Richardson & Spens results

[amuir]

I have been asked by one of the teams about the eligibility of a player on a bona fide basis for the final. This is a very difficult decision for me. Having thought about it, and as I am not an arbiter, I would like this decided by arbiters on a majority basis. Some arbiters already know about this. If you are an arbiter and wish to have a say, please contact me before saturday.

[Phil Thomas]

I am playing in one of the finals.

Therefore I declare a conflict of interests.

I abstain.

[amuir]

Decision will be made by arbiter majority (I am non-voting chair and facilitator) by 9pm tomorrow and I will inform the captain then. If arbiter vote is tied then I will give the casting vote. Some arbiter votes are in. The rules should be changed in future to tighten up this. Another one for the AGM !

[Andy Howie]

Hi Andy,

Fire it over to me.

I presume you have asked Ken and Alex already?

In the past this was handled by the Arbiters Committee!

[D-Oswald]

Decision will be made by arbiter majority (I am non-voting chair and facilitator) by 9pm tomorrow and I will inform the captain then. If arbiter vote is tied then I will give the casting vote. Some arbiter votes are in. The rules should be changed in future to tighten up this. Another one for the AGM !

Good to see that this unusual circumstance seems to be getting resolved quickly and efficiently by a panel.

[amuir]

David
This is not unusual. Bona fide disputes have been going on since at least 1983.
It is not quick and efficient either as there is no agreed method for the current and future about deciding on the bona fide rules.
For example the seven-day rule might be an anachronism in post-computer times.

[andyburnett]

Can someone please remind us what happened in 1983 re: Richardson Cup 'bona fides'?

[amuir]

Andy B
In 1983 I played my first ever game for Shettleston. This was against Cathcart in the Richardson.
After the match I was deemed not a bona fide player and one point was deducted from the Shettleston score and added to the Cathcart score. I believe that this changed the result from a 4.5-3.5 win to a 5.5-2.5 win for Cathcart. I lost my individual game to the late Alan Shaw.

[andyburnett]

Out of interest, will the arbiters' reasoning for their decisions be made public? Not necessarily along with each arbiter's name (though I can't imagine why that should be a problem for them) but in the interests of transparency and open-ness.

For the record, Wandering Dragons don't much care who turns out against them for Bon Accord in the Richardson Final (highly-rated GM? multiple British Champion? Bring them on says our captain! )
nor even how much of an appearance fee and travel expenses they are reportedly receiving for turning up to play (we'll even offer to chip in towards it if BA need us to!), but we would like to know the what, why and how of the decisions taken - whichever way the arbiters voting goes. It would be useful information for all the other teams in Scotland to know also.

[Jonathan Edwards]

highly-rated GM? multiple British Champion?