New UK Athletics Chairman

Dont think so - I think her day job prevented her from trying to be a Top International Runner. So what did she do ?

thanks - you've answered the question for me there.

Yes UKA is a business - not all businesses 'bottom line' is about profit in that sense. In a business people have to be accountable and produce results, be that money or medals - that doesnt seem to have happened for the last few years.

Also - theres seems to be some confusion on here. This guy is the new chairman - 20 days a yr to keep an eye on things and make people take that accountability. He now has to appoint a new Chief Exec to run the org.

Moorcroft was the former Chief Exec - full time - and was appointed BEFORE the former 'British Athletics' (UKA forerunner) went bust. He may have pulled guys together, but performances went down the swanny on the whole. We lost a whole generation of greats (Backly, Jackson, Edwards etc.) without the 'new stars' coming through to replace them - although it can be debated endlessly whether thats the athletes' fault for not doing the business or UKAs for not structuring / motivating / rewarding in the right way.

I would still quesiton why a background in teaching and social-service type roles made Moorcroft the man for heading a supposed dynamic organisation with a large budget that is supposed to produce objective results - I may be missing something about his background though.

to answer your other questions.

1) Coach education is vital, perhaps we need to look at whos doing the educating?

2) A bigger issue admittedly is the recruitment and retainement of athletes. Is this better done by the clubs? I think if any of us knew all the answers we'd be in the new role! Agreed its a v tough job, but thats why theyve hopefully picked a 'tough' guy.

By the way, any chance people on here could put names to opinions.....

davidch wrote:

Being a bit cryptic here but is anyone aware of a media connection Warner may have with one of the sport's major players (and major earners from what one hears) in the UK, albeit not within UKA?

David re. your cryptic media reference. Warner seems to have current contracts with the Telegraph newspaper and BBC radio4. It is reported that his appointment at UKA was a closely guarded secrete that not even his media employers knew of. However, the sports news on the Today programme the morning of his appointment did say a man from outside the sport would be appointed. They may have just read Cram's article in the Guardian though (9th Jan).

Anyway, I'm not aware of anyone (other than Cram or Foster, the latter being a major earner through Nova) who could be described as a major player in athletics on the BBC payroll. As for the telegraph, the editor in chief is John Bryant, prolific athletics author and friends of the sub-4 generation but how much influence could he have on UKA appointments?

Therefore, other major earners outside UKA with media connections I can think of are fast-track directors Pascoe and Ridgeon but I'm not aware of any links thay have with Warner. So I'm at a loss to solve your little puzzle - any other clues? Written or broadcast media?

Let's hope he does have good media connections.

Something desperately needs doing to raise the sport's profile. I saw a survey last week that said in the last 12 months athletics had suffered the biggest decline in interest/popularity of any sport. There wasn't much interest there to be lost.

If someone in Uk athletics or Fasttrack does not have media connections we might as well be a nation of joggers, we already nearly are?

Marketing for Exxon Energy - rumours are that she was good at it. Took time out to do more qualifications at Warwick, then went to UKA, rather than back inro industry

Was an MBA I believe.

MBA, That's the one - couldn't remember when posting earlier! I trained with her a lot during that time.

Does he brush his teeth, and go to the dentist, or is he like all the other Europeans from England ?