England Athletics

[longerisbetter]

So, I have paid an extra £3 to England Athletics for the "right" to compete for my club and now I get a lovely plastic card.

Just what is this "right" - surely I can enter a fell race as "unattached" and don't need a competition licence to do so. Since there has been no assessment of my experience or ability it cannot be regarded as a safety or competence measure.

The cynic in me sees that all our £3's go into a completely purposeless employment scheme to create stupid databases and nothing else. I see I have a personal logon to check my own details - wow. Why would I care if they were wrong? In fact anyone who wants to edit them spuriously is welcome to - just email me for the logon details.

Am I missing the point or is this a complete and utter waste of time and, after all the furore last year about Insurance and UKA have we just let them get away with it. This seems to have NOTHING to do with what Fellrunning is about.

Someone please assure me that there is "value" in this somewhere othewise I might be tempted to become "unattached" if thats the only way to avoid this beaurocracy.

[thebunyans]

See the other thread on this topic...
http://ccgi.macclesfield-harriers.co.uk ... .php?t=735

You don't have to be registered to run in fell races (yet....) so as Julian says, you can always be a "social member" if you don't want to be a registered athlete.

[Beneficial Dictator]

If you can't afford the UKA levy ( doesn't apply to any club member I know ) or object to it strongly join the club as a social member. The club via its committee decided that we wish to support UKA ( along with its blazer wearing officials ) & that therefore all members over the age of 11 would pay the levy unless they opted out. This is the same as the very great majority of other athletics clubs in this country.
I have been on a couple of UKA courses now & look forward to the next, the first was coaching ( my next will be fell running specific ) & the 2nd was highly informative on how to be an effective club chairman. You all helped pay for these courses as they cost me nothing but my time. I didn't see a single blazer but maybe one day I will hopefully qualify to wear one. We have several potential blazer wearers in the club & frankly could do with a few more to coach & measure & rake the long jump pit etc... I think its known as putting something back into your sport.
Of course its got nothing to do with fell running & of course we don't need any organisers or committees for that either so lets do away with the FRA as well while we are at it.

[Welsh Harrier (MC)]

So, I have paid an extra £3 to England Athletics for the "right" to compete for my club and now I get a lovely plastic card.

Just what is this "right" - surely I can enter a fell race as "unattached" and don't need a competition licence to do so.

Not if you want to run the Moel Eilio British Championship race at Llanberis this year - if you don't have a UKA number you will have to pay £2 extra levy - Welsh Athletics fell races (still only a very small minority in Wales thankfully) are run by people who will charge levies for unattached runners, WFRA members and runners who belong to non-UK Athletics clubs of which there are a growing number!!

[phil cheek]

Martin,I predict a riot & huge queues at registration.Even if runners are members of clubs that have fallen for the EA scam(or like Macc have little choice `cos of our involvement in track & field) they won`t know their number.
Anyway my FRA membership says I`m affiliated to & insured by UKA,they don`t of course give me a number.
Phil

[BARRY BLYTH]

You will have a number Phil. You only see it at annual renewal and with the FRA mag (part of your address). Now if you had a lovely piece of plastic with it on you would remember. Off course the costs would go up.

[phil cheek]

Barry,
Is that a UKA/EA number?I`ve got my FRA number of course.I wear it next to my heart & sleep with it under my pillow like any normal person.
Phil

[Franswallow]

well I'd like to add my two penneth as one with feet in both camps ie a (mostly) noncompetitor myself but also a coach for the kids. I can see it feels "pointless" to crusty fell runners to support England Althletics, a very long way from your goals and interests.
BUT, I do feel strongly that we need to continue to be an athletics club that promotes all aspects of our sport and I think a large part of that is having good coaching, interested coaches, good local athletics events to keep the kids keen. Whether we like it or not, support for that comes from UKA (yes I agree the courses are good), blazers can be quite fetching on the right person....but hopefully not me!
So the extra membership cost isn't so bad is it? What else would you spend the dosh on??

[phil cheek]

Beer!

[mudskimmer]

I'm just really really glad that I'm no longer good enough to be thought of by any affiliation as an 'athelete', and therefore able to run where and when I want to - preferably with a map and compass, and not a plastic card.
And while I'm in ranting mode - I can remember when I, and a number of others who are still ambling along tirelessy, not only sat on the committee; produced, edited, printed and ditributed the magazine; ran the indoor and outdoor sessions; taxied kids to races;and organised races, but also found time to compete in races, at a high level, with or without cards or blazers for that matter !!

[longerisbetter]

So, i've read the replies and learnt a few things. IF and I mean IF, the club or individuals within it get genuine benefit from Macc being part of UKA then I am quite happy and pleased. My concern, as stated, was that the levy was merely funding a job creation and database generation scheme to no purpose or value.

As for putting something back into the sport I would like to publicly acknowledge that Craig spends a huge amount of time and enthusiasm in trying to help build a stronger club. I do appreciate it. On a slightly more defensive note - I put a fair amount of time and commitment in organising a race series from which I personally take nothing other than satisfaction, for example, of seeing over 120 people enter a 37 mile race that, 2 years ago, was on the point of demise.

I'm sure no slight was intended. We jut focus our efforts in different directions.

[phil cheek]

Well said

[Beneficial Dictator]

No personal slight is taken & I tried to keep my previous post factual but generally light hearted.
What I hope is obvious is that I personally have little time folk who just critcise & snipe.
One or two folk have rather got carried away with the mental image of blazer wearing officials. How many are there in Macclesfield Harriers - I would suggest None. However whether we like it or not officials ( blazer wearers ) are always required, they are the equivalent of that summit marshal in a fell race.

Longerisbetter makes good points, as does Fran, that being, we should all put something back into our sport in a positive manner. Ironically most of those who have posted here already do. Thats great.

Our sport ( athletics - not just fell running ) does need to fund itself & the levy is payed just once a year by club members. I consider it quite reasonable to cover the expenses of officials for example. Large scale events simply wouldn't happen otherwise. On a smaller but Macc applicable scale - who would pay for the Brit Champs medals Barry Blyth won last year?. Its all part of funding the organisation, same as officials blazers. Very fine the medals are too !.

What will happen in the near future ( probably happening as we speak - I only have limited knowledge on this ) is the change will be from unattached runners paying extra at races to a situation where you will receieve a discount if you give your UKA number on the entry form. This will apply to road races intially but as I understand UKA are suggesting it apply to all forms of race including fells. So do more than 2 races a year & you will be saving as a full Macc Harriers member.

Slightly different subject,what does annoy me is that currently anyone can enter the Fell Races including the Fell Relays. I had to battle & plead to get an extra team ( so I would get a run ) last year ( but failed to get the extra team the year before ) in the event because there were other clubs with teams in with non FRA members participating. If I had my way the event would only be open to paid up members of the FRA both clubwise & individual wise. I would also apply the same rule to all FRA calendar listed races.

Rambled on to long, back to work.
Cheers All.
Craig.

[Welsh Harrier (MC)]

The organisers of Moel Eilio (British Champs) to be held next month in Llanberis, seem to have backtracked in that last year they were charging £2 extra for unattached runners but this year they are not according to their website http://www.eryriharriers.org.uk/pdfs/Ra ... 202008.pdf

I'm off to run the Moelwyns race tomorrow and I was told they were going to charge £2 levy so let's see what happens.

The other matter BD mentioned is the FRA relays. The way things are is that if Hazel Grove Over 60's Joggers Running Club (no offence meant if there is such a club) want to enter 3 teams for the FRA Relays this year and they get the last 3 places the day before Borrowdale send in their entry they get in! Thus far only half a dozen clubs have indicated to me that they want to participate in October! What do I need to do - run an elitist event, open it up to all, just invite a few friends???

[Beneficial Dictator]

Just so Welsh Harrier knows. I feel the club would like 4 teams for the Relays - Open Men, Open Ladies, & 2 Vet Mens & If you can run ( as well as organise ) you are most definetly on the team list.
I look forward to the day already & hope I can make the cut in my team selection ( better get my finger out a bit then ! ).
Cheers. Craig.