The Chronicler's Chronicle - Part 5

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!!
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The Chronicler's Chronicle - Part 4

Part 4: My Time as Club Historian

Everyone said that I had been handed a ‘Dream Job’. Well, there are two main kinds of dreams, and, unfortunately, this one somehow became something approaching a nightmare. After the progress made in 2007, it all turned (unnecessarily) sour.

Despite the not miniscule health hiccoughs encountered in the previous few months, my entry to the job was bouyed by enthusiasm to get finished the job that had been left over from the previous December, and also to promote the history of one of the greatest clubs in the country.

My enthusiasm was also due to the fact that I had been led to believe that the club was very happy to take me on board and not least (I had been told) to get my involvement in the development of the anticipated museum.

It was something of a surprise on first arriving, therefore, when Lee Preece (to whom I was reporting as my line manager), having given me a friendly “welcome”, said to me in deep seriousness: “I trust you will not cross me in your time here?” This utterance immediately seemed to draw a line between my previous state of consultant and my new position as employee.

I did not ask him what he meant by that, but simply reassured him his fears were not grounded; I was there to do a job and was not there for one-upmanship. But it did seem to infer that perhaps Lee had put his head on the block by arguing the case for recruiting me. That the senior management did not seem interested in my arrival (yet “heritage” is a brand value) further surprised me a little – even some colleagues thought that Randy Lerner should have seen me with regard to discussing his plans for the heritage.

Indeed, the very singular experience I had of meeting Randy Lerner was but an accidental and passing situation. A few weeks after my arrival, I happened to bump into Paul Faulkner and Randy as they were coming out of the lift in the North Stand. Paul muttered something into Randy’s ear, there was a brief handshake, and they were off. Even though they did not seem to be in a particular hurry, hardly a word had been spoken and there was no follow up to ‘the meeting’.

From these simple scenarios, it might be seen that matters were not as perhaps as ‘good’ as they should have been, despite pretences that had indicated otherwise. Further, there were a number of significant issues which had not been made clear when I joined the club and which led to misunderstandings and disagreement and, indeed, to my enforced and ill-conceived exit.

What constituted those issues I had intended to go into in detail in further chapters, but it would not have been elevating reading. And, following the occurrence of the huge tragedy in Japan, I am thinking that in the total scheme of things, “what’s the point?”; I hope that it does not become necessary to go into all that. Some, as it is, would accuse me of trying to win cheap brownie points on this matter, but that has been far from my real purpose.

The overriding matter is that the facts relating to my dismissal were heard by the Employment Tribunal and they came to an unequivocal conclusion in my favour. Not only that, but their findings were detailed and clear - there was no mere 'technical issue'. On Ian Robathan’s blog site I made a statement about the case and invited Villa to work in partnership relating to future historical projects. Instead, the club simply stated in the Birmingham Mail (in complete denial of the Tribunal’s decision and also my suggestion), "We stand by our decision to dismiss Mr Lerwill."

It could be that the club’s senior management may have had second thoughts and asked themselves what history has to do with roping in enough cash to pay the club’s bills. Perhaps also my vocal enthusiasm became a bit much for those not motivated by 60 years of support sometimes warmed only by a cup of Bovril. Perhaps there are other factions that have put their oar in.

The dismissal matter still has to go back to the tribunal for a financial award in my favour, and this will take place on the 28th. However, this has been a costly process for me and it remains to be seen how much nett benefit will come my way. In any case, the trauma to my wife and to myself as a result of this happening cannot be replaced by money.
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The Chronicler's Chronicle - Part 3

The Chronicler's Chronicle (c) 2011 by John Lerwill


Part 3 : The Interregnum

2007 had been a hectic but very happy year; not only had a major portion of the Villa archives reorganisation been achieved, but I had also acquired virtually all I needed to complete the writing of the book I had started research on two years before. Two magical years had slipped by in which I had been deeply absorbed into Aston Villa’s ancient past.

Doesn’t time go by quickly when you’re enjoying yourself?!

Although opportunities suddenly appeared for a return to the I.T. world as a technical writer in other parts of the country, it seemed to me that the Aston Villa route would be the most satisfying to pursue.

The interest and appreciation of the Villa management in what I had done emboldened me into considering putting forward proposals for what might next take place. The idea began to form that perhaps there would be an opportunity to move to Birmingham, but the idea was partly shelved when we learnt that my wife was in need of being hospitalised to have a dangerous operation. That was to take place later in the summer.

But, nevertheless, I put forward my proposals to Villa which included a two-stage approach four months from April, 2008 on the same commute basis from London as in 2007, to be followed by a contract on an employee basis for 30 months (which would necessitate us moving to Birmingham). I provided a detailed job description for the Club Historian and a plan of work and left Lee Preece to do what he could.

There was a pregnant pause while I was waiting for the result of my proposals, but it did not prevent Lee Preece announcing to the SCG that the Villa were trying to secure the services of John Lerwill to help in providing the basis for the setting up of a museum. Lee also told me that when General Krulak stated to him that a museum was a confirmed intention of Randy Lerner, Lee responded to the General that if that was to occur then an expert would be needed to help that dream come to fruition. His prompt had some affect by February, my proposals were accepted.

April came and the first part of my plan was due to start, but what transpired at that point was perhaps a warning of other negative things to come. It is a truism that when the snowball has started rolling down the hill it becomes difficult to pull it back.

I turned up at Villa Park but to be told that the payroll department had only just determined that I could not be paid as in 2007 as it brought up tax problems the role was going to become a permanent one in a few months and as that job was too similar Inland Revenue were likely to ask too many questions (in their opinion).

My response was that this situation had not been planned for and I would not be able to continue work until moving to Birmingham towards the end of the summer and on taking up the employee contract.

What happened then was (literally) a heart stopper. Events seemed to catch up with me at that point and I was not feeling too good. I had decided to stay in Birmingham for the rest of the week to further my research, but within a couple of days I was getting quite dizzy.

When walking up Bull Street one morning on my way to Villa Park, I was feeling very light headed and my eyesight was not so good. I must have looked a bit strange as I do remember a pleasant young lady coming up to me and asking me if I was alright.

That, at least, was a very bright moment in my day!!

I don’t know how but I slowed myself down and continued. I somehow got back to London the following day. To cut a long story short, the following week I was taken into hospital as an emergency with my heartbeat running at a dangerously low level. This was 2002 all over again, but worse.

Looking back on it now, it seems quite incredible that within a week I was home and virtually back to my old miserable self. The experts had decided I needed a pacemaker and so that is what they did. With the shake of a surgeons knife I had become roboticised!

What was a bit sad was that in the same week, the old jazzman and raconteur Humphrey Lyttleton was taken into the same hospital. He did not come out alive. What with him and Elizabeth Taylor (in 1959) and me having been patients at that hospital, they must have become a little tired with having to provide star treatment!!

The rest of the summer seemed to be spent in hospitals! A month after the event above described, I was packing for the impending house move and did something to my back. That required extensive treatment over some time. Then, in early August, my wife had to enter the London Heart Hospital, not for treatment on her heart but for another fairly major procedure. Because of my wife’s medical history the surgeon wanted to perform the procedure with the best heart equipment available just in case.

Three weeks after my wife’s exit from hospital we were looking for accommodation in Birmingham. At the very last throw of the dice we found the house we were happy with and moved up during September. My wife was still far from recovered from her ordeal and, indeed, took another seven months to recover. Our sons and her family were left behind in London (to my wife’s chagrin).

That is how we came to make the move to Birmingham, and, after experiencing all the above and responding (if you will permit me to say so) to Aston Villa’s call, I experienced the clubs instant ejection only 15 months later.

On the flimsiest of issues we were again thrown into penury. Who - in these adversely changing economic times - would take on an ex-football club historian at the age of 65 who had been dismissed?

To Come (t.b.a.): Part 4: My Time as Club Historian
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