The ECF and the CCF

In the course of posting here about Howard Curtis, the imprisoned former head of Coulsdon Chess Fellowship whose organisation still continues to be active in adult and junior chess, the question has come up in comments as to whether the ECF should be asked to play a role. Should the ECF be asking CCF to explain who knew what about Howard Curtis? And who should have known what? And whether they should still be considered a fit organisation to take part in adult and junior chess?

Does the ECF have a role here?

It's certainly true that the ECF is connected to CCF in several ways. One, for instance, is that the ECF event calendar continues to advertise CCF events.

I accept that advertising an event doesn't make you responsible for every last item connected with the event or its organisers: at the same time, when the organisation whose events you're advertising has been connected with sexual assault and child cruelty, you might like at least to review their suitability as an advertiser.

A second is that CCF is an organisation affiliated to the ECF, and possesses voting rights at its Council meetings. For instance, at its Finance Council meeting last month

it disposed of five votes, which were operated at the meeting by Phil Ehr.

Again, whether it is actually a fit organisation to be part of the ECF is a question that might be worth the asking.

A third is that according to its website:

CCF is an English Chess Federation Centre of Excellence.

Which is great, isn't it? It means that CCF actually operates with the official imprimatur of the ECF. 

I don't know when it was awarded that status, but since I can find reference to it at least as far back as October 2009, it must therefore have been made when Howard Curtis was not only in charge, but carrying out his campaign of abuse.

Patently, the ECF should review that status¹. After all, how can such an award not be brought into question, if the head of the organisation that received it is later found to have beaten a nappy-wearing child black and blue?

-- -- -- -- -- --

[¹ For the record, I have in fact written, recently, to a Non-Executive Director of the ECF.]

The disturbing story of Howard Curtis
A correspondence with CCF
A Surrey state of affairs
Six years
A cult and an ultimatum
Should the SCCA play home county matches at Coulsdon?