Coe approached over 'catastropic' UK Athletics regime.

[Occasional Hope]

Paula Dunn's been brought in to 'support' Christian Malcolm at the major champs this year - not quite clear exactly what her role is, but job title is Team Leader. She's certainly done a great job with the para athletes.

[Fran Bernstein]

If you want to get involved in finding a new future for Crystal Palace NSC stadium, please get in touch.

Fyi. The resent Mayoral decision “MD2910 Crystal Palace National Sports Centre” means the Mayor of London has approved significant expenditure and is seeking new investment to facilitate the comprehensive refurbishment of the CPNSC. This is the time to explore options and find new sponsors / uses and find out what athletics events are to be back at the Palace.

https://cpsp2020.com/news/

[Ladyloz]

I know pension benefits are obviously bigger for high level Executives but those Pension Contributions seem massive to me.

if you had asked me what the basic salary was for UK Athletics Chief Executive, I would probably have said something in the region of £150K, which is pretty close to the basic salary figure

[larkim]

"Unrealised" losses may not be too big a problem in the end, it all depends on when they eventually get settled out.

[carterhatch]

i'd like a basic salary of £147, 500 ...

UK Athletics’ chief was earning £226k during controversial period in charge

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/uk-athleti...111002443.html

the article is worth a read as it does go beyond that headline and talks about some issues in the forthcoming accounts ... one that raised my eyebrows was, according to the article, UKA had unrealised foreign exchange losses of £148k - 'as a result of the sport holding US dollars to cover costs including those associated with international events and overseas training camps.' shocking!

[trickstat]

I think it is a bit simplistic to assume that people have been employed with a background from other sports, and it is them who have messed things up, as I suspect there may have been issues predating their appointments. However, I will say that athletics is quite a complex sport in terms of set-up with its wide variety of events (which are almost sports in their own right) and levels, and I think it is difficult for an 'outsider' to get to grips with that aspect of it.

[Laps]

Fair comment marra, although those who are unsuccessful will frequently claim the system is tilted against them with no factual justification.
Unfortunately we live in an age where claiming 'victimhood' or disadvantage is used to achieve goals whatever the merits and consequences. Emotions are played on before rational thought kicks in. If it ever does. That's how I see woke.

Recommend a book called "Blueprint. How DNA makes us who we are" by Robert Plomin. Nature (including merit) is powerful in asserting over time whatever the individual's starting point in society, it turns out.

[marra]

Without trying to get too far off topic, the idea that the UK is truly a genuinely meritocratic system is...debateable. The system - as with almost any system in the world of any kind - is tilted in favour of certain groups (rich, privately educated etc). That's precisely why those who would argue in favour of quotas might do so with some justification - because they don't believe that the system as is DOES reward the best for the job or hard work/ability.

That doesn't mean those who the system is tilted in favour of cannot be deserving of their position, but I'm not convinced we're yet at the point where we can safely say that all are.

[LoveSprints1]

Not you @phillipo for sure! 👊🏽

[philipo]

Safeguarding is crucially important.

But it's clear that Coates and Symington didn't have the confidence of athletes and will not be missed. I hope the new selection process will be more effective.

Will not be missed... ah, a comedian!. I will listen to the views of Christie, Radcliffe, Athletes commission chair and others more than the feeble stuff we are hearing on this forum about those greasy pole climbers, netball and cycling experts no doubt who have been so effective in screwing up crucial aspects of athletics in the UK. Lets talk much more about coaching excellence and respect and reward for them, instead of this endless self obsessed stuff about "safeguarding".

[larkim]

Looks like I missed something :-) Should have popped in here more frequently...

I will accept that I named names in terms of identifying Philipo as an example of the attitudes I find problematic, so I am thick skinned enough to take ad hominem attacks on the back of that. Wish I could see what was written now...

[LoveSprints1]

I must admit I'm getting pretty fed up by the hints of bigotry that appear from time to time around the administration of UKA etc.

I can't believe anyone in this day and age can post "Could there be some males appointed??" and think that that is any way a reasonable thought.

Too many in the sport saw "Netball = woman = useless" it seems to me that Coates was never going to be onto a winner. If she was crap, she was crap; get rid - I've got no argument with that. The fact that she's a woman has nothing to do with it, and the fact that she came from a sport which only caters for women has nothing to do with it. And yet those seem to be the main reasons why plenty of old timer, Mail / Express reading bigots turned against her from the word go.

Philipo's absolute nonsensical tirade about toughing up athletes through abuse is downright outrageous, and yet I've no doubt that those sorts of views are held by a significant number amongst the athlete community.

It's precisely the sort of thing that Salazar was sanctioned for when it was uncovered in relation to Mary Cain, and rightly so. It seems Philipo would have quite happily tolerated that sort of behaviour as clearly you can't perform well as an athlete without being able to sustain signifcant levels of abuse, especially if you are woman.

I hope they get someone good to lead athletics. They don't need to be a former athlete, a former athletics coach, a former athletics administrator. Some of that would undoubtedly enhance a CV, but the fundamentals are that they have to be an outstanding sports admininstrator, capable of bring in experts in the sport they oversee and challenging them to produce their best.

And whether they male, female, non-binary, black, white, gay, straight, or any combination should not make the blind bit of difference in the world of 2021 where woke is good, right, appropriate, admirable, and not something to insult people with.

Agree with what you said above, I had only recently unblocked philipo but will reverse that poor decision

[alfie]

Please , Philipo : don't spoil this board with personal abuse. You've always been civil to me , though we often disagree ; and I don't have a problem with your sometimes rather "vigorous" arguments. No need to resort to insults because larkim takes exception to your views , is there ?

I'd say the same to those who might be on the other side of the argument , should they overstep. Attack the argument , not the man , eh ? Let's keep this a place where we can exchange views freely ...

[Occasional Hope]

New UK Athletics chair to give athletes direct say in how governing body is run | Athletics | The Guardian

Ian Beattie quoted as saying the crisis in UK Athletics was before Coates and Symington resigned

[larkim]

I don't entirely disagree. I do hate the fact that "woke" is used as an insult though, when it should actually be the default behaviour of everyone. I'd like to think that almost nobody thinks that it should be medals above all else, and of course there is a judgement to be made. The challenge is in debating that middle ground in a grown up manner (which I believe you do, as do most on here). It's just that there are some that don't, and I really think they should be called out for it and completely sidelined.