A FORMER club secretary was accused in court of running it “for years like Hitler”.
The explosive comments came as a long-running feud between members exploded in an eruption of courtroom vitriol yesterday.
Andy Speechley is leading the charge against leading members of Brighouse’s best-known club – Blakeborough Social in Bradford Road.
The four days of civil action in Leeds Chancery Court, before a judge, comes after years of protracted argument and county court hearings in Halifax.
The trouble began four years ago when the “asset-rich but cash-poor” club wanted to sell off its bowling club to ease its financial woes.
But members of Albion Bowling Club in Halifax Road were unhappy with the plans and soon the allegations of mismanagement and even fraud and theft claims were being sprayed around, leading to a police investigation.
Police spent a year investigating allegations that £250,000 had been embezzled by committee members of the troubled club, which shut down in 2011.
The club, which had been running for 26 years, owns the Brighouse Town Football Club site and the Halifax Road bowling green site.
Mr Speechley, who represents the bowling club faction and who is the main claimant, is claiming a major breach of club rules has taken place.
He told the court breaches included the incorrect payment of salaries to members and a lack of statutory returns and audited accounts.
There is also argument over the expulsion of some members.
The defendants are counter claiming.
Mr Speechley was involved in several heated and often incendiary exchanges with Steven White who is representing the defendants – Social Club president Rod Allott and former secretary Andy Taylor.
For example at one point Mr Whitely said: “You had reported allegations of fraud to the police?”
To which Mr Speechley retorted: “Andy Taylor has run that club for years like Hitler.”
Earlier he said: “I do feel that the behaviour of the other side has made it extraordinarily tricky and difficult.
“We have been tricked and bamboozled time and again.”
But Mr White claimed that accounts had been produced and the payments to club officials or “honoraria” had been a long-standing tradition.
He accused Mr Speechley of behaving in a “disruptive” manner at an annual general meeting.
Mr White said: “This meeting was reduced to chaos wasn’t it?”
Mr Speechley replied: “It is not in my nature to behave in that way. Other people started getting hot-headed.”
The hearing continues.
