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I have been asked by quite a few people what is going on regarding The Chiswick society teams. So I thought it might be just as easy to put it on here then if you want to know, you can read what I know.

As I recall near the end of the last winter season our secretary Ralph Otto told us as a team the John Edney had asked us as a team to do the league a favor. The favor being that should we finish 1st or 2nd in Div2 would we go up to Division 1 as there was going to be a shortfall of teams in division 1. I was not at the meeting but I have spoken to some others who were. Steve Taggert was at that meeting and insists the offer was made and it was unconditional.

This seemed like a reasonable idea as we were winning Division 2 at the time and had 8 players in the team who were happy to go up and give it a go against the boys in Division 1. They were of the opinion if they lost then so be it, it would all be good experience. I know 4 of our players had been approached by teams in Division 1 to play for them, So they must have been held in high regard otherwise why offer them the chance to sign for a new team and move up to Division 1? Infact I am of the understanding one of them has now signed for a Division 1 team.

At that point we decided we would attempt to make two teams for the summer season.

We would recruit 1 or 2 new players for the “A” Team and the remainder of what was the original team would form the “B” team.

The fact is that after Ralph had informed everyone we were going up, the next fixture resulted in 5 of our team failing to show against Springbok “B”. We scraped together a scratch team and lost 9-4. No disrespect to Kevin and any of the Springbok boys because they played well that night and deserved their victory, but I believe our 1st team would have beaten them. Now whose fault is it the main team never showed? Is it Ralph’s fault for telling us we were already promoted? Is it my fault as Captain at the time for not making certain anybody lost focus? Is it the lads themselves fault for not showing the right attitude in playing every game irrespective of promotion or not? Can you blame the committee for offering up the promotion before the season had ended?

Ultimately it was that result that cost us the title. Congratulations to The Chiswick Memorial on winning Div 2.They deserved the title, the table does not lie but I won’t lie the whole situation still pisses me off as it had taken three seasons to mould that team together and to lose the league like that still rankles.

So I recruited a new player for the “A” team which was expected to play in division 1. That team would have had a squad of 10. Ralph Otto was going to captain that team. I was going to captain a “B” team in Division 2 to include 4 of the founder players of The Society team.

At the end of the winter season Ralph informed me he had been to the meeting and he was informed by The Committee we were not going up after all. He said he was told we were not needed now the Royal Oak had returned to Division 1.

We now had a situation where we had 24 players signed up for another season in Division 2. Including 4 new players from the Shepherds Bush Club. Ralph Otto was to captain this side. Steve Bullard who played for us contacted me and asked if the new players from The Shepherds Bush Club could join, I directed him on to Ralph who signed them up. I had no problems with that. As far as I was concerned at that time we were still going to go down the line of having two teams. With the stronger ones being allowed to go up to Division 1. It seems there was no further representation to the league requesting a place for our “A” team to be put in Division 1 and consequently it never happened.

Time was now running out with the season due to start soon. So it was decided between Ralph and me we would go in to the season with one team and see how it goes, irrespective of the amount of players we had signed up.

Unfortunately once the original players found out new players had been recruited without being consulted. They decided they would not play no more. So we lost 6 of our best 7 players. On the night of the first fixture it was made clear that one team was not going to work. I contacted Jason Clark and he set about sorting things. He did what I suggested and we split into two teams. The 1st weeks game the “B” Team had against the Springbok “A” was to be rearranged and we would carry on the fixtures as set out in the fixture schedule picking up the fixtures marked out for all the “Byes” The “A” team would pick up the fixtures from the fixture booklet marked simply as Chiswick Society.

In effect players who were signed up for the original team were now able to sign up for the “B” team. Only problem I could see was one of the players who was picked for the “A” team that night but never played subsequently played for the “B” team.

When I went to the meeting Sunday last I wanted to check with the committee what had been said in regards to the offer of promotion. I spoke with Frank Gray, John Edney and Steve Cleary and they insisted the offer of promotion was made on a conditional basis. That being we had to win the league to go up. As I have already stated others have told me the offer was unconditional. I am still not sure what would have happened had we won Division2. would We have been allowed up or not?

Also at the meeting I noticed that the Draw for the DMJ Enterprises Trophy only included one of the Chiswick Society teams. I asked why and it was explained the draw was made before the society had entered two teams. That’s fair enough. The committee said we should play as a joint team in this cup event.

I explained to the committee my disappointment at their decision to go back on their offer of promotion. I stated in my opinion it had had serious implications on us as a club. We lost all our best players and we were now going to struggle to field enough players for both teams over a season as both had played with 7 and 6 players respectively in their previous matches. Although we both had more signed up, it was still a worry with the summer holidays coming. As we were talking a man was introduced to the committee saying he was from The Elm pub and he had spoken to Jason Clark about entering a team in the league. It seemed the logical thing to me that with the committee saying the Chiswick Society should play the DMJ Enterprises trophy as one team we may as well play as one team in the league as well. So speaking with Steve Cleary and Frank Gray I decided to resign the “B” team from the league which would allow the new team The Elm to join. After the meeting I explained to Peter and James from the goldsmiths that we had pulled out; they were concerned they would keep the points from the game we had played the previous Thursday. Frank Grey said if the Elm joins they would pick up The Chiswick Society “B” team results.

Gadget updated his website accordingly and if you look at his league table it includes The Elm and excludes The Chiswick Society “B”.

After the meeting I informed Ralph Otto what had happened and he said he would inform the “A” team players. Later that night he told me the players from the “A” team would not join forces with the “B” team for the cup game. If any of the “B” team were selected the “A” team players would all walk out there and then. They were also concerned who was going to be captain. I then spoke to some of the “B” team who then decided it was not worth the hassle and therefore they said they would stop playing. I informed Ralph only 2 of the “B” team needed to be incorporated in to the “A” team to form one team.

As far as I was concerned that was it. 7 of our original team would stop playing for the summer season and 2 would join up with the “A” team to form one team. Ralph informed me he was going to make them 2 boys’ subs for the cup game and incorporate them as he went along.

On Thursday I was playing golf when I got a call from the Chiswick Society committee asking me to come in and explain what had happened.

When I got in the club there were 5 of the “B” team there. I was asked by the committee what had been going on. I explained as I have in this post. They decided they would not have 6 players from The Shepherds Bush Club dictating to Ralph who could play and who couldn’t. Eddie Bates from the Chiswick Club committee said it was a joke that Chiswick society members were sitting in the club unable to represent the club when players from another club were. So they decided that Ralph was to be informed that the Shepherds Bush players could no longer represent the Chiswick Society at Darts. They are welcome in the club to drink and play darts but not for The Chiswick Society. I said I did not want to captain the team as was suggested. I said I thought Ralph would carry on as captain. I called Ralph later and explained what Eddie had said and Ralph said he wouldn’t be able to do that and that he would attempt to find a new venue for the “A” team to play out of.

I informed Jason Clark and Steve Cleary.

Steve called me back this morning and said the matter would be resolved at a meeting to be held shortly.

At this point I do not know if The Chiswick Society has any teams in the league or not.

I did bump into Steve Taggert this week and we were discussing what had been said at the meeting. He said Tina Moran felt The Springbok “A” should have had the points from the 1st game of the season in which we never played. If that is the case and the league are happy with that and we are still playing in the league we would not object.

Another point. If Ralph Otto’s team play as a new team from a new venue will they go through in the DMJ Enterprises trophy or will The Chiswick Society go through?

If the Chiswick Society do not go through it means we have not had a chance to play in the competiton.

From a personal point of view I am just disappointed that three seasons of hard work in building a side has been ruined by all of this.

It seems to me The H.D.D.A in offering the promotion should have stuck with that. If we had gone up and The Springbok “A” had stayed up it would have made two 8 team Divisions. The league have lost a lot of players over this.

I appreciate that the committee have a thankless job, I know you all do hard work for the league for no money and you have the best interests of the players in mind, but on this occasion it has not worked

Last point I had a call this week from a player from another team who is unhappy with his current team and wants to sign for my team. Will he be allowed? If he is not allowed I would like to know why considering the amount of cross signings we have had between our 24 players.

Anyway I wish all of you a good season.

please dont leave Chiswick Society us goldsmith we like playing your team it is fun so dont LEAVE

Correction to my previous post. Ralph Otto informs me it was Steve Cleary who offered the unconditional promotion. My appoligies to John Edney.... My mistake John.

Bottom line is i spoke to Jason Clark Wednesday and he was not aware the offer of promotion was made. He was going to raise it at a special meeting on Wednesday night regarding this matter.

After further discussions with Jason, & Eddie Bates it was decided that only one team from the chiswick society will play this summer season and that will be the one captained by Ralph and they will play out of the chiswick club.

Jason said there was no way the committee could have told me to play the chiswick society "A" & "B" teams as one in the DMJ Enterprises cup as the "B" side had not been formed when the draw was made. Well the committee did say that. John Edney, Steve Cleary & Frank Grey all said it to me.

i will except that maybe they were unaware of the rules regarding the draw but i will find it totally unacceptable if they deny they informed me we were to play as one team for that trophy.

i tried calling Steve Cleary a number of times Wednesday but he never answered his phone. i have still not been officiaaly informed of the committee's decision to date as i was promised by Steve Cleary on Tuesday.

Anyway once again i wish you all a great summer season & hope to catch up with you all in the winter season

Apologies to John Edney,it was not you who started this whole sorry saga as you were not at that meeting it was in fact Steve Cleary,

                                                              Ralph

Apologies to John Edney,it was not you who started this whole sorry saga as you were not at that meeting it was in fact Steve Cleary,

                                                              Ralph

Considering the league are actively trying to keep players and attract more to the HDDA it's sad to think the following players are now no longer playing because of all of this. These are players who represented the Chiswick society last season or were signed up 2 join this season. This is not an internal matter. It's been brought about by mismanagement on the league committee's part.

1.Adam Millar ( Would have been in "B" team )

2.Danny Wheeler ( Would have been in "B" team )

3.Marc Line ( Would have been in "A" team )

4.Martin Gallagher ( Would have been in "A" team )

5.Johnny Maquire ( Would have been in "B" team )

6.Carl Mcinerney ( Would have been in "A" team )

7.Ed Ryan ( Would have been in "A" team )

8.Scott Brotherton ( Would have been in "A" team )

9.Pat Mcloughlin ( Would have been in "B" team )

10.Seamus Mcdonagh ( Would have been in "B" team )

11.Stuart Budd ( Would have been in "B" team )

12.Frank Angus ( Would have been in "A" team )

13.Alister Kerr ( Would have been in "A" team )

14.Bernie Sheridan ( Would have been in "B" team )

15.Ross Sheridan ( Would have been in "B" team )

16.Dean Moors ( Would have been in "B" team )

17.Gary Sheehan ( Would have been in "B" team )

18.Tony Meade ( Would have been in "B" team )

19.John Nugent ( Would have been in "A" team )

I can not for one minute imagine anyone from the committee can be happy at losing this amount of players from the league.

Hello Stuart and Hello all

I must say I have never read as much contradicting forum post in my life.

So much so that the committee have chossen not to reply on here.

But i think I personally should

However our findings at the last committee can be discussed at the next Secretaries meeting by the league sec's

I have spoken to you and  Ralph regarding this many times and never did I ever expect to see such an unforgivable attack on some of the committee members as I have on here. especially as all of the infomation you offer is untrue and has no standing.

I for one know for FACT that your team were indeed asked if they were interested in being promoted to the DIV one, but only if they had won the division. This would have only been
as a favour to the HDDA to balance the leagues.
But as you rightly say you failed to raise a team the very next match. You blame the Committee for this.????????????????????

Your sec was also told that you would NOT be put up by MYSELF well before the begining of the new season.

I also know for a fact that the players you name as leaving due to this actually fell out with your sec Ralph over the siging of the new players.

I can go on and on, in fact I have ripped your lord of the rings saga to bits and look forwrd to the next meeting.

I am very sad that the HDDA have lost two teams from the Chiswick Society and hope to see two return. But lets clear something up here. it was the Chiswick society B ie yourself that phoned me on the first day of the summer season and asked me to allow two sides in to div 2 as you had 24 players. To this i made a decision with the backing of some of the committee as it was in the best interests of the HDDA.
During this phone call it was you that indeed informed that most of the players were actually fed up with Ralph. (the only man I have ever seen at a meeting)

And was it not you that grabbed hold of Dean Moor outside telling him not to play that night and he should play for your new side, and was it not the fact that you never had 24 players in the club that night and was it not then that you were taking a gamble and it has back fired, backfired so much so that you have had to start a little war between the ill judged decisions of a team which cannot agree on anything and have set upon a verbal attack on certain committee menbers.

I personally think that the way problems have been aired on the whole subject by youselves is totally unprofessional and disgracful.

The problem is with your side getting on and NOT that of the HDDA committee. Making it an internal problem.

I too would like to wish the remaining players at the Chiswick Society all the best for the season.

I'm off on Holiday now see ya