Indoor ticket update 4 February 2012
All tickets ordered from the BASC for the AVIVA World Trials and UK Championships in Sheffield next weekend (11th and 12th of February) have now been sent to members.
We have been promised that our allocation of tickets for the AVIVA Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham on February 18th will be with us early next week for prompt despatch to members.
Once again we apologise for the delay in sending these out which has been beyond our control and thank those members affected for their patience.
We have been contacted by many members and families of competing athletes asking whether we still have any of our allocation of tickets for these meetings left unsold (all are completely sold out at the box office). Unfortunately our complete allocation is now sold.
For all those members attending any of the three major indoor events for the first time there is further information on venues, accommodation and travel here.
2012 BASC Annual General Meeting
The club's 2012 Annual General Meeting will take place on Saturday February 18th at the Crescent Theatre, Sheepcote Street, Birmingham commencing at 11am. This is the same venue used for the last few years and is a short walk from the National Indoor Arena where the AVIVA Indoor Grand Prix will take place in the afternoon. We look forward to seeing many BASC members there - an agenda and map can be found here.
"Backtrack" on its way with outdoor season ticket news
Several members have contacted us asking when tickets for the big 3 domestic outdoor meetings this summer (the AVIVA Olympic Trials and UK Championships in Birmingham from June 22nd to 24th, the AVIVA London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace on 13th and 14th of July and the AVIVA Birmingham Grand Prix on August 26th) are likely to go on sale.
We understand that public sale is likely to begin in mid-February: however full details on how BASC members can purchase tickets from our club allocation are enclosed in our members' mailing with the new issue of "Backtrack", which we are currently sending out (as of 20 January) together with the 2012 yearbook.
Mo storms to BASC gold
Not for the first time in 2011 Mo Farah has left his rivals trailing in his wake as he polled 73% of the total vote to win the title of BASC British Athlete of the Year for 2011 as voted for by BASC members.
2011 has been an incredible year for Mo: European Indoor 3,000m gold medallist, holder of a new British and European record in the 10,000m, holder of the British national record in the 5,000m, World Champion in Daegu at 5,000m and silver medallist at 10,000m.
Hailed by David Moorcroft as "the greatest male distance runner that Britain has ever seen", congratulations Mo from all at the BASC!
London to host 2017 World Championships!
The IAAF has awarded the 2017 World Athletics Championships to London, thereby ensuring an athletics legacy for the nation after next summer's Olympics.
Congratulations to all those who have worked so hard on behalf of the London bid: to Lord Coe and to BASC Young Female Athlete of the Year Jodie Williams for her presentation to the IAAF in Monaco.
Lots more to follow in the months and years ahead.......
Young Female Athlete of the year award to Jodie Williams
We are delighted to have recently presented young Herts Phoenix sprinter Jodie Williams with this year's BASC Young Female Athlete of the year award. In 2010 at the age of 16 Jodie was the top-ranked British woman over 200m and enoyed an astonishing unbeaten run of 151 races from 2005 to July 2010. In 2011 she became the youngest winner of the 60m title at the UK Indoor Championships since Sonia Lannaman in 1971, a performance which won her selection for the senior British team for the European Indoor Championships in Paris where she missed out on a medal by only 0.01 of a second.
We are sure that this remarkable young athlete will give British supporters much to applaud in the years ahead.
New book on Athletics in Jersey published - special offer
 We have been made aware of the publication of a fascinating new title covering the history of athletics in the Channel Island of Jersey from the 19th century to the present day. We know that many of our members are avid collectors of athletics books and this unusual title should provide highly interesting reading and, dare we say it, a perfect Christmas present for the athletics fan who has everything.
The president of Jersey Spartan Athletic Club, Richard Wilkinson, has written the foreword to the book and has advised us that he is happy to supply signed copies of the book to any BASC members who are interested for the price of £14.95. Richard can be contacted on 01534 851778.
"Athletics in Jersey" is written by Colin Campbell, Roy McCarthy, Chris Lake and Peter Drinkwater and published by Redberry Press of St Helier.
Mark Hookway receives BASC Ron Pickering Coaching Award
Mark Hookway, of Tonbridge AC, became the latest recipient of the British Athletics Supporters Club's Ron Pickering Coaching Award when he was presented with the 2011 Award at Bedford on June 25th during the AVIVA England Athletics U23 & U20 Championships and European Trials. Mark is pictured with U20 1500m runner Robbie Farnham-Rose after receiving his award.
In thanking the club and its members for this award Mark has sent us the following message: "Many thanks for taking the time to present this award to me today. I will use the money to support young athletes and am spending in two ways. I recently arranged for 4 female athletes to have an initial assessment with an oesteopath to try to resolve long-term foot issues and have paid for this. Secondly I am going to treat two of Robbie's team mates and his mum so that they can come with me on Eurostar and watch him in the World Youth Championships. All three have supported him with training and with races".
Congratulations Mark and it's excellent news to hear it being put to such good use.
Reports and pictures from further award presentations will follow in due course.
BASC members reward Jessica
For the second year running BASC members have voted Jessica Ennis their British Athlete of the Year. BASC chairman Philip Andrew is pictured presenting Jessica with her trophy during the AVIVA European Indoor Trials and UK Championships at the English Institute of Sport on Saturday 12th February (photo by courtesy of Action Images).
Stadium decision reached - with the right decision
The BASC is delighted that the Olympic Park Legacy Company has decided in favour of the bid by West Ham United FC, the only bid which honoured the commitment made to ensure that a lasting major athletics facility would remain at the site of the 2012 event long after the games themselves have concluded, a facility capable of hosting future World Athletics Championships and other prestige events.
The BASC's Golden weekend
We are still taking down the balloons and packing away the decorations after one of the best weekends in the club's 50-year history, the 50th Anniversary Dinner weekend at Ettington Chase near Stratford-upon-Avon. With the weekend's celebrations still fresh in everyone's mind we have received many messages from those present saying how much they enjoyed the event.
We have a long list of "thank you"s to be made:
- To Eric Thompson and Keith Reynolds for their tireless organisational efforts both before and during the event
- To AVIVA, Athletics Weekly, Claridon Sports Tours, Mark Shearman at Athletics Images and David Blake at Servicepoint for their assistance in the staging of the event
- To the management and staff of Ettington Chase for looking after us all so magnificently throughout the weekend
- To Peter Matthews for being such an excellent MC and for bringing just the right touch of informality to Saturday night's dinner
- To (in alphabetical order) Bill Adcocks, Lynn Davies CBE, Bob Dobson, Mike Fleet, Donna Fraser, Ken Matthews MBE, David Moorcroft, Tom Parsons and Michael Rimmer for joining us on this special occasion and for taking part in the Question and Answer sessions with such enthusiasm and good humour.
- And especially to all the BASC members who supported the event in such record numbers and who made it such a success.
Now how do we top that?
Jessica retains her BASC crown
It was announced at the BASC's 50th anniversary dinner that World and European heptathlon champion Jessica Enis has been voted BASC British Athlete of the Year for 2010, the second year in succession that she has won the award. Mo Farah came second and Andy Turner third. Congratulations to Jessica and many thanks to all those members who voted either by email or by post when renewing their subscriptions.
Hannah Cockroft to receive BASC Susanna Ingram Award
We are delighted to announce that Hannah Cockroft is to be this year's recipient of the club's Susanna Ingram Award to a disability athlete. For further details of the achievements of this remarkable young sportswoman click here.
BASC coaching award goes to Julien Raffali
On a cold and blustery Bedford day the BASC presented three awards during the AVIVA U20/U23 Championships and World Trials.
Julien Raffali is pictured receiving the BASC Ron Pickering Coaching Award for his work with a squad of talented young pole vaulters, three of whom, Andrew Sutcliffe, Katie Byres and Holly Bleasdale, are pictured here with their coach.
Congratulations Julien - we look forward to following their progress of your young squad with interest.
For details of more awards presented click here.
2012 ticket registration commences
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Although ticket sales for London 2012 will not commence until 2011, the online registration process has now been launched. To set up an account, see the answers to several FAQs and save crucial time later on, go here and follow the instructions provided.
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Club structure
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Members will have read in the latest issue of "Backtrack" that the club's committee has proposed that the club incorporate as a Company Limited by Guarantee. This was unanimously agreed at the recent Annual General Meeting. For more details please see here.
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Twitter and Facebook
Roald Bradstock BASC polo shirts
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We are pleased to now offer for sale to all BASC members a limited-edition white polo shirt with the BASC logo on one breast and a reproduction of the specially commissioned design (see right) by former javelin champion Roald Bradstock ("the Olympic Picasso") on the other.
Only 150 of these shirts will be produced and sold, with each shirt being individually numbered. Having already offered these for sale to those members present at the recent BASC dinner, where the original artworks were auctioned, we are now making them available to all members whilst our limited stocks last.
These shirts are available for £15 including postage and packing, and can be purchased in Small, Medium, Large, XL and XXL. A limited number in extra small may be available.
Cheques, made payable to "British Athletics Supporters Club", should be sent to 91 Croesonen Parc, Abergavenny, Mon. NP7 6PF. Please mark your envelope Bradstock Shirts and please indicate the size(s) you require.
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Awards bonanza in Bedford
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British Athletics has got talent and, on a hot summer's day when Bedford felt more like Barcelona, we were delighted to recognise it and to present four individuals with their awards from the club. Jean Pickering herself was on hand to assist us. More details can be found here.
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AVIVA supports the BASC
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As members who were present at the club's recent AGM will be aware, we are delighted to announce that AVIVA (formerly Norwich Union), principal sponsors of UK athletics, have made a very significant donation to BASC funds in order to help defray expenses in promoting athletics to supporters and potential supporters alike.
We would like to express our grateful thanks to them for this very generous donation and for their ongoing support of athletics in the United Kingdom. We look forward to further developing the relationship that has been established with them over the years ahead.
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Christine's our runaway winner
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Photograph courtesy of Richard Lane
In the end it was no contest. Although votes were cast for several other worthy candidates it was no surprise that BASC members voted Olympic 400 metre champion Christine Ohuruogu their British Athlete of the Year for 2008 by a considerable margin.
BASC Chairman Philip Andrew managed to achieve what Sanya Richards couldn't do in Beijing and caught up with the golden girl herself inside a darkening National Indoor Arena in Birmingham after the AVIVA Indoor Grand Prix to present her with her award from the club.
Thanks to Fast Track for their help in organising the presentation of this award.
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Fantasy athletics
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For those sports fans who regularly pit their wits with fantasy football and other sports, our Yearbook Editor Richard Cooper has a website at www.fantasyathletics.co.uk in which you can test your knowledge against fellow athletics fans in a free-to-enter fun contest.
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Photos wanted
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As always we'd like to get more photos sent in from members to go up on this site - they can be of you meeting athletes, photos from an indoor or outdoor meeting, whatever you like. Send them to us at info@basclub.org.uk and we'll put them up.
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BASC Yearbook
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We are always looking to improve the quality and content of the publications we send to our members. Our Yearbook Editor Richard Cooper would like to hear your views on our annual Yearbook: what you like about it, what you don't and how you might feel it could be improved. Contact him on richard.cooper.1976@googlemail.com so that we can take your views into consideration.
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