Hawick Common Riding insist no decision has been made on Cornet following 'scandal'

Published 14 Mar 2010 14:23 13 Comments

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Last year's festivities attracted crowds in their hundreds out into the streets of Hawick.

THE future of Hawick's Common Riding has been brought into question following an article in a national newspaper this week.

It claimed the man chosen to play the leading role at the town's historic ceremony had been axed after, it is alleged, he tried to set up a seedy date with an escort girl.

Ex-jockey Paul Robson, 26 - who rode for top trainers such as Jonjo O'Neill - was to perform the prestigious role of Cornet at the 500-year-old Hawick Common Riding Festival.

The scandal - which has sparked bitter divisions in the Borders town - broke after Robson was allegedly caught arranging to meet up with a call girl by his heartbroken fiancée Julie Smith, 27.

He is quoted as saying: "It's all been blown out of proportion and should have been left as a private matter."

It is believed the festival's organising committee were advised to axe Robson by Julie's furious mum Mary Beck.

However, the Border Telegraph understands that no formal decision has been made. A spokesman for Hawick Common Riding said talks were "ongoing".

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Alison Hill
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Mar 2, 17:39
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Huh, well why has 555 fans joined Paul Robson for Cornet facebook. The Border Telegraph is a far more sensible news cast than the Sun will ever be, please please don' brandish any more negativity on my dear old town and save Paul's family anymore humiliation

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Barbara
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Mar 2, 19:24
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It's "soor plooms" to the person or persons who contacted the Sun. This should have been a private matter between two mature people.

I am 100% behind Paul and his family

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Paul Robson for cornet
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Mar 2, 21:47
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Join our campaign we now have 667 people backing Paul Robson for cornet.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paul-Robson-for-Cornet/343390177656

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Brian
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Mar 2, 21:56
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The problem with some folk in Hawick they are more intrested in what other people are doing or saying if there's no gossip they make stuff up the poor lad has been threw the ringer don't you think. The powers that be should stand and look at there knee jerk reaction has caused to the town and the the common riding, one thing is for sure this years has been spoilt before it even has started because of the certain few

p.s and as for the b that got in touch with the Sun i hope they are happy with themselves

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Teri Man
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Mar 2, 22:19
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Is it a case of "Hell has no fury like a woman scorned?" We all have regrets in life and skeletons in cupboards. Thanks to the idiot who contacted The Sun, both Paul and Julie's pictures were paraded for all to see. Both were old enough to talk things through together, with nobody else involved. I hope the perpetrator(s) are happy with themselves, as they have damaged both my town and Paul and Julie's lives. I could cry. Paul would make a great Cornet. "Let they who are without sin cast the first stone."

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Graham
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Mar 2, 23:30
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THE future of Hawick's Common Riding has been brought into question following an article in a national newspaper this week.

A misleading statement - where and and at what point has the future of the Common-Riding been brought into question??

There will be another Cornet, there are hundreds of boys desperate for the honour. Please lets stick to the facts

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Funnyman
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Mar 3, 09:52
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To be fair to the journalist the Facebook site has called for a boycott of this year's event if Paul does not emerge as Cornet at the end of all this. And you can't have a Common Riding without the support of the town. Who's idea was it to get women involved in the Common Riding anyway ;-)

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Hawick Mum
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Mar 3, 11:00
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I know everyones sticking up for Paul and I am too because it has all been blown out of proportion but you have to remember that all the little kids including mine adore the cornet. They look up to him and would love to be like him when they are older. My kids are 8 and 12 and both heard all the stories going about and although they know its wrong some other kids might thinks its acceptable. You also need to remember if there is another cornet picked they are not second choice and we must support them all they way. Hawick will never boycott the Common Riding, we love it too much!

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Utterly Bemused
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Mar 3, 15:12
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I find it absurd that a committee now has to group together to decide this guy's fate. What a joke. Paul's personal life should have nothing to do with them. I'm guessing that not all of those on their moral crusade are perfect. I'm pretty sure they're not all avid church goers either, so they need to all take a pill (or large Hawick Ball :-) and find some other preoccupation.

PS: To 'Funnyman': You need to clip your***le to just 'man'.

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Ed Molloy
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Mar 3, 22:27
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As an exiled Teri who returns each year for the Common Riding, I hope I get to see Cornet Paul Robson carrying out his duties in June. Let's shpw the lad some compassion. If he was good enough to be selected then he has many fine qualities. "What though her lads are wild a wee, And ill tae keep in order". None of us are perfect..... not even us Teris.

Ed Molloy

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lyn.
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Mar 5, 10:01
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please!please! have paul robson for cornet.i hope the hawick common riding commitee reconsider and get paul back as cornet.he is one of the nicest young i have met.as above well done to the person who went to the sun paper, hope you are happy that two famillies are hurt and the close hawick town community humiliated in public. have you never made a mistake in life!.

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pauline
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Mar 7, 11:06
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well i think it a disgrace that hawick folk are thriving on idol gossip, the poor lad deserves a chances, what business is it of anyone what he does in his private life, if he wasn,t standing for cornet, and was just a normal jo blogg, this would have never got this far, the people who went to paper should be ashamed of there selfs , and i think paul and julie deserve a public apology.my children are born a bred in hawick , i for one will be making sure they know how this town treat the cornet in 2010. it is a blooming disgrace. hawick folk need to grow up

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Reekielad
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Mar 16, 21:08
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He isnt suitble to be a fiugure head, arranging meets with sex workers what kind of example does that set to the children of hawick. Would it be acceptble for any other figure head to be caught arranging meets with sex industry workers and to remain in post such as local ministers, councillors or indeed the Provost of Hawick

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******
Mar 25, 11:19
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