Tromso Olympiad 2014

[Jim Webster]

Not advertise a position that should be .....

I don't actually remember seeing it written down anywhere that positions should be advertised.....

Not saying that they should not be though, but I would have thought that the Captain post should also be decided by the entire selection committee and not just the ID.

I will however re-iterate that the only discussion at council, regarding the Olympiad, was on the budget.

[D-Oswald]

Yea true, maybe it is not written down anywhere, I'm not sure. It's just of my opinion that any position where a selection needs to be made, should be posted on the selections page, where it states: 'This page will feature news of events where Chess Scotland will make a selection of players.'
But anyway, this is a rather minor point within a much bigger issue.

[amuir]

"There is no respectable argument whatsoever for giving no funding to the 2016 Olympiad and putting it all into senior chess instead.
The Seniors are doing fantastically well and are a credit to our country's chess scene. The Olympiad is the pinnacle of international team chess and is where Scotland shows the best chess it has to offer on the world stage. It would be incomprehensible in almost all other countries to actively penalise your strongest national representative team. This is an astonishing statement from a man apparently desiring to be the Scotland Open Olympiad captain.
The 2016 Olympiad team would have a very different look without funding I imagine."

The current budget is split arbitrarily adultenior 80:20.
Our top rated seniors team is actually very good and would have a good chance of medals. The AGM might instruct the ID to make the split 50:50 or 0: 100. It is not so ridiculous. We have already removed GM appearance fees since no value for money. I hope a lot of people stand for ID at the AGM eg Andy Burnett, David Oswald etc as then members can vote for the person with their views.

Name Title Fed Rating G B-Year
3 Motwani, Paul g SCO 2477 2 1962
4 McNab, Colin A g SCO 2448 2 1961
9 McKay, Roderick M m SCO 2375 0 1952
10 Morrison, Graham f SCO 2357 2 1958
11 Bryson, Douglas M m SCO 2351 0 1957
12 Pritchett, Craig W m SCO 2348 9 1949

[Kevin Mayo]

It is apparent that something is missing. That is:
A watertight set of procedures which detail how the captain for the Olympiad must be selected. That could, and probably should, be extended to other teams which require a captain. If such procedures do not exist, no-one can really complain too much in this instance. Moral or common sense judgements are just that, judgements.

It is so depressingly familiar that this is even required and that common sense cannot prevail.
I am sorely tempted by the phrase "what is wrong with you people?", but will refrain, as it wouldn't be remotely helpful.
Personally I can barely comprehend why someone would want to make themselves captain of a team where most (if not all?) of the team members have made their opposition to your appointment abundantly, even vehemently clear. Not only that, but made clear in a public arena! If that was me I would run a mile.

[amuir]

I think in future the captain should be decided by the selectors not just the ID. He should also be a CS member.

The selectors at December 2013 were me,John and Colin so Nicos would have been selected in this scenario.
John then resigned and was replaced by Dougie. This would have led to my selection.

I intend standing for ID at the AGM but intend letting others have a turn at captaincy in 2016, 2018 even if the team do well under me.

If some members of the team have little faith in me, I intend to prove them wrong by doing well. This is a challenge for me which I relish.

The selectors did a good job choosing Alan Tate !! There was some criticism that others should have been chosen. We have faith in him.

[D-Oswald]

I think in future the captain should be decided by the selectors not just the ID.

Great, it seems we all agree that the ID should not solely choose the captain. So why don't we do that THIS time? Can we ask our president nicely to select a panel, applications get sent to him by a certain date, the panel selects the captain.
To me, that seems fair. Then if Andy is selected, he goes and if he doesn't, then there will have to be a name-change on his flight (a small price to pay in comparison with the whole budget). Then the matter would be resolved, and this topic would end.

[amuir]

"Great, it seems we all agree that the ID should not solely choose the captain. So why don't we do that THIS time? Can we ask our president nicely to select a panel, applications get sent to him by a certain date, the panel selects the captain.
To me, that seems fair. Then if Andy is selected, he goes and if he doesn't, then there will have to be a name-change on his flight (a small price to pay in comparison with the whole budget). Then the matter would be resolved, and this topic would end."

David, candidates should have put them self forward at the last AGM, not now, or at least before Jonathan Grant contacted me. After John agreed to make the best of it, I booked and paid my flights, no insurance was taken out. Everything has a deadline. Flights at the same route will now cost over £300. The panel will not work, the losers will still complain even after that. I see they are starting to complain about Ally McCoist now. It is impossible to please everyone.

[David Deary]

Great, it seems we all agree that the ID should not solely choose the captain. So why don't we do that THIS time? Can we ask our president nicely to select a panel, applications get sent to him by a certain date, the panel selects the captain.

David, Hamish is on holiday in Madiera until next Monday (lucky him) I suggest you email him directly and I'm sure you'll get a response when he is back.

[D-Oswald]

Thanks David - will email him next Monday, wouldn't want to disrupt his holidays!

[andyburnett]

"Great, it seems we all agree that the ID should not solely choose the captain. So why don't we do that THIS time? Can we ask our president nicely to select a panel, applications get sent to him by a certain date, the panel selects the captain.
To me, that seems fair. Then if Andy is selected, he goes and if he doesn't, then there will have to be a name-change on his flight (a small price to pay in comparison with the whole budget). Then the matter would be resolved, and this topic would end."

David, candidates should have put them self forward at the last AGM, not now, or at least before Jonathan Grant contacted me. After John agreed to make the best of it, I booked and paid my flights, no insurance was taken out. Everything has a deadline. Flights at the same route will now cost over £300. The panel will not work, the losers will still complain even after that. I see they are starting to complain about Ally McCoist now. It is impossible to please everyone.

There is barely a shred of logical thought in any of your recent posts here Andy. Are you saying that prospective captains should have made themselves known at the last AGM? (Which, if I remember correctly, was a few months after you had discussed rooming arrangements in Tromso for your captaincy).

Before Jonathan Grant contacted you? Exactly when did you inform us about that? A few weeks ago! How on earth should anybody know when to contact you or what was happening re: Jonathan and yourself?

John quite clearly only agreed that you had decided to make yourself captain and that's all. You were perfectly well aware that several others were unhappy about your self-selection (not because you weren't allowed to do so, but because they didn't consider you to be in almost any way suitable for the task).

Your decision to stand as ID again this year clearly shows the lack of self-awareness which any person in your role needs to have. Your veracity is also extremely questionable given your recent replies here - another serious flaw in anyone seeking re-election to any post within CS.

Also, publicly stating that Alan Tate's selection provoked criticism is completely out of order for someone in your position.

I could go on, but there seems very little point anymore given your complete inability to question your own motives and actions. Just what WOULD it take for you to step down as captain? All the players refusing to go?

This entire situation is deplorable, and it all almost entirely stems from yourself Andy. Please go away and re-think what you have done/said/are doing. YOU have the solution to this situation.