Belgrave Harriers and Sutton & District AC to become partners
Belgrave Harriers and Sutton & District AC to become partners
Belgrave Harriers and Sutton & District Athletic Club have announced that from today they will be working together in partnership. Both clubs recognize that athletics is undergoing a period of change and both clubs are eager to demonstrate that they are prepared to move with the times and search for new ways to help develop the sport.
Each club will continue to operate as a completely separate, autonomous organisation so there is no question of amalgamating, changing racing colours or the changing of constitutions. However, where appropriate, each club will facilitate second-claim membership of the other, and will be taking advantage of recent UK Athletics and track & field league rule changes that allow athletes to compete for more than one club. The officials of both clubs - timekeepers, judges, etc. - plan to get together to help each other fulfil their commitments at home and away matches. Similarly, the intention is that coaches will be able to pool their resources to assist each other. Future development plans will be integrated to maximise benefits to both clubs.
As things stand, a huge benefit of this initiative is that a track or field athlete competing for Sutton & District AC would be able to stay with his or her original club for the whole of their career, if they so wished, without having to face the move to a larger club to open up the avenue of competition in the men's British Athletics League or UK Women's Athletics League.
Belgrave Harriers have already agreed to host a home British League Division One match at Sutton Arena in 2005, thus bringing top class athletics to the London Borough of Sutton. It is likely that some other league matches will also be held at this venue.
John Vernon, Sutton & District Athletic Club's Vice Chairman, says:
“My committee and I welcome the partnership between our two clubs. We see this development as part of an evolutionary change in the way in which the sport of athletics must move forwards. The partnership will allow the members of Sutton and District access to all the benefits that go with being a member of Belgrave Harriers without any loss to our identity as a regional club with a long and successful history. By pooling our resources both clubs can only benefit and I'm sure this will be reflected in our competitive performances in the years to come.”
Committee Chairman of Belgrave Harriers, Alan Mead, says:
“We all know that it is harder these days to find enough people to give their time to the organisation of an athletic club with all its various age-groups and specialist events. This move will allow us to bring like-minded people together to assist each other and to concentrate on the parts of the sport in which they are expert. Each club will retain its own identity and character. We have tried hard to seek out pitfalls but just can't see any. If, for some reason or other, it doesn't work out then we can dissolve the partnership and neither party has lost anything.”
British League Team Manager and Past Belgrave President, Bill Laws, adds:
“The very recent loss of our own John Jeffery has brought home once again how grass roots athletics is dependant on a very experienced but ageing group of hard working volunteers. We believe that in coming years a contracting volunteer force together with changes in social patterns will force re-organisation and rationalisation of grass roots structures. The Belgrave/Sutton Partnership initiative is a far sighted step which may well form the pattern for other similar initiatives.”
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Contacts:
John Vernon, Sutton & District AC
– javernon@fsmail.net telephone: 020 8643 1040
Alan Mead, Belgrave H
– armead@btinternet.com telephone: 020 8224 2657
Bill Laws, Belgrave H
- william_laws@msn.com telephone: 01306 621337
Additional information:
Belgrave currently compete in the men's British Athletics League Division One (and have been champions for the last eight years) and UK Women's Athletic League Division Four. Using the Higher Claim Club rule, Sutton & District athletes will be able to compete in these Belgrave teams.
Sutton & District AC will continue to compete in the Southern Women's League Division One.
Belgrave's men are due to compete in the National Junior Athletic League Southern Premier Division in 2005, while their women will be in the NJAL Brent Division. Sutton & District’s male athletes have competed in this league but their women haven’t; now both men and women will be able to compete in this league as second-claim members of Belgrave Harriers.
Both clubs currently compete in the lower divisions of the National Young Athletes League and the two clubs will form a composite team for 2005.
Sutton & District AC take part in the Lily B League (girls) and Ebbisham League (boys) and this will continue.
Belgrave take part in the London Inter-Club Challenge for men and women. Sutton & District athletes who are second-claim members of Belgrave will also be able to compete as part of the Belgrave team.
Sutton & District AC, formerly Mitcham & Sutton AC, was formed in the 1980s by an amalgamation of Sutton & Cheam Harriers and Mitcham AC. Perhaps the club’s most famous member is their President of today - Brian Hewson, European 1500 metre champion and British Record holder in 1958.
Belgrave Harriers were formed in 1887. Apart from their many individual and team track & field successes they are National Champions at Road Running and Cross Country events. They will continue to train and hold athletic meetings at Battersea Park.
Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.