COMPLETELY USELESS RANDOM FACT – Did you know … With South Africa as the defending champions of the 2023 Rugby World Cup,there are over 200 parkrun events in South Africa.

UPCOMING ROAD RELAY AND CROSS COUNTRY FIXTURES FOR THE NEXT 5 WEEKS, WHICH COVERS THE PERIOD THURSDAY 14 SEPTEMBER UNTIL WEDNESDAY 18 OCTOBER – The SBH 2023-2024 Winter Fixture Card will be issued and posted on the SBH website from Mid September – http://sbharriers.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixture-cards/

SOUTHERN SENIOR MEN’S, WOMEN’S AND YOUNG ATHLETES ROAD RELAYS – Takes place on Saturday 23 September at the Rushmoor Arena, Aldershot (Satnav GU11 1PZ).
Timetable – 10.30 U13 Boys (3 x 3000m), 10.58 U13 Girls (3 x 3000m), 11.26 U15 Boys (3 x 3000m), 11.53 U15 Girls (3 x 3000m), 12.30 U17 Men (3 x 4600m), 12.32 U17 Women (3 x 4600m), 13.30 U20, Senior, Master 40+ & 50+ Women (4 x 6000m), 15.15 U20 & Senior Men (6 x 6000m), 15.15 Masters 40+ & 50+ Men (4 x 6000m)
Note: You will have to be pre-entered by your respective Team Manager
Entries Closed

NORTH WEST LONDON LEAGUE – The first fixture of five takes place on Saturday 30 September at the Tir Chonail Gaelic Sports Club, at the end of Berkeley Avenue, Greenford (Satnav UB6 0NZ).
For age-groups U11, U13 & U15 Boys and Girls.
Directions – turn off Greenford Road (A4127), opposite the entrance to the Glaxo Factory. The playing fields are at the end of Berkeley Avenue. Car parking spaces is limited and we had considerable problems with too many cars at recent fixtures. If you can share cars please, also do not park on the areas marked out for the course.
Timetable – Still to be issued.
Note: You do not have to be pre-entered, just turn up and run. Will any of our Female athletes please see JEREMY SOTHCOTT who will give you a race number

NATIONAL ROAD RELAYS – Takes place on Saturday 7 October at Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield, Town Gate Entrance, Birmingham (Satnav B73 6BU).
Timetable – 11.00 U13 Boys, 11.05 U13 Girls, 12.00 U15 Boys, 12.05 U15 Girls, 12.50 U17 Men, 12.55 U17 Women. All races are 3 Legs of 3.88km. 14.00 Senior Men 6 Legs of 5.848km. 14.10 Senior Women 4 Legs of 4.33km. To qualify, the Senior Mens team have to finish in the first 25 at the Southern Road Relays on 23 September.
Entries Closing Date Friday 29 September
Note: You will have to be pre-entered by your respective Team Manager

START FITNESS METROPOLITAN LEAGUE – The first fixture of five takes place on Saturday 14 October at Claybury, Essex.
The following will be updated once the full information is published on the Metropolitan League website.
Course Location – Claybury Park, Roding Lane North, Woodford Green (Satnav IG8 8NN).
Race HQ – Start/Finish in Claybury Park.
Changing Facilities – Ashton Playing Fields Track, Chigwell Road (Satnav IG8 8AA). 10 minutes walk from course, limited shower facilities. No toilets on course, use Ashton Playing Fields.
Refreshments – Light refreshments throughout the afternoon at the WGEL clubhouse at Ashton Playing Fields. The club bar may be open after the senior men’s race.
Travel – Where possible, please use public transport, walk or cycle. If travelling by car, please car share to reduce the impact and check for restrictions that may be in effect in the area (Ultra Low Emission Zone for example). Please also park with consideration of others, especially if using on-street parking. The league and/or host club(s) do not warrant the accuracy of the information provided so take no responsibility for any fines or charges that may be levied.
Public transport – Woodford Underground Station (Central Line). Take trains with Loughton or Epping destination. 10 minute walk from station along Snakes Lane East to Ashton Playing Fields.
By Car – Use the A406 eastbound /M11 northbound junction and branch left onto A1400 signposted Gants Hill and then A113 at roundabout signposted Chigwell onto Chigwell Road. Ashton Playing Fields IG8 8AA is 800 metres away.
Claybury is outside the Ultra Low Emmission Zone, this is a Link to the map showing the new Ultra Low Emmission Zone, which is in Green – ulez-boundary-map-part-2
Link to check if your car is chargeable for the ULEZ – https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/check-your-vehicle/
Parking – Approximately 150 spaces at Ashton Playing Fields (IG8 8AA). Parking in the vicinity of Claybury Park is impossible or extremely limited. Please look out for any restrictions and do not block access to any properties. There is virtually no parking in the Roding Lane North area because of residential parking. You are advised to park at Ashton Playing Fields and make the 10 minute walk to the course. You MUST NOT park on the grass triangle in Roding Lane North so as to avoid confrontation with residents. Any inconsiderate parking could jeopardise the future of the races.
To walk to the course from Ashton Playing Fields, take Gaynes Hill Road (opposite) to Roding Lane North (10 Minutes).
Course Details – Parkland setting , undulating course, with one steep climb on each large lap on grass and woodland paths. On certain sections the course width is limited.
The timetable is approximate and subject to change without notice where necessary. Please plan to arrive early and listen for any announcements. The timetable is approximate and subject to change without notice where necessary. Please plan to arrive early and listen for any announcements. Care is required particularly in the senior men’s race on the narrow downhill start.
Map of Course – Awaiting to be published.
Timetable – 12.00 Under 11 Boys/Girls (Over 9), 12.10 Under 13 Boys, 12.20 Under 13 Girls, 12.30 Under 15 Boys and Under 17, 12.45 Under 15 Girls and Under 17 Women, 13.00 Under 20, Senior and Veteran Women, 13.45 Under 20, Senior and Veteran Men.
Note: You do not have to be pre-entered, just turn up and run.
Please collect your race numbers from the respective team managers – SIMON KEENE
JEREMY SOTHCOTT or JO KENT
Please go to Start Fitness Metropolitan League web site www.metleague.co.uk for final information.

START FITNESS METROPOLITAN LEAGUE RACE NUMBERS – I have been asked to remind you that your race number must be kept by yourselves, and is to be used for all 5 fixtures.

CROSS COUNTRY POINTS CHAMPIONSHIPS – The Metropolitan League at Claybury is the first race in the SBH Points Championships.

PETER MATTHEWS, STATISTICIAN EXTRAORDINAIRE, DIES – The following article was published on the Athletics Weekly website recently. Photograph of PETER with STEVE OVETT taked by MARK SHEARMAN.

Highly respected British track and field expert has been one of the sport’s leading writers and commentators for more than half a century. PETER MATTHEWS, one of the most respected voices in athletics and arguably the world’s foremost track and field statistician, has died aged 78. After a lifetime in the sport where he excelled as a statistician, book editor, stadium announcer, radio and television commentator, historian and club president with Enfield & Haringey, he passed away in his sleep in the early hours of Saturday (Sept 9) after having had a recent history of heart problems. At his time of death he was long-time editor of the International Athletics Annual and chairman of the NUTS (National Union of Track Statisticians). In addition, he compiled the Athletics International newsletter as a solo venture following the death of his co-editor, Mel Watman, in 2021 and he was part-way through the next issue with his desk covered with notes and results when he died. MATTHEWS was born on January 6 in 1945 in Fareham in Hampshire and he joined the NUTS in 1966. He was involved in the British Athletics League in its early days in the late 1960s and by 1970 he worked as an announcer at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

In-stadia announcing became a big part of MATTHEWS life as he went on to enjoy this role at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, the 2003 World Indoors in Birmingham, the 2006 European Championships in Gothenburg and countless domestic events in the UK. With a clear and commanding voice together with encyclopaedic knowledge, he attracted plenty of radio and television work too, broadcasting for BBC radio from 1975-85 before switching to ITV from 1985-1996 and then Channel 4, Sky Sports and the IAAF.

But it was as a book editor where his work had possibly the greatest impact and endured over several decades. In 1984 he began a long period as editor of the International Athletics Annual, for example, produced by the worldwide Association of Track & Field Statisticians (ATFS), ahead of its 1985 edition and turned it into a brilliantly in-depth summary of the year’s performances. Indeed, his editor’s notes in the ATFS annual were a must-read and he was never afraid to voice strong views on the sport. In particular he was exasperated in recent years by the dwindling number of competitive opportunities on home soil for British athletes – especially the loss of the traditional international matches that used to fill the summer – and he was fiercely critical of UKA’s selection strategy for last month’s World Championships in Budapest. Similarly, he edited the British Athletics Annual from 1980 onwards before it became more of a joint operation in recent years. As the internet began to take its effect, these statistical books became less popular but they were still being published when he died.

Outside athletics he was editor of the Guinness Book of Records from 1991-95 after previously having worked as a sports editor at the famous publication. Perhaps most impressively of all was his compilation of the UK merit rankings. He began putting these together in painstaking style in 1967 and more than half a century later he was still publishing them in the AW magazine or website at the close of last year.

While his knowledge and influence of the sport was truly international, he was deeply involved with the sport at grassroots level in the UK and served as president of Borough of Enfield Harriers and, following a merger, Enfield and Haringey AC for 25 years. In recent years he was also president of the UK Counties Athletics Union too. Such achievements led to him being awarded the prestigious RON PICKERING Memorial Award for Services to Athletics in 2009 whereas in 2018 he was inducted into the England Athletics hall of fame.

ATHLETICS RELATED JOKE – KARL MARX is a historical famous figure, but nobody ever mentions is sister ONYA MARKS– who invented the starting pistol.

SHAFTESBURY BARNET HARRIERS ON INSTAGRAM– Since the account was setup towards the end of last year, there has been an amazing amount of Videos and Photographs contributed with many comments. There is 1 post this week.

Photograph of SBH athletes at the Eastern Young Athletes League Top 6 Final.

SHAFTESBURY BARNET HARRIERS NEW INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT– Many thanks to SEAN SUTHERLAND who undertook a review on the best way forward, following this a decision was made to set up a new account, and SEAN has now set that account up.
To follow our newInstagram account, from your own account, by searching for ‘shaftesbury_barnet’ or by clicking https://www.instagram.com/shaftesbury_barnet/
To Members and Parents, if you wish for any photographs to be posted on Instagram, please email them to sbh.instagram@outlook.com  If you can at the same time give details on when and where the photographs was taken, plus any other comments.
Please feel free to post photographs of any special occasion, for example, your wedding day, an addition to the family.

THE FOLLOWING IS CLUB INFORMATION ON VARIOUS TOPICS

SBH 2023-2024 WINTER FIXTURE CARD – Will be issued and published on the SBH website, during mid September. 
Link to the document which gives details of the Metropolitan and North West London league dates/venues, remaining Cross Country league dates/venues, Cross Country points and club championship races and Road Relay dates/venues – SBH Winter Fixture Card Information

GEORGE HARRISON MBE MEMORIAL DOCUMENT – The document has been put together with contributors from LISA WEBB, MARTIN ROCHFORD, NADEEM SHAIKH, RACHEL FELTON, LIAM and JAMIE DEE, JAMES LOVELL, EMILIA ECONOMU, ALAN WELLER,  KAREN HARRISON,  TIM UNDERHILL, GLEN WATTS, JOANNA WINFIELD, SHAUN CLIFFORD and EUAN MACKENZIE – Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers Memorial To George Harrison From Friends And Members 20 April 2023
If you wish to contribute your own memories and/or photographs of GEORGE, please email them to me, either within the email or as a separate attached word document.

CODES OF CONDUCT – SBH have now adopted the UK Athletics (UKA) and the Home Country Athletics Federations (HCAF) Codes of Conduct which set out national standards of conduct for all clubs, coaches, officials, volunteers and athletes in the sport.  The purpose of the codes are to clarify what behaviours are acceptable and unacceptable, the standards of practice expected and the basis for challenging and improving practice.  The Codes are similar to our previous Codes of Conduct which were part of the previous ClubMark scheme.  All club member and anyone undertaking a relevant role must agree to abide by the codes of conduct. The Codes of Conduct have now been put onto our Website, please read these to understand the commitments you are making by being a member of SBH.
Link to the Code of Conduct document – Codes Of Conduct Booklet 2021 (1)

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION OF INTEREST CAN BE FOUND ON THE SBH WEBSITE BY USING THIS LINK – http://sbharriers.co.uk/
Section ‘About Us’, includes Annual Reports, Best Performance Trophy Awards, Individual And Relay Best Performances By Year, Club Records and SBH All-Time Top 10 T&F Performances.
Section ‘Team Managers And Competitions’, shows details of Track & Field, Cross Country and Road Relays Team Managers.
Section ‘Future Information/Results’, includes Information On Each Fixture, Summer & Winter Fixture Cards, Winter X/C Points Tables and Winter Club Championships Winners.