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PLAYER OF THE YEAR DINNER - CANCELLED

killerjerryleekillerjerrylee
in General Charlton

There has been much speculation on Charlton Life and elsewhere about the POTY Dinner which was originally scheduled for Sunday 23rd April. Here are the facts.

For 6 years it has been arranged by Jean Huelin (alias Fanny ) and myself, plus last season, Marilyn Toft of the Community Trust, and the 3 of us were all set to arrange a similar event for this season but were advised at the last Fans Forum Meeting that the club intended to change it from a formal dinner into an afternoon buffet following the last match of the season . I argued strongly that the POTY is a supporters and not a club event and it is not for them to call the shots. With only one exception I received support from every known supporters group and the minutes of the Fans Forum Meeting on which it was discussed, plus the Powerpoint Presentation outlining the proposed changes, can be viewed on the Club Website. They were happy for us to do the work and arrange the event but it would have to be controlled by the club.

Since the Fans Forum Meeting, I have continued my negotiations and eventually they conceded that we could revert back to our preferred 23rd April date and hold the Dinner as we wished, but then another problem arose.

Instructions came that the club would no longer accept Fanny as one of the organisers as a result of an email that she forwarded to a member of the club staff in error and which was less than complimentary about their efforts. Although embarrassing, this did seem an over reaction especially at a time when correspondence criticizing most aspects of the club would appear to be far from unknown. To make matters worse, somebody in the club leaked the story to social media and on another thread on Charlton Life several people have expressed their views already. Fanny is very well known and well liked.

We made it clear that Marilyn and I would not continue without Fanny , but surprisingly the club would not see the wider picture and stuck to their guns, so last night the decision was taken to cancel the Dinner for this season. Very sad and very unnecessary in my opinion.

The vote for Player of the Year will still take place as normal (although possibly on line this year) but we will just have to find another way of presenting the cup.

In conclusion, the unreasonable constraints placed on the organising team by the club has made the event unworkable in the current climate. We are of course extremely disappointed that the actions of the club have led to this situation.
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Comments

  • NornIrishAddickNornIrishAddick
    Sorry to hear this.
  • se9addickse9addick
    Shocking to hear this, but I get it.

    "With only one exception" name and shame the collaborators - we need to identify them for future reference.
  • sammy391sammy391
    Has the event as a whole been cancelled or has "an event organised by yourself and the organising team" been cancelled?

    Wouldn't be surprised if a POTY does go ahead being club run and obviously with their adaptations!

    Sorry to hear about this
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  • BadgerBadger
    Such a shame.
  • Henry IrvingHenry Irving
    edited March 2017
    sammy391 said:

    Has the event as a whole been cancelled or has "an event organised by yourself and the organising team" been cancelled?

    Wouldn't be surprised if a POTY does go ahead being club run and obviously with their adaptations!

    Sorry to hear about this

    That would mean them having to do all the work and take all the financial risk.

    And as @killerjerrylee says the supporters own the trophies.
  • N01R4MN01R4M
    Since the club have a well-earned reputation for an inability to organise a party in a brewery, it would be interesting to see what sort of a hash they could make of the arrangements if they do try to organise by themselves their preferred after-match bun-fight at such short notice.

    I think you have made the best decision possible in awful circumstances of the club's creation.
  • StigStig
    It's a tough call, but I think you've done the right thing. Sticking by your principles and by Fanny was exactly the right thing to do. Hopefully this lot will sell up sooner rather than later and then the petty vindictiveness will stop.
  • AlgarveaddickAlgarveaddick
    Well done Ian and your team, I too think it is the right decision.
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  • Rob7LeeRob7Lee
    Real shame, but understandable how and why you have come to the decision.

    I'm sure there's a way to do the presentation still just not over dinner.
  • Weegie AddickWeegie Addick
    Covered End said:

    I think Fanny should leg it on the pitch before the last game to hand the trophy to the winner.

    (Or a willing alternative) ?

    There must be a way to present the trophy that would shame Meire ? Ideas on a postcard.

    This. Such a shame but 100% support for the decision. Up yours, SWMBO.
  • se9addickse9addick
    sammy391 said:

    Has the event as a whole been cancelled or has "an event organised by yourself and the organising team" been cancelled?

    Wouldn't be surprised if a POTY does go ahead being club run and obviously with their adaptations!

    Sorry to hear about this

    To be fair does it make a difference? If it's going ahead who is attending now, Bexley Dan, Seriously Red, Sue Parkes and Karl Robinson who've have voted Johnnie Jackson as POTY?
  • se9addickse9addick
    Airman Brown said:

    se9addick said:

    Shocking to hear this, but I get it.

    "With only one exception" name and shame the collaborators - we need to identify them for future reference.

    East Kent Addicks.
    Well I hope everyone's watching and when people ask why that supporters group doesn't exist anymore in 10 years they'll all know.
  • addick05addick05
    Please God in 10 years these awful people will be a distant memory.
  • No.1 in South LondonNo.1 in South London
    So the control freaks have had some of our most respected supporters stand up to their bullying..........well done to Marylin, Jean & Ian on this decision.

    I'd like to vote for Katrien in our "own goal of the season" poll, maybe she can present the award to herself to fill the void that she has created.
  • WestCountryAddickWestCountryAddick
    No.1 in South London said:

    So the control freaks have had some of our most respected supporters stand up to their bullying..........well done to Marylin, Jean & Ian on this decision.

    I'd like to vote for Katrien in our "own goal of the season" poll, maybe she can present the award to herself to fill the void that she has created.

    She'd find some way of cocking that up too
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