequently asked for my vote by other collectors outside the West Stand. Friends were able to vote in the North & I saw Steve Bailey outside the East & Christine Rix was collecting inside.
Comments
Love the bit on the front page about the takeover happening next week!
Surely we should have more information about our most local CASC? Even the latest news from Greenwich & Bexley has not been updated for over 6 months! It would be laughable if it were not for the fact that this should be one of the most active and popular branches.
Has anyone heard anything more?
Dear Supporters' Clubs and fellow fans,
The Fans' Forum is contacting to you following the survey of Supporters' Club branches which we undertook last month regarding the Player of the Year event. As you may recall, some fans had expressed concern to us about the way in which votes have been collected in previous years and had cited examples of people being unable to register their votes. A few fans also raised questions about the financial aspects associated with the POTY event and these points led to the Fans' Forum looking to see if we might take a more active role in the organisation and running of future POTY events.
Based on the responses received by the Fans' Forum, we decided to contact Steve Bailey to suggest that the formation of a more extensive organising committee for the POTY event might prove beneficial - both in terms of 'sharing the load' and also to provide the transparency that some parties seem to be asking for.
On that basis we are now contacting all branches of the Supporters' Club to suggest that the organising committee could benefit from representation from each branch, plus representatives from the Fans' Forum, but also to involve Paul Ellison, Dave Archer and Matt Wright, for example, from the Football Club. That way, different roles and responsibilities could be shared equally among the representatives rather than a handful of individuals (and in particular, Steve Bailey who seems to be shouldering the brunt of the work).
The Fans' Forum understands from Steve Bailey that Paul Nottage, Tony Jordan, Brenda Parsons, Christine Rix, Ian Cartwright, Rod Gough (CADSA) and Vernon Roper (West Sussex) have been involved in the last three POTY functions, with some branches of the Supporters' Club helping with the collection of votes on Valley Express. While this is admirable, the Fans' Forum would like to encourage more extensive and direct involvement from others. At the moment, the date on 2nd May has been pencilled in for the function and it is hoped that this will be confirmed shortly. Once this is done, a number of key activities (kindly provided by Steve Bailey and listed below) then need to happen:
Formulate ticket prices
Book DJ / MC
Arrange for printing of tickets
Offer 'First Option' sale to those who attended last year
Arrange advertising (website,bulletin, local press, flyers)
Make tickets available on general sale
Pay deposits to the Football Club
Approach local businesses regarding donations of raffle prizes
Decide which trophies / awards will be presented
Select / order trophies
Arrange cameraman / video link
Arrange and pay for an extension to the current POTY Board in Bartrams as it is now full
Organise the collection of votes (which games, which methods, etc)
Other activities will also be required, but the above is likely to take about one month to complete, and that will take us almost into April. For this reason, offers of help and active involvement are now needed on a fairly urgent basis - hence this e-mail.
We understand that Steve Bailey has arranged the next meeting of the POTY organising committee for Tuesday of next week (2nd March) in the function room of the Royal Oak (start time to be confirmed).
As a matter of urgency, the Fans' Forum would appreciate if you could confirm (or otherwise) - on behalf of yourself or the branch that you represent - any of the following:
1) That you are willing to help with this year's POTY event
2) In which capacity you could provide help. Please use the list of activities provided above, or add anything which may have been missed.
3) Your willingness to provide representation (either yourself or a branch representative) at next Tuesday's meeting (2nd March)
The Fans' Forum encourages all branches to respond positively to this invitation (although please try to avoid copying everyone else unnecessarily) as this is a real opportunity to build on previous POTY functions and make the 2010 event as memorable as possible.
We look forward to hearing from you and working with you in the expanded POTY organising committee.
Fans' Forum
PS This email has been sent to the the main contact at each of the following Supporters' Groups: West Country, West Sussex and Brighton, Basingstoke & North Hants, City Addicks, Bromley, Greenwich & Bexley, Hastings and Bexhill, Maidstone & The Weald, North West Kent, West Kent
If we have missed an individual or group, or if our contact information is inaccurate, can you please let us know, either by direct response to this e-mail, or to cafcfansforum@googlemail.com or to any of the individual representatives (contact details may be found at www.charltonfansforum.co.uk)
First I can confirm that the committee does actually exist (there were eight of us around the table) and that, unless everyone was on their best behaviour last night for my benefit, it seems to operate as well as you would expect a group like this to do. Plenty of things are being progressed, although the whole event is in a bit of a stall as Phil Parkinson is yet to confirm the proposed date of 2nd May. However, via Steve Waggott, we expect the Club to confirm this date in the very near future - at which point a number of activities (ticketing, publicity etc) will be triggered.
I can confirm that a text voting option has been set up, and details will be provided shortly .. including via the match day programme (although not in time for the Colchester game). Other voting methods will be available (web-based, via season ticket coupons etc) and will extend through the Norwich and Leeds games.
There will also be a vote for 'Goal of the Season' - and this is defined as the goal that means most to Charlton fans, not necessarily the best technical goal. Ian Cartwright had prepared a list of seventeen options ahead of the meeting and the committee (me included) whittled this down to a short list of six. Naturally, if Nicky Bailey or someone nets a winner against Southampton tomorrow, that is likely to be included too.
All in all I was re-assured about the way this group is organising the POTY event. No, I did not ask to inspect any accounts from previous years, but I am assured that they do exist. Those who wish to follow up on this should contact Steve Bailey directly. For my part, I will undertake to ensure that there is a proper financial record available for this year as the Fans' Forum focus is on the 2010 Player of the Year event. We are not here to deal with any perceived shortcomings of previous years.
Ian Cartwright recorded a number of actions and summarised these well at the end of the meeting. I don't know if he plans to issue any minutes, but I hope these brief notes give people some insight into what went on last night. Specific questions should be directed towards Steve Bailey, but I'm happy to provide further personal insight if that would be useful.
I can confirm that a text voting option has been set up, and details will be provided shortly .. including via the match day programme (although not in time for the Colchester game). Other voting methods will be available (web-based, via season ticket coupons etc) and will extend through the Norwich and Leeds games..[/quote]
Dave is there any update on this for some reason i thought by now we could vote on line and also there would be vote collectors on Tuesday night, not sure where I got that from, so apologies if not true. Will they be out on Saturday?
What is happening Dave, will we be able to vote on Saturday or not?
Same old, same old, by the looks of it. What's the point of POTY when you can't even vote, which begs the question, who decides who POTY is?
1. Why does this have to wait for saturday? especially as other means to vote are supposedly open?
2. From the looks of it the site linked from the OS hasn't been updated since the 9th august 2009, so I'm not exactly holding much hope for it to work. I could get a simple vote form made on the web for free, which ok wouldn't look pretty, but at least it would give a better impression than a site that hasn't been updated for a year!
and while I'm at it, who thought text voting was a good idea? i certainly won't be paying 25p, out of principle really as I should be able to vote for free. imo that just overcomplicates things. Have a bucket in the superstore, and at the turnstiles to drop vouchers in, and a page on the OS to vote, like they have done in previous years for goal of the season.
I think most of us on here would agree totally with allez's post regarding the cost of a text vote and his query as to why online voting will not be available until Sat night. IMHO, his suggestion of a bucket outside /inside the Superstore & turnstiles for s tkt vouchers is the best policy although this would mean that non s tkt holders would have to rely on the CASC site being updated /the text option. Why make it more complicated ?
Any answers from CASC would be gratefully received.....
From what I recall the bucket idea and turnstiles have been broached on quite a few occasions but there is a health and safety issue around keeping queues moving, trip hazards (from safety advisory committee) and that and given we will have potentially a couple of our biggest crowds of the season this is understandable.
Anyway, here's a start. http://www.casc.org.uk/index.php
PS - Just like to add that I have not come out of retirement, just still have a bit of time on my hands - doctor's orders!
How much is a few bits of paper for non-season ticket holders to write their vote on? If cost was an issue I'm sure the club has paper used on a single side it recycles, on which the blank side could be used.
With things like this, I understand that you'll never please everyone, but as stated its been over complicated. All it needed was for the OS to give a fans a known location to drop their vouchers in on the two games, that way if people wanted to vote they'd know where to do it. Might be an old fashioned way of doing it, but it makes it a hell of a lot easier for the collectors too.
The queueing issue Rock Spectacle raises seems a bit silly if it's come from the club; have they not seen some of the queues outside the ticket office this season? if the superstore is an issue, then just give the locations of collectors on the OS (i.e. back of east stand in front of main entrance, back of north under the badge etc). Point being that as it is people don't know where to look for collectors.
Add in a simple online form for those who can't make the games (although I doubt many who aren't at one of those two games would want to vote), and bob's your uncle.
It's not down the football club to provide voting slips/buckets etc. It's meant to be a supporters' club event.
As for making it easier for or easier to find the "collectors" that is the problem. There aren't any or so few - just MOG at the moment it seems ; - ) - that they can't cover all the entrances/pubs/clubs.
Hence the on-line and texting which I think are both good ideas as long as not open to multiple voting . Yes texting costs 25p but that is going to a charity and other free options are available. Would be useful, in the interests of transparency, to know which charity though, Rock
Understand both points, was merely suggesting that if the cost of providing non season ticket holders with forms was prohibitive, that the club (or any business if they are like the ones I've worked in) must have shedloads of waste paper that could be used for free.
And if the location of the collectors were distributed on the OS, you would only need one collector, in that location.
The organisers appear to me to be putting the emphasis on the collectors finding the voters, when it's much easier if it's the other way round!
Thank You.
cheers
Excellent choice.
I think if that was stated it would encourage more people to vote that way.
I would suggest that it needs someone who drinks in crossbars to do it. Someone like you Olly.
Not disagreeing but if people, as MOG, offered to help turn their ideas and suggestions in to actions it would help make it happen.
I know I've been, and continue to be, critical of some aspects of the POTY organisation but I do know how difficult it is to organise such things without the help of many people willing to give up a little time or offering to print up some voting slips at work.
This is especially so, seeing as tomorrow will be biggest gate of the season.
What a rubbish excuse for not collecting slips.
Fanny-I addressed my question to Dave & not Steve as he was the one who posted the report of the committee meeting. If I have any further queries I will address them to the Nigel Martin lookalike that is Ian Cartwright!
It looks like Ian has answered most of the questions. I understand that there will be people collecting votes at the match today and at the Leeds game. The text voting and on-line options are also now available.
I would ask that you give the CASC organising committee a bit of a break. They have come up with some extra voting options this year to make things easier for you to vote - yes texting costs, but a lot of that cost is going to charity. Look at the positive aspects, rather than just jumping on the negatives.
Right - have to go now. It's a long drive from Herts. Let's hope for three points - and lots of votes - to make this a perfect day.
Thanks to all concerned for their efforts.