Club Journal March 2025
The magazine for all CIU members
75p
a cash prize with the Union mourns former General Win CIU National Lottery Draw Secretary Kevin Smyth The Union regretfully announces that former General Secretary Kevin Smyth has passed away after 15 years of fighting ill health. All those who knew him will mourn the loss of a true friend and dedicated colleague. He joined the CIU as Education Secretary in 1977 and held that position until he took on the job of General Secretary in 1992, retiring in 2009. It would not be an understatement to say that Kevin is one of the giants amongst the servants of the CIU. In no particular order, just a few examples of his commitment must be acknowledged. As Editor of Club Journal, every month he would write a page giving updates in the law and good advice on management. He encouraged debates and showed no bias, giving a voice to every member of every club in the Union wanting to make a positive contribution. Kevin was a dedicated educator. He was a prolific lecturer traveling all across England, Scotland, and Wales. It was not unusual for him to be invited back – a sure sign of his effective style of communication. He was a keen historian and, together with his wife Yvonne, found the site of the grave of the Union’s founder, the Reverend Henry Solly. The Union paid for a gravestone for Sully and for many years, Kevin and Yvonne made an annual trip to the site to keep it pristine. Kevin fought for clubs. What must have been one of his greatest disappointments was the fact that only
Former Union General Secretary Kevin Smyth
a few hundred clubs followed his guidance in the fight for a refund of VAT in the Linneweber case back in 2006. Had all clubs followed his advice, Union clubs would have benefited to the tune of tens of millions of pounds. Kevin would have been very disappointed if his wife, Yvonne, was not acknowledged for her support in this tribute. Over the years, she drove him all over the country when able and had to put up with being unable to listen to her beloved music because while she drove, Kevin would always be dictating CIU letters in the back seat. He was respected, admired, and even loved by his staff, as evidenced by the stunned silence and even tears when he announced his retirement. During his closing address at Blackpool one year, he summed up in one word what the CIU meant to him. That word is ‘friends’. In his parting, literally millions of working men’s club members have lost a true friend.
www.ciu.org.uk
Don’t forget to buy your tickets for this month’s CIU National Lottery 50/50 Draw which takes place at 7pm on March 31. As well as the winner receiving a cash prize, there will also be a five per cent revenue share for the winning member’s club. Tickets cost £1 each and can be purchased online via your computer, tablet or smartphone at the website: ciu.praxisplay.online
Inside... Editor’s Letter . . . . . . . . . 2 Club News . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36