Blue skies but clouds linger at Clubs

staff members at Tuesday’s meeting, saying his statements were true, and he had ‘‘qualified privilege’’.

The motion to remove him had done ‘‘irreparable damage’’ to the Clubs’ reputation at a time when it was financially vulnerable, he said.

Graham said he also held ‘‘grave concerns’’ for the future of the Clubs. Outstanding membership fees of $17,000 were owed to Clubs NZ, which meant upcoming tournaments would also likely be cancelled, another loss of income for the Clubs in the form of members travelling from other regions. Clubs NZ would continue to offer its support to Marlborough staff and members, he said.

‘‘We’re resigned to sitting back and watching the slow death of an iconic club, which I still believe is a fantastic asset for a provincial centre.

‘‘What they do and where they go from here is of huge concern to us.’’

Member Niel Sowry, who drafted the letter calling for the special meeting, said he wanted to apologise to his supporters for failing to convince the voting attendees to remove Clouston.

‘‘I believe I let people down, because they were relying on me to deliver.’’

He was shocked by the ‘‘nasty’’ comments made and the lack of process, he said.

‘‘We believe the chair was illegal.

Clouston himself shouldn’t have had anything to do with it, but he sat at the top table.

‘‘I believe the claims he put out last night will cause more damage than what anyone else has said so far. He blamed us for inciting the media, and risking things with the bank.

‘‘I expected to be vilified and to have my name smeared to be honest ... but I just can’t believe people can say those things in public with impunity.’’

He also questioned the vote, suggesting some non-members could have voted.

‘‘The whole thing was just a total debacle.’’