Part 5: The End of The Fight (I hope)
The return to the Employment Tribunal on 28th March produced a reasonably satisfactory financial award (and, after costs, just enough to cover the costs of treatment for my wife's severe arthritis), and I wish to sincerely thank the panel of the Tribunal for their enormous dedication in assessing the merits of the case, and to my solicitor (David Cooper) who was the epitome of wisdom and calmness in the whole matter.
However, what I am so very sad about is that the matter did not have to go to the Tribunal to start with. In the process of formally appealing against dismissal there is firstly the appeal to the employer itself, and then via ACAS and also by individual (non-formal) methods. All methods were used by me in attempting to stop it getting as far as it did.
What is particularly very sad is that it was acknowledged that my work at Aston Villa was very much appreciated and yet the club chose to throw me out over a matter that was a complete one-off and which I had got involved in purely in self-defence as an independent author, not as an employee of the club.
There were some things I stated on the H & V thread which (reflecting upon it in the cold light of day) were probably not best said (and I admitted as such at the Tribunal), but, even so, we're all Villa supporters and it's part of the whole issue of being such that we upset one another from time to time. We all get emotional about things we care about and, indeed, the whole matter occurred after going through a long period of personal stress.
Certainly, no harm was meant to individuals nor to the club on my part. It was a "storm in a teacup" as so many people have described it.
Elsewhere (a month ago), I have appealed to the club to work in partnership on historical matters and for this matter to be left behind us. And I stand by that. The award at the Tribunal on Monday (and its settlement) should be the end of it all.
I (of course) wish the club well. It has the best history, and my family have followed its fortunes for 120 years.
Up the Villa!!
.
The return to the Employment Tribunal on 28th March produced a reasonably satisfactory financial award (and, after costs, just enough to cover the costs of treatment for my wife's severe arthritis), and I wish to sincerely thank the panel of the Tribunal for their enormous dedication in assessing the merits of the case, and to my solicitor (David Cooper) who was the epitome of wisdom and calmness in the whole matter.
However, what I am so very sad about is that the matter did not have to go to the Tribunal to start with. In the process of formally appealing against dismissal there is firstly the appeal to the employer itself, and then via ACAS and also by individual (non-formal) methods. All methods were used by me in attempting to stop it getting as far as it did.
What is particularly very sad is that it was acknowledged that my work at Aston Villa was very much appreciated and yet the club chose to throw me out over a matter that was a complete one-off and which I had got involved in purely in self-defence as an independent author, not as an employee of the club.
There were some things I stated on the H & V thread which (reflecting upon it in the cold light of day) were probably not best said (and I admitted as such at the Tribunal), but, even so, we're all Villa supporters and it's part of the whole issue of being such that we upset one another from time to time. We all get emotional about things we care about and, indeed, the whole matter occurred after going through a long period of personal stress.
Certainly, no harm was meant to individuals nor to the club on my part. It was a "storm in a teacup" as so many people have described it.
Elsewhere (a month ago), I have appealed to the club to work in partnership on historical matters and for this matter to be left behind us. And I stand by that. The award at the Tribunal on Monday (and its settlement) should be the end of it all.
I (of course) wish the club well. It has the best history, and my family have followed its fortunes for 120 years.
Up the Villa!!
.
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