Views from the Sieve

I have received a letter from Dave Bennett, Chairman, in response to the investigation.

It is a long letter, but in summary

1. The Club Chairman says he is sorry that the incident and confrontation occurred.
2. There is an apology on behalf of the club if the manner in which Steve Thompson spoke to me caused offense.
3. There is an apology on behalf of the steward for using more force than was necessary
4. One of the stewards concerned has been moved to another part of the ground
5. The Club Chairman hopes this letter goes towards resolving this issue
6. He hopes to see me in the ground some time soon.

Outcome: Mergie 6 Bannergate 0

Second time this season that Dave Bennett has apologised on behalf of the staff and club to a disgruntled fan.
I just love the way that Teflon Charles Hawtry doesn't say a word, although I'm guessing Chaiman, is a higher position than just an MD.

and said with no irony that a comment about a complaint about language contains an intended insult to the person whose language was deemed inappropriate

Auntie Merge wrote:I have received a letter from Dave Bennett, Chairman, in response to the investigation.

It is a long letter, but in summary

1. The Club Chairman says he is sorry that the incident and confrontation occurred.
2. There is an apology on behalf of the club if the manner in which Steve Thompson spoke to me caused offense.
3. There is an apology on behalf of the steward for using more force than was necessary
4. One of the stewards concerned has been moved to another part of the ground
5. The Club Chairman hopes this letter goes towards resolving this issue
6. He hopes to see me in the ground some time soon.

Outcome: Mergie 6 Bannergate 0

Auntie Merge 1-0 Charles Hawtrey (alias Teflon)

Sorry, but how is it a victory?

I'm afraid that what you got was a fobbing off. Tommo and the steward will be completely unaffected other than the steward being in a different area.

Merge 0 Tommo 6

Alan wrote:Sorry, but how is it a victory?

I'm afraid that what you got was a fobbing off. Tommo and the steward will be completely unaffected other than the steward being in a different area.

Merge 0 Tommo 6

In your opinion. You weren't the one who was accosted nor are you in possession of all the fact, so how can you to judge whether it is a victory or not?
I am okay with the outcome and that is the end of the matter.

should of asked for a public flogging of thompson and a stoning of the steward.

some look stoned all the time

Ok merge. A steward was moved to another part of the ground and you got a letter. What you got from Re Tommo was the way organisations make you think they are apologising without apologising: the apology you set out is not an apology for his behaviour , it's an apology for if you were offended. It's classic fobbing off. We are sorry if you took offence, not we are sorry because we were offensive. It's a thumping victory.

I have seen many ejections in my time.Grown men being beaten with clubs and having pint glasses stuffed in their faces, one unlucky ejectee was even on fire as he remonstrated with the nice gentleman on the security team to cease flinging the noxious flammable liquid onto the already out of control blaze happening around his torso,another managed to fly down some stairs without hitting any of them on his way out before landing on his bonce and returning to continue the attempted murder he was trying to commit before he was ejected in the first place.Needless to say he eventually left in a deep deep sleep via the London Ambulance service. Most never complained let alone got an apology.This is a resounding victory Mrs Merge.

Alan wrote:Ok merge. A steward was moved to another part of the ground and you got a letter. What you got from Re Tommo was the way organisations make you think they are apologising without apologising: the apology you set out is not an apology for his behaviour , it's an apology for if you were offended. It's classic fobbing off. We are sorry if you took offence, not we are sorry because we were offensive. It's a thumping victory.

I agree with most of what you say, but it is not a thumping victory for the club.

As I said, I was okay with the outcome. It is me that asked for the steward to be moved btw. Why can't you leave it at that? I do not want to take this further. I wanted the club to know that the behaviour that day by all involved was inappropriate, disproportionate and aggressive. I think they know that.

If you don't want discussion about how an incident was handled, don't post it on a discussion forum.

Alan wrote:If you don't want discussion about how an incident was handled, don't post it on a discussion forum.

I was updating everyone on the outcome. I have not said no to a discussion. How can you discuss how the incident was handled when you do not know anything about the method of investigation. But you repeatedly describing it as a 'thumping victory for the club' is incorrect, particularly when I have said that I am okay with the outcome.

You don't seem to understand. I'm criticising the club. They have not apologised for Tommo's behaviour, they've apologised if you were offended by Tommo. It's non complaint handling. Tommo is unscathed; what you posted contains no criticism of Tommo.

My thumping victory comment was a description of your original description of it being a 6-0 win to you.

I do understand but at the end of the day Tommo is never going to apologise in a million years.