Would your local chess league ban you for having a opinion

[William Metcalfe]

Well the Cleveland chess association will.
I was just reading through the Mins from Clevelands Exhecutive Meeting when i came across this paragraph

1. A.O.B.
The President/Chairman brought up an incident a few weeks ago when he had been insulted by a presumed, but unnamed, member of the C.C.A. on the forum of a website associated with the Peterlee club. This had caused personal upset. The broad consensus of those present was that if the individual concerned could be identified, steps might well be contemplated for the termination of that individual’s membership. It was behaviour that was not expected of a member. For his part, the President/Chairman confirmed that he would no longer participate in the debate of C.C.A. affairs on such forums.

Here i am thinking we played local league chess for fun i certanly did not expect to be told what i can think or write.

[Roger de Coverly]

Here i am thinking we played local league chess for fun i certanly did not expect to be told what i can think or write.

I'm sure you are right. Just goes to show you should be cautious about membership schemes, particularly compulsory ones.

Am I right in thinking that individual membership of the Cleveland Association is compulsory in order to play even one game in the Cleveland league? The implication is that the Cleveland officials can ban players from local chess for being nasty to them.

I don't know if anyone still reads the atticus site - but there's a bit of a spat in Liverpool as well.

[Neil Graham]

Well the Cleveland chess association will.
I was just reading through the Mins from Clevelands Exhecutive Meeting when i came across this paragraph

1. A.O.B.
The President/Chairman brought up an incident a few weeks ago when he had been insulted by a presumed, but unnamed, member of the C.C.A. on the forum of a website associated with the Peterlee club. This had caused personal upset. The broad consensus of those present was that if the individual concerned could be identified, steps might well be contemplated for the termination of that individual’s membership. It was behaviour that was not expected of a member. For his part, the President/Chairman confirmed that he would no longer participate in the debate of C.C.A. affairs on such forums.

Here i am thinking we played local league chess for fun i certanly did not expect to be told what i can think or write.

I rushed off to the Peterlee Forum to try and find the offending post - but after a while got fed up. This forum, rightly, doesn't allow nom-de-plumes. pseudonyms call them what you will. Forums which allow these are always subject to trolls who just stir things up. I have no idea what was said on this forum but as you can see the author couldn't be identified.

[William Metcalfe]

Cleveland charge a registration fee for each player that has to be paid before the season starts.If this fee is not paid you can not play chess in the CCA.Yes ECF membership is compulsary to play but you do not have to join clevelands MO there are other MO organisations you can join to play in cleveland either that or become a ECF direct member

[David Lettington]

Here i am thinking we played local league chess for fun i certanly did not expect to be told what i can think or write.

I assume that you have quoted the minutes verbatim? If so, it doesn't even suggest that you are being told what to think or write. What it does say is that the meeting did not find it acceptable for others to make anonymous personal insults towards the Chairman.

There is a world of difference between making constructive public criticisms and anonymously calling the Chairman a &#%^@$.

I think it shows why forums should have real name policies.

[William Metcalfe]

Well this is the point nobody was called xxxxxxyyyyy certanly not the chairman

[Roger de Coverly]

I assume that you have quoted the minutes verbatim? If so, it doesn't even suggest that you are being told what to think or write. What it does say is that the meeting did not find it acceptable for others to make anonymous personal insults towards the Chairman.

Read on though

The broad consensus of those present was that if the individual concerned could be identified, steps might well be contemplated for the termination of that individual’s membership.

Can you be both a terminated Cleveland member and play in the Cleveland league? Assume you're an ECF member in some other way. William was implying (I think) that saying or writing something a Cleveland official considered insulting could get an individual banned from local chess.

[David Lettington]

William was implying (I think) that saying or writing something a Cleveland official considered insulting could get an individual banned from local chess.

Well, that would depend on what was actually said, I would have thought? Even if, the Chairman wasn't called anything that could be considered as a "public order offence" (that might not be quite the correct terminology) it can't be acceptable to make personal insults to anyone, surely?

Let's says a player made continual and persistent insults towards his opponents and officials, then shouldn't a ban be considered?

Commenting on an organisation's rules and administrative shortcomings is one thing, making personal insults is another.

[Sean Hewitt]

The answer in Leicestershire is yes, it most certainly would.

We had a case this year where a player didn't think much of another club, and one of their players in particular, and expressed that opinion to them so in fairly strong, industrial language.

We banned the offender from playing for a period of five weeks.

[William Metcalfe]

Lmfao there were what 3 or 4 members of the public at that meeting enough said.
One persons lies are another persons facts this is basically a he said she said dispute.
The really funny part is Ernie is not adverce to throwing his weight about verbally when it suits him but now he has all the power he wants to shut everybody else up.
As a matter of fact i still have no idea who or what upset Ernie so much as far as i can see nobody called him any names or insulted him all people have done is disagree with his point of view

[Roger de Coverly]

As a matter of fact i still have no idea who or what upset Ernie so much as far as i can see nobody called him any names or insulted him all people have done is disagree with his point of view

As someone who browses the NE1 forum occasionally, I couldn't help noticing that some major row over something had brewed up just after the Cleveland AGM. The AGM, as AGM's do, he had elected/reelected the officers for the next year. Within days, several posts became vacant. Whether this was over policy or a clash of egos isn't clear. Rather like the Regan walkout in some respects.

[Steve Henderson]

Well the Cleveland chess association will.
I was just reading through the Mins from Clevelands Exhecutive Meeting when i came across this paragraph

1. A.O.B.
The President/Chairman brought up an incident a few weeks ago when he had been insulted by a presumed, but unnamed, member of the C.C.A. on the forum of a website associated with the Peterlee club. This had caused personal upset. The broad consensus of those present was that if the individual concerned could be identified, steps might well be contemplated for the termination of that individual’s membership. It was behaviour that was not expected of a member. For his part, the President/Chairman confirmed that he would no longer participate in the debate of C.C.A. affairs on such forums.

Here i am thinking we played local league chess for fun i certanly did not expect to be told what i can think or write.

I am sure we can identify the person if we knew which post it was?!

[Joey Stewart]

Oh dear, oh dear. What is the chess world coming to when a dispute of foul play, based on the notion that a side did not put out its strongest players every match in the season, could cause a club to end up being divided so badly.

Given the chance I always like to indulge in a little 'sledging' of my opponents, as it starts the match in good spirit, but such formal accusations need some more substantial evidence then "I didnt like what they said so lets restrucure the club to get rid of them" and such nonsense that seems to spark these big disputes.

[William Metcalfe]

Wow ernie what is your problem this was not aimed as a attack on you i was asking a serious question of what other county associations allow or do not allow.Then from knowwhere you launch a attack on me tut tut not the actions i expect from my president and acting chairman.

[Paul McKeown]

Does a banned player have the right of appeal with Cleveland?

Can they lodge a further appeal with the NCCU or with the ECF?