Website - Normal Service will Resume on Tuesday

During the course of this season, as a committee, we have had to deal with a number of issues. As ever, we have attempted to deal with these in a fair and professional manner.

We have always placed a high value on treating all cases in the same considered manner and have ensured that we represent the wishes of the whole league that we fully support. We are also committed to treating every team and player the same, no matter where they are from.
 
As a committee, we are not afraid to receive comments or criticism if our league members feel that we have got something wrong. However, in recent weeks this committee has been openly criticised on a social networking website and this called into question our ability and indeed our integrity as people and committee members and was very insulting and personal.

Specific Issues,

• Committee Abuse / Sexist Remarks
  o Comments have been made on Facebook regarding members of the committee which are sexist and slanderous
  o We find these comments disgusting and totally out of order

• Selection of Venues for Finals
  o Whenever we choose a finals venue, we get complaints.
  o Comments have been made that we favour certain venues for finals. To be clear, the first decision we make is to make a venue neutral wherever
  possible.
  o We do not have a policy that only sponsors get matches. We do support our sponsors but not all of our sponsors have the ability to hold a final.

• Backhanders
  o Suggestions have been made that we take bribes in return for finals, which is disgusting and could not be further from the truth
 
At this point, it is important to note that whilst individual committee members may hold specific roles, it is the committee as a whole who agree on decisions. We do this to ensure that not one member has too much responsibility but also to ensure that we make the correct group decision.

We are a united committee and we are happy that we do our very best in all of our decisions. There is no bias towards certain people, divisions or teams, positive or negative.
 
We feel that these comments made by a number of league members overstepped a mark and as such we have decided to send out this open letter to all teams in the league.

We are all ELECTED members. You elect us and we work for you. However, we would hope that everybody understands the level of hard work and commitment that we all put in and to be honest, when you put as much work in as we do; you start to wonder why you bother when you get the abuse and hassle.
 
If any league member(s) feel that they would like changes to happen, then they are very welcome to do so by calling an Extraordinary General Meeting.

League Constitution Clause 15

"An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be requested by any six members of the League on application to the Committee. Any letter of request for an EGM must contain six signatures of current members of the Preston and District Pool League. Such meetings should take place under the same conditions as for an AGM as in rule 13. An EGM shall take place if at any time the Committee feel it necessary, or if circumstances reduce the Committee such that a quorum cannot be achieved."

This statement will remain on the website for a number of days and we wish to state that all committee members will be ignoring pool and believe that it is time for the committee to consider our position individually and collectively as a league committee.

Yours Sincerely

The League Committee
Preston and District Pool League