The last Newsletter for 2004.
We start with some announcements of forthcoming events :
Annual General Meeting :
The AGM of the Cheshire County AA has been fixed for Wednesday, 16th February 2005 at 7:30pm at the Frodsham Community Centre, Fluin Lane.
If you wish to make any proposals or nominations, please do so in writing to the Hon Secretary of the Association (Brian Warren) by Wednesday, 19th January 2005. We are aware that all of the current Officers of the Association and Championship Secretaries are available for re-election. However we do have a vacancy for Vice Chairperson which we have been unable to fill over the past year - nominations are therefore welcomed particularly for this position.
Social Occasion :
The President of the County Association, George Bunner, MBE, is organising a social evening for club members to attend. This will be held on Friday 25th February at the Frodsham Community Centre, Fluin Lane. Music by the Blue Magnolia Jazz Band and buffet courtesy of the “Frodsham Ladies”. Tickets will be £10 per head and all Cheshire clubs will shortly receive booking forms. we hope all Cheshire clubs will support this occasion.
UK Athletics “CLUB AWARDS 2005” :
Very recently I had an e-mail from our RDC (Michael Hunt) and then information by post, presumably also sent to those clubs who are signed up to the UKA clubs:future programme to nominate persons and clubs for a number of new awards. Hopefully Cheshire clubs will not be backward in making nominations (due in by 4th February) to our RDC (see new contact information at end of this Newsletter). There will be “Regional” awards with regional winners going forward for national awards. Award categories are : Club of the Year (4 sub-categories); Volunteer of the Year (6 categories); Official of the Year (3 categories), Club Coaches (4 categories) and Team/Partnership of the Year (2 categories).
Technical Officials Courses :
As mentioned last month the County Officials Secretary (Joe Shellhorn) is organising a day for prospective new officials for Track and Field to learn about “the job”. A date and venue has now been fixed :
MACCLESFIELD, SATURDAY 2ND APRIL
commencing at 10am.
Interested persons are asked to contact Joe (14 Cranford Court, Lache Lane, Chester CH4 7LN; Tel : 01244 679196) to register their interest. Track Judging. Field Event Judging and Timekeeping will be covered and other disciplines if required. It is hoped to cover Health & Safety (UKA Code of Practice) as well.
County Championship dates :
Cheshire Cross Country Championships 2005
Knights Grange, Winsford, on Saturday, January 15th. Entry forms have been distributed by e-mail and by post. The entry form is also on the Cheshire AA web site.
The host club again, Vale Royal AC, will require help from other clubs to set the course up, marshal and clear away afterwards. PLEASE respond to this - after all athletes from your club are taking part so giving something back would be appreciated.
As the Championship Secretary has very limited time available in the 2 weeks leading up to the event, please get your entries in EARLY.
I am pleased to say we now have a full compliment of Team Managers for the Inter-county cross country championships on 5th March 2005 at Nottingham. Julie Hicken (Warrington AC), a new recruit to our County committee, volunteered to team manage the Under 17 and Junior Womens teams.
Track & Field Championships 2005 :
Dates and venues set recently are :
Track & Field : Macclesfield on 14 & 15 May
Track relays : Stanney, Ellesmere Port on 3 July
Multi-events : Macclesfield on 11 Sept
Cheshire Road Running Grand Prix.
Hopefully Cheshire clubs have responded to the co-ordinator about the proposed 2005 series, the first race being the 4 Villages ½ marathon at Helsby on 23 January.
Contact details for the co-ordinator, Adrian Thiemicke (e-mail : roadracegp@cheshireaa.com Tel : 01270 569012)
Road Race Fixtures (in Cheshire).
Forthcoming road races in Cheshire which have been notified to Adrian Thiemicke and Permits applied for are
26 Dec Chester “Round the Walls” RACE FULL-UP
2005
23 Jan 4 Villages ½ mara, Helsby (D Barnes 01928 723185)
6 Feb Alsager 5 mile (Ken Rushton 01782 330853)
6 Feb Runcorn 5 mile (Halton BC 0151 420 9414)
20 Mar Wilmslow ½ marathon (M Fowler 01625 434235)
27 Mar Bridge 5 mile (Halton BC 0151 420 9414)
27 Mar South Cheshire 10K, Crewe
5 Apr Chester Spring 5 mile (R Batterham 01244 300107
24 Apr Whitley 10K
13 May Christleton 5K
22 May Chester ½ marathon
Statistics on the 2003 road races in Cheshire are available on request from the Newsletter editor as well as a summary for the North of England.
Cheshire Cross Country League (not part of the Cheshire County AA).
League dates are :
Tuesday 28th December, Frodsham
Sunday 13th February, Woodbank Pk, Stockport
Sunday 13th March, Macclesfield.
No volunteer has yet come forward to replace Hamish Thomson as League Secretary. So, again another request for any person who is willing to take on this role is asked in the first instance to contact the Newsletter Editior.
All Cheshire CC League clubs will have received proposals (from Jean Simpson of the Greater Manchester AA) for a restructuring of CC Leagues in the area. Please respond by the due date (mid January). If you do not respond, it will be taken as support for the proposals!!
UKA Coaching Courses :
Below are local ones to Cheshire.
Level 1
15/01/05 North Manchester (NW057)
19/03/05 SportCity, Manchester (NW062)
02/07/05 SportCity, Manchester (NW063)
Children in Athletics
22/01/05 SportCity, Manchester (NWCIA12)
26/03/05 SportCity, Manchester (NWCIA17)
03/07/05 SportCity, Manchester (NWCIA18)
Level 2 (Core)
19&20/02/05 SportsCity, Manchester (NW215)
Level 2 (Event Specific) :
23/24 April 05 at SportsCity Manchester
Please book your place with Tony Airnes (Tel : 01253 358168 or e-mail : tairnes@ukathletics.org.uk) well before the date of the course.
Eddie Gore (Tel : 0151 513 5606), the Cheshire County AA Coaching Co-ordinator, has asked that a reminder is published to all UKA qualified coaches that their passes are due for renewal in April 2005. The scheme requires coaches to have attended courses and these to be noted in their pass book. Eddie has not got a clear answer from UKA as to what happens in the event of not enough credits. He therefore strongly advises that those who have been on courses to ensure their passes were signed by the course organiser/presenter. Also to consider going on appropriate courses.
Additional information on suitable courses should also be available from Leonie Lightfoot at Sport Cheshire (contact details in the contacts section)
Contacts
Please note new contact details for :
Michael Hunt, Regional Development Co-ordinator for NW England. He is based at Sports City, Gate 13, Rowsley Street, Manchester M11 3FF. Tel : 0161 223 6161; Mobile : 07968 498710; e-mail : mhunt@englandathletics.org Didn’t know they locked them in!
Leonie Lightfoot, Athletics Development Officer for Sport Cheshire (Active Sport) : contact details are Tel : 01606 871812 Ext 242 and e-mail : leoniel@sportcheshire.org
Club changes :
The following Cheshire based clubs have now been deleted from membership of the North of England AA due to non-payment of affiliation/membership fees for 2004/5 (due on 1st May 2004) :
NW Throws Group
In addition, EA Technology RC have resigned from membership.
The County AA and the North of England has encouraged them to remain as members, but to no avail.
Would road race organisers (in particular) please note that any athletes who enter your events using any of the above club names are to be treated as “unattached” as the clubs concerned are no longer part of our sport. The unattached levy fee is going up to £2 with effect from 1st April 2005.
If any of the above clubs decide in the end to pay up they will be reinstated.
Address changes
Please note that the North of England AA moved office with effect from 1st November 2004. The address of their new office is : 7A Wellington Road East, Dewsbury, West Yorks WF13 1HF (Tel : 0870 991 4545, Fax : 0870 991 4546; e-mail : info@noeaa-athletics.org.uk).
Please ensure the County Secretary, Brian Warren is informed of any changes of Secretary for your club (Contact details : Brian Warren, 51 Fairways, Frodsham WA6 7RY, Tel No : 01928 732529, e-mail : brian@brianwarren.fsnet.co.uk). Also please inform the NoEAA Office in Dewsbury.
Communications
Please ensure your club members see this Newsletter. The next County committee meeting is on 8 December at the Community Centre, Fluin Lane, Frodsham at 7:30pm. Hopefully we will see your club represented at this meeting.
Editor - John Driscoll (0151 339 5341 or, preferably, jld@sunnyfield.co.uk).
Any views expressed in this Newsletter are not necessarily those of the Cheshire County AA. Contributions are welcome.
At the December County committee meeting I indicated that I was looking for another person to take on the post of Newsletter editor - any offers??
Remember to look at the Cheshire County AA web-site for latest news and information :
www.cheshireaa.com
Ójohndriscoll (17/12/04)
BEST WISHES FOR A SUCCESSFUL 2005.