Southern Centre Trials Championship

By Mike Wiseman

By the time you read this article I should have uploaded the Centre Championship points table with the third and fourth Championship rounds points which were to be held on the IOW and we would be looking forward to the XHG VE75 trial scheduled for the May Bank Holiday Friday, but instead we are all wondering what will happen to our sport in the last eight months of 2020, and there are some very clean bikes out there waiting to get dirty.

The Clubs who have had to cancel events have indicated, that subject to restrictions being lifted, land availability, and helpers support they will reschedule later in the year.

Waltham Chase have their first Centre Championship round, The George Greenland Trophy, scheduled for the 28th June, with the Keith Marshall Pre-65 and Twin Shock round in the diary for the 26th July. With both dates being close to month ends they are at risk of being cancelled if restrictions are moved from the first of the month. Alton & District may be a little luckier with their Selbourne Solo scheduled for August 2nd.

If Clubs are able to reschedule cancelled Trials later in the year, we may have to do some calendar rearranging to accommodate, but these are unprecedented times and exceptional actions may have to be taken.

It would be a shame if the Centre Championship does not run in 2020, however the health and safety of riders, families, helpers and in fact everyone is the biggest concern now.

I have been asked "when do you think things will get back to normal"? I wish I knew, and wonder what normal will look like in the future. A couple of thoughts I will share are in relation to Landowners and Observers; will Landowners welcome us back on to their land and will we have Observers who are prepared to "clip punch cards". May be time to look out the old score sheets!

However, on a brighter note, and being the optimist, the Annual Awards Presentation is provisionally booked for February 20th, 2021. Let’s hope that by then Covid 19 is behind us and that we will have something to celebrate

Keep safe. Looking forward to a wet and cold day in the woods again with the Trials community .

Southern Centre Trials Sub Committee Meeting

With Trials being the discipline with the most local activity it was proposed at the last Southern Centre Board meeting that representatives from all Centre Clubs, and others with an interest in Trials, meet towards the end of 2020 to review the current season and to plan for 2021.

Whilst it is so easy these days to share information by email and social media you are never sure if all those who need to know are included and updated in messages. For this reason, the meeting was proposed with all involved able to share and air views collectively and being able to meet socially.

On the agenda could be items including dates, classifications for Championship Rounds and whatever everyone wants to discuss.

The suggestion is to hold a meeting sometime in November, as long as movement restrictions are lifted, at the Southampton and District Club HQ in Southampton on a weekday evening. Refreshments will be provided by the Centre.

An invitation will be sent to all Trials Club contacts as listed in the ACU Handbook. If you are not currently listed in the handbook, please contact me and I will add you to the invite list.

Even if the main contact is not available it would be good if all Clubs could be represented. I will keep you updated .