Nick Wright previews this weekend's clash between York City Knights and Hull FC
Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
James Tompkinson reviews an excellent pre-season victory for the York City Knights against Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos
His piece in Nouse this week, however, seems to show that Lacy has learnt few lessons from his prior dressing down, and his ruthless pursual of the Lacy Leviathan continuous unabashed; whether Sports clubs like it or not.
Upon casting my eye over this week’s Nouse I was reminded of Hubert Humphrey’s assertion that “The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously”. The motions of a universal logo and coloured kits were ferociously opposed by club presidents a fortnight ago yet this appears to have been ignored by Lacy. I am sure the final two paragraphs of his piece drew collective gasps across campus.
In an impetuous tone Lacy describes the forum as “pretty unpleasant” and “the open discussion pretty grim”, which is far from my own experience. There is nothing sinister about presidents passionately protecting the interests of their clubs and Lacy had better get used to such criticism. The animation of discussion was triggered by the shock of presidents that a vote was tabled before they had been consulted.
He asserts that the outcome of the forum was that “All the clubs are moving to black and gold playing kit” and secondly “All clubs will have the same logo”, the complete opposite of the consensus actually reached. Whether deliberate or accidental this is a misrepresentation of clubs’ opinion, which Nouse readers who were not at the meeting will take as truth. Statements like these give another worrying example of the authoritarianism at the top of York Sport.
Club presidents have been left bemused by the contradiction of Lacy’s dictatorial tone in his Nouse piece as opposed to the more conciliatory tone of the aforementioned forum. York’s rowing club would be hit hard by Lacy’s proposals and President Hugh Pryce was condemnatory of Lacy’s words. Pryce claims “He (Lacy) needs to pay a lot more attention to clubs. I was happy after the forum as I believed he was doing just that, but he was all too happy to mention that he doesn't actually have to consult the clubs at all and just do what he likes”.
The surprise at Lacy’s abrasive change of tact was shared by Cricket President Andrew Emmerson who commented that “behind a computer screen he is willing to put his neck on the line”, clearly displaying the growing desire for direct consultation with clubs over such important changes.
The issue of collectivity under the York Sport banner appears integral to Lacy who demanded that “it’s high time clubs expressed some pride in that.” Expressing pride in York Sport would be similar to England’s footballers being proud to represent the FA, or their cricketers proudly playing for the ECB. No matter how much he wishes it, clubs will not pledge allegiance to the Lacy Leviathan over their team mates and their University.
For me the article sets up an impending clash between Lacy’s desire for a legacy and the democratic nature of York Sport. In the debate over these contentious motions, Lacy is relying on the votes of smaller clubs who won’t be affected by the kit and logo changes to force them through, as in the one club one vote system the wishes of Rugby and Football have as much say as Kendo or Octopush. This continued feud has become more important than kits and logos. It has begun to jeopardise the democratic functions that bind York’s sports clubs together in letting them have a say in their own future.
I for one hope the clubs, and democracy, win out and stop the Lacy Leviathan in its tracks.
"Expressing pride in York Sport would be similar to England’s footballers being proud to represent the FA, or their cricketers proudly playing for the ECB. No matter how much he wishes it, clubs will not pledge allegiance to the Lacy Leviathan over their team mates and their University."
What a load of bollocks.
Lacy claiming that you represent the administrative institution that arranges your fixtures etc is similar to footballers& the FA or cricketers&the ECB point, and it's a very valid one.
Fortunately Lacy did retreat on this matter and agreed to the logo containing the words Uni of York rather than York Sport. This he confirmed in his article last week, however what's the real worry is that the other matters he backed down on - opt-out clauses for wearing the logo and colours - seemed to dissapear as he wrote: "All the clubs are moving to black and gold playing kit" and "will have the same logo”.
It's now become not so much the changes that sports clubs oppose (though it's still a contentious issue with many clubs), it's the way in which Lacy is going about it.
It seems like he wants to leave a legacy of having lead change. But it didn't work with changing the Wednesday night to Salvation and it doesn't look like his proposed kit changes will work either. I agree with Greg about the way he's going about it, it seems a bit of a dictatorial approach.
It seems that clubs which will hardly be affected will have an overriding vote. For some clubs it just doesn't make sense....I thought Judo and Capoeira wore white? As do the cricket club...surely they shouldn't have to wear black and gold?!
Why does it matter what colour the canoeists or riders wear and surely no-one wants to see all the pole dancers in one colour?!
I appreciate at Roses it may look good but that doesn't seem reason enough.
I for one have no notion of half the other clubs on campus and so wouldn't be inspired by wearing the same colour top. Giving up two days a week and playing with my friends is enough to inspire me, I certainly wouldn't play any better because I saw another person wearing black and gold!
What's next? York Sport dictating that all clubs wear the same on a Wednesday night social?
If this isn't going to be pushed through for a while, and it is as unpopular with the big clubs as it seems - then surely someone should just run as the next AU President (oops, I mean 'York Sport') with the policy to change what Lacy did and actually 'listen' to the big clubs - who fund most of York Sport.
Sean/Greg, you both make sense the majority of the time but here I just don't see the FA / ECB argument. Think more Team GB at the Olympics, everyone wore the same colours, different sports supported each other at various events and took an interest in results. As for Judo / Capoeira / Cricket, I don't think anyone is expecting them to change to black and gold playing kit as they have no alternative but to play in white, but all these clubs can show a commitment in other ways - tracksuits or similar.
Adam,
1. Team GB at the Olympics is the equivalent of Roses, and as I said - I think it is excessive to implement complete kit changes for a single weekend. There are more cost effective/less dramatic ways of doing this - plus I personally don't think Roses would be aided by same colour kits.
2. If Judo/Cricket etc... are allowed to continue wearing white, then why should every other club change?!
It seems that a more plausible suggestion from the start might have been York Sport merchandise with indivudual club names on to wear to matches.
As it is, I don't see any future for this proposition.
I want to re-read his manifesto. I think it's only fair to claim he's attempting to 'make a legacy' if these particular ideas were not part of the platform he was elected on. If they weren't, then that argument seems strong. If they were, then I really don't see the grounds for criticism.
Owais Shah should bat No. 3 for England.
Paul Collingwood is rubbish
If clubs aren't allowed to vote and Alex simply decides that each club has to change, then what's stopping next years president simply changing colours again?
True, but then it wouldn't be much of a 'legacy'. It would be a legacy for starting madness.
From a different point of view, it's pretty bad politically on Alex's part. If it's so unpopular, then why do it? Surely as AU Pres. or head of 'York Sport', keeping sports clubs 'on-side' is the number 1 priority? From comments on this thread and the good old grapevine, he doesn't seem to be doing that!!
That seems to be what more and more people are getting frustrated with as Greg pointed out, not only are most people against his kit proposals but he's alienating everyone by saying that they'll go ahead anyway.
The big problem he'll have if he tries to do this is getting clubs to pay for new kits that they don't want, if he wants to force clubs into it then it'll cost more than York Sport can afford.
So much ranting to do, so little time...
Why do we need to play in the same kit to care about other team's results?
Where on earth is all the money going to come from to pay for all these new kits?? Individual clubs won't be able to afford it, football for example will have the shell out for more than 50 new shirts, shorts, socks, jackets, jumpers etc etc. The budget is already tight enough in York without wasting it on things like this! Why not invest it in a snooker table for example? That would allow a York Sport Club to actually practice/compete on our own grounds! Surely that helps the smaller clubs more than this??
Adam Clarke - you said imagine it like team GB, and I see what you mean, but do we really have that scale of budget? And I think that comparison has a fundamental flaw - rugby players don't play for The University of York, they play for UYRUFC. The only time they represent the uni in the same was as your 'Team GB' comparison will be in varsity & roses.
I agree with Worrall - so why not just sell 'Team York Sport' merchandise? Sell your black and gold tracksuits/training kit (though you'd probably have to give it away) and people can represent 'York Sport'.
I do however agree with the idea for a new logo, one that actually represents something would have been nice though.
No-one has been able to answer my real question though - Why black and gold? Is Lacy just a massive Sam Sparro fan? As far as I know black and gold has nothing to do with the uni? I know hockey/rugby already play in it but beyond that..? The university's colours are purple and green aren't they? Football play in black and white after the White Yorkshire rose. Team GB play in their country's flag colours - what has black and gold got to do with York?
On another point, there seems to be an issue with the weighting of votes, as the 'one club one vote' system seems unpopular with the larger clubs because they can't bully the lesser clubs. However, I think this voting system is fine, as long as you assume the smaller clubs can vote listening rationally to the concerns of 'bigger' clubs when a motion doesn't directly affect the smaller club.
Far more seriously though, Collingwood should just be dropped. He's part of an old way of playing ODI cricket, Bring a fresh attacking youngster like Denly in, sod number three bring shah in at 2, pieterson to bat at three.
This all seems to be part of a bigger cancer affecting sport at the University of York. Lacy clearly seems himself as some kind of messiah. I prefer to think of him and his buddies as clowns who are obsessed with change for the sake of it. If Lacy wants his legacy to be that of being remembered as the man who put his own agenda before the greater good of sport at the University of York then he is well on the way of achieving his goal.
All this sniping and moaning over the proposal for a unified university of york sports kit and logo?!
comment deleted by a moderator #14. Rowing kit costs around £120 - 150. Its expensive stuff. The sport is expensive as it is - it doesn't seem fair to force all of the athletes to fork out an extra £120 half way through the season so we look like everyone else.
otg
#14- I think it's part of a bigger issue of principle, that being that Lacy appears to be pursuing some sort of 'legacy' for himself over and above the wishes of the sports-clubs that he claims to represent. For people who dedicate their time to representing our university at sport up and down the country, such an undermining does nothing for the morale or confidence of these teams.
I personally think that there are an awful lot more things that money could be invested in, such as subsidising the more expensive sports (rowing, etc), perhaps relaying the running track that hasn't been relayed since the sports area was 'invented', re-turfing the pitch that is constantly flooded behind the sports-tent and maybe even improving irrigation facilities on all the pitches the both college and uni sport are disrupted (as little as possible) by bad weather.
These are all ideas that could be pursued and that would (in the main) be popular with everyone who takes part in sport at York to different levels, rather than pursue something that to an outsider might seem a perfectly resonible idea, but when so overwhealmingly rejected by sports-clubs, is simply an impossible and money-wasting task.
Regarding poster #12's comment,
"And I think that comparison has a fundamental flaw - rugby players don't play for The University of York, they play for UYRUFC."
I wonder what exactly they think UYRUFC stands for if not "The University of York Rugby Union Football Club"...
one thing i reckon would make a huge difference would be a proper running track. Even for those who'd never go near it, I think it'd be a little more inspiring to potential and current sportsmen than the mud affair we have at the moment, and things like that are symbolic of how much the university cares about sport. Never mind that we're one of the few universities with no swimming pool..
The one club one vote system should not be changed. I also agree that uniformity could lead to greater interest in other sports' results, but probably isn't worth the cost in making it obligatory immediately.. why not say that new club kit when it's bought should be in the new colours?
#19 - I think that's a good idea in theory. However, people don't buy new kit every academic year. You can't have a squad of randomly clad sports people - some wearing the old, some wearing the new.
With Lacy's plans, sooner or later you will have to have a wholesale change. For a lot of sports the cost is too great.
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