A businessman fed up with his partner taking time off for golf shows him just how teed-off his was — by moving his entire office to the tenth hole on his favourite course.
Tony Coleshill, 50, set up a printing firm with Chris Antoniou in 2001 and made it a success with 25 staff and a £3 million annual turnover.
But after taking up golf a few years ago Tony feared Chris, 50, was failing to pull his weight as director and his 50% equal partner.
He said members of staff repeatedly spotted him on the golf course or the driving range during office hours where Chris allegedly told them to keep quiet.
Furious Tony recruited four friends who took photos of his pal in action and went out ‘undercover’ himself in borrowed cars and caught him on the course.
He finally broke after a tough week at work and decided to put him off his stroke at last.
He hired a team of five removal men who tailed Chris heading to Heaton Moor Golf Course in Stockport, Grtr Manchester on yet another working day.
As he played the opening holes they set up his ENTIRE office – desk, cabinets, computer and even his coffee mug – by the side of the tenth tee.
When he rounded the corner with his clubs Tony handed astonished Chris a letter informing him he was looking at ways of ending the working relationship.
Tony, from Stockport, said: “He has not been pulling his weight for years and I think he must have thought I was pretty stupid.
“It was bugging me big time and I knew I had to do something.
“He’s been leaving the office to pay golf three times a week when he was supposed to be at work.
“He’d disappear all the time so I thought, well, I’ll just take his work to him.”
Tony said he himself was putting in around 50 hours a week with his B2B1 Print Solutions company.
He added: “One particular day he came in at 9.10am and then he was off at 9.30am and I didn’t see him for the rest of the day.
“I was driving home one day and it was really bugging me big time.
“I then saw this kid knocking a golf ball along and I thought ‘I hate the sight of golf’ and I realised what I could do.”
Tony left Chris feeling distinctly under par when he pulled off his office move last month.
He said: “We took the lot – desk, chair, his little filing cabinet, the printer, keyboard, screen and even his coffee mug which fittingly said ‘Keep Calm And Play Golf’.
“Chris came around the corner and his face, it was absolute astonishment.
“It was totally unexpected. I said ‘Chris, I thought you were at work?’ and he didn’t say anything.
“I said ‘I’ve brought your work to you.’
“I said ‘I’ve got a letter for you here, you better read it very carefully.’ I walked away and left him with the problem of what to do with the desk.”
Tony said the letter formally informed Chris he was looking at ways of ending the working relationship and discussions are ongoing over the future of the company.
When asked for comment Chris said: “I don’t want to publicise it to be honest.
“I’ve got no comment. I don’t wish to comment at all.”
