28 Mar 2013

Graham Merrington Writes...


To League Management Committee-UK Youth Development League
Re: Midland West 1 Division U13/U15 age group

I am writing on behalf of Telford AC to strongly object to how Telford has been treated by the organizers of this League.
This objection is on the basis of our understanding that the new league structure was introduced to give athletes improved competition, reducing the distance athletes had to travel for competition, and reducing the cost to Clubs of competing.

I have to say that the Division Telford were forced into(despite an appeal) has resulted in none of the  objectives being met. The distance that athletes will have to travel has become enormous and as a result the transport costs will be excessive. With regard to the objective of improved competition this will not be achieved because as the  Club will not be able to travel to all of the fixtures because of distance, and clubs will not travel to Telford for the same reason for their host match, competition will become almost non existent for our athletes.

In late November when the league structure was made public an appeal was made to yourselves via Wendy Daniel. The appeal was that Telford was in the wrong Division (West 1) and the reasoning was the excessive amount of travelling the Club would have to do (and I included travel distances). I compared it to being Division East 1 were the distances would be much less and we would be competing against our “neighbors”. In fact I made the case where several teams in East 1 were better suited to West1. Even with the switch both Divisions would remain the same in number. The appeal was heard on 8 December. The club did not hear of the outcome, so I emailed Wendy to ask the outcome. The Club have still not heard form her. On 19 December I emailed our Area Co coordinator Joyce Tomala to ask if she knew the outcome. Her reply was ”the request was considered but apart from travelling the committee had to take into account all other options”. No change. No explanation was given as to the “other options”

Since that date the final League structure has been made public and the host clubs announced. Firstly this has resulted in the other Shropshire club (Shropshire All Blacks) resigning because of travelling. This now means that our nearest neighbour club Is Yate, which is 84 miles away! As Telford are hosting a meeting it means that the club have 3 away fixtures which will result in the Club travelling 650 miles. What further compounds the problem is that on the weekend of June1/2, Telford are being asked to travel to Yeovil on the Saturday and Cardiff on the Sunday at a combined total of 550 miles. You cannot expect athletes, officials and families (who will have children in both age groups) to travel these ridiculous distances.
How can this be a league structure that promotes participation and more meaningful competition? Shropshire athletes have been very badly served by you and were much better served by the National Young Athletes League.
Graham Merrington   Track and Field secretary   Telford AC       11/03/2013


 

TO ALL TEAM MANAGERS, COACHES, ATHLETES AND PARENTS:
With the fixture list now published, many of you will have seen the venues for the newly formed National Youth Development League. I would imagine that you were shocked at seeing the venues that the Club have to travel to. Although the U17/U20 league team has some long distances to travel, it is nothing like the distance that the U13/U15 league team have to travel.
As this is the first season of this league, the League Management Committee have decided in what Divisions Clubs should be placed. In Telford’s case they were placed in Midland West 1 which has Clubs from South Wales, Gloucestershire and Somerset. This in the opinion of the Club Committee was clearly the wrong Division as Midland East 1 had clubs from Staffordshire and the West Midlands. In December the Club appealed to the League Management Committee that they had been placed in the wrong Division and the reasons for it. This appeal was rejected.
The Club was then left in the position of either withdrawing form the League or staying in it and being selective in the venues the team travels to. In March the Club Committee considered this and decided to remain in the League, and to continue to lobby the National Committee to try and change the League structure for 2014.
The U13/U15 age group is now in a division with teams from Carmarthen, Cwmbran, North Somerset, Bath, Yate and Yeovil. The alternative division denied to our team has Clubs from Cannock and Stafford, Halesowen, Leicester, Tamworth, Sutton Coldfield and Wolverhampton and Bilston.
The latest letter from your Club Committee to the National Youth Development League is attached for your information.
Graham Merrington, Track and Field Secretary on behalf of Telford AC Club Committee 26/03/2013

The Bollard

The Spring 2013 edition of the TAC Bollard is now available on the Bollard pages of the TAC website.
http://www.telfordathleticclub.co.uk/bollard

22 Mar 2013

Wrekin Fell Race update

23-Mar-2013 13:00
After checking the course this morning we have decided to reluctantly postpone the race and a new date will be arranged.


The school car park is covered in deep snow, parts of the course have knee-deep snow and the rest 9 inches or so. Several broken tree branches down across the course and the steep descents are slippery underneath with deep snow on top.

So for the first time in 36 years the race has been postponed due to snow. It was cancelled in 2001 due to the foot and mouth outbreak.

Apologies to all concerned as we really wanted to go ahead and I thought the trees on much of the course would have protected it from the snow but this is not the case and the snow drifting is much worse than we expected.

17 Mar 2013

Ryton Race & Ramble 2013 10K Results

Pos Time Name Club Cat Num
1 0:40:09 SEDMAN-SMITH, Robin Telford AC MV35 75
2 0:42:30 HUGHES, James Birmingham University SM 43
3 0:42:33 MARTIN, Claire Telford AC LV35 117
4 0:42:35 REID, Stephen Telford AC MV35 5
5 0:42:37 TWEEDIE, Carson Cobra RC MV40 66
6 0:42:38 CHRISTIAN, Marc Unattached MV50 54
7 0:43:11 HENDERSON, Allan Telford Harriers SM 38
8 0:43:25 OAKLEY, Lee Unattached SM 106
9 0:44:06 LAVERIE, Ian Unattached MV40 112
10 0:44:22 COATES, William Birmingham University SM 28
11 0:44:27 TATTON, David Telford AC SM 102
12 0:45:03 BALL, James Birmingham University SM 59
13 0:45:06 MCGOVERN, George Birmingham University SM 19
14 0:46:07 WOODUS, Mark Unattached MV35 41
15 0:47:34 HIGSON, John Telford Harriers SM 13
16 0:48:22 BEEDLES, Edward Unattached MV35 118
17 0:48:33 RICHARDS, Michael Unattached SM 35
18 0:48:45 MCALLISTER, Tom Unattached MV35 87
19 0:48:52 BEDDOWS, Marie Wolverhampton & Bilston AC LV40 113
20 0:48:53 WHITEHOUSE, Neil Unattached MV50 57
21 0:49:09 MAXWELL, Ian Telford Harriers MV45 101
22 0:49:33 ALLEN, Grace Birmingham University SL 21
23 0:49:47 PRITCHARD, Sean Unattached MV45 125
24 0:50:25 HIBBERT, Stephen Birmingham University SM 17
25 0:50:30 HOAD, Juliet Telford AC LV45 2
26 0:50:51 PEARSON, Christopher Cobra RC MV60 104
27 0:50:56 DOBSON, Rebecca Birmingham University SL 16
28 0:51:29 PIERCE, Jonathan Newport & District MV60 72
29 0:51:36 TODD, Allan Warley Wood Racers MV60 122
30 0:51:41 SHEPPARD, Amy Cobra RC SL 89
31 0:51:45 SULLIVAN, Harry Unattached SM 121
32 0:52:15 HOPKINS, Dave Telford AC MV60 98
33 0:52:25 STEPENS, Tristan RAF Cosford SM 114
34 0:52:41 ROBINSON, Stuart Telford Harriers MV35 73
35 0:52:50 DOWNEY, Colin Stourbridge MV50 107
36 0:53:11 HARRIS, Ian Wolverhampton & Bilston AC MV45 33
37 0:53:16 GIBBINS, Peter Unattached MV60 71
38 0:53:17 WARBY, Sam Unattached SM 45
39 0:53:20 TATTON, Sarah Telford AC SL 103
40 0:53:54 WILSON, Christopher Unattached MV35 31
41 0:54:08 TAYLOR, Helen Unattached SL 62
42 0:54:15 JACKSON, Ross Unattached SM 69
43 0:54:16 DONNELLY, Mark Shropshire Shufflers MV50 53
44 0:55:10 ANDREWS, John Dudley Kingswinford MV40 55
45 0:55:13 HANCOCK, Joanna Birmingham University SL 44
46 0:55:16 BROMHALL, Mark Telford Harriers MV45 6
47 0:55:27 SCOTT, John Wrekin Road Runners MV50 97
48 0:55:31 POULSON, Megan Birmingham University SL 22
49 0:55:34 STEPANEK, Chris Birmingham University SM 67
50 0:55:36 REX, SARA Telford Harriers LV45 51
51 0:55:37 SCOTT, Wendy Wrekin Road Runners LV50 96
52 0:56:04 TATTON, Nigel Telford AC MV45 4
53 0:56:14 LUCAS, Chris Unattached MV50 77
54 0:56:21 BOTHAM, Tom Birmingham University SM 63
55 0:56:33 HALES, Russ Unattached MV40 50
56 0:56:34 COPESWINNERTON, Joseph Unattached MV35 120
57 0:56:42 COOKE, Adam Birmingham University SM 26
58 0:56:51 LAURENCE, Annette Unattached LV40 109
59 0:57:04 LANE, Alex Unattached SM 80
60 0:57:19 SENIOR, Eleanor Birmingham University SL 27
61 0:57:58 NEWTON, Jenny Unattached LV40 7
62 0:58:06 MORGAN, Paul Unattached MV40 126
63 0:58:07 NEWTON, Rob Unattached MV40 8
64 0:58:28 O'REILLY, Karen RAF Cosford SL 110
65 0:58:42 GARDNER, Charlotte Telford Harriers LV35 14
66 0:59:43 CREW, Karl Unattached MV35 70
67 0:59:44 KILVERT, Paul F W Fitness NDB 82
68 0:59:44 GROVE, Neil Unattached MV45 47
69 1:00:45 DRINKWATER, Jason Unattached MV35 39
70 1:00:45 MALIN, Lee Unattached MV35 48
71 1:01:15 NORCLIFFE, Charlotte Unattached SL 124
72 1:01:23 STONE, Anna Birmingham University SL 30
73 1:01:45 KIND, Scott Unattached MV35 100
74 1:01:52 DUNN, Alison Kidderminster & Stourport AC LV45 78
75 1:01:54 OSBORNE, Louise Unattached LV40 111
76 1:01:56 BRADLEY, Alison Unattached LV50 108
77 1:02:12 BEATTIE, Ian Telford AC MV55 85
78 1:03:12 POWELL, Tim Wrekin Orienteers MV45 119
79 1:03:12 JOHNSTON, Kirsty Wolverhampton & Bilston AC SL 94
80 1:03:21 PERINPARAJAH, Soumya Birmingham University SL 58
81 1:03:21 GOODWIN, Kathryn Unattached SL 46
82 1:03:42 BRANT, Sheryl Unattached SL 40
83 1:03:44 SWANSON, Heather Telford Harriers LV40 12
84 1:03:48 THOMPSON, John Telford Harriers MV40 15
85 1:04:04 GEOGHEGAN, Lynn Unattached LV45 64
86 1:04:13 SANGAN, Hannah Birmingham University SL 29
87 1:05:11 WHITE, Stephanie Birmingham University SL 24
88 1:05:41 MCLEOD, Jade Birmingham University SL 91
89 1:05:57 SHEARER, Peter Unattached MV55 52
90 1:06:16 BAILEY, Rosie Birmingham University SL 90
91 1:06:23 RICHARDSON, Rebecca Birmingham University SL 25
92 1:06:28 LUCAS, Esther Unattached LV50 76
93 1:06:36 HOWELL, Rebecca West Midlands Police SL 61
94 1:08:03 ASHBY, Edward Telford Harriers MV60 11
95 1:08:25 COLLINS, Annabelle Birmingham University SL 32
96 1:08:48 RICKETTS, Mike Telford Harriers MV65 56
97 1:08:57 WALKINSHAW, Diane Unattached LV35 86
98 1:09:01 BAILEY, Rachel Telford Harriers SL 92
99 1:10:02 SMITH, Alexandra Birmingham University SL 23
100 1:10:32 ROWSON, Andrew Unattached MV45 105
101 1:10:51 KILFORD, Ella Birmingham University SL 34
102 1:11:03 ALEXANDER, Kelly Unattached SL 9
103 1:11:03 ALEXANDER, Andrew Unattached SM 10
104 1:11:07 CLAIRE, Amey Unattached SL 99
105 1:12:02 HODGKISS, Alan Telford AC MV65 83
106 1:14:15 MURRAY, Mike Fell Running ASS MV60 115
107 1:18:26 CLARKE, Hazel Telford Harriers LV45 93
108 1:20:13 KYD, Bunny Royal sutton coldfied MV70 116
109 1:27:05 LANE, Phil Unattached MV50 79
110 1:28:28 LEWIS, Cynthia Telford Harriers LV60 84
111 1:28:37 WOODUS, Terri Unattached LV35 42
112 1:39:23 LING, Kathy Wrekin Road Runners LV65 1