Pandora's Box 5
Quote:
"Maurice responded abruptly and had called you a name, which was regrettable."
The quotes are from BMAF Chairman Winston Thomas' "Apologise in 12 days or I suspend you" ultimatum of January 2007. I replied "Nuts" to the ultimatum because the lies were just too much to handle. But that left the lies unanswered. Some authority-awed Lilliputian nerds still obviously believe Winston Thomas' version. Thank you for this opportunity to put the record straight.
"abruptly……" Winston Thomas deliberately gives the impression that I was argumentative and so Maurice was forced to respond abruptly. Not at all. There was a fairly reasoned discussion during the British Team Manager's first incursion onto the track. Unfortunately it closed with British Team Manager Maurice Doogan's invitation to cheat: "You will do better with John in the team." "Nobody will notice." "Take a chance on nobody appealing." "I will back you up." That was the last straw for me.
The name calling started with the British Team Manager's second incursion onto the track solely to berate me. Maurice Doogan aggressively started off with "You disobeyed my direct order. I am your team manager." I responded with "And you are a very bad team manager. Get off the track." He then said, "You are an Asshole. Your will never again run for a British relay team." The spin that Winston Thomas gives to the whole business is thus completely wrong - either he is dishonest, or he was totally misinformed.
"a name"?… and some. The British Team Manager called his loyal British athlete - about to run a relay for Queen and Country - an "Asshole."
British Team Manager Maurice Doogan is renowned for his disrespectful and abusive rants to his British athletes in his e-mails and in the British masters athletics magazine Masters Athletics. I never quite got used to it and it may have been in the back of my mind at Linz. Other British masters athletes have told me they are heartily sick of Maurice Doogan's diatribes.
The prospect of running a relay race and being disqualified at the end of it was bad enough. The prospect of being required to explain and having to rely on my chum Maurice Doogan - that he would actually have owned up and supported me - was completely impossible. And the way this affair has subsequently developed, my lack of confidence in Doogan's solidarity and honesty was justified - he cannot have told his Chairman the truth. Anyway… on the whole a rather eventful prelude to running a relay race for any athlete. Or what do you think, Cousins?
Incidentally, this had a sequel at the Clermont-Ferrand World Championships. I had intended to run the M65 4x200m relay. But my Swedish wife - a disgusted witness to the British Team Manager's conduct at Linz - hit the roof: "What? You must be crazy. You can't seriously be thinking of running for those terrible people again!" That brought me to my senses so I did not volunteer for the GBR M65 4x200m relay team at Clermont-Ferrand. My wife was right. And unless I get a written apology for Maurice Doogan's cheating and verbal abuse at Linz I will not offer my modest services to any GBR relay team in the future either. So GBR relay team-mates - either put up, or shut up and don't bother to ask me to run for you again.
It is not the "Asshole" insult that rankles most. It is being involved with this BMAF underworld of lying and dishonesty, with the implicit assumption that I must shut up "or else …." "Or else" first was the threat of suspension. Subsequently it has been ridicule and abuse for continuing to protest. The rot starts at the top. Small men - from national athletics officers down to you - follow after their role models. The psychology of the weakness and complicity of small men, coupled with the modern phenomenon of Internet abuse from a safe distance, is fascinating.
"regrettable"?…. so all the British Team Manager did was to call me a name? And my entire complaint against the British Team Manager can be hushed up and dismissed 10 months later with a "regrettable"?
The BMAF still has not given me their promised apology for British Team Manager Maurice Doogan's rules infringements, cheating and verbal abuse at WMA Linz.
WMA still has not censured British Team Manager Maurice Doogan for his conduct. The fact that BMAF Chairman Winston Thomas is also WMA Secretary is of course irrelevant in this connection.
UK Athletics (UKA), the real national governing body for athletics in the UK - and thus ultimately responsible - still has not censured Maurice Doogan or Winston Thomas. Time perhaps to approach UKA CEO Mr. Niels de Vos?
Anthony Treacher
British M65 Athlete and BMAF-designated Asshole (no BMAF apology, so it is still official)