What Do You Think Of These Acu Proposals That Will Possibly Affect Us All?

[trialsnutterman]

Ok try thinking of it this way, your favourite club of choice goes to the dates meeting and doesn't get the dates they wanted but instead get dates that clash with nationals or Champ rounds that you and your mates usually ride. This always seams to happen, I've not rode the full east midland centre champs for years, not because I don't want to but usually because they clash with more important events.

[tricky dicky]

I agree with the post about dates clashing. The centre always moans that the centre champs is not well supported. How can it be justified that on the same day as a centre champ round there is a british champ round or a major local national. There was an instance of this earlier in the year when the Jack Wood trial clashed with a centre champ round in Banovallum or Pegasus, cant exactly remember which one but I know where most riders would ride. This is not a criticism of the organising clubs, its down to choice but surely when the dates are picked then this should get noticed. The problem with the trials is the actual shape of the centre. It covers such a vast area. I know many riders that travel to Macclesfield and Man 17 when there are trials on more locally. This does have an impact on entries but theres nothing that can be done about this as its a different centre entirely.

[old trials fanatic]

I agree with the post about dates clashing. The centre always moans that the centre champs is not well supported. How can it be justified that on the same day as a centre champ round there is a british champ round or a major local national. There was an instance of this earlier in the year when the Jack Wood trial clashed with a centre champ round in Banovallum or Pegasus, cant exactly remember which one but I know where most riders would ride. This is not a criticism of the organising clubs, its down to choice but surely when the dates are picked then this should get noticed. The problem with the trials is the actual shape of the centre. It covers such a vast area. I know many riders that travel to Macclesfield and Man 17 when there are trials on more locally. This does have an impact on entries but theres nothing that can be done about this as its a different centre entirely.

Very very good point and perhaps a proposal should be made to look at the centre boundaries and either revise them or even create two centres from the existing one ? Now that is something i would support.

As for the Centre Championships not being well supported. Are that many riders that interested? or are they just looking for an enjoyable ride out without spending more of their hard earned short in supply at the moment cash than they need?

Just not sure how many riders are bothered about Centre Championships nowadays.

[tricky dicky]

I have to agree there about the centre championships. I think its not quite what it was mainly due to the last few years many of the rounds clash with either british champ rounds or nationals so it keeps a lot of the good riders away. The centre rounds aren't usually brilliant trials either so again like has been said before its down to choice. I am quite sure that if the boundary was altered slightly then it would solve quite a few problems!

[timp]

I am sure this proposal will fail as it unnecessarily affects a lot of clubs in the East Midland Centre.

The problem is only in and around the Peak district of Derbyshire. Within a 30 mile diameter circle around this area about 15 clubs operate!!! Some run a lot of trials during the year.

From Pathfinders club in the south to Hillsborough in the north, Sutton Falcons in the east to Macclesfield club in the west. This involves 3 diffferent centres overseeing trials in a small area.

Trials sport is struggling in this area. Those clubs with good land and a reputation for putting on a decent trial are getting good entries. Good entries mean a good turn out of observers. Everyone is happy.

Any club running on a date that clashes with them will usually have a poor entry and few observers. To run the trial they then do one of the following. 1. Riders observe themselves. 2. Reduce the number of sections and have more laps (5 laps of 8).

3. Run some double subs (you end up riding 6 sections when you thought you were doing 10!!) 4. put the observers board out and hope someone picks it up. Next trial they run, even fewer riders turn up and the problem gets worse.

What seems more sense to me would be a some arrangement for communication between these clubs. Or even a new "trials only" centre created for this area.

Most riders rarely venture out of this area anyway except for nationals or other large trials.

[old trials fanatic]

Just received a general response from the instigator of the "proposal" so for those of you who are not East Midlands Centre officials but who are following this thread, just remember if things become the norm in one they tend to be adopted very quickly by all and before we know it youre stuck with it like it or not, i thought it only fair to post. As before i have deleted the e mail addresses.

" Hi Brian,

Thanks for kicking off the debate over our proposal to restrict Sunday trials fixtures.

Firstly let me assure you that Sutton Falcons are not

Edited January 3, 2010 by Old trials fanatic

[fivemeister]

Well now we know who they ARE having a go at dont we and as i thought and quoted in a previous post one is "not a million miles away from them"

I don't think there was ever any doubt who they (he) was 'having a go at'

[malcra]

Banavallum 8 B.S.S.A. 7 Cheadle 7 Plus 1 National

Earl Shilton 11 East Coast T.C. 9 Humberside Hawks 7

Lincoln 7 Plus 1 National Loughboro 10 Mans. Maun 14 Plus 4 Nationals

N. Derbys. Youth 6 Plus 1 Nat. Pathfinders 6 Peak Classic 12

Pegasus 8 Peterboro 7 S****horpe 8

Sheffield / Hallamshire 7 Plus 1 Nat. Sutton Falcons 7 Plus 1 Nat.

er, thats a lot of trials in one centre (about 150, or 3 each weekend), nice to have choice. Agree its a large centre and that different clubs (like Peak Classic) cater for different types of trial. And maybe thats the issue. Rather than focusing on the bottom line (ie money) most clubs i would think focus putting on good trials that people want to go to. In a way its Darwinian, the best trials, events, and clubs that will survive. If a club puts on 18 trials a year and they are good events that get the atterndance, then why not ?

There are 39 trials in Western Centre this year, but I might do 5-6 of them, but others in different centres based on the dates that fit, the quality of the venue and reputation of the trial. I'll also only do Classic events, probably. The number of trials being run is not the issue; the quality of them is.

[andat]

Just been looking at the East Midland Calendar for 2010... Even accounting for the distances covered within the centre, it strikes me that there are simply too many club trials almost every Sunday. Here are a few examples:

31 Jan - Pegasus, Cheadle, North Derbys, East Coast, S&H.

7 Feb - Lincoln, Manny Maun, Loughboro'

14 March - Pegasus, Pathfinders, S****horpe, S&H

4 April - Sutton Falcons, Loghboro', East Coast, S****horpe

11 April - Manny Maun, Cheadle, S&H

23 May - Pegasus, S&H, North Derbys

Ignoring possible competition from clubs in South & East Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire and YMSA, IMHO the Centre has lost the plot completely.

[pete_scorpa3]

Living on the border of the Midland Centre and the Western Centre I thought we were well off being able to choose from one trial in either the Western or one in the Midland Centre almost every weekend. Having a choice of three or more trials in one centre alone would be brilliant..... for the rider, but I can see that it's a real problem for the clubs.

I've set out many club trials over the last 12 years and I never know how many riders are going to appear at the start.

There doesn't seem to be any real logic, sometimes we have 40 entries sometimes we have 80, even for consequtive rounds of the same championship numbers vary considerably. However, even giving free rides for supplying an observer we are fortunate enough to always make a few pounds, but remember there is only ever one trial at a time in the Midland Centre.

[rabie]

we too are in a big centre with a lot of events and there is regularly more than one trial on every weekend.

what they've done down here is to split the centre into regions ("groups" - East Kent, North Kent, Thames Valley, Star and South Coast) and once a month (2nd Sunday of the month) each group puts a trial on (ie 12 months x 5 groups gives 60 trials). that way the other 3/4 weekends a month are left for club trials and centre trials. it would seam the centre trials are thus a little bit harder (or group trials a little easier) and a bit more special in the scheme of things. yes we still have a crowded calendar, areas of many trails and areas of few trials. the guy guys from east Kent aren't so keen to visit deepest West Sussex and vice versa while the easily accessible areas get lots of traffic from other centres.

with the wisdom of solomon the centre (which i guess is mostly trials clubs) should try and get the club to resolve their differences (it's in the club's own interests) without being dictatorial (the old ways of a holier than thou permit secretary or comps committee surely are long in the past), as if a club truly wants to clash it should be allowed to (however the clubs on the extremities will suffer in this free market - an example of market failure).

[old trials fanatic]

I know quite a few people followed this thread so i thought it only appropriate to mention that at the recent ACU meeting the proposal failed as no other person or representative was willing to second or support the proposal.

See sometimes they do listen and stupid ideas dont always get adopted. The moral is get involved with your local ACU because if not you cant complain if some daft proposal becomes law and adversely affects you.