By Tony Attwood
There is an article on the Guardian website today that begins
“It has been eight months since the inferno tore through Grenfell Tower, killing 71 people and forcing hundreds from their homes. Of that number, 152 households are still to be rehoused, despite a promise from the prime minister that the process would take no more than three weeks.”
It is a very good piece, which naturally has a focus on QPR as the club most locally affected by the disaster, and reading it sent me back to the articles that appeared after the fire dated 23 June last year which said that, “Proceeds from the Community Shield match at Wembley will be donated to those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. The Football Association hopes to raise around £1.25m for the victims and their families.”
There is also a quote within that article that says that the FA chairman, Greg Clarke, said: “Like the rest of the country, we were all deeply saddened by the terrible incident at Grenfell Tower. The suffering and loss for those involved is unimaginable.
“Whilst only a football match, we hope that in some small way through the Community Shield we can help. Two great London clubs will come together to play at the city’s most famous stadium just a few miles from Kensington. They will be united in their passion for football, grief at this tragic loss and support for their community.
“Football is for all, and we hope that on 6 August it can in its own way give something back to those who are most in need.”
It continued, “The FA Cup winners Arsenal and Premier League champions Chelsea have donated their club match fee to the Grenfell Tower support fund.
“Any fans attending will have the opportunity to donate an additional £5 to the fund, should they wish, when purchasing a ticket via the clubs.”
I have never suggested that the money was misused or went astray, rather all I have done is ask, several times, how much money was raised and where it went. As a person with a strong interest in Arsenal, and a regular at matches, I would just like to know.
If the information is available and I have stupidly missed it, then fine someone can point out the location of the information, call me a total plonker for not seeing it, and I can then publicise that here. All done and dusted.
Indeed I think the raising of money for the victims is something that Arsenal and Chelsea, and all supporters of the clubs, can be proud of – an immediate coming together to do something. We couldn’t bring back those who were lost and we don’t have the power to re-house those who lost their homes, but we could do just a little.
So it is not too much to ask the FA what was achieved, where the money went and when. No suggestion of any wrong doing, just a simple request. And one that is important. After all, the government’s promise of everyone being re-housed in three weeks was mere propaganda of the most sickening kind – cashing in on grief in an attempt to show that the government were up to the task when of course they were not.
And quite simply I don’t want my little donation and the donation of the club I support to be mired with the same brush as the government has used.
Quite why I can’t find the answer on the FA’s website or the Arsenal website I don’t know. Maybe it is there and in my usual ham-fisted way I can’t find it. Maybe I’m just not very good at looking.
But I would like to know. I’ve written to the FA to ask but not had a reply. If you know how much was raised and where exactly it went, and when it went there, please do write in and we can publicise it, since the information seems hard to find.
- We know about the next four days but what happens after Sunday?
- PGMO maintain their secrecy at all times – unless it’s an issue raised by Manchester City
- The team for Thursday – details from the pres conference.
Maybe Arsenal should request a private ,closed doors meeting with the FA. All the rage I’m hearing.
No coincidence I’m sure, but there’s audio footage of a demo on Radio 2 news this morning asking where the money has gone. This could mean all govt relief, not solely FA held funds, but the message of displeasure would be equally applied.
Tony,
I keep repeating myself, but where in the world is the Club ? Why are they not asking the question(s) ? After all it is the clubs revenue that was given. Why are they not pursuing the issue ?
Chris
Neither have Chelsea asked it seems.
Perhaps they’ve been told NOT to ask ?
Nothing would surprise me.
Tony
Where are the media in all this?
You, and anyone else who is bored enough to read my ramblings, will know how much I detest the media. But despite that I have always accepted, albeit reluctantly, that they are a necessary evil.
The reason I believe this is because of one thing. There investigative journalism.
Our politicians,, big businesses etc. etc. are corrupt enough as it is, heaven knows what they’d be like if they didn’t have the spectre of a prying media hanging over there heads, at least in theory.
Yet we have issues like this, as well as a myriad of other possible misappropriation of funds by the FA, and not a dicky bird, at least not from the mainstream.
Yet Bellerin upsets a few people and they’re all over it.
Wilshere has a fag and he’s all over the back pages.
So it seems they’re not even worth a piss in a pot when it comes to proper, public interest, investigative journalism.
Honestly, the media are beyond a f***ing joke.
Nitram,
yep, you’re right.
Maybe Guardoila ought to ask them for a closed hearing with the FA to get the information where his 5 pounds went, or those of someone from his family, because I imagine they gave the amount like many others. He’d be getting an answer I guess…
Nitram,
about the media, guess it is not in the Uk that something like the Boston Globe enquiry, the Pentagon Papers or Watergate would come out…….sadly. The country would be better for it because I am certain that they’d unearth quite a lot of serious crap that is kept out of the public’s knowledge.
Here we go, 0-2 down already FFS!
Talk about shooting ourselves in the head. We are roo lethargic
We seem totally lost. Our season could be over come Sunday if we continue playing this way!
Anybody tell me which team are the Swedish amateurs????
Should be a bunch of embarrassed millionaires handing back their wages this week!
Firing our defensive coach should be the first thing on Arsene’s “To do” list. This is beyond appalling.
We are still going through though but it could be our penultimate KO tie this season if we don’t kick this lack of discipline out of the club.
Quick goal awesome but it looks like we’re slipping again!
Iwobi and Elneny would struggle to get a game in a Championship side. Why does Wenger continue give them game time particularly Iwobi!
There’s no leadership out there. It’s like the players have never played together before!
In my opinion Iwobi is not a team player & his selfish attitude destroys good possession. If he passed early ball it would enhance the momentum & create chances.
The short playground passing seems wasteful as it plays into the offense rather than get benefit. Wide players should stick to their wings so that opponent pressers can be isolated with long passes.
Totally agree Menace. Iwobi seems lost and panics whenever he’s on the ball anywhere near the oppositions goal. It’s shocking how much space the Swedes are finding.
Pathetic offense! all in a line rather than one staying behind the others. All miss out on a pass that was behind play!
Despite the usual defensive cock-ups I can’t help think that Iwobi has cost us at least a couple of scoring opportunities.
Iwobi is down. 🙂
Well done Arsene. You qualified without having to play your best team. Now let’s just get the cheapo cup against the oily mancs & listen to the media.
Hopefully it’s a lesson learned and the team will come together and be a force for the rest of the season. Wake-up calls are great as long as you react to them.
Goodnight all. It’s 3.30 am in Goa, time for bed.
Note to myself: don’t watch Arsenal live anymore. Whenever I can’t watch they win, when I can watch it… they lose.
Anyone got anything to do next Sunday somewhere far away from a TV?
Absolutely shambolic….well, there’s always the referee to blame.
^^that’s pathetic
Chambers had some difficulties in man on man situations and Holding seemed to be caught upfield on the goals.
One eye on the weekend, should have rotated a lot more.
I said it!
Charity no?
Freedom of information request.
Request the information in full including the organisations involved and the amounts of admin paid and the end recipient body.
That should work, 14 days to reply, they don’t reply in time. Let me know! I’m up to bat.
Recorded delivery it’s about £2.80 and also duplicate to administrative email account and maintain and a signed copy. Have the documents signed dated, with a return physical a dresser, email and contact number.
Witness the dispatch
.
Incidentally the standard ran a good article
https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/stormzy-spoke-out-for-young-londoners-not-just-grenfell-a3774276.html
Georgie can tell control all the edits! They mislabelled aging Miller a brexiteer as opposed to remainder. When she cannot be the former having successfully highlighted the need for a parliamentary vote on final brexit policy.
I am concerned about Corbin, waiting to change position after a momentuk awing is cowardly, coming from a supporters of power grabbing at the wider publicly expense.
Chuka means well, but askingg to remain in the singles market as part of Brexit gives us something’s to a very flawed Norwegian or Belgian model and supports Brexit!
Energy capping, well I sent Ofgen an drew Ofwat enough! RBS, well that wasn’t the wife and i. Plus FCA and regulation changes wen supplied on, they still created an illegal statement system anyways and then burned people Slovenia before internationally allowing terror attacks to occur.