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It is not my intention to sound callous or cold-hearted, as Robert Alner comes across as a thoroughly likeable gentleman and sympathies have to be extended to he and his family at such a difficult time, but is the setting up of a trust fund in his name not taking things a little too far?
Obviously Robert remains unable to work, but his stable of sixty-four continues to operate (as normally as it can under the circumstances) and, from an article on the BBC website, it would appear that he has the intention of returning to the yard when his rehabilitation is complete. Andrew Thornton said:
“There are lots of practical things we can do to make Robert’s life a little easier when he resumes back at the yard. Unfortunately most of them cost money. That’s why we are launching a fund to help him.”
Many people find themselves in a similar situation to the Alners every day of every week, whether it be through a physical attack, car crash or accident at work, and a majority are left to struggle with the consequences (unless they have adequate health insurance in place, in which case some assistance may be available). I find it difficult to understand why such a trust, which only seems to be in existence to aid Robert and not the wider racing community, is required.
If everyone who found themselves severley injured has a trust fund set up (a la the McCanns – but that’s another, extremely irritating situation) for them, then we’d be inundated with requests for donations and the news would just be one sob story after another.
I perhaps misjudge racehorse trainers in thinking that they’re often (relatively) affluent, but his stable is still sending out runners and hence being paid, funds have been donated directly by Paul Nicholls and Charlie Mann, and the Injured Jockeys Fund has also made a contribution (the latter I take issue with as, whilst I understand a board has made the decision to contribute, jockeys have no other income stream when they find themselves out of action and need support from somewhere – they don’t have a contracted wage and sick pay like most of us).
It’s probably just me, given the society we live in today where the most wealthy people on the planet (who are so because of the general public, not because they have any discernable ability or intelligence) think asking us to hand over our hard-earned money is justifiable because they have agreed to work for half an hour, fee free, but this sort of situation really does grate at my last nerve.
Gerald McClellan was an American boxer who suffered a blood clot in his brain during a fight with Nigel Benn in 1995. He was in a coma for almost two weeks, and has made few strides in his recovery. He struggles to talk and move, doesn’t recognise members of his own family and requires care totalling $70,000 a year. Before seeking outside help via a trust fund, and actually contacting Nigel Benn outright, his family used the money he had earned during his career (sadly cut short, as he was a talented lad) to cover any and all costs. Given the money in boxing this was incredible, and even today life remains a struggle.
For me the two instances don’t compare and, whilst I’m sure everyone wishes Robert Alner well, as well as a speedy recovery, the creation of a trust fund so soon is, I hate to say, ridiculous.
The one I have always admired about racing people is they look after their own. I think this is just another episode in showing how much racing people care in comparison to some people in other walks of life.
I am sure we would all love to help the whole world if we could but unless we all chip in, which we don’t it just doesn’t happen.
How many times are we approached with the old tin can and think "What now". Many charities are genuine many are not and it is very difficult to determine which is which.
You get beggars on the street in every city in the world and some real con men. Like the guy who lost his wallet and asks you for a fiver to get home…you walk 50yds look back and he’s spinning the same yarn to the next sucker.
Racing simply isn’t like that. I don’t know about anyone else but have I never heard of any misappropriation of funds where the injured jockey fund are concerned. They are a very generous organisation and injured jockey are very well looked after as the racing public tend to be very generous people.
In the case of Robert Alner I persoanlly would grudge him a penny being a racing fan. I am pretty sure if anyone gives in his case it will end up going where it is meant to.
We may think he may not need the cash but I am sure the people behind the trust know more of his financial situation than we do.
I’ve been close enough to a few trainers to know that making ends meet is very difficult. They have a social life many of us would envy, as owners tend to be very generous, but overall it can be a struggle to make a decent living wage.
If giving a few quid helps Robert Alner get out into the yard in the morning, to breath fresh air and participate in the game he obviously loves then I am all for anything that can help him do that.
Lets Get Racing
Well let’s hope you never have a car crash that leaves you unlikely to not be able to ever walk again.
Sure you would be able to cope ok.
According to the Racing Post report yesterday he has still not managed to speak since his tragic car accident.
He is still in hospital and is likely to remain there until the end of this year.
He and his wife Sally rent the Locketts Farm stables but if he owed them and was in The Sunday Times ‘Rich List’ I would still donate to his fund.
Any one wishing to donate to his fund should phone Rebecca Morgan on 07767 612931. That is the number the Racing Post published.
When former member of this website Peter Hunter aka Phunter died leaving a wife and 5 children this website arranged donations to help in a very small way for his late wife. The Scottish members attended a race named in his honour and sponsored by this website.
No sum of money will ever be able to replace what Robert Alner has lost but unfortunately that is what he and his wife need to help them both cope a little better than they otherwise would.
Anyway if you dont feel like contributing thats up to you but please can you at least find better subjects to vent your thoughts and feelings on.
rgds,
I kind of agree with LGR on the rich people trying to encourage joe public to donate to whatever cause they’re plugging – bono, for one, wearing a ten grand set of stupid shades suggesting the guy on the street should dig into his pocket for a cause because when not buying sunglasses, he supports it, though not just for publicity of course
if any of you read the book war baby, about the benn mcclellan fight, particularly the bit about mcclellan’s penchant for running animals over and dog fighting, you may feel your sympathy for the man tempered – and i’m not taking anything away from the tragedy that befell him or saying it’s karma or he shouldn’t receive help, just pointing out he was a thoroughly nasty piece of work and that none of what money i do give away each year will go his way ‘cos he aint high enough up the list
i have no problem with racing running it’s own collections for anyone in racing, it’s up to us to put the money in the buckets at the race course or not, i don’t mind the collectors being there as i can ignore them – same goes for all charities or causes
Sorry but people get injured in car crashes all the time and don’t have national newspapers and the mass media setting up trust funds etc. Its sad what happened to him, but these things happen. Nor I don’t see trust funds set up for those poor trainers who have half empty yards and go months without winning any prize money.
If you don’t feel a charity is deserving, then don’t donate to it. It’s a charity, not a compulsary tax. There are obviously people out there who believe that Alner’s case is deserving and that they can make a real difference to his life by donating – who are you to judge that they are ‘ridiculous’?
They are free to give to whichever cause they choose, as are you.
I don’t know enough about the situation to agree or disagree, but I do think the original post was really a question as to why one person is more deserving than another, and, as was said was not meant to sound callous and I didn’t take it as such. I work for the nhs and people seem to have to fight for everything they get these days eg. help in the home, transport, wheelchairs etc and a lot of them have no one to fight their corner for them.I also agree that racing does care for it’s own and that’s why I admire racing people so much.
The notion of ‘deserving’ is mostly subjective. Devil’s advocate would argue in the case of the boxer mentioned that he was a professional boxer, he knew the risks before he stepped into the ring, and why should he ask for extra charity for something that was the result of an informed career/lifestyle choice?
But the reality is that people from all parts of life need help sometimes. They should all be equally cared for under the laws of the state, but if friends and concerned individuals wish to give money to ease their plight then why should that be criticised? It’s their hard-earned cash.
A colleague fund-raises for their relative – a child who has had multiple limb amputations because of meningitis. The child’s fund is to pay for a make-a-wish type trip to Disneyland. It could be argued that these donations should go instead to something ‘more productive’, such as funding meningitis research that could help more than one child. But that is the kind of subjective decision that should only be made by the giver.
I wonder what the OP thinks of the Chris Kinane situation – is he more or less deserving?
And as for the suggestion that poor trainers should have charity – there is world of difference between not being able to do your job due to a tragic accident, and just not being able to do your job.
And there’s a world of difference between friends and family helping out with the financial implications of illness or injury, and the creation of a fund designed solely to aid the rehabilitation of one person which gets industry-wide coverage through the BBC, Sporting Life and Racing Post.
My brother was recently attacked walking to Tesco by two chavs armed with a knife and a wheel-brace. After taking his cash, wallet and mobile phone, they proceeded to destory his knee with said impliments. He couldn’t walk, work or do much of anything for some time, and if he needed money for anything as a result we (being myself, mother and father) just gave it to him. No need was felt to plaster news of the recently established Brothers With Buggered Knees Trust across the internet.
Well, it’s super that you were able to help out your brother with everything he needed – unfortunately other people are not always in such a fortuitous situation. And I’m sure I don’t need to point out that subbing for a couple of months while unable to work is slightly different to rebuilding a shattered life after six months in intensive care….
I think it’s great that someone cares enough about a friend or relative to make an effort on their behalf to make their life easier with all the means at their disposal. As long as there is no pretence over where the money is going, then it is entirely up to the individual to decide if the charity is a suitable place for their donation. After all, no-one is such a weak-willed person to automatically give money to a cause simply because the BBC, Sporting Life and Racing Post mention it in their news items.
And do you share the same opinion of the Chris Kinane fund?
I can see LGR’s point and i tend to agree with him. I find it a little unfair where some get a lot of publicity whereas others as unfortunate get nil. I applaud people who feel it necessary to help those less fortunate, but i feel uneasy for some reason when some causes are deemed more appropriate to others in the media.
there seems to be a lack of understanding here about how the world works. LGR’s brother got help from those who knew him because his world revolves around those people.
Robert Alner on the otherhand is a racing celebrity known by hundreds personally and thousands more know of him.
If LGR himself was crippled, God forbid, we would all be chipping in to help him because this is his world.
Robert Alner’s world is bigger and that’s just the way the cookie crumbles…….to critise someone for using all the resources they can, to help someone they know, should not be critisesed in any shape or form IMO.
Whilst I have donated a small sum to Robert Alner’s fund the ones that I swerve are the ‘benefits’ where just because someone is just about to retire they have agents lining up as many events to milk the last pound out of people that have paid out sometimes year after year paid towards the wages of retiring footballers, cricketers, jockeys etc etc.
Whilst former footballer Niall Quinn donated all his receipts from his charity match to charity many dont.
Richard Dunwoody I believe had over a year of ‘benefit events’ after he retired. The black tie dinner dance at The Cafe Royal in London was around 15 months after he retired.
No doubt Wayne Rooneys agents will demand a benefit match for him when he finally hangs up his boots!
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