Latest edition of Focus.....

[RJ]

A brave posting Scotia. I take your point. I'll go along with your point of view.

[Gross]

OK... Squad does advanced planning a year ahead.... so which was first known - date of Oxford Race or date of Inaugural Weekend... if Oxford was known first then Squad have no excuse for the clash as they could have chosen another weekend.... If Squad was first then the clash is less of an argument... my guess is the Squad date was selected just before last year's inaugural... can someone from Oxford say when thier date was chosen... ???

[lincolnsteve]

If you want to get a group of elite athletes from the British squad in the public eye, then hold your event in the orienteering season

You mean like the Lincolnshire Bomber Weekend on January 13th/14th. A relay at RAF Cranwell on the Saturday followed by a Long O & Park Race around Lincoln on the Sunday (you can do both if you really want to!!!) I'm sure our steering committee will be more than happy to accommodate the British Squad! Dave Peel was more than complementry after last years event.

http://www.lincsbomber.co.uk

(sorry, shameless plug over!)

[rocky]

the more attentive nopesport readers might remember that the oxford sprint race was scheduled for may 22nd or thereabouts, the day after milton keynes sprint-o, but was postponed until november due to permissions problems.

and the only way to guarantee a top class field at a british event is for bof to make it a selection race. sad but true, the quality of the event has nothing to do with it.

[awk]

Isn't the Oxford race taking place on the Saturday evening?

Start times 1130-1330.

As to Scotia's comments, it's nothing to do with the elite satisfying my needs (given I was the one to raise it hear): my and many people's enjoyment of the sport surprisingly enough does not depend on the elite, although I have huge respect and appreciation for many of our top athletes and their performances, and am sure that if they aren't there then there will be good reasons. But, it is an opportunity to help satisfy your needs, given the squad is the biggest consumer of cash in the sport. No profile, no cash is the simple long term formula, and, given your comment, one to perhaps be remembered next time there is "whining" about the lack of money or pleas to help support.

Later edit: this was written before the relevant post was edited to read 'wishes' rather than 'needs'.

[RJ]

Sorry awk, but that is out of order.... it is just the wrong time of year, according to Scotia. Leave it at that. He is not saying, as far as I can tell, that they wouldn't turn up for a 'high profile' appearance.... just not this one, this time! Throwing in the 'funding' issue is just a weak (polite version!) arguement.

[Gross]

From the comments on here from a member of the GBR World Cup Final's team who are the most senior of the Squad then he is in favour of attending the Oxford Park Race.

I think Scotia's argument for not racing because it's the end of the season etc is a non-starter... the inaugural usually includes some kind of competition within the squad & I'm certain the athletes will 'race' somewhere sometime during thier 'off' season (the Squad don't need to run 100% as they would at WOC but just as they would at a normal off season competition)

If the Squad accommodation is only 50 miles away and with 11:00 am starts they could be been & gone by lunchtime.... Craft as sponsors would be dead chuffed coz thier kit would be seen enmasse and so on

[King Penguin]

There's also a conflict for mere mortals - Oxford City or BOF training day.

[Nottinghamshire outlaw]

No I have to disaggree with King Penguin - there is no problem. Yes it is good to race and especially so on 'new' areas and I am very much in favour of new forms of the sport - along with others I very much enjoyed the races at Milton Keynes.

BUT - in order to improve skills there is no sustitute for practice and in orienteering very few people take part in coaching sessions. The BOF Coaching Days are fixed a long time in advance by Coaching Committee to help club groups take their members to practise in different terrain without the hassle of getting the permissions, control hanging and the difficulties of armchair planning from a distance. They also offer individuals who do not get much coaching opportunities in their clubs the chance to come along and be 'coached'. It was the existence of coaching sessions which had a great impact on my personal development as an orienteer and meant that I have been a keen coach. Racing (albeit at my slow racing speed!) doesn't necessarily mean that you will improve your technical skills.

[WHB]

That's not really a conflict is it King Penguin?! Oxford will be awesome.

I can only echo AWK - will people like Craft be so keen to sponsor the squad in future if amazing opportunities like this are publicly turned down? We can no longer rely on Lottery funding to fund full teams to major events, and how can we look elsewhere if we offer them nothing in return?

(Oops, this is obviously Becks hijacking WHB's account!)

[bedders]

The mere mortals question is just an opinion. If you want to go to one, then go to it, you don't have to convince others to go as well. I'm sure you won't be on your own at either. I personally will be at the Oxford City Race, whether or not UDOC decide to travel down (I hope we do), and I'm confident it will be superb, with or without the squad.

[RJ]

...will people like Craft be so keen to sponsor the squad in future if amazing opportunities like this are publicly turned down?

Before we get carried away with this notion of impending doom for sponsorship because of non attendance at the Oxford Sprint.... I am sure BOF and Craft have a sponsorship deal where both parties agree what each require of the other..... The Oxford Sprint may or may not be part of that deal. Do you know "WHB"?

Once we have an answer to that then perhaps the slanging match can have some basis for continuing........!!

[awk]

Sorry awk, but that is out of order

Completely perplexed as to why.

[Becks]

It was me, WHB is my flat mate who's login was still open on the laptop.

If you read carefully, I wasn't actually talking about Craft and BOF, I was talking about future opportunities. When further sponsors come up offering potential support and go, what can you give us, you can say, "well , they'll disappear off into a forest wearing your kit twice a year for 90 mins or so," or, "look at these fantastic photos of us promoting your brand in one of Britain's major city centres - this is the kind of opportunity we're giving you." Considering what Mike was saying about the visibility of the sport needing improving, this just seems a bit contradictory.

But then, I am maybe just biased, I invested a lot of time and emotion in the original Oxford race, which has faced setback after setback. I'm glad to see it's getting support from others such as Bedders and AWK, because it's going to be totally amazing.