Survey now closed. Report on results coming shortly
EA Registration Survey
The announcement a few weeks ago that the England Athletics registration fees were being increased from £5.00 to £20.00 for track & field athletes and to £10.00 for road runners has sent shock waves through the UKA Clubs and the regional Masters Clubs including our own. Just look at the increase, a four fold increase in one go! How can that be justified? It affects Midland Masters because we register our 1st Claim members with EA as do the UKA Clubs with our other members. We have already had to pass a resolution at this year’s AGM to increase our own subscription, this was announced in plenty of time for 2013, standing orders have been altered and already 2013 renewals are coming in. Now another change!
New members joining us between the 1st October and 31st December continue membership to us through all of the following year. If they have to be registered, we pay immediately but we have to pay again to cover them from the 1st April. Currently we only ask for one £5.00 and we absorb the other payment. At £20.00 we will no longer be able to do this.
Another issue is whether road runners should be singled out for a lower payment. By and large road runners compete all year round. An athlete who for example only competes at shot put in the summer months, has to pay double the road runners registration. Is this fair?
We are seeking your opinions. Please take time to fill in the online survey. Please click on the link below
Take the survey by clicking HERE … Take Our Survey!
Also please feel free to start a discussion using the ‘Comments’ below. And don’t forget the post ratings above…..
_________________
If you have difficulty opening the Survey from the above link, please try this … http://rockontom.polldaddy.com/s/ea-registration
Midland Masters Athletic Club 
Posted on behalf of a member..
I have managed to read it and have done the survey. No big objection to paying £10, but not happy about the “super-tax” bracket for Track & Field guys. I don’t think it will not help the cause, and could be quite divisive as well as more complicated to administer for clubs.
Regards
Martin Ludford
Posted by Tom Morris | October 22, 2012, 9:25 amHi All … I have completed the online version with some observations contained therein. Must also agree with the majority of the comments already posted. Perhaps the Regions/Countries under BMAF should knock heads together, and almost be prepared to declare a form of UDI [to the younger Members “A unilateral declaration of Independence”. I’m sure a Researcher can tell us what %age we as Masters make up of the total membership of UKA. Can they, UKA afford to lose our fees? Also, to those of us who are proper pensioners, and encouraged to remain fit, to ease the pressure on the NHS, should we be exempt completely, after all it’s similar to a “Bus Pass”!
Posted by clivejames | October 21, 2012, 4:54 pmA few stats for all – our membership consists of the following… Ages 35-44 = 18%; 45-54 = 28%; 55-64 = 20%; 65-74 = 24%; 75-84 = 8% and 85+ = 2%
A third, 33%, are 65 and over and a quarter of these are between 65 & 74, these are the age groups that I believe will be hardest hit by these increases.
I suspect a lot will declare “not competing” thus will be exempt from paying the registration fees.
Posted by Tom Morris | October 22, 2012, 9:18 amThanks Tom … do you have an idea of the %age of Masters making up the total affiliated members of UKA, for all the specified disciplines?
Posted by clivejames | October 24, 2012, 7:36 pmI’m afraid this stat. is something only EA could tell us. Certainly most road races have a good proportion of masters competing. My guess is that T&F has a lower percentage. But what the figure are, I don’t know
Posted by Tom Morris | October 24, 2012, 7:48 pmThe fee increase is indeed shocking. We have to be careful of knee-jerk reactions that could do more harm than good to the cause of athletics in England / the UK, but a considered response may still need to be hard-hitting. Doing and saying nothing now could mean waiting to watch people drift away from organised athletics because something had to give and this was it.
EA’s AGM takes place at Alexander Stadium on 27th October. The fee increase is not mentioned on the Agenda, but surely it will come up for discussion one way or another. EA’s accounts for the year to 31 March 2012 are on the Agenda. They show that Staff Costs rose from £2.2m in 2010/11 to £2.8m in 2011/12, and the number of employees rose from 56 to 72. On the positive side, Directors’ emoluments fell from £213k to £94k.
Posted by Adrian lloyd | October 19, 2012, 2:13 pmSame day as the EAMA meeting!!!
Posted by Tom Morris | October 19, 2012, 3:29 pmHIYA. JUST A THOUGHT..ALL MASTERS CLUBS SHOULD RECEIVE LOTTERY FUNDING!!!( SORRY ABOUT THE SHOUTING BUT I FIND IT FAR EASIER) REGARDS, JOHN
Posted by JOHN BLACKWELL | October 19, 2012, 8:51 amDear Tom,
I can’t find the survey, when I click on the link, it just takes me to your blog. Apart from the massive increase in fees, I feel very strongly that the registration fee structure will put a major road block in persuading road runners to give track athletics a try.
William Scott
william@scottnotts.com
+44 (0)7971 519537
Posted by William Scott | October 19, 2012, 12:25 amWhen you click on “Take Our Survey” it should open a pop up box. Make sure your system allows pop up boxes for this website.
Otherwise try this link http://rockontom.polldaddy.com/s/ea-registration
Posted by Tom Morris | October 19, 2012, 8:55 amI have completed the survey.
With £20 for my club subscription, a further £20 for EA and £14 for MMAC membership. Somethings got to give.
Posted by Steve Hillman | October 18, 2012, 10:17 pmMy worry is that for our 1st Claim Members, the EA fee is now much more than our subs. MMAC offers a lot in return for our £14, I don’t get paid, neither do your officers. Club Secretaries also have to administer their own members registration fees, not EA! UKA Club subscriptions can be £50 or more. As you say, something has to give. I just hope that MMAC doesn’t suffer.
Posted by Tom Morris | October 19, 2012, 9:02 amAfter all the slogans during the Olympics this summer – “getting everyone into Sport”, this is a retrograde step. It increase doubles Club Membership and our Club also has to affiliate to EA for Cross-country and T & F. We have not received any help towards facilities – monies being made are not filtering down to grass roots. I suspect what isn’t being used to pay for the administration of this scheme is making up a short-fall following the Olympics. We get prolific glossy brochures and EA Membership cards (often duplicated if we are involved in coaching, officiating and/or competing) sent out in large envelopes with new incentives: Most fade, with little progress. I don’t think EA have grasped that there is a vast turnover in membership of youngsters and adults many of whom try the sport, perhaps do a marathon challenge and leave. So this paper work takes up a lot of time.
As a Veteran Athlete will I be bothering to come back into competitive athletics next year, when I’m sixty?
Posted by Joyce Barrus | October 18, 2012, 7:03 pmHi Tom;
I’m just about to complete the survey & i’m guessing Birchfield & many other Clubs (Local & National) will be carrying out similar surveys.
I did find the announcement a little hard to swallow & if i recall correctly, the ‘alleged’ sentiment behind it was to pay for ‘better Grass Roots Support & Coaching’…
Out of interest, does EA or any other Governing Body, operate a ‘pay it back’ policy whereby Athletes who’ve been assisted/funded by the ‘public purse’ & become successful (e.g. All of our recent Medalists) pay a percentage of their new sponsorship deals / increased earnings back into the organisation to support ‘Future Talent’ programmes?
I’m guessing the answer is No!?
It might have escaped EA’s notice but we’re currently in the middle of a double dip recession & many hard working members of the public (in Private & Public Sector Industries) haven’t had a Pay Rise in over 3 years!
So how will this increase help, when the people & Clubs it’s hitting are already struggling financially?
I can see some ‘casual member’s letting their UKA memberships lapse…
I’ll be in London on Saturday, Marching for a Fairer Future For All; maybe EA should take note as well!
Posted by phil innamorati | October 18, 2012, 4:47 pm