Last year I was corresponding about a matter with the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club ie "Wimbledon." They were very efficient and prompt in replying to me and so I took the opportunity to ask how many BAME people were on their top board. There was no response other than a link to a list of names. I thought this was odd and have now taken a look.
Wimbledon runs a magnificent operation but remains a bastion of English elitism - fawning to our ridiculous royals at every tick and turn etc. The rules provide for all white gear on the courts but is it also "all white" around the boardroom table? "Yes" would appear to be the answer (though it has been as easy as one would imagine to track all board members down).
See if you can spot a non-white face amongst this lot:
Head Honcho - Philip Brook:
Cabinet Sec to War Criminal Tony B-liar - "Lord" Gus O'Donnell:
"Come On Tim" - Tim Henman
The Honourable Bruce Wetherill (son of former Speaker of House of Commons) Ex-Public (ie private) School - hope I have the right photo here but this guy is definitely not BAME:
Ashley Tatum - left - at Public (ie private) School Old Boys LTA:
Richard Stoakes:
Simon Jones L.V.O.:
Debbie Jevans (Sport England):
Alexandra Innes (had a bit of trouble tracking this one down but hope I have the right person):
Ian Hewitt:
(Richard) Michael Gradon:
Sally Ambrose (I struggled with this one as she appears to hide her light under a bushel if I have the right person. She is described as a "buyer" on ALETC documents and this Sally Ambrose was a top buyer at M&S and is now at the, er, White Company):
In a city where 40.2% are "non-White" there does not appear to be a single BAME person on the top Board. You will have probably noticed that women also constitute just a quarter of the top flight. Come on Wimbledon - you can do better than this!
Coda:
This Board have a say in who gets VIP passes at the Championships. Despite the elitism they do sometimes slip up and let scum in. And so last year they gave two tickets plus lunches to a vicious thug who, inter alia, hounded a man to his death with vile and completely unfounded allegations. Step forward the now slimline former porker Tom "Ten Bellies" Watson MP.
Watson declared a package worth - and I kid you not - £3,790 for his jolly day out. Given his size at the time it is unclear whether he had two seats to accommodate his massive buttocks or whether he did, in fact, take a guest?
At least now that Watson has given up any pretence that he lives in his hell-hole Sandwell constituency he didn't have far to get back to his south London home. Bless!
Hopefully, the Board won't have repeated the invite this year but then you know what the Establishment is like....
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