Gunpowder, Treason And Plot.. At GCCF

No need to remember the 5th of November.. For the best display of fireworks this year you may want to wait until the 17th. This is the date set for the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy's, (GCCF) flagship Supreme Cat Show at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham.

Last month (24 October), over 140 delegates attended the GCCF Council meeting in London. Many who were there had evidently decided a few sparklers were de-rigeur, as tempers flared over the Executive Committee's secret plans to replace the long-running Our Cats newspaper with the newly formed Fancy!That magazine, as the organ-of-choice for publication of official GCCF Cat Show reports.

On 25th July, the Executive met and following what it later described as concerns: 'about a number of aspects of the service it was receiving from Our Cats', decided to terminate its 24 year-long contract with the magazine. The very next day the GCCF informed Our Dogs (Publishing) Limited (publisher of Our Cats), that the company had 6 months notice to quit, (31 January 2008).

On 1st August GCCF posted a notice on its website saying: As from 1st February 2008 'Our Cats' will no longer be our official journal. We introduce a new publication, 'Fancy!That'.

Without the contract to publish official show results and judges' opinions, Our Cats is set to lose a substantial proportion of its subscription readership and with it, much of its advertising revenue.

Delegates at the October meeting wanted to know about the timing of the decision - in particular - why the company set up to run Fancy!That - Seaview Design, had become incorporated just six days before the Executive made its decision. One might have also asked the same about the domain name www.fancythat-cats.com which was registered by Anna Shafto of Seaview, on 10th July, fifteen days before the GCCF decision.

The audience was patently upset at the order of these proceedings which were likened, by a number of delegates, to 'insider trading'.

The backlash that reverberated around the UK Cat Fancy throughout last summer, resulted in a two-part proposal by the Blue Persian Cat Society, forcing a delegates vote on the Executive Committee decision about Our Cats.

Our Cats looked to be hung out to dry when the majority of the hall voted with the the Committee - in that it had not stepped beyond its remit, and indeed had the right to make such a decision, (item 4a.).

On a second matter (item 4b.) however, delegates voted by majority that the process of changing the 'Official Organ' must not advance any further without a properly informed Council discussion and proper tendering.

This has left both publications, old and new, in a state of limbo.

Relations between Our Cats and the GCCF Executive have obviously broken down. In a letter dated 1st November to Vince Hogan, MD, Our Dogs (Publishing), Gordon Butler, Chairman, GCCF wrote:

"I am satisfied, having taken advice from Marshalls, [GCCF Solicitors] that the result of the vote on item 4 (a) of the agenda upheld the decision of the Executive to terminate the contract between the GCCF and Our Cats, that decision having been communicated to you in my letter dated 1st July 2007. The existing contract will therefore terminate on 31st January 2008."

The mishandling of events by the GCCF just seems to get worse. In his letter Mr. Butler goes on to ask:

"(i) if Our Cats were to be asked by the GCCF to continue after 31st January 2008 on an interim 'month to month' basis (i.e. one month’s notice of termination being required from either party), [would] Our Cats would be willing to do so?

"(ii) [Is there] ..any substance behind the rumour that Our Cats is up for sale, what impact [would this] have on any possible future contract between the GCCF and Our Cats?"

As anyone in the industry knows, in practical terms it is just not possible for any publisher, or for that matter their printer, to operate on a month-by-month basis. And in answer to Mr. Butler's second question, the financial situation with Our Cats is now not looking healthy at all, Parent company Our Dogs seems increasingly under pressure to sell the magazine as an ongoing concern.

Meanwhile, what some are calling 'the upstart', Fancy!That, looks in no better position. Seaview will have hoped to have had Our Cats out of the way by now, but voting at the October meeting did not entirely go its way. Indeed, at that meeting Gordon Butler was forced to answer with an unequivocal "No" when asked whether or not a binding contract yet existed between GCCF and Seaview.

Nevertheless Anna Shafto confirmed today that Seaview will continue with the launch of an inaugural souvenir issue of its magazine at the Supreme Show and that copies were coming off the press even as we spoke. She also confirmed that the plan to launch the first issue proper in February, remains on track.

Yesterday Gordon Butler confirmed to members that, at an early stage, the GCCF group working on the changeover, had discussed offering a preferentially rated loan of £10,000 to the start-up magazine. This was to be subject to the GCCF Treasurer making a satisfactory inspection of the books of Seaview Design.

When this offer became known to Seaview Design the idea, says Butler, was instantly rejected by them and they stated that it would not be required.

Fuelled by this rejection and additional whisperings about the financial history behind Anna and Neil Shafto, rumours are ripe that Fancy!That has its own financial difficulties.

Okay, go on then.. let's remember the 5th of November

The Cat Fancy seems divided over the whole issue and Our Cats is certainly not taking things lying down. Voices from the Fancy, in support of the magazine, can be read on the anti-Fancy!That website: wedont-fancythat.co.uk. But there are many who are genuinely displeased with the service that they have been receiving from Our Cats.

Well, everyone will have to strive now, to keep their powder dry for a little while longer. In twelve days time all sides will be looking into the whites of each others' eyes when they all meet up for what could turn out to be the Supreme firework display of the year, in Halls 17-19 at the NEC in Birmingham.