Sunday 27th July 2025
Blog Page 281

Why Balotelli gamble might prove to be the masterstroke that rescues crisis-hit Italy

Oliver Hall
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Why Balotelli gamble might prove to be the masterstroke that rescues crisis-hit Italy

Few players in the recent history of European football have divided opinion quite like Mario Balotelli.  Few players have seen such euphoric highs followed so quickly by such dramatic lows.  Now though, with newly crowned European Champions Italy on the brink of missing out on World Cup qualification yet again, Roberto Mancini has turned to his old friend Mario: and it might just be the stroke of genius that saves the Azzurri.

At first glance, it seems hard to believe that Italy have found themselves in this position at all.  After winning the Euros on penalties at Wembley in July off the back of a tournament full of sensational performances, many predicted a return to the top table of world football after the embarrassment of missing out on the 2018 World Cup.

Things started well enough back in March with three back-to-back comfortable 2-0 wins over Northern Ireland, Bulgaria, and Lithuania.  At that point, very few would have guessed that they would win just one more of their remaining five games (an emphatic 5-0 demolition of Lithuania).  As it turned out though, the Euros hangover was real and after draws to Bulgaria and Switzerland, a 0-0 on the final day of qualification in Belfast was the perfect demonstration of every going wrong with Italy.  A period of games littered with penalty misses, goalkeeping errors, lack of leadership, and above all a lack of goals has left Mancini facing two rounds of play-offs, first against North Macedonia but then a crunch game with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.

It is notable that on the whole, the notoriously impatient and brutal Italian Tiffossi have yet to turn on boss Mancini.  His Euros success was so unexpected and admired that his experienced hand has so far been trusted to dig his side out of the hole they are in without calls for him to go.  This is perhaps why he has been able to make such controversial decisions, such as recalling Mario Balotelli to the national team set-up for the first time since 2018.

The striker was once seen as one of the most promising young talents in world football.  He exploded onto the scene at Inter in 2008/09, scoring eight Serie A goals in 22 games in his first full season as a professional.  He left the Italian giants in the summer of 2010 after amassing 86 total appearances and winning five trophies, including a historic treble under Jose Mourinho.  His €29.5 million move to join the Manchester City project at the Etihad was viewed as the biggest statement of intent so far from the new owners and he continued to enjoy success with six league goals in his first season and a total of 21 in all competitions over the course of his three years at the club.  He was a key member of the squad that brought City the FA Cup and their first Premier League title with his pass to Sergio Aguero for the Argentine’s last-minute winner in 2013 one of only three assists Balotelli ever made in sky blue.

Controversy followed the Italian wherever he went.  He was famed for stories of training ground bust-ups, setting off fireworks in bathrooms, and genera, craziness.  Whilst the goals and performances kept coming though, no one seemed to care. 

With the national team, things were only getting better and better for the striker.  Euro 2012, when Italy eventually lost in the final to Spain, saw Balotelli win the golden boot and a place in the team of the tournament.  Most famous of all were his two goals in the semi-final against Germany that instantly became a part of Italian footballing folklore.

A successful 2012-13 season on the other side of Milan followed when he made the Serie A team of the season and netted 14 league goals.  It was in 2014 that the decline really began.  After a disastrous world cup campaign that saw Italy exit in the group stages alongside England, things seem to begin to fall apart.  It was in fact against England in Brazil that Balotelli scored his most recent international goal.

A sorry spell at Liverpool, where he scored just four times in 28 games, was followed by a brief renaissance in Nice before a falling out with head coach Patrick Vieira proved the catalyst for a monumental decline and seasons playing in Serie B for both Brescia and Monza.

This summer though, Balotelli was bold.  He turned down the money-filled prospect of a move to Qatar in favour of Adana Demispor.  There he has proved somewhat of a revelation, helping the newly promoted club to fourth place in the league, getting in amongst the goals but perhaps most surprisingly being labelled “the hardest working player on the team” by his manager.

Maybe then, things have finally changed.  At 36, Balotelli is unlikely to ever again establish himself for good in the national team setup but right now might just be exactly what they need.  A desperate lack of attacking players, owing to injuries and dips in form, have seen Mancini do what most would have thought unthinkable six months ago and recall Balotelli to the squad.  What happens next remains to be seen but one thing is for sure, an in-form motivated Mario Balotelli with a point to prove will be a terrifying prospect for anyone who faces him.

Image credit: Nazionale Calcio/ CC BY-2.0 via Flickr

Lifting the cloud: South Africa’s return to winning ways

Adam Wilson
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Lifting the cloud: South Africa’s return to winning ways

CW: racism, abuse

Watching South Africa comfortably sweep aside India, widely held to be one of the best limited-overs sides in the world, in the shimmering December heat in Paarl, it was hard to reconcile the confident and mature display on the pitch with the chaotic few years that the team and administration have endured off it. 

Indeed, less than twenty-four hours after Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan had sealed another series victory to go with their 2-1 defeat of India in the preceding Tests, the team had to adjust themselves to the announcement that the country’s cricket administrators will be arguing over the coming months in favour of the dismissal of their own head coach, who has been accused of gross misconduct and of bringing Cricket South Africa (CSA) into disrepute.

Mark Boucher, a former captain who played 147 Tests for South Africa between 1997 and 2012 was named in the board’s Social Justice and Nation-Building hearings in June last year as the perpetrator and enabler of a number of instances of racial discrimination that back to his time as a player. He has also been charged with improper conduct as head coach: his charge sheet, quoted by ESPNCricinfo, accuses him of exacerbating divisions and alienating players when the Black Lives Matter campaign hit the sport in 2020, and of treating Enoch Nkwe, his former assistant coach, in “a manner unbecoming of a leader in your position”. He will now be subject to a disciplinary hearing which could result in his dismissal.

These allegations are a reminder of the difficult period that Cricket South Africa has been through since the suspension of then-CEO Thanang Moroe, under misconduct allegations, in 2019. Persistent administrative issues climaxed in April of last year, when the South African Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture announced his intention to remove governmental recognition of Cricket South Africa’s authority over the sport. This would have defunded the federation and prohibited the South African team from representing the country internationally, effectively discontinuing the high-level organising of cricket within the country. South Africa’s three captains were reduced to issuing a joint statement apologising to stakeholders for the depth of the crisis within the sport’s administration.

Those captains hardly needed more on their plates; on the field, South Africa’s men’s teams have at times over the past years looked bereft of direction and ideas. Between 2019 and 2021 they endured one of the worst runs of Test form in their history, losing three series in a row for the first time since 2004, and with the white ball they suffered the ignominy of being the second team, after only Afghanistan, to be eliminated from the 2019 World Cup. Their T20 record has scarcely been any better – they went six consecutive tours without a series win between 2019 and 2021, and fell at the first hurdle at the T20 World Cup in October.

The chaotic state of the sport in the country was in many ways encapsulated in the behaviour of Quinton de Kock, South Africa’s star wicket-keeper. He began 2021 as South Africa’s stand-in Test captain, following the retirement of Faf du Plessis; he began 2022 by retiring from the format altogether, sensationally, in the middle of the Test series against India. In between, he was caught up in the row surrounding South Africa’s confused and often contradictory approach to the Black Lives Matter movement, notably (although not uniquely) refusing to take a knee before international matches. When Cricket South Africa issued a directive requiring their players to kneel before matches at the T20 World Cup, he instead issued an emotional statement and removed himself from the playing squad. His rapid reintegration – he played South Africa’s next match, despite assumptions that he would be sent home, and this time took the knee – only made the situation more confused.

But the series against India could well go some way to dispelling the shadows around the team, if not the still-troubled administrators. To win a Test series against this India team is an achievement in itself, with Australia and England both having failed to do so last year. There were therefore good reasons for India’s status as pre-tour favourites: put simply, they are a team to compare with almost any in the history of the game, and their pace attack – surely, the best in the world – was tipped to do well on the bouncy South African pitches. To have overcome such a team, after having lost the opening Test, and having lost the toss in the two must-win encounters that followed, and having dealt with Covid-19 and Quinton de Kock’s retirement, must surely give South Africa a huge amount of confidence. They attach, after all, a great amount of pride to their status as India’s final frontier – it will be a relief to have kept that record intact for another series. 

Indeed, it seems to have boosted the squad already. As much as the Test side flashed hot and cold last year, with wins against Sri Lanka and the West Indies punctuated by a difficult tour of Pakistan, the ODI team had not won a series since Australia’s visit in March 2020. In between, they were bowled out for 125 and 197 in consecutive games in Sri Lanka, lost at home to Pakistan, and – probably most ignobly of all – fell to a 43-run defeat to Ireland at Malahide in July, drawing the series 1-1. The spectre of the 2019 World Cup has loomed large in recent years.

But when Aiden Markram pushed a delivery from Shreyas Iyer to mid-off to seal the series win against India, South Africa could bask in the knowledge that they had outplayed their much-vaunted opponents in almost all facets of the game. Never mind that India have Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant. Never mind that Anrich Nortje, who has never yet failed to impress at the international level, had been forced to sit out of the whole tour through injury. Never mind either that India are a team with serious World Cup ambitions and the strongest domestic white-ball structure in world cricket. South Africa won the series with a game to spare. 

Captain Temba Bavuma, who had set the series up with his hundred in the first match, put it well when he said his team was one without superstars. It is not that they lack world-class players; Kagiso Rabada, Nortje and de Kock would be serious contenders for any side in the world, in any format. But South Africa in their glory days were often defined by individuals. Graeme Smith’s tenacity, the genius of AB de Villiers – and, yes, Mark Boucher’s skill behind the stumps. The legacy of that great team is now being reassessed; all three have been mentioned in CSA’s hearings in connection with a mismanaged and potentially discriminatory team culture. Whether or not Boucher loses his job, it will be no bad thing if it is South Africa’s team, rather than star players or administrators, who make the headlines in the coming years.

The great initiative of the Social Justice and Nation-Building hearings was to elevate the voices of the overlooked. We have heard much in the past from the storied greats of the game, Boucher, Smith and de Villiers amongst them; we have heard now from Paul Adams, Thami Tsolekile and Khaya Zondo, three black players who suffered in an uncaring dressing room not yet ready to embrace the post-Apartheid world. Their stories are saddening, but the fact that they are being told gives hope. If Temba Bavuma, Dean Elgar and their players can build a new legacy in South African cricket, where diversity is recognised as a strength and not endured as a supposed necessary evil, the current team may well in time come to be seen as greater still than their predecessors. 

There was a postscript to the win at Paarl, a match that deserves its own place in the history of the tour. Beneath the unmistakable profile of Table Mountain, at the grand old Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, South Africa defended 278 to seal a clean-sweep of the series. It is only the second ODI whitewash that India have suffered, at the hands of anybody, in the past eight years. Quinton de Kock collected his second player-of-the-match award in two games, a reminder of the important role that the 29 year-old will still play in South Africa’s medium-term future. A brave and tenacious bowling display ensured that they fought themselves back into a contest they had no real right to win. Bavuma – South Africa’s first permanent black captain, it should not be forgotten, appointed in the midst of whispers of racial disharmony within the team – presided over it all with a calm and tactically astute performance.

And, as the squad celebrated the rewards of a home summer that few had thought possible, it felt fitting that Table Mountain, so often shrouded under its distinctive blanket of cloud, had emerged instead into the bright sunlight once again.

Image: Louis Roussouw / CC BY 2.0 via Flickr

Star-Gazing: In Conversation With Cate Blanchett

Wang Sum Luk
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Star-Gazing: In Conversation With Cate Blanchett

It’s a strange feeling to stare into the void of a Zoom loading screen, waiting for a two-time Oscar winner to join the call. But that’s what I did one Sunday morning, counting the seconds until my interview with Cate Blanchett began. Her schedule was packed—plenty of news services wanted interviews regarding her recent roles in Nightmare Alley and Don’t Look Up, two movies considered likely to receive Oscars nominations—but she found the time for a half-hour audio call.

I take a deep but not quite calming breath as she joins; knowing time is limited, we briefly exchange greetings and begin. The first thing I want to know is how she was cast in Nightmare Alley, a film noir about the rise and fall of Stan Carlisle, a carnival mentalist in 1940s America. In the movie, Blanchett plays Dr. Lilith Ritter, a cunning psychologist who seems to partner with Stan, but has an agenda of her own. 

She tells me that she and director Guillermo del Toro had previously spoken about working on a project together; while that original project never bore fruit, he kept her in mind when it came time to cast Nightmare Alley. “I read the script, and was blown away by it, because it felt so distinct and obviously was drawing from deep recesses of not only the novel,” she says (referring to the 1946 novel by William Lindsay Gresham which the movie adapts), “but things that Guillermo and [co-writer] Kim Morgan had been thinking about for a long time.” I agree with her, saying that the movie’s clearly inspired by del Toro’s personal interests, such as his fondness for filming weird things in jars.

Laughing, she tells me that she and del Toro have a shared love of the horror genre—“I was gripped by that all through my adolescence…I now can’t watch a horror movie without peeing my pants”. But Nightmare Alley doesn’t just rely on the sinister visuals that del Toro is often associated with; rather, halfway through the film the setting shifts from a seedy, exploitative carnival to the elegant ballrooms and offices of New York. While beautiful, it’s ultimately an equally dark and destructive realm—“there’s blood in the panels of those walls,” Blanchett says of that setting.

So what makes film noir relevant as a genre these days? There are so many archetypes of the genre that can be used in a sloppy way, Blanchett notes, and a mere replica of its conventions can just end up being a “cinematic history lesson”. But what del Toro has done is to harness the tropes of the genre—characters haunted by a dark past, spaces that are claustrophobic and confining—and show how they remain pertinent to the psychology of the modern world.

Gresham’s novel was previously adapted as a black-and-white film in 1947 by director Edmund Goulding, and while Blanchett likes the film and had seen it prior to signing on to this project, she does point out a limitation in its storytelling. For her, the 1947 adaptation’s characterization of Dr. Ritter felt “hazy”, less memorable than some of its other components—but this, in a way, was useful. 

Without the fear of being held back by Dr. Ritter’s portrayal in the previous version, she could put her own spin on the character. “She had to be a little Sphinx-like, in the sense that she’s asking the question, but you sense that there’s a power and weight of experience behind those questions,” she says. Del Toro prepared a detailed biography for the character, which Blanchett tells me was headed by a quote from Hamlet: “I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at my beck than I have thoughts to put them in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act them in”.

However, because she knew that to explicitly show her character’s past would be saying too much, the movie only hints at her true self and history. Blanchett especially praises the film’s production design, by Tamara Deverell, as a means of implying Dr. Ritter’s true nature—“I’ve never walked onto a set that so absolutely represented the character I was playing”. Ultimately, she didn’t want the character to be a stereotypical femme fatale, who sought to destroy men “simply because”; rather, Dr. Ritter had been physically and mentally scarred by a cruel world, and was trying to bring about a twisted form of justice.

But that goal wouldn’t be achieved without Stan Carlisle, played by Bradley Cooper, who her character simultaneously works with and undermines. “I adore Bradley”, she says, as an actor as well as a producer and director. They found that they had similar rhythms as actors, so that performing alongside him was enjoyable even in the darkest and most complex scenes—“it’s a dance of death…it’s a matador and a bull,” she says of their characters’ dynamics. 

On the topic of the actor’s craft, does she see acting more as telling the truth or telling lies? She reflects on the question, telling me that for her, ultimately, “acting is revealing”. The things revealed can range from being pleasant to repulsive—“but it’s never, ever telling an audience what to think…I suppose that’s what art is, isn’t it? It does more and resonates more than what it seems to do on the surface.” Maybe that’s why some people think that art and acting is deception, she says.

With this film and Don’t Look Up (a disaster movie by Adam McKay that satirizes the inaction and misinformation surrounding the climate crisis) speaking to the uncertainty of the modern world, I ask her what it’s like to try and make sense of truth in a time where nothing seems to be known. She agrees that it’s become difficult to hunt the truth out, to get at the things that are foundational to a democracy. “I feel for students at the moment,” she says, wondering when it was that truth became degraded into nothing more than competing information sources—in the last six years? since the Cold War? “Certainly in the last four years, that word itself has been so destroyed”.

As for the function of art in general, she says, “I don’t think art is political; it’s wilfully not”. Whereas politics focuses on the here and now, artists have the freedom to look backwards or forwards in time, such as how del Toro’s film uses the 1940s to reflect modern cultural questions back at us. For her, art is a provocation, a space for dangerous ideas: “art is a much more irresponsible medium—it has to be”.

This leads the conversation to current affairs, specifically the experience of making movies during COVID–apart from her two aforementioned projects, last year she finished filming TÁR, a drama film by Todd Field, and is about to begin filming Disclaimer, a seven-part series by Alfonso Cuaron, as well as an adaptation of Lucia Berlin’s short stories, directed by Pedro Almodóvar, next year. Noting the importance of how stories and films provided escapism amidst the pandemic’s stresses, Blanchett tells me that she felt privileged to be part of the film industry. However, she also notes that “there are millions of out-of-work performers, particularly in the live performing arts” who’ve not been as lucky as her and have struggled because of the pandemic.

Blanchett also stresses that the film industry also hasn’t fully processed other key cultural moments such as Black Lives Matter or MeToo, and the need to address these systemic issues in an uncompromising way. “The pandemic revealed just how broken everything was,” she concludes this train of thought by saying, “as you put the pieces back together, the upside is that there’s an understood necessity in our industry to fix it.”

My final question for her is to ask, on behalf of our readers (and myself), for any film recommendations she might have. She replies that while she hasn’t been able to see anything in a cinema yet, she rewatched the 1981 TV miniseries adapting the novel Brideshead Revisited, singling out Jeremy Irons’ performance for particular praise. More recent works she singles out for praise include Long Day’s Journey Into Night, by Bi Gan—recommended to her by her son—the movies of Josephine Decker and Lucrecia Martel, and Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers. It’s clear from how she speaks that these are movies she genuinely feels passionate about. 

With that, she answers my final question—or so I assume. Because, later that day, she messages me with one final recommendation: “The other film to see is RED ROCKET. Unforgettable”.

Image Credit: Wang Sum Luk

Oxford University has not joined a pledge to stop using NDAs in misconduct cases

Meg Lintern
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Oxford University has not joined a pledge to stop using NDAs in misconduct cases

Oxford University is yet to add its pledge to the Can’t Buy My Silence campaign.

The campaign aims to end the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) by organisations to settle cases of sexual misconduct, racism, pregnancy discrimination, and other human rights violations. According to the campaign’s website, “these agreements, which threaten people with legal consequences, are being used to cover up abuse, and in some cases, criminal acts”.

Can’t Buy My Silence and Michele Donelan, the Minister for Further and Higher Education in England, co-created a pledge for UK universities to stop using NDAs for complaints of misconduct. So far, pledges have been made by fourteen universities, including the University of Exeter, UCL, and the University of York.

As of now, Oxford University has not added its name to the pledge list.

The Can’t Buy My Silence campaign was co-founded by Zelda Perkins, the first woman to break an NDA, which she had signed with Harvey Weinstein, and Professor Julie Macfarlane, a Canadian law professor who persuaded the Anglican Church to cease the use of NDAs for victims of clerical abuse.

In some cases, NDAs can have negative impacts on victims of misconduct. They can enable abusers to move workplace without revealing their past wrongdoings, prevent victims from speaking out about their experiences, and, in some cases, cause victims to live in fear of breaking the terms of the settlement.

In 2019, it was revealed that between 2017-19 nearly £90mn had been spent by UK universities in payoffs to staff that came alongside NDAs, raising concerns that victims of misconduct within higher education were being “gagged”.

Although Universities UK stated that some NDAs are used by universities to protect information about research projects, their use to settle allegations of harassment and other welfare-related complaints may also have contributed to the £90mn sum.

On January 18, 2022, Michele Donelan, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, announced that the use of NDAs for misconduct cases in universities must end. She said: “I am determined to see this shabby practice stamped out on our campuses.”

Subsequently, Minister Donelan and Can’t Buy My Silence created the voluntary pledge which universities can join. Currently, only fourteen of over 150 UK universities have signed onto the pledge.

A spokesperson for Oxford University said: ‘Oxford University cares very deeply about the health and wellbeing of our students. We condemn all forms of sexual abuse and violence, and supporting victims is a high priority for both the University and Colleges.

‘We urge anyone affected by sexual abuse, assault, or violence to contact their college or the central University where they will be offered help and support, including advice on their options if they wish to make a complaint.

‘Oxford University does not use non-disclosure agreements to prevent students from reporting sexual misconduct or other illegal or inappropriate behaviour. In exceptional circumstances, confidentiality agreements may be used once cases have been resolved.’

Image: Kat Smith

Family-owned Blackwell’s bookstore put up for sale for the first time

Daniel Moloney
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Family-owned Blackwell’s bookstore put up for sale for the first time

Blackwell’s, the iconic family-owned bookstore, has been put up for sale for the first time in its 143-year history.

The bookseller, founded in Oxford also operates Heffers of Cambridge, as well as shops in London, Edinburgh and Manchester, alongside university campuses sites. 

According to the Guardian, the chain said it was looking for an external investor after a plan to put the business into employee ownership fell through. It said that goal “ultimately proved to be difficult, due in large part to the ongoing uncertainty on the high street caused by Covid-19”.

Driven by a boom in e-commerce, the business has managed to grow sales for the past five years, despite the pandemic. It ended 2021 with a 1.9% increase in revenue year on year. “The sale of Blackwell’s represents a genuinely unique and exciting opportunity for any potential buyer to own a much loved and trusted bookselling brand,” David Prescott, Blackwell’s C.E.Os., commented. “The business has been quietly and successfully transitioning itself in recent years to establish a substantial global online presence alongside a core portfolio of iconic shops.”

Prescott told The Bookseller staff had been briefed ahead of the announcement, but the sale was still at its “early stages” and he would not be drawn on potential buyers. However, potential buyers could include Waterstones, which is owned by New York hedge fund Elliott Advisors. It snapped up rival independent Foyles in 2018 and previously took over smaller booksellers Dillons, Hatchards and Ottakar’s.  According to the Guardian, while such a deal might attract attention from the competition watchdog, the scale of competition from Amazon and WH Smith means it could gain approval.

Blackwell’s owner Julian ‘Toby’ Blackwell said: “I would have loved to have handed over the company to its staff, but I also accept that in order to grow and remain competitive in the future, it is time for new ownership, ideas and investment. I have always stood for innovation and transformation in the constantly changing world of bookselling. I am delighted to have supported, and now see, Blackwell’s become a significant player in online bookselling and to have helped keep alive the concepts of service and expertise so well embodied by our chairman and board and our wonderful staff.”

With its main bookstore in Broad Street, Blackwell’s also launched a bookshop at Westgate in 2017 and also operates a poster shop and music shop in Broad Street. Its flagship store on Broad Street is one of the largest in the world. Its basement, The Norrington Room, contains 3.5km of bookshelves

The iconic Oxford landmark began trading in 1879 and was the first to publish J.R.R Tolkien before he became famous for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Some booksellers have gone on to become well-known writers themselves including children’s murder mystery writer Robin Stevens. Over the years the bookshop has hosted many famous writers and well-known figures, from Oxford’s own Sir Roger Bannister to John Lydon and Muhammad Ali.

Image: Rosewoman / CC BY 2.0

BREAKING: Christ Church conflict with Dean resolved

Isaac Ettinghausen
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BREAKING: Christ Church conflict with Dean resolved

Christ Church has confirmed the successful conclusion of the conflict with Rev Martin Percy, the College’s Dean, who has agreed to step down.

The four-year conflict has seen two internal tribunals, student protests, and an intervention from the University’s chancellor. This morning, Cherwell released the confidential decision of a 2021 tribunal over sexual harassment claims that had been levelled at Percy.

In a statement emailed to members of the college’s JCR, MCR, and SCR, the three leaders of the governing body known as the ‘Censors’ wrote: “A process of mediation has been taking place to try to resolve a number of outstanding issues between the Dean of Christ Church and the Governing Body. This includes an allegation of sexual harassment made against the Dean.” 

It continued: “Christ Church can now confirm that the mediation process has been concluded and that a resolution has been reached that is acceptable to all parties. The Dean has agreed to step down, voluntarily, from his role as Dean of Christ Church, and the individual who made the allegation of sexual harassment against the Dean has agreed to settle her claim on terms which on her request are confidential.”

A statement made by the complainant ‘X’ said: “The Dean has always denied this claim. He has also denied that he victimised me including after I brought Employment Tribunal proceedings against him.

“I have to accept, incredibly reluctantly, that it is my word against his that the incident took place. I am acutely aware that this is a situation faced by many women who bring complaints of a sexual nature. Sadly, the various processes that have followed have not altered this situation. However, I want to acknowledge that Christ Church, to their credit, has always supported my right to make this complaint.”

“I know what I experienced on that day and I want to ensure that no other student or member of staff has to go through the ordeal that I have. I am pleased that the Dean has agreed to step down from his role at Christ Church and, in return, I have agreed to settle my outstanding claims against him.”

The email further confirmed that the college would commision a “comprehensive review of its policies and procedures in relation to sexual harassment to be led by an independent expert.”

The complainant wrote: “I am reassured that Christ Church has begun the important work of ensuring that its practices and policies provide the best possible support and protection for all members of its community. I will be working with Christ Church to ensure that whatever changes they adopt take into account my experiences.”

“I sincerely hope that in some way this will help to ensure that other students and staff avoid the distress that I have experienced.”

Image Credit: Dmitry Djouce / CC BY 2.0

The Christ Church Papers: Judge’s leaked decision says tribunal ‘disproportionate’

Pieter Garicano, Charlie Hancock, and Estelle Atkinson
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The Christ Church Papers: Judge’s leaked decision says tribunal ‘disproportionate’

CW: Sexual harassment

Cherwell has obtained a copy of the decision on the allegation of sexual misconduct against the Very Rev Martyn Percy, Dean of Christ Church. Dame Sarah Asplin, judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, concluded: “it is entirely disproportionate that this matter should be referred to a tribunal.” The decision –  which was never made publicly available – cleared the Dean on the 28th of May last year.

The Dean had been accused of sexual misconduct, after an incident which occured at approximately midday on the 4th of October, 2020. It was alleged that the Dean briefly stroked and commented on the hair of an unidentified woman, an allegation Percy denies.

Initially, the incident was examined by an internal college investigator, until Canon Graham Ward, Professor of Divinity at Christ Church College, reported the allegation on the 5th of November 2020 – over a month later. The complaint was made under the Clergy Discipline Measure – a separate system of adjudication unique to the Church of England. An investigation was triggered, leading to this decision, which examines whether or not the case was worthy of consideration by a full disciplinary tribunal.

The judge in this case, Dame Sarah Asplin, has served on the Court of Appeal since 2017. Appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2013, she also serves as the Chair of the Church of England’s Clergy Discipline Commission and President of its Tribunal. It is in the latter capacities that she prepared this decision. 

Dame Sarah Asplin defined the matter as coming down to two competing versions of events given by the two witnesses: “There are two credible accounts. For these purposes, it is sufficient to conclude, therefore, that it is possible that on the balance of probabilities, a finding could be made that the incident occurred as Ms X alleged.” The question succeedingly addressed in the decision was then whether or not there was a “case to answer upon which a disciplinary tribunal should adjudicate.”

Summarising the complainant’s understanding of the incident, Dame Sarah Asplin’s decision said: “the Dean approached Ms X when she was alone in [redacted]; he commented upon her hair, said he could not take his eyes off it and asked if he could touch it and before receiving a reply stroked it very briefly for approximately 10 seconds”

“There was a conversation about the fact that Ms X was going to have her hair cut, [redacted] that very day. There was also mention of Ms X’s age”

“The Dean made a comment that no one would want his hair”

“When leaving [redacted] and going down the stairs, the Dean made a comment that there was only [redacted] between them, although Ms X accepts that she may have misheard this.”

In the estimation of the judge: “The incident itself was extremely short, the alleged hair stroking was even shorter and the language and the conduct as a whole was not overtly sexual.“

“If this is put together with: the fact that Ms X accepts that she was not upset in any way; stated originally that she was not perturbed (albeit she told the police that she was concerned what would happen next); the incident took place in a room which was or could be accessed by others; and Miss X stated that she would have accepted an apology if the Dean had admitted what she says took place, it seems to me that it is entirely disproportionate that this matter should be referred to a tribunal.”

The decision took place as a part of an investigation held by the Church of England, which has a separate disciplinary system. The police also undertook an investigation, concluding that the alleged incident did not merit criminal investigation. A spokesperson at the time said: “Following the report of a sexual assault on October 4, 2020, at Christ Church college, Oxford, Thames Valley police conducted a thorough investigation into this matter. Our investigation has now concluded and the matter has been filed pending further information coming to light.”

Regardless of these exonerations, Christ Church has seen student protests demanding further investigations, with protestors holding up signs such as “the tribunal MUST go ahead” and “never try to silence the victim”. 

The Very Rev Martyn Percy has been embroiled in a separate long-running dispute with the Christ Church governing body, which was originally triggered by a 2018 disagreement over his level of pay. An internal decision on that dispute was requested by the College and provided by Mr. Justice Andrew Smith. Cherwell also has a copy of this decision, which ruled in favour of the Dean on all counts. Supporters of the Dean allege that, having failed to remove him through that procedure, the College has utilised the allegation of sexual misconduct as a convenient opportunity to increase pressure on him. 

Despite this decision’s clear conclusions, the Dean continues to face suspension pending a separate college inquiry.
The full report can be read below. Cherwell has redacted the report to ensure that any details which could identify the complainant have been removed. 

CDM-Decision-MP-28-05-21_RedactedDownload

Christ Church declined to comment.

Editor’s Note:

Having previously covered the dispute between Christ Church College and its Dean, Cherwell was approached some time ago by an individual who purported to know more. They decided to pass on this confidential decision. A second decision is in the possession of Cherwell, and will be released in due course. Along the way to publication, Cherwell was called and cajoled by an unnamed West End PR firm, employed by an Oxford College, that intended to ensure these documents were not published at this time. In the end, the team at Cherwell decided that the general interest dictated transparency and the publication of these papers. Throughout this process, Cherwell has aimed to ensure the anonymity of the complainant at all times, and to respect the letter of the law. For this, we thank our wonderful legal advisor Petra Stojnic, without whom none of this would have been possible.

Image: Joanna Nix-Walkup via unsplash.com

OULGBTQ+ secretarial election plagued by misinformation

Cherwell News
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OULGBTQ+ secretarial election plagued by misinformation

CW: Bullying, transphobia

The current candidate for Secretary for the Oxford University LGBTQ+ Society has suffered from the spread of alleged misinformation surrounding her campaign, with both messages and posts on public forums describing her as an “evangelical Christian” and “right wing (American) Republican.” 

Juliet Dyrud (she/her) served on the general committee of the Oxford University LGBTQ+ Society in the role of Trans Rep from 2021-2022, and is currently the unopposed candidate for the executive committee position of Secretary. 

She told Cherwell “I am not an evangelical Christian. Before coming up to Oxford I was never involved in any religious institution (church or otherwise). I have since joined my college’s non-denominational chapel but have not otherwise engaged with religion. 

“I am also neither Republican, nor right-wing.” 

The candidate first became aware of the alleged misinformation about her circulating on the evening of January 29, following her hustings for the election. The answer that received the most attention within the successive messages and posts was to the question “would you uphold a promise not to collaborate with the Union?” to which the candidate responded, “I think that the union is a case of an organisation that I don’t know if it holds our core values,” and “I think I would have to see some substantive positive change in the areas of inclusion.” 

A number of messages surfaced in a group chat containing LGBTQ+ representatives from various colleges, beginning with an inquiry from one student, asking “anyone know who the Republicans/OUCA/Union LGBTQ+ Soc[iety] candidates are?” which she was able to subsequently answer, stating “I think it’s the person running for sec who might be the Republican,” coupled with, “RON [Reopen Nominations] the Sec.” 

Another student commented “[As far as I know] she’s an evangelical christian & right wing (American) Republican and wants to collab with OICCU [Oxford Intercollegiate Christian Union], the famously homophobic one.” The candidate referred to this message in particular as ‘bullying,’ stating that it was both irrelevant and triggering of unpleasant past memories regarding her family’s politics. 

The student continued the conversation, stating “I won’t feel protected by the society if they have people on committee collaborating with conservative groups like OUCA and the Union … Juliet on committee will be a massive step back.”

At the same time, posts on the anonymous public forum Oxfess began to surface, such as “Feel so uncomfortable [right now] with a Union hack and a Republican running uncontested for LGBT Soc Exec,” and “Can’t wait for the LGBTQ+ Soc x OUCA collaboration with these Soc Exec candidates.” 

When asked whether she has ever intended, or currently intends, to collaborate in your capacity as a committee member with The Oxford Union, The Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA), or The Oxford Intercollegiate Christian Union (OICCU), the candidate confirmed to Cherwell “I have neither intended nor currently intend to collaborate with any of these groups listed. I have never attended events hosted or in collaboration with the Oxford Union or the Oxford University Conservative Association. I have attended an OICCU-organised event on one occasion but am neither involved with them nor on their mailing list.” 

While it cannot be confirmed where these instances of the alleged misinformation definitively originated, the candidate told Cherwell that “the misinformation has alienated me from many friends and acquaintances who happen to be LGBT+ who heard the misinformation, assumed they were true, and came to false conclusions.” 

“Defending my reputation to so many people who are now questioning my integrity is a huge burden on my time and energy for an ostensibly apolitical election.” 

Section 7F of the OULGBTQ+ Society’s constitution reads: “Committee members must be aware that they are representing the Society. Whilst acting within the capacity of their roles, all Committee members must remember the necessity of the Society remaining apolitical.” At least one instance of the alleged misinformation originated from people on the Society committee, which led the candidate to the conclusion that the actions of the people messaging misinformation “clearly politicise the society.” 

The candidate told Cherwell “the behaviour of the current Society executive committee members does not accurately reflect section 7F. Just as it is political to spread misinformation, it is also political to fail to act to prevent the spread of misinformation.”

“Failing to spot the spread of obvious misinformation about a candidate in group-chats, where Soc committee members were acting within the capacity of their roles, is a political choice of the Society in violation of 7F. And this is exactly what happened.”

When further asked about the reaction to the alleged misinformation by the current presiding Executive Committee, the candidate told Cherwell “The current Exec only contacted me in reply to a request I made to clarify an ambiguously worded question in the Society hustings, in which I was asked about two separate topics: collaboration with the Union, and collaboration with other societies. I made this request because the minutes implied that my response to the second part of the question also applied to the first part of the question.”   

Regarding the messages and posts, the candidate said: “The LGBTQ+ Society president publicly replied to one instance of the allegations on Oxfess, telling people to rely on the hustings minutes to make an informed choice. However, no Exec committee member has yet replied to other Oxfesses which also referenced the elections. Further, no Exec committee member has yet replied to more egregious misinformation in private, even though they had seen the allegations and were also acting in their capacity as Exec. Just because some of these accusations were made in private does not mean that they would not influence the election.” 

When approached for comment, the Executive Committee of OULGBTQ+ told Cherwell: “The OULGBTQ+ Society is absolutely committed to making the hustings and election process as fair as possible, and our election guidelines are very clear about treating all candidates with kindness and consideration. We do not tolerate online abuse, harassment or bullying, and this extends to anonymous election-relation posts, as per our Zero Tolerance Policy. Our rules make it very clear that if it is brought to us that somebody is posting abusive or harassing messages, they will be barred from elections and depending on the severity, may have further measures imposed after an evaluation by the Welfare Working Group. We do not, however, wish to silence those in our community who wish to bring genuine and respectful concerns about the candidates’ ability to represent them as this is necessary part of the election process.”

Douze Points: Why does the UK fail at Eurovision?

Josh McGrane
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Douze Points: Why does the UK fail at Eurovision?

Perhaps one of the most unforgettable moments of the 2021 contest was when four countries received zero points from the televote, and the United Kingdom’s entry James Newman had the dubious honour of finishing on the dreaded nul points. Whilst it is, quite literally, impossible for the UK to do worse than this (seeing as they have a guaranteed place in the final due to being one of the Big Five contributors), this was only the most recent in a string of disappointing results at the contest. This, therefore, begs the question: just why is the UK so bad at Eurovision?

Despite being one of the most successful countries in Eurovision, with five victories and a staggering fifteen second places, the UK has often found itself languishing at the bottom of the leaderboard recently, with us having to go as far back as 2009 for its last top five finish. Many in the British media seem quick to place the blame on politics, but this is nothing more than an excuse. To put it simply, too many of the recent British acts have just been down right underwhelming or disappointing.

Take 2015 for example, when the UK electro-swing duo Electro Velvet came twenty-fourth. Now, whilst taking a risk can pay off (think of Go_A in the most recent contest), electro-swing is not a particularly popular genre and the performance itself just felt rather outdated. Similarly, 2016, 2018, and 2019 had similar fates – middle-of-the-road songs with forgettable staging. 

It hasn’t all been so doom and gloom though, as 2017 was a rare moment of success, with the UK finishing in a not too disappointing fifteenth place with Lucie Jones. Perhaps more impressively, she even managed to finish tenth with the jury and received twelve points from Australia (more than the total points the UK has received in the last two contests combined). Her song, Never Give Up on You, was not only performed beautifully, but had quite possibly the best staging of the night; the combination of mirrors, golden lighting and pyrotechnics was nothing short of stunning. This goes to show that when the UK delegation selects a good song, with a competent performer, and stages it well, the UK can deliver some pretty good results.

Detractors will point to Lucie only coming twentieth with the public, and will argue that this is evidence of a political bias against the UK. However, I still maintain this is not the case. Quite often in the contest, ballads tend to perform well with the jury whilst being less popular with the audience: the jury winners in both 2019 and 2021 were ballads that placed twelfth and sixth with the public respectively. 

So whilst it is clear that the UK has struggled with Eurovision, all hope is not lost. All the BBC needs to do is look towards the continent and the example of several countries. Perhaps the Netherlands is the best example of this. Between 2004 and 2012, the Netherlands failed to qualify for the Grand Final on any occasion. Then in 2013 the singer Anouk, best known for her hit song Nobody’s Wife, was internally selected and not only did she bring the Netherlands back to the final, she achieved ninth place. The following year The Common Linnets reached a surprising, although incredibly well-deserved second place; a result that would be surpassed by Duncan Laurence’s 2019 victory. Maybe if the UK followed this route, of selecting an already well-established British artist, we could find ourselves on the left side of the leaderboard once again. 

Although if the UK wants to follow in the footsteps of the two Eurovision superpowers of Italy and Sweden, then the BBC needs to significantly revamp how it approaches its national finals. The Italian national final, the Sanremo Music Festival, has been held since 1951 and was also the inspiration behind Eurovision itself. Nowadays the festival is an incredibly popular event, with the closing night of the 2020 edition drawing in over eleven million viewers – a similar amount to those that tuned in to watch the most recent final of Strictly Come Dancing. 

This popularity is not entirely surprising. Since Italy’s return to Eurovision in 2011, the country has placed in the top five on five separate occasions, and most recently won with Måneskin – arguably one of the most successful Eurovision winners in its history. 

It’s a similar story in Sweden with its Melodifestivalen. The semi-finals are held throughout the country with Stockholm hosting the grand final (although the touring has understandably been impacted by Covid). Sweden has won Eurovision an impressive six times, with only Ireland having a more illustrious record. Even those who don’t make it to Eurovision itself often find themselves featuring on the Swedish music charts and going on to have a successful domestic career. 

Maybe if the BBC decided to implement a national final that reflects the diversity and popularity of the British music industry, then the UK’s prospects at the contest could be improved upon. Spain this year appears to be following down this route with the recent Benidorm Fest being described by many fans as the best Spanish selection in years. 

For the 2022 Contest, the BBC is working with TaP music, a label associated with artists such as Dua Lipa and Lana Del Rey. Only time will tell if this will be a positive change. And who knows, maybe in May we’ll once again be hearing the phrase “twelve points to the United Kingdom”.

Image Credit: Martin Fjellanger, CC BY-SA 4.0

JCReviews: Cocaine and pin-machines, Worcester and New College

Conrad Moe
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JCReviews: Cocaine and pin-machines, Worcester and New College

The colleges of this ancient place are numerous, and so are the common rooms which accompany them. Whilst most of us will never get a glimpse of the civility that lurks inside the SCR – so attractively portrayed by William Rothenstein on canvas – we undergraduates are free to enjoy the range of pleasures that its somewhat more vulgar younger cousins, the JCRs, have on offer. From stained sofas and scattered junk, paintings and photographs, not least the people who populate them, here follows a lively and much needed dissection of the sheer range of quirks and oddities that make up the unparalleled experience that is the JCRs. 

Worcester

The gate to Worcester is magnificent. Whilst most colleges tend to settle for more of a quiet entrance, Worcester’s main gate imposes itself on the onlooker, making him almost nauseous about the distant potential for the whole structure to collapse on one’s head. No other college, as far as I can tell, feel the need to have a clock above their main entrance. It is a particularly beautiful place at night when lights highlight the façade, but I am visiting at the unforgiving light of the mid-afternoon, accompanied by Dan Harrison, a second year HisPol student who tells of how Worcester ended up as his home by accident, after the turbulent government mishandling of the class of 2020´s examination results. 

The JCR is conveniently located on the left-hand side of the main quad in one of their six medieval cottages, overlooking the perfectly kept lawn which forms the stereotypical image of Worcester. 

An ancient looking staircase takes us up to the JCR situated on the first floor. Opening the door is like being hugged by a jaunty white light, and upon entering one is immediately struck by the vaulted ceiling, where wooden beams are interspersed among a devoutly white background, the contrast between the oak and the white canvas emphasised by wall-mounted lights. Instinctively, you get the sense of a space which has witnessed the passage of time, but whose flavour has been altered with refurbishments made in recent memory. The room has cleverly been divided into two sections; a seating area at the back followed by a kitchen, and a more adaptable beginning and middle phase where a ping-pong table forms the centre of attention. The contrast between the whiteness of the walls and the light yellow and green sofas gives the room the quasi appearance of a waiting room at a specialist clinic, just without the risk of a positive chlamydia test. Lining the walls are JCR photographs, both silly “midway” ones and official matriculation photos, making the room feel haunted with the presence of previous students.  

Oxford is a place where a great diversity of characters co-exists. A quick scan of Worcester JCR prove they are a college of no exception. According to an untampered whiteboard where students have written down happy experiences from the Christmas vac, students at Worcester entertain a variety of interests. Whilst some have enjoyed a good Netflix binge others have seen loved ones and reunited with grandparents. Another student writes of the fun times she has had doing cocaine. According to Dan, the whiteboard is from a recent welfare session, which are frequently hosted in the JCR. 

If an alien civilization where to write a history of humankind based on the things they found in Worcester JCR, the sheer diversity of junk would strike them. Uncollected puffers and a set of poker chips occupies diverging corners of the room, whilst a pink hula-hoop hoovers over a blow-dryer and two small buckets, one red and one blue. An English standard version of the New Testament is the only current testimony to the time when the space was used as a Benedictine monastery. It seems to be the genius of Worcester JCR to fit cluttered smaller segments into a natural, albeit disordered, whole.

New College

New College´s JCR has the longest pedigree of all the junior common rooms, able to trace its origins as far back as the 1680s, a fact their students no doubt relish in. The early history of the JCR is that of drinking and debauchery, its function primarily a private members club until college authorities forced through reform in the middle of the nineteenth century, paving the way for the development of the JCRs as they function today. 

Worcester and New’s JCRs are architecturally not unlike, but the atmosphere attached to each decor could not be more different. Whilst Worcester’s settles for respectability but ends up being a bit sterile, New has all the cosy and characterful ambiance of an American college common room at the turn of the century. The feel is Oxbridge meets American Pie; scruffy but not unclassy, a place where both copies of Homer and kegs full of beer accompanied with red-plastic cups seem equally appropriate. In terms of character, we have clearly moved up a step from Worcester. 

It is a rather old space, which carries itself with a light but dignified level of respect, with sofas ripe for change (no, seriously!) and a decisively authoritative looking fire-place marking out the separation of the JCR into two different wings. The walls are lined with modern abstract artworks which all seem completely out of place, a photographed red toothbrush with a blue background is a personal favourite. This confusion of old and new seems appropriate for a fourteenth century college which still lingers onto a paradoxical understanding of what it means for something to be ‘New’. 

Yet, the walls seem to exude stories of ages past, and even if the sofas are a bit grim, the space possess the imaginative quality of bringing old students back to life; visualising a young Hugh Grant occupying the same sofas at a time when they were once brand new, is not far-fetched. It is clearly a place where manners have been in the making for a long time. 

Scattered Junk, as with Worcester, is a natural addition to the landscape, so natural in fact that I would struggle to imagine the room without it. For weird objects, New triumphs. It must be the only JCR where a pin-maker is a casual instalment. Surely the making of pins could be more productively done elsewhere. 


Worcester and New both possess JCR´s which demand attention. Whilst I would pin Worcester as reliable and respectable, New triumphs when it comes to character and atmosphere. If you are looking for a predictable and cosy evening, Worcester is your bet, but if you want to be surrounded by walls that appear seasoned by the passage of time, and are unafraid of grim seating, New’s JCR is the one for you. 

Image Credit: ‘Dessert in the Senior Common Room’ by William Rothenstein (1872 – 1945), Worcester College (used with permission).

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