Week 85 - Put This Injustice Right

[Andy]

I see that Lakes Two Day Trial secretary Mick Wren has recently posted the entry list and start times for the competitors in next month

[big john]

I must agree with Rappers on this one, I think the ACU are making a big mistake by not correcting this oversight in the paperwork with regard to Mick Wren. I for one will be voicing my displeasure this week in the motorcycle press!

Big John

[Andy]

Mike's original article on this topic has been updated. With the chaos of Spain (and trust me, it WAS chaos) I missed the second page. I've now updated the original post on this topic to reflect the full article. Sorry Rappers!

PS. I don't recall Mike giving free reign on ACU-bashing. This is about what is a blatant misjustice to Mick and one I totally agree with Mike on. Let's not turn it into an ACU-bashfest, but instead focus on getting the issue at hand sorted out as it should be.

[chewy]

Just came home from long holiday and read this! Without having a go at the ACU can anybody there indicate who is going to fill the position and maybe look into the circumstances. I don't know Mick personally just vague recollection of being in same trials years ago. It seems that for the ACU to ignore his wealth of experience let alone his willingness to do the job would be plain stupidity. you have to start sniffing for rats when all it needed was a timely gentle reminder from the "management" at ACU to Mick. Instead it appears they allow a deadline to pass and then tell him it's too late to get his nomination (or whatever they like to call it) in.

[kickstart0748]

In reply to the Mick saga it appears that he is not the only one not to be allowed through no fault of their own to be allowed to stand for re-election as it appears someone posted their papers but where not received at Rugby, so has basically been told tough t****y

[scorpa3]

If the ACU had wanted to accept Micks appliaction when it was only two days late, then surely they could have done without any problem..... if they'd wanted to. The other appliactions were probably still in someones intray at that point in time anyway.

The question is, why didn't they want to?

[rabie]

i've been away from a while having been very busy putting events on, etc since leaving uni but have been lurking in the background

obviously having read TMX last Friday i knew about the issue and i was at Rugby on behalf of my centre at a recent centre get together meeting (to discuss other matters). At the end of the meeting this topic was brought up and its fair to say there in another side to this issue;

first of all everyone (who wants to know) knows that ACU election nomination forms for candidates have to be filled in, signed by the centre and got back to ACU HQ (Rugby) by the 31st August. this is for everything not just the Trials and Enduro Committee (TEC).

now of all the committee the TEC has a long list of candidates (like 6+) for each election (2 or 3 spaces), and it seams (from my semi involved position) that incumbents are almost guaranteed re-election. we have the same problem in MX, and i can think off the top of my head to two different long standing candidates (not that i'm advocating either of them) that have tried repeatedly for a long time to get on the TEC, and have failed - as i understand it, one has effectively resigned themselves that its impossible to get on, while the other i think is exploring other avenues to high office (ie stand as a director of ACU, effectively bypassing the TEC in the food chain).

now in my humble opinion this highlights the problem of having an 8 person TEC trying to run both Trials and Enduro, both very large sports (by comparison in 2006 there were only 120ish grass tracks nationwide, and they have a 6 man committee, we in MX have now got 10 guys plus the odd observer). at this meeting in Rugby, all the centres 9there 20 of us i think, plus the SACU), and something everyone does is trials, and the key problem is how can 8 guys hope to represent the 20 centres, Scotland and the non territorials) - each with very different ideas and experiences. without being to rude to the guys on the TEC, the stuff we down here in the silly southeast (and i'm afriad we're a very big centre for both trials and enduro) don't see much correlation between what is being disccussed and the what goes on for us (see the recent youth in enduros saga if you've herd that one).

Now don't get me wrong, all the guys we've met from the TEC have been great, John Collins makes the effort to come on here and explain stuff to everyone, he's run seminars down on our patch for us (to a full hall) that have been very successful (more his effective style)

so back to the topic of Mick Wren, in the bigger picture we have a very clear laid out procedure, and i have it on good authority that the forms have been distributed in this manner for 5+ years. the case has been made by ACU high command (Gary Thompson, and the directors) that if they gave the forms to the incumbents up for re-election would it somehow perpetuate the culture of incumbents in place "for life" (ie until 70) - now IMHO i'ld post the file on the website and give them out like confetti, but i see merits to just having them in one place. i know that this year Mick Wren is not alone, several other potential candidates have had "issues", such as forms lost in the post (ACU will move to resisted post for election in 2009), etc. fundamentally anyone in an ACU elected position knows the schedule and knows the rules, and should have ensured for themselves they had all the paperwork sorted.

what is being asked for here, is for the ACU to bend the rules. now to joe public, trials riders (or even wider) all they will have seen is Mick Wren's point of view in TMX (or here) and not grasped there are other issues about. there are many other candidates, and to "bend the rules" in one case opens the floodgate for others, and where do you stop. in a matter like elections its important to stick to the rules. as i've said there are other potential candidates who have similar issues of varying quality. even if you did bend the rules for Mick, is it fair to the other candidates (i think there are 5+) who have completed the form on time ? Most of you won't be aware, but regular correspondent in the letters page of TMX (from the NW, initials AB), regularly issues memos out to ACU type people (sometime 3 a week) having a go at the ACU mostly over the rules, there is no need to give him more ammo.....

in the longer term, Mick will in my humble opinion to get back on the TEC next year unless the guys up for re-election have reached 70 and have to go....

BTW this post is my own view, its not the offcial ACU, ACU TEC, SEC ACU, Sidcup, etc, etc line - i'll leave it to John Collins or anyone else to make a more official statement

[scorpa3]

Yep, can't fault you on the issue of rule bending..... but two days!

Also, in my opinion, it's probably wise to leave the 'age 70' issue out of this debate.

[nigel dabster]

Perhaps its a conspiracy to get a british version of Thierry Michaud on the tec staff to "helpout" at the world rounds?

[cota kid]

I imagine the vast majority of these forums are ACU members and therefore should be able to let the ACU know our feelings. I've met Mick Wren at a few WTC's and he is a sound bloke and just the kind you need on the TEC.

Anyone any ideas about how we go about complaining about Mick's treatment?

[rabie]

you don't really have much you can do

you can however influence how your centre votes in the Trials and Enduro election by getting your clubs, at your next centre board meetings (where all local clubs get together) to vote for your preferred candidate(s).

looking at the photocopy we have for our MX clubs in our centre it says;

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trials & Enduro

3 vacancies for 3 years

Mr C Boniface

Mr D Chapman

Mr T Fairbrother

Mrs R Fraser

Mr A Rew

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

your centre's would have got a copy of a short biography of each candidate. Looking at my 2008 handbook, Mr A Rew and Mr T Fairbrother are the members up for re-election

[nigel dabster]

C Boniface theres a blast from the past.

[perce]

C Boniface theres a blast from the past.

I seem to remember he got banned from Trials Action for his abusive behaviour.

[cota kid]

I seem to remember he got banned from Trials Action for his abusive behaviour.

So he's not all bad.

[perce]

I seem to remember he got banned from Trials Action for his abusive behaviour.

So he's not all bad.

that was prior to TC being about.