Decision on future of Rally GB location in four weeks ?
publication date: Aug 17, 2009
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author/source: Roger Gale
Controversy still whirls around the Rally Great Britain with plans to move the event to the North of Britain seemingly becoming crucial to the rally keeping a place in the World Rally Championship.
It is believed that IMS – the organisers of Rally GB – have just four weeks to finalise plans to switch the rally from Cardiff to Newcastle, an insider quoted as saying “We move North or we don’t have a round of the WRC in Britain”.
Funding for the Newcastle based rally is believed to be coming from Northeast and Northwest Development Agencies and four local authorities in the region, though such bodies may also be casting an eye over the WAG reports of poor real returns.
Organisers have also conceded that – with the rally being based in Wales for so long – there may be problems with existing Welsh volunteers whose experience is vital being prepared to travel to Carlisle, and also in meeting such costs. The rally has not been in the North since 1995, and thus recruiting experienced Marshals may also be a logistical nightmare.
That said, the rally route co-ordinator Andrew Kellit is a former Clerk of the Course of the Newcastle & Carlisle based Pirelli International Rally, and there are few that know the territory better.
At the same time, certain WRC events are receiving five year contracts. Rally Finland is the latest and rally journalist Jerry Williams feels Rally GB is extremely unlikely to be included thus.
He recently wrote, “On the sporting side we are gold standard, but when public services belie their names and everybody feels free to tear every last pound sterling out of any opportunity – and in the rally’s case you can include the Forestry Commission, Police, Councils, Government and suchlike – it’s been on a loser for years”.
Williams continued his criticism, noting, “There’s more than a mile to go. Compare Rally Finland's Service Park with that rubbish tip in Swansea. After years there a move to the pleasantly redeveloped Cardiff Bay looks promising, but Ford and Citroen feel there is insufficient room for subsidiary teams and huge hospitality units”.
It seems that a move North may at least bring some peace to the land of our fathers from disgruntled rally insiders, notwithstanding such a move meaning a loss to Wales of the kudos of hosting a WRC event.