How and why I got the sack.... (very long!)

Hello.

With regard to my posting earlier about Rob Knowles engineering my dismissal from my job at Ananova - just to clear a few things up.

CityTyke is correct in asserting that my dismissal came about because I posted embargoed information. He is incorrect in stating that I had done so on more than one occasion. In fact I had a 'clean' employment record - I had never been in trouble during my 28 months with the company.

If you want to know the full story, then here goes. I'm not posting it in order to alleviate my bitterness, because I no longer have any. I will admit that after my dismissal, I was exceptionally angry and bemused. I had, no less, taken umbrage. I wished death upon Rob Knowles.

Now, however, I realise what a ridiculous sentiment that was to hold. Being bitter about things serves no purpose. One needs to liberate oneself from the past if one is ever to move on. I'd like to think that I've done that. I'm studying and following my dream. The profession I am in is not one which I could ever honestly see myself being a part of - but there we go. The people are great, I can do the job to a decent standard and the money I earn (albeit modest) allows me to study in my own time and follow the dream I mentioned above.

Anyway, so this is what happened. From the Ananova reference, some of you may have put two and two together and come to the conclusion that I am the individual who changed his name by deed poll when BFC went into administration. You would be correct in drawing that conclusion, for I am 'Save Barnsley FC.'

Regardless of what you thought of me doing so, it's something I don't regret. I made a bit of a fool of myself on the television, publicised the problems submerging the club that I love, and hopefully did more good than harm.

So that's that cleared up for anyone who might have been curious. If any of the umbrage-meisters now want to give me a smack for being a mouthy little sod on here and generally posting banal rubbish, then all I can say is please don't. I'm only a scrawny runt, and I'd be knocked into the middle of next week were you to as much as breathe heavily on me.

Now, about that dismissal. The football fixtures for the new season (2003/04) were released at 10am on 19 June 2003. As a journalist, I was in the, I suppose, privileged position of having prior access to them.

I decided against my better judgement to post them on the old barnsleyfc.net messageboard at 9:14am on 19 June - 46 minutes prior to the expiry of the embargo. At that time, Radio Five Live were already reporting that Arsenal were playing Everton on the first day of the season, as well as announcing the fixtures for Chelsea and Manchester United, amongst others.

My work colleagues - supporters of Manchester United, West Ham and Southampton - had already posted their club's fixtures onto their respective clubs' message boards. On an unoffical Sheffield United site, the Blades' rota had already been publicised (can I put it like that? - oh, euphemism!) with the knowledge of their webmaster.

At 9:51am, Rob Knowles e-mailed the IT department of Ananova to state that a breach of the embargo had taken place. He knew from my IP address that I worked for Ananova - "and the only Barnsley supporter I know there is the person who changed his name during our period of Administration." As Original Dazza further down the board suspected, Rob Knowles had indeed traced my IP address and reported me to my employers, and to the Football League.

At 12:30 I was suspended pending a disciplinary hearing. A week later I was dismissed on three counts of gross misconduct, namely: 1) Disclosing embargoed information; 2) Breaking e-mail policy; 3) Damaging the business with regard to the Football League.

So that, as they say, is that. What more can I add? I made an error of judgement which, as I mentioned above, was repeated by several other people that I am aware of.

I thought at the time, and still think now, that the punishment was massively out of proportion to the 'crime' I committed. To my knowledge, no other journalist has ever been dismissed for breaking the fixtures embargo (I should be interested to know if my hunch is correct, however!)

It serves as a cautionary tale for anyone who wants to, even inadvertently, tweak the tail of Barnsley Football Club. As I intimated earlier, Rob Knowles has already instigated the dismissal of one individual (although, clearly, my error of judgement precipitated that, a fact of which I am all too aware!) I fail to see why he should not also remove or attempt to remove other individuals from their employment.

So, just be careful. I'm still slack - posting made-up 'web exclusives' in order to 'get a bite.' I suppose what I'm really trying to say is that if you are in a 'privileged position' for whatever reason, be careful to whom you shout your mouth off. I'm certain, sadly, that Rob Knowles will 'get you.'

If anyone thinks I'm wallowing in self-pity, making it up, or on a witch-hunt, then I can assure you that it's manifestly not the case. In short, screw you. I'm telling you the truth because I have been asked to, and because it serves as a warning of sorts. And because I like typing really long, wordy missives.

Come on Barnsley!

 

Apologies about the earlier inaccurracy

I shouldn't have listened to idle gossip.

 

Good post mate

But FFS, getting sacked because you posted football fixtures on the bbs is ridiculous</p>

 

your advice a few weeks ago

saved me some hassle. after reading the above i thank you so much for making me delete a post

 

i love editing tools

still you've found a new and fulfilling vocation, what if you'd been a little older for example and subsequently unable to find employment

 

RE: your advice a few weeks ago

No worries. Don't want anyone else to fall into the same trap.

 

Sorry to hear about your dismissal.

Not that i doubt anything you have said, but could you clear a couple of things up for me please. How do you know it was Rob Knowles who reported you ? What motivation did he have ? I can't think of any personal gain for him or BFC if you were reported.

Cheers (just curious)

 

Utterly, utterly ridiculous.

Can't believe someone even considered grassing you up for that. Half the fixtures were common knowledge hours before the embargo deadline.

 

truly awesome avatar thingy

 

Feckin discrace mate,good to see you came out the other side and sill have your dignity.

 

What an avatar

Superb(Y) (Y) (Y)

 

Here's the original.

The forum script resized the avatar slightly so here's the original. Cool eh ?

 

RE: Here's the original.

And we've all been there too !!!ff

 

Here's the original.

The forum script resized the avatar slightly so here's the original. Cool eh ?

 

I know it was Rob Knowles because the company were legally obliged to give me all the details pertaining to my disciplinary hearing.

Central to those details was an e-mail from him to a member of the IT department at Ananova.

As for what was to gain, I don't know.

 

Cheers dude. Just curious , that's all. Normally when someone f**ks someone else over there is an alterior motive.

 

RE: Here's the original.

I'll try again later. At present I get this when I try to attach pictures.

Request object error 'ASP 0104 : 80004005'

Operation not Allowed

/bbs/includes/include-upload.asp, line 46

A better idea is to go here and just copy it.

http://www.pompeypuddleducks.co.uk/avatar.gif

 

**** em ..goodman... (Y)

 

Which is more than can be said for &quot;the other party&quot;

 

Does anyone have a picture of Mr Knowles? I want to know if i know him