Helping raise funds to commemorate Patrick O'Connell in Manchester on 10 April

Speaking at a special fund-raising social in Manchester on 10 April for former footballer and manager Patrick O’Connell of Belfast Celtic, Sheffield Wednesday, Manchester United, Ireland, Real Betis and Barcelona. 

On Friday 10 April at 7pm in the Irish World Heritage Centre in Manchester a fundraising evening will take place with former players from United & City attending. As one of the speakers I will be talking about what it was like to be a footballer in Patrick's time.  

Friday Night outline:

7:30pm Alan Keegan introduces event welcomes all.

7:35pm Alan McClean POCMF explains fund etc

7:40pm Paddy Crerand

7:55pm Ian Sanders

8:05 Auction 1st Item

8:10 Mike Summerbee

8:25 Sue O'Connell

8:40 Auction 2nd item

8:45 Peter Barnes

9:00  Mark Metcalf 

9:15 Fred Eyre/Alan Wardle

9:35 Auction rest of items

Patrick O'Connell was a former footballer and manager who started his career in Belfast at Belfast Celtic moving to Sheffield Wednesday in England for £50. 

Sadly to this day Patrick is buried in an unmarked grave in St. Mary's Cemetery,Kensal Green,London, he died destitute in London in 1959. 

Mr. O'Connell also had the distinction of being the first Irishman to captain Manchester United and also his country Ireland winning their first title the British Home Championship in 1914. 

In the final game against Scotland at Windsor Park Patrick played on with a broken arm for the whole second half as there were no substitutions in those days.

Mr. O'Connell became one of the first thousand pound transfers when being transferred to United, this year is his centenary anniversary 1915.

The Patrick O'Connell Memorial Fund is a small group of football fans from Ireland,England who founded the fund at the Belfast Celtic Museum at the Park Centre in Belfast on the 30th of Aug 2014, Patrick's first club being Belfast Celtic FC.

The main aim is to raise funds to build a memorial at the cemetery befitting Mr. O'Connell's football achievements and we are also working with sculptor John McKenna to have a bust made of Mr. O'Connell and to be presented to FC Barcelona given Mr. O'Connell's interventions at the club during the Spanish Civil War.

Patrick went on to manage a number of clubs in Spain including Real Betis FC who he led to their only La Liga title in 1935.

The club at the time had a ground capacity of 7,000 so an amazing achievement.

Following this Patrick became manager of FC Barcelona and saved them from extinction during the Spanish Civil War, he took the club on a tour of Mexico the monies from this tour were wired to a Paris Account and ultimately saved the club during this period.

On April 10th 7pm at the Irish World Heritage Centre in Manchester a fundraising evening will take place with former players from United & City attending. 

Alan Keegan 'the voice of Old Trafford' will be compere. 

In total over 35 signed shirts have been donated by legends of world football to this fund and are on display at the Belfast Celtic Museum - more details here www.pocfund.com

FC Barcelona endorsed the project last week -  http://www.pocfund.com/images/POC/NSamarreta_Subhasta_Patrick_OConnell_25-02-2015_-ENG.pdf

Here is the quote from Josep Maria Bartomeu, FC Barcelona President:

"Barça is more than a Club because, among other things, it is a Club with a great history and memory. We like to remember all those people who made FC Barcelona what it is today. Everyone is important. Patrick O'Connell may not be as well-known to younger generations, but he was a brave and loyal coach who gave himself to the Club during a very difficult time here, an epoch of civil war. He left an indelible mark on every club he spent time with, greatly contributing to an increase in the popularity of football.”

On the 5th of February the PFA kindly donated £1,000.00 to the restoration of Patrick's grave our group met Gordon Taylor and the National Football Museum in Manchester agreed to include Patrick in a section for players who played in Britain but also managed abroad.

Patrick's Irish cap from a century ago will go on display as well as his story and a piece on this project.

The project has been endorsed by Sheffield Wednesday FC,FC Barcelona,the PFA,Real Betis FC,Glenda Jackson MP North London,The National Football Museum,Manchester City FPA,Paddy Crerand Man United,Glasgow Celtic FC, Belfast Celtic Society,Maureen O'Sullivan TD(MP), Paul Maskey MP Belfast,Mr. Christy Burke Lord Mayor of Dublin,Dan Mulhall Irish Ambassador to the UK, Mr. Dan Cooney Irish Ambassador to Spain.

Irish National Broadcaster RTE Radio 1 have commissioned a radio documentary on Patrick's life.

Our project has also been covered by The Guardian,Daily Mirror UK,Belfast Telegraph,Irish News,AFP International News agency,BBC NI,The Irish Times,The Irish Independent,D'iario de Sevilla,ABC de Sevilla,United We Stand,Manchester United official Programme & Website,MUTV,Real Betis Website,The Irish Post,GlobeSport USA,TG4,When Saturday Comes Magazine,Marca Spain,Inside La Liga,France 24.

Our ambassador is Gerry Armstrong NI football legend and current Sky Sports La Liga Analyst.

Thanks for your time and hopefully hear from you soon.

Luis Figo FC Barcelona & Portugal - 'Please convey to the family my wishes they raise enough monies to honour their Grandfather'

‘It has been a relief to speak freely’ - Helen Steel interview

Taken from Big Issue in the North magazine, March 30-April 5 2015. 

The campaigner at the heart of the epic McLibel legal battle in the 1990s who revealed that the man she considered her soulmate was an undercover police spy has urged others to speak out against surveillance and injustice. 

Helen Steel was among five members of London Greenpeace who faced libel charges after distributing a pamphlet titled What’s Wrong With McDonald’s: Everything they don’t want you to know in 1986. This alleged that McDonald’s exploited children with their advertising, promoted unhealthy food, paid low wages, were anti-union and were responsible for animal cruelty and environmental damage. 

Three apologised to McDonald’s but Steel, then a part-time bar-worker, and unemployed postman Dave Morris refused to apologise. They chose, despite no legal aid being available, to defend the case. 

In a mixed ruling Mr Justice Bell found some claims unproven but agreed that children were exploited by advertising, that McDonald’s paid low wages and served food with no positive nutritional benefit. The defendants were ordered to pay £60,000 damages. This was later cut by
a third when the Appeal Court ruled that McDonald’s regular customers had a very real risk of heart disease. Steel and Morris refused to pay. 

A free speech campaign saw protests outside two-thirds of the company’s UK stores,
and leaflets distributed in ever greater numbers. Commentators called the case “the biggest corporate PR disaster in history”. 

In 2005 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the lack of access to legal aid during the McLibel trial was in breach of the rights to a fair trial and freedom of expression. Steel and Morris were awarded £57,000 against the government. 

Deceiving 

One of the authors of the LG pamphlet was Bob Robinson, who was later exposed as Bob Lambert, an undercover police officer who has since apologised for deceiving “law abiding members of London Greenpeace”. Lambert was a member of the Metropolitan Police’s Special Demonstration Squad (SDS). This was established in 1968 and during its 40 years in existence targeted political activists. 

Another SDS member was John Dines, who posed as New Zealander John Barker. He began attending political meetings alongside Steel in 1987, before they began a relationship in 1990. 

They moved in together and discussed starting a family but, in 1992, Dines disappeared. 

Steel searched extensively for her partner but with no success. Two years later, while walking home from the High Court during the McLibel trial, she had the instinct to call into the Register of Births, Deaths and Marriage office on the same street. 

She eventually came across a record of a John Barker, aged eight, who had died of leukaemia in the town Dines/ Barker said he was from. 

“The bottom fell out of my world,” she said. “I thought I knew this guy and yet I did not even know his name. It cast doubt on all my other previous relationships, on everyone around me. If I could not notice that someone I loved and lived with wasn’t real, who else might be fake and how I could know who to trust? 

“I thought about the possibility he might be an undercover police officer and that in turn made me nervous about telling other people in case it got back to the state. When I did eventually tell a couple of other old friends they thought I was being paranoid. This left me questioning my own sanity.” 

She even travelled to New Zealand to try to find Dines, after which the police, even though he had left the force in 1994, moved him to another country to prevent her finding out the truth. 

Semi-official confirmation eventually arrived in 2011 when the former partner of an undercover officer told her Dines had been one too. 

Around this time it emerged that another undercover officer, Mark Kennedy, had had several relationships with environmental activists he had spied upon. 

Then gradually activists, journalists and the whistleblower Peter Francis, one of Dines’s former colleagues, began revealing the real story about the SDS, including the use of dead children’s identities. Dines, Lambert and Mark Jenner (the latter employed to spy on, among others, the author of this piece) suddenly found themselves in the newspapers. 

Faking breakdowns 

Seeking to prevent these human rights abuses from being repeated Steel began legal action against the Metropolitan Police, along with other women who had also unknowingly had relations with undercover police officers. Some had even had children with officers who, usually after faking mental breakdowns, suddenly disappeared without explanation. 

All the officers had occupied important positions, such as secretary or treasurer, in campaigns that covered anti- racism, miscarriages of justice, corruption and employment rights. These roles allowed the police to assemble information on the political activists involved. 

It was the newspaper coverage of the SDS officers’ relationships with women political activists that pushed Steel towards speaking out once again – even though she has always found public speaking very difficult and used to let Morris do most of it. 

“Some articles argued that what happened was no big deal or suggested that we were to blame for what had happened to us,” she said. “There were politicians defending the police officers and the Met Police. What was happening was so typical of women who have been sexually assaulted. 

“Two of us decided to waive anonymity and begin publicly speaking. I am glad I have done so especially as I have received overwhelming public support. 

It has been a real relief to speak freely about what happened.” 

She wishes she had not remained so quiet for many years. 

“Many more people should be speaking out, but because so many feel anxious about being ridiculed if they do then our society ends up being dominated by the voices of a few people who were mostly educated at public schools, where people are taught to speak confidently,” she said. 

“It means they don’t get anxious about the impression they make even though they are talking nonsense about people whose lives they know absolutely nothing about, such as asylum seekers or disabled people. If there is no challenge then their views become accepted as fact rather than opinion. 

“This case has exposed what was going on. Whilst I don’t have that much faith in the justice system it is a useful vehicle, combined with public campaigning, to seek some form of accountability and to try and prevent these events from happening to others. 

“But I think that we all need to be speaking out against the current system where profits are put ahead of people’s lives and our communities. The whole system is corrupt and we need to discuss ways to create meaningful change.” 

Radical change 

Would she like there to be radical change? 

“I certainly would. Ultimately capitalism needs replacing as under it a tiny minority are extremely rich at the expense of the rest of the world. 

“Those in charge are ruthless and lacking in empathy. We need a society that is based on co-operation and sharing so ultimately those running society need to go. 

“Those who hold power don’t want alternative ideas to spread because it could threaten their privilege. 

“Ultimately, that’s why McLibel happened and why the Met spied on me.” 

Village life under threat in North Yorks

Published in November 2014 in the Big Issue in the North magazine. 

A unique model village where adults with learning disabilities and co-workers share their homes and work alongside one another is set to undergo radical change. 

Many staff and users contend the changes, which will introduce more formal employment conditions,
are unnecessary and really about the adoption of a more hierarchical management system. They argue this will result in many co-workers leaving and a poorer service for disabled people. 

Camphill Village Trust (CVT) management at Botton Village in the North York Moors National Park claim they are following legal instructions from the Inland Revenue and their auditors. 

Based on the spiritual and educational concepts of Rudolf Steiner, the Camphill Movement, which today has over 100 communities worldwide – including 61 in the UK – dates back to the struggle against fascism in the 1930s. 

When Germany annexed Austria in 1938, Dr Karl Konig, along with a group of young helpers and children with learning difficulties, escaped to Britain. They established Camphill House in Aberdeen and by 1950 it had 222 pupils during a period when educational provision for children with learning disabilities was virtually non-existent in Britain. Further Camphill schools were established and in 1955 the first adult provision was established at Botton. 

CVT principles state: “We aim to establish villages for working communities for mentally handicapped persons.... where members share the same family life and sense of security and confidence as is felt and enjoyed by members of the normal happy family.” 

Residents unhappy 

At the 600-acre Botton site there are four working farms,  a sophisticated seed factory, bakery, café, school, woodwork shop, church, village shop and concert hall. There is also space in which to explore the countryside in safety and a range of social, cultural, religious and educational activities. Botton is financed by sales of its products, legacy donations and from being a registered social care provider. 

Botton is home to around 280 people, half with learning disabilities who are given full-time extended care and support by unsalaried co-workers, who in return receive free accommodation in 29 large homes, food, travel costs, occasional holidays and expenses. 

CVT, which manages nine Camphill villages, has tol its co-workers that they must become paid members of staff with terms and contracts. Jobs are being advertised for support workers at £7.25 an hour, senior support workers at £7.75-£8.25 and team leaders. 

With the nearest train station three miles away applicants are told that their own transport is advisable. 

Many residents and co-workers are unhappy at the proposed changes. Resident Mary Mascaro, who has lived at Botton since 1982 and works in the bakery, said: “It is a good place to live and without the shared living I would be lonely. I am already concerned that one of my friends is moving because she does not like what is happening.” 

‘I feel safe’ 

James Skinner, who has autism and Addison’s disease and whose parents live in Kent, said: “I prefer living as independently as I can in a sustainable village in the countryside where I feel safe. I make wooden toys and work in the seed workshop. 

“The co-workers have helped me a great deal with all aspects of my life, including my speech. They are very enthusiastic and highly motivated and that should not be lost. I am unlikely to stay if the changes are pushed through.” 

The co-workers come to Button from across the world and are highly educated. According to a trust spokesperson many are happy with the changes – under which they will no longer live with residents and will be moved into separate rented accommodation. 

Horticulturalist Jakob Kielwein, 25, came from Germany two years ago. He works alongside Skinner in the seed workshop. “It is the biggest bio-dynamic seed centre in Britain and the man in charge is a great teacher and I am learning a lot,” said Kielwein. “Productivity is not important but the quality is first class. 

“My work with nature is combined with shared living with vulnerable people when I have to be truly me. I now have a stronger sense of responsibility about what is important for others. If they change things I can’t see me staying.” 

Scarlett Durant, a co- worker from New Zealand, is working on one of the farms on a university gap year. She previously worked in a rest home and said: “Botton is much better as residents are not seen as users but as people contributing equally.” 

Formal concerns 

Twenty-year-old co-worker Sarah Lucassen from Holland was on her way to becoming a top model but now runs a Botton coffee bar. She said: “I feel useful, I make the world better and it makes sense. I live as part of a family sharing with four vulnerable adults and two co-workers.” 

For tax purposes, Botton staff are classed as self-employed but don’t draw a wage. No one argues they don’t live well. 

One long-term co-worker who did not want to be named said: “My life is comfortable but at the same time I have given up the opportunity of buying a house and paying off a mortgage. The work can also be exhausting as you are working with people with complex needs that require additional support. 

“There is physical care and emotional support as well as helping to keep alive the cultural and spiritual life within the village. I believe things should stay as they are as Botton works well for all those who live here.” 

But Andy Paton, CVT communications director, said the changes were a response to formal concerns from its auditors passed on by its trustees. 

He said: “Clear advice from our tax advisors and one of the UK’s leading tax barristers... meant co-workers had to be moved to employed status. We have offered opportunities to view the legal opinion under a non-disclosure agreement but no one has yet done so.” 

The union Unite has recruited over 30 co-workers. 

An independent campaign group, Action for Botton (AfB), wants to remove the management and retain the village as it currently exists. 

Claiming other Camphill communities are retaining the co-worker structure, AfB is taking legal advice on the changes. 

Camphill ethos 

Members of the group also contend that membership of CVT is being restricted to those who agree with the structural changes. “Our membership policy does expect members to be supportive of complying with the law,” said Paton. 

In defence of the restructuring Paton added: “In 2012 the local authority identified a substantial number of failings with the community and concluded it appeared to be run in the best interests of the co-workers.” 

He disputed the claim that the changes were really about imposing a more traditional management structure. 

Asked if the trust will forcibly evict co-workers if they maintain their opposition, Paton said: “We hope they will acknowledge the need for change and will engage in meaningful dialogue at a local level about individual circumstances. 

“We do not believe the changes will destroy the Camphill ethos or the very strong community ethos that Botton has. The shared living context will still be offered, if co-workers engage with us.” 

High-tech trade union banner commemorates historic sacrifices

Keeping the fight alive

High-tech trade union banner commemorates historic sacrifices

Mark Metcalf, Thursday, March 26th, 2015 
Taken from Unitelive.org 

The growing connection between Unite’s community and industrial members saw the unveiling of the world’s first dual-purpose trade union banner by the Derby Unite Community branch last week (March 19).

Historical images of a Derby strike pre-dating the Tolpuddle Martyrs have been combined with a 21st century communication Quick Response (QR) code. When scanned by a mobile phone this leads people to a website which will encourage them to get involved by informing them of the nature of the protest.

Anyone scanning last week on the Unite National Day of Action against Benefits Sanctions was taken to Unite Community’s website detailing the day of action.

Many thanks to Mark Harvey for the use of this copyrighted photograph. 

The cost of the banner has largely been paid for by the Rolls-Royce manufacturing branch of Unite. It has been designed by local Unite community member Jim Griffiths and beautifully created by Ed Hall, Britain’s leading manufacturer of marching banners for trade unions and other campaign groups.

The banner states We Honour the Derby Silk Workers 1833-34 and will be carried on the annual commemorative march organised each weekend before May Day by the Derby Trades Union Council.

Honouring the sacrifices made by early trade unionists, the banner pays tribute to a moment in history when up to 2,000 Derby silk workers left work in November 1833 to June 1834. Following the repeal of the Combination Acts in 1824, the Grand National Consolidated Trade Union, in which Robert Owen was prominent, was established with an important branch in Derby that included weavers, iron workers, builders and silk thrusters.

When silk manufacturer, Mr Frost, discharged one of his employees, his fellow workmates walked out in support. Within a week 800 people, in a town of 24,000, were affected. When many local employers then declared they would not employ trade unionists, another 500 walked out and by February the numbers had leaped to 2,000. Attempts to persuade strike-breakers imported from London led to many strikers being imprisoned.

The strike continued for many months but eventually collapsed as starvation set in. Many strikers were subsequently victimised and never worked in their trade again. Nevertheless, in late 1834, the Dorchester Agricultural Labourers at Tolpuddle took up the struggle for trade unions, which only exist today because of the sacrifices made by the likes of the Derby silk workers, Tolpuddle Martyrs and London Dockers of 1889.

Many thanks to Mark Harvey for the use of this copyrighted photograph.

Helping to unveil the banner, Paul Bickerton, who in addition to being an elected workplace rep is treasurer of the local Rolls-Royce Unite branch, said:

“Our members back the local Unite Community branch that is doing great work in defending the welfare state and helping prevent a split between those in and out of work. I’m keen to see the banner on the annual march, which rightly keeps alive the silk worker’s fight, and pleased to know Unite is leading the way in modern up-to-date methods of communicating with the public.”

“We would like to thank Rolls Royce Unite members for their financial support and look forward to working closely with them in the future in opposing austerity,” said Derby Unite Community branch chair Cecilia Wright.

Politics and unions

Tune in to Bradford Community Radio at http://www.bcbradio.co.uk

Go to Listen Again for the 3-4pm show today (Thursday 26 March) and there's lots on Julia Varley,
trade unions, football, Unite education, women's rights and all things politics.......

£1,600 already raised to commemorate first publicly recognised domestic violence victim

More on Ellen Strange for an event on 29 November that may turn out to be quite special...


http://www.unitetheunion.org/growing-our-union/education/rebelroad/also-of-interest/#Holcombe%20Moor

Ellen Strange commemoration date will be 29 November 2015

Trade unionists and domestic violence campaigners in the North west will hold a special event at 11am on Sunday 29 November 2015 at what is thought to be the oldest site in the world to commemorate a victim of domestic violence. (*) The date was chosen because it comes within the Domestic Violence Awareness Fortnight and is also close to 25 November, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. There will be a wreath laying ceremony and some speakers followed by a social occasion in a local venue afterwards. 

A facebook page has been set up on which we will post further details as they are finalised https://www.facebook.com/groups/626311717498888/

The cairn on Holcombe Moor near Ramsbottom, Bury is around 400 yards from a nearby footpath. It is not accessible for anyone in a wheelchair or anyone with very limited mobility.

Meanwhile, John Simpson has agreed to rewrite his 1989 booklet on Ellen Strange and this will be re-launched on or around 29 November. Funds are going to be needed to pay for the booklet and the events on 29 November and so far around £1600 has already been raised from contributions from Unite North West region, Unite Bolton branch and Bolton Trades Council. Bolton Trades Union Council has agreed that its bank account can be used for cheques payable to Bolton TUC.  BTUC, c/o Bolton Socialist Club, Wood Street, Bolton BL1 1DY.

Martin McMulkin

Secretary Bolton & District Trades Council

07918839327

mmcmulkin@hotmail.com

• http://www.unitetheunion.org/growing-our-union/education/rebelroad/also-of-interest/#Holcombe%20Moor

A true union daughter - Julia Varley

http://unitelive.org/a-true-union-daughter/