Rams Slam

I see today's Thanet Times has followed up my recent post about Ramsgate FC, confirming that there has indeed been a split with the youth teams. Apparently there have been 'differences of direction' rather than any upset over money as was reportedly rumoured, with Rams chair Richard Lawson quoted as 'considering legal action against the (unnamed) blogger' (i.e. me for reporting the rumours) and adding: 'Whoever this person is wants to be careful as what they said is libellous.'

'Is libellous' eh? Once again it would appear that complicated legal decisions on this funny little island are being made on the quaint basis of what one prominent citizen tells a local hack, rather than the outdated, old-fashioned method of due process of the law. Given the information in my possession, I might well be inclined to say that what the Thanet Times has printed about me 'is libellous'. In fact, I'm getting straight on the phone to my wolf pack of highly-trained media lawyers as soon as I've finished this sentence!

Click here to read Rams story in Thanet Times

Update: I see the excellent yourfannitinnit (available free in the corner of all your favourite local stores, usually behind the twelve boxes of Haribo etc.) has a much fuller account of this sorry saga today (Wednesday), including a suggestion that the move was connected to money, in part at least. Click here to read it.

Libel To Offend

I've just received this email from Mr Dudley of the Gazunder:

Hello Mr Eastcliff,

I read your recent blog about Ramsgate FC with great interest and decided to look into the story. You might be interested to hear that the chairman of the club has asserted to the Gazette that the blog entry is untrue and libellous and that the club is taking legal advice. He told us the issue is not related to money. This will be mentioned in my story and I thought you might like to give us your response to the chairman’s reaction.

Best wishes, Joel

To which my response was:

Not really. I've had it up to my ears with you lot printing crap libel stories about my blog.

All the best, ECR

A trifle harsh, perhaps, but really! Ever since the Thanet Blog Wars earlier this year, when the Gazunder printed unsubstantiated allegations from a certain blue rinse councillor about 'anonymous blogs', I must say I've read our local blue top with a considerable portion of salt. In light of the fact that my original story was liberally peppered with phrases like 'rumour', 'word is', 'talk of' and 'apparently', I can't imagine even the quickest witted of m'learneds (of which there are few) being able to trump up a charge of malicious falsehood. And the question must also be asked, if the Rams are that cheesed off with the post (although I doubt they even read it until Mr Dudley kindly told them about it), why haven't they done the simplest, and cheapest, thing and emailed me demanding an apology? It's ever so easy. Just click on my email address in the top right hand corner.

Finally, I note they haven't denied arsing off the youth teams, according to Mr Dudley. Just that the issue isn't related to money. Kuh!

Football Crazy

A rumour has reached the old Eastcliff lugholes that our local footie team, Ramsgate FC, has dropped its youth and kiddies sides after parents failed to come up with the wad it was demanding to fund them. Word is that the Rams wanted five grand and that when the grown-ups said 'bugger off', they did just that.

One anonymous contributor told me: 'There is a bit of Thanet history with kids and football. Margate FC tried the same thing, so the kids decamped to Ramsgate FC. Now they've done it too.' Apparently both Margate and Ramsgate FCs are on their uppers, so there's now talk of an amalgamation to form Fannit United. Oh for the simpler days of yore, when matches were played on the Goodwin Sands and footballers were happy with a kipper as payment!

Yes, those really are kippers they're holding