Wikipedia:Mediation Cabal/Cases/2006-06-10 Korean professional soccer league

Mediation Case: 2006-06-10 Korean professional soccer league
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Request Information

 * Request made by: Holyjoe 07:42, 10 June 2006 (UTC)


 * Where is the issue taking place?
 * This issue is focused on the K-League page, and also on the pages for FC Seoul and Jeju United FC.


 * Who's involved?
 * A user by the name of User:Buteur.


 * What's going on?
 * A series of edits and reverts that reflect the opinions of certain football fans in Korea, as opposed to the actual facts.

The issue surrounds the relocation of the LG-owned football club Anyang LG Cheetahs to Seoul in 2004 and the subsequent name change to FC Seoul. A number of Korean football fans feel an enormous amount of anger about the move, and when the SK-owned football club Bucheon SK moved to the island of Jeju and renamed themselves Jeju United earlier this year they were even more angry.

The K-League article that I created clearly states in both the "K-League champions" and "all-time member clubs" sections that teams are listed with their present-date names in the case of sides that have previously changed names, as a number of other clubs have relocated or gone through name changes in the past. With that provision made, the article should link to the FC Seoul and Jeju United FC pages, both of which contain comprehensive information on the history of the clubs, and there should be no mention of 'Anyang Cheetahs FC' and 'Bucheon FC' in the list.

The user Buteur has, on numerous occasions, edited the lists mentioned to distort the basic facts. The user has included pages titled Anyang Cheetahs FC and Bucheon FC (neither of which were ever official names of the clubs - it is an attempt to remove the corporate identities of the clubs that were officially part of the names as the official names were Anyang LG Cheetahs and Bucheon SK respectively) in an attempt to split the history in two and acknowledges on the individual pages that it is a fan "belief" rather than actual fact that the current clubs shouldn't be seen as continuations of the previous one. LG's football club were based in Anyang from 1996~2003 so it is factually incorrect to even claim the "Anyang Cheetahs FC" club had a history from 1984-2003 (overlooking the incorrect name) - likewise the SK-owned club were branded as Bucheon SK from 1996~2005 and it is similarly incorrect to claim the history from 1983-2005.

There are several POV edits to the FC Seoul and Jeju United pages ("betray Anyang fans", "became second immoral club" etc) that have no place in a Wikipedia article as it is more suited to a fan page, which Wikipedia quite clearly is not.

The following link contains the official history of FC Seoul: http://www.fcseoul.com/eng/fc_history.jsp

Whilst the Jeju United website doesn't have an English section, the following page with dates is the Korean history section: http://www.jeju-utd.com/club/club_history.asp?loc=skfc&subloc=120


 * ''What would you like to change about that?
 * I believe there are two courses of action that should be followed if the user Buteur wishes to maintain that the LG-owned club previously known as Anyang LG Cheetahs is separate from the club now known as FC Seoul (ditto the SK-owned club in the case of Bucheon SK and Jeju United)

1) Separate pages should be created for each and every instance of relocation and name change with Korean football clubs. In both cases that would require four separate wikipedia entries, yet the user is choosing only one instance of the clubs' relocations to separate the history into two. Several other sides (Busan I'Park, the Ilhwa Chunma team, Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i and Pohang Steelers would also require several pages of history, yet it is only in the case of the more current, emotive relocations that the user seems motivated to make such edits).

2) The information pertaining to one club should be consolidated on the one page, titled with the club's current name, as it is a continuation of the history of the side. I would then suggest that the K-League, FC Seoul and Jeju United FC articles are restored to the most recent edit prior to Buteur's changes as in both club cases it clearly states the history and name changes of the teams and contains all relevant, accurate information. I would also suggest the user is made aware of Wikipedia's editing guidelines and how articles should be written.

For something with as limited an appeal as Korean football has, I don't think it is neccessary to over-complicate matters and as the clubs are corporate-owned as opposed to community clubs in the European sense, it is correct to limit the clubs to one entry as long as the appropriate history is included. I believe I have more than done this with my revisions and edits to the FC Seoul, Jeju United and K-League pages yet the user wishes to distort events. I previously requested that the Anyang Cheetahs FC and Bucheon FC pages, being redundant as they bore no relation to the previous names of the clubs, be deleted but they were instead turned into redirects. The user appears to have edited these back to the inaccurate articles that previously existed so I'd again suggest they should be removed or turned into permanent, locked redirects.


 * If you'd prefer we work discreetly, how can we reach you?
 * I can be contacted by email at holyjoe_afc@hotmail.com


 * Would you be willing to be a mediator yourself, and accept a mediation assignment in a different case?


 * This is, following the Categorical Imperative, the idea that you might want to do
 * what you expect others to do. You don't have to, of course, that's why it's a question.


 * Time constraints mean that I would probably not be able to devote the appropriate amount of attention to such issues.

Mediator response
Hi, I am Evan and I am willing to help mediate in this matter having some knowledge in Asian football culture and history. I am not a Cabal Mediator but I believe the issue is not too complex and rather clearly presented. If you approve of my credentials here, do let me know either through here or at my talk page. -- Evanx  (tag?) 01:00, 13 June 2006 (UTC)


 * Resolution reached. -- Evanx  (tag?) 18:47, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

Evidence
Please report evidence in this section with for misconduct and  for 3RR violations. If you need help ask a mediator or an advocate. Evidence is of limited use in mediation as the mediator has no authority. Providing some evidence may, however, be useful in making both sides act more civil. Etiquette: Although it's understandably difficult in a heated argument, if the other party is not as civil as you'd like them to be, make sure to be more civil than him or her, not less.

Compromise offers
This section is for listing and discussing compromise offers.

Discussion
Will take place at this page. Could all concerned parties attend? Thank you. -- Evanx  (tag?) 19:38, 13 June 2006 (UTC)