How's That 306

[fatpunter]

How sad, how very very sad, that the latest edition of How's That encloses a six page document entitled "Disciplinary Procedures and the Principles of Natural Justice".

I think that a lot of "important" people need to have a reality check. Cricket is a game. Umpires are a small, albeit important, part of this game. A game is a recreational pursuit to be enjoyed by the partcipants.

Principles of Natural Justice? What is the world coming to. The Fat Punter (that's me) has cancelled his DD to ACU and is standing back just waiting for ACU and all the associated schisms to disappear up their own bottoms.

IT'S JUST A GAME!!

[johnump]

Couldn't agree anymore. A completely worthless document that helps no one. The whole magazine is just a place for some out of date members to discuss really trivial aspects of laws that will never ever happen. It contains no content that will help any Umpire become better.

Complete and utter crap magazine.

[wisden17]

I don't quite see the objection to the inserts in the latest issue. The whole point is that up to now the Association didn't have formal disciplinary procedures and so it was deemed necessary to have them done. What is the issue? The fact that "Principles of Natural Justice" were included? That is a standard part of disciplinary procedures. Although I do perhaps question whether every member of the association needed to be sent a copy of the new procedures, as I'm sure to most they will not really be that interesting or relevant.

Johnump, I know you've mentioned this before regarding HT? and it's lack of 'relevant' content. For me HT? 306 wasn't great, and fair enough if you don't find the letters pages that interesting or discussion of points of law too interesting. I mean personally I'm very interested in discussing obscure (as opposed to "trivial" points of law) but I would certainly take your point that there could be a lot more about how to be a 'better' umpire in the magazine.

In the end though all magazines rely on contributions and if HT? receives very few, from a membership of 9, 000. There is a new editorial team now so you may see a change in the style or content, who knows?

[swerveman]

As far as the inserts are concerned, I agree with Wisden17. ACU&S is an association of professionals, and disciplinary procedures are a necessary evil. I'm sure the Institute and the ECBOA both have them, and I'm sure none of the organisations wish to use them other than very occasionally.

I think How's That? 306 is an improvement on 305, and I wish Paul Baldwin and Neil Withington all the success in the world. I'm looking forward to issue 307.

[fatpunter]

The original objection to the "Natural Justice" insert is that why should an association of amateur sports officials need "natural justice". 99.999% of umpires turn out each Saturday to do their duty, have a beer, receive a small fee and then go home.

What they do not want is the threat of a Big Brother umpire at the other end of the country sitting as part of a politburo looking to smite them with "Natural Justice" if they step out of line.

What are they expecting to happen ? We are not all going to order 1000 laptops on behalf of ACU, we are not going to punch a team captain, so what exactly is the point?

ACU needs to get down of it's very high horse and realise that IT'S JUST A GAME.

And people wonder why ACU is leaking members when they come out with self-important pretentious rubbish such as this. We must remember that no umpire actually needs to have passed an examination or to be a member of an organisation.

On a positive note, I do wish the new editorial team the very best of luck with their new task.

[wisden17]

Hi Fatpunter, this clearly seems to have really got to you, and I think it is due to a slight misunderstanding.

I am not an official in the ACU&S, well not one in any high-office at least, so this is certainly not official in any way, but this is my understanding about the whole disciplinary stuff:

When the Special General Meeting was held, or was meant to be held (and was cancelled due to too many people turning up) it was discovered that they were no powers in place to remove members from the association, even those who had clearly broken the Association's Consitution, which I would presume most members do not care about and have never read.

This feeling was compounded when the ICUS was set up and again there was no formal method to remove those who were essentially undermining the association from the ACU&S.

Due to these incidents, and also I believe in relation to the whole CRB issue (which is what led to the creation of the two discpilnary panel of the ACU&S in the first place) the discplinary procedures had to be written.

Now I am guessing that they were written in whole, or in the large part by Paul Joy JP, who is or at least was the Discplinary Panel Chairman and is a magistrate.

The "Principles of Natural Justice" are a standard addition to any discplinary regulations, take a look at the ICC site for example, and their "Principles of Natural Justice" (http://www.icc-cricket.com/rules/natural_justice.pdf).


Now I said earlier I cannot understand why every member of the ACU&S needed a copy of what, frankly to most members will have been a confusing and odd document. I would guess that these procedures will hardly ever have to be used, but the issue was that when the ACU&S needed to use them, they didn't have them.

I think fatpunter that you really have got the wrong idea. I also can't quite see why the "Natural Justice" part has got you so much. This is a very standard term and is essentially needed with any discplinary regulations.


I would add though, that I doubt fatpunter that you are alone in wondering why on earth the ACU&S has spent its time producing, what many would regard as pointless documents. I'm certainly don't share those views, and I understand why they have been written, and must also say that they are very well written (and I'm pretty sure they are by Paul Joy due to their style, he's written his local league discplinary regualtions, which are in a very similar style).

I think that the ACU&S though has wasted money (go knows how much the printing costs were for 9, 000 copies of the documents) and time sending out these regulation. But there may be a good reason, it may be in the Consitution that additions to it need to be circulated to memebrs (i haven't taken the time to check) or it may have been felt by EBGC, or whoever decided that the members should be given a copy of the new discplinary regulations.

A much better solution would have been a few lines in HT? saying that the Association had a new set of discplinary regulation which could be viewed on the website or something alond those lines.

The new regulations do not represent a threat to members, and there's no hidden agenda or anything of that nature, as fatpunter appears to be suggesting.

They were simply produced to plug a gap in the ACU&S's documentation.

[fatpunter]

I know that the vast majority of members will not care about the document and will have thrown it in the bin. Additionally I do realise that it may never ever be used.

However, my original point is that ACU was set up by like minded people to exchange views about umpiring and it remains true that nobody needs to be a member to offciate so ACU could convene a politburo and dismiss a member and have him/her sent to the ACU equivalent of a Siberian Labour Camp but, unless you are in a league that insists on full qualifications, this is meaningless as leagues are desperate for umps and will still let him umpire. This shows that ACU may be very important in it's own eyes but in reality it is a dog that can bark but has no teeth at all. Yes, it HAS got to me. I still feel that it is very sad.

I say again. IT'S JUST A GAME. Lighten up everyone.

[Owzat2]

I think there was a hole needing to be plugged with this documentation (though "copy available on request" would have been better than stuffing Howzat with it) but what was sorely needed were some fuller figures on the future financially. Bare minimum was given which didn't give me any confidence that ACU can survive on its own. I cannot see why the culture of secrecy lives on at the top - both as regards dealings with members and ECB. With the laptop deal unwinding next year, here was a good chance to show detailed projections for the next 2 or 3 years in cash terms of income, expense and build up of reserves.
Good to see new professional-looking editors of Howzat (badly needed) and I wish them well - what we need is a more professional approach in ACU. Maybe the well put together Disciplinary stuff was designed to show that, but for me, it just reinforced how amateurish is the rest of the leadership