Noah Duckworth

In November 2020 Noah Duckworth was illegitimately made redundant having been falsely accused of  fabricating his employment contract, of being a casual worker (not an employee) and having had his salary illegally disclosed to all members. All executed  by a combination of Directors, management and ordinary  members, including Gawain Briars and Roger Cockle.

The allegations were made in August 2020 in an email sent to all members by an ordinary member, Roger Cockle, in which he stated:

…[he] would appear to have presented an apparently ’fabricated’ contract…[he], not being an employee and no longer on apprentice terms, is casual labour…We understand that he received £1200 last month in casual pay…[he] should be suspended immediately.“

Roger Cockle (Ordinary member):
Email sent to all members co-signed
by former Secretary Steve Payne.
(26 August 2020)

Click here to view/download the Cockle email

On 17 August 2021, following commencement of litigation action by Noah Duckworth, an open Employment Tribunal preliminary hearing was convened solely to determine the employment status of the former employee during his engagement by the club: whether or not he had, on the one hand, been a casual worker as the Committee appeared to have concluded between themselves or, on the other hand, had been an employee as claimed by the former employee.

In his Judgement and Reasons Employment Judge Butler stated the following:

I found the evidence of the Claimant [Noah Duckworth] to be reliable…

Despite his disabilities, he answered the questions put to him in a straightforward manner…I have no reason to doubt his evidence…I did not find the evidence of Mr. Hargreaves [Club Manager] to be entirely reliable…I view Mr. Hargreaves’ evidence with some circumspection…

The Judgment of the Tribunal is that the Claimant was an employee from 1 July 2018 until his dismissal with effect from 30 November 2020.”

Employment Judge Butler:
Employment Tribunal Preliminary Hearing.
(17 August 2021)

Click here to view/download the preliminary hearing Judgement and Reasons

Following this damning and crushing decision against the club matters now proceed to the main hearing in mid March 2022. The hearing will not only consider Noah Duckworth’s claim for wrongful dismissal but also, as is a matter of common knowledge, a grievance claim against the club in respect of allegations of bullying.

As with the preliminary hearing the outcome of this main hearing, Judgement and Reasons, willl be made available on this website as an update.

Noah Duckworth Statement (Nov 2021)

To read full details of this issue and the events leading up to the dismissal and employment tribunal hearing click here.