Nobody cares about athletics

[sy Woan]

Hi all,

I'm not to sure if this issue has ever been raised before but it's ticked me off and really have to get it off my chest.

This weekend when i fancied going to our track to work on my technique for the season, I get told that I can not use the facilities even though i fork out my our cash to use it? Why is that? plus the main reason for me even talking about this issue is whilst i'm being told not to enter on the track for the sport when I do, I can see kids waiting to get on the football pitch jumpin up and down on OUR track surface as if it was some red warm up mat that was their for them!!! c'mon now! whats that about! It seems that football is number one round here and Athletics takes a back seat.

I take pride in what I do and always show respect to others in their sport. Shame others can't reply back the same. To be honest..why do we have a football pitch in the middle of the track?

I know we need the grass for the field events but does it have to be a football pitch. Preston sports area have god knows how many pitches on its books.

All we want is a good well looked after track. When it is damaged the just cut it out and replace it poorly with a bad chunk of track.

I hoep others feel the same about this and have really thought about a complaint of some sort to Preston sports arena guys, but I would like to hear your views first. I dont wanna come across like i'm havin some vendetta or something, I just wish people would show respect to our facilities and that if a paying sprinter for the club wishes to train then surely he can.

many thanks!

Sy Woan

(senior sprint squad member)

[Guest]

Been down a few times and been told that I cant use the track because a school have booked it out? or theres a summber camp on? or theres a football match? Surely if I have to pay £65 a year to use the track I can use it when I want or they should inform us of when its been booked out. It takes me some time to get to the track and then I get told I cant use it when I get there. It isnt on!

[Sy Woan]

Many thanks 'guest' for posting your comments. There has got to be other people who have experienced issues like this? Or is there no chance we can win against them? I'm really interested to hear other peoples views on this.

Many thanks!

[Pete Benson]

If no one from the clubs gets back to you re the Arena issue you could email me [e-mail] and I will supply the history of this saga. I don't think the club want controversial issues aired publicly on the message board. The reality is though that you have no chance of changing the policy.

Best wishes

Pete Benson

[rick]

It could be that the track passes are only valid at certain times but I can't say for certain. I'll email Pete Hancock and make him aware of your concerns.

[Carl]

Just to re-itterate what Pete is saying I think the issue here lies between the althetes and Preston Sports Arena as run by UCLAN rather then the athletes and the club........

[sy woan]

Hi all,

the last thing I would want is have controversial issues aired publicly on our message board, but with me not really knowing who runs what and best people to ask for asvice on this, I thought it would be a good stepping stone.

I really dont want it to become a big deal and cause unrest between Preston Harriers and UCLAN. Its just funny that the football pitches as we are told are to be repected and to wear the right footwear, so why is it different for the track. Seeing kids dig up the track with their studs, man..its soul destroying!

But thank you all for replying to me. I appreciate any advice the senior people at the club can give.

They may not do anything but at least with us making a point and shouting out, sombody will hear us.

[SteveJ]

The terms & conditions of use are on the reverse of the application for a permit.. sadly, UCLAN can and do hire out the arena and football pitch in the middle. The track often has soil on it from the footballers and when sometimes we use the extreme out strip to warm down we are told off, but as Sy says footballers can leave the track in a right mess. It is up to people and the club to complain, although I fear Pete is right... we will struggle to change anything and it appears that many promises made in the early years were not maintained. Pete and present c/mee members would know far more about that. I complained when UCLAN put on a whacking increase in track fees two years ago, they replied & compared the facility with other tracks and said they were justified in increasing. Basically, take it or leave it was the attitude.
However, I think we have to try.. an awful lot of people use the track facility and Harriers have a number of fixtures on it... and the standard of repair, yes, it`s appalling!

[Jim]

Nice to see people back on the board again. Some things dont change. Football always trods over other sports simply because its so popular. Its a disgrace that the complex owners seem happy for mud from the pitch to be on the track but are petty about access to other areas. Double standards but football is the cash cow for the complex. Same with the LEP...page after page about PNE mostly the same each week & then loads more about parks football. International athletes in the town have always been overlooked by pub teams! Madness

[Me]

Although from another club, I have a great deal of sympathy with you. Facilities for T&F athletics are quite spread with many towns not having anything - and the ones that do are often in such a state of decline that they cannot hold fixtures. But they have dozens if not hundreds of available football pitches.
I would suggest that you "lobby" your committee by writing to them about your issues. They should then take this up with the "landlords" who are destroying their asset and surely have a duty of care to the facility and health & safety issues that stem from this.
Your committee should also then go higher up the chain and involve the North-West who maybe can put pressure on from other areas - maybe funding has been provided by bodies to assist in setting up / maintaining the facility and this usage and abuse of the facility may be in breech of such funding.
Just a few thoughts - but you have to fight, as all sports are competing for a cut of every crumb of funding / every junior athlete / every inch of turf and in athletics we cannot just sit back and take it or we will be walked all over.

Good luck.

[Stephen Melling]

The issue with the track being used as a football pitch is not new. A few years ago we - myself, Brian Campbell, Chris Burns to name but a few, were frequently turned away because the ATHLETICS track was given over to football(how many soccer pitches are there in Preston? and how many Athletics tracks? The reason the complex is even there is the ATHLETICS. I imagine the 'owners' make money out of using the track for soccer, whereas the athletes have already paid their dues and so can be taken advantage of quite indiscriminately. When we raised this issue the general idea was that the athletes would be given a consideration to become a priority. Seems all that talk was nothing but hot air, really. Then again, it was just hearsay and suggestion. And who has the final say? Who is the administrator?

If you good people at Preston Harriers really want to make a noise, then make a loud noise, call the newspapers and the local radio stations, appeal to a wider audience and use a slogan. "Where is Linford Christie now!" for instance. Answer, feeling cold seep into his muscles while waiting for another bleedin' soccer match to end. Bah. The olympics? We can't even enter a football team. That the track is used for soccer at the expense of athletics is almost funny. Before too long the surface will be knackered anyway.

Well, rant over. Sorry if I've repeated anyone's points, but I skimmed the above after reading the first few(wanted to rant away!) Anyhow, If anyone wants to get a petition together to lobby a local official or MP or whoever, let me know and I'll lend my support, I'll gather a fair few sigs!! My E-mail is [e-mail] Or catch me at my website at....ah, just google stephen melling and my site's usually the first in the list.

All the best PH!

Steve

[Pete Benson]

Wow

This old chestnut is causing a stir.
One thing for sure is that Preston Harriers committee have done everything possible in the past along with the other user groups (non football).
Fact is yes the Uni. did use 'other' sports especially athletics to secure the facility however all the arguments were explored at regional level. The University own the facility and they made it quite clear that they will use that facility as they see fit.

People do care about athletics but they are mainly the people on the inside of athletics. Not enough is done to promote athletics and athletes outside of the clubs themselves.

Consider this in another 12/13 years the Uni. can do what they want with the facility.
The only way to have control of any such facility is to own the facility and the big problem is that applying for funding means that to be successful you will have to embrace other groups and other sports and work in partnership with a college or similar.

The only way to own your own facility is to embrace Businesses and to radically change the way Athletics clubs are organised. Hopefully a 'Jack Walker' may come along or someone may win the Euro lottery (me) that is myself not the previous contributor.

The club as with most other Athletics clubs embraces Athletes, Coaches, Committee and parents who give masses of their time freely for which everyone should be grateful.

If you keep running Athletics clubs in the same way you will get the same result.

I hope no one takes offence at my comments I couldn't resist, at the end of the day although I am not involved any more I do care.

Best wishes

Peter Benson

[Sy Woan]

A petition would be a good Idea. As long as we play by the rules and do everything in a professional manner..I cant see why our opinions cant be heard.

"He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."

[Isherwood]

you have my vote sy
totally agree with you in all the points you have raised! even though im not there anymore i know how frustration it is!

ishy .x.

[petehancock]

Sy
There are a number of issues raised here, and I will attempt to deal with them all.
Firstly, we have a good working relationship with the university and they have always said that the primary use of the athletics facility is athletics. They have, as far as I am concerned, lived up to that claim. In the past there have been occasions when a group has changed nights and found the track being used for something that prevents them doing their session. Whenever this has happened the arena has made arrangements to free the time the group wants for athletics.
The fact is that athletics facilities are not moneymaking enterprises, and operators will always take opportunities to make the most of facilities that are unused for most of the time. At Preston we have probably the best maintained infield of any track I attend. It has taken some hammer this last winter, but the staff are aware of this and have plans for next winter to resolve the problem.
So far as turning up as an individual one Saturday is concerned, if there is something booked (whether football or athletics match) you will not be able to get on. That is the way it is. I remember training at Blackpool regularly on Sundays, always ringing to check availability before travelling. They had regular weekend hockey, American football, tournaments of all sorts. We often checked and still found we could not get on. I have been denied access to Wigan indoors because a kids birthday party was in progress!
If anyone is going to run a regular session and there is a problem, we can probably sort it. As an individual turning up once, ring first to check. I do. (01772 761000)
Plus, how do you work on technique on your own? Usually that sort of work is done with your coach, or you can develop bad habits.
With regard to petitions etc, how often has the problem arisen? If there is a problem let the committee know, and we will try to sort it. I would rather do it that way, but think personally a one-off is insufficient basis for doing so.
So far as the standard of maintenance is concerned, it is better than most. The track is cleaned/ brushed regularly, is never greasy and always well presented. Others are envious.
I do agree wholeheartedly about the standard of the track repair, but the arena had problems. One contractor went bust halfway through, and the second did a shoddy job. They were brought back to rectify, and made matters worse. The Arena and I had hoped that the uk athletics inspector would decline to issue a permit for the track last spring, so that they could pursue the matter, but he issued a permit so officially the repair is acceptable (Yes, I know!). The same situation applies to the throws cage, which is a problem in windy conditions, but the permit has been issued and it is hard to justify the expense under that circumstance.
Finally, there is some good news, as the university are currently thinking of providing additional facilities, which may include a Sportshall, and a proper free weights facility. Personally, I would rather work with them than attack them.

Pete Hancock
PS. And the fees are not going up this year.