GB Athletics 2023

[Rafa Maciel 1,606]

UK Athletics could make up to TEN members of staff redundant in their battle for financial survival | Daily Mail Online

 

UK Athletics seems to be managing their finances almost as effectively as the SNP 

 

On a more serious note, it does look like UK Athletics has been woefully mismanaged over many years and whilst they can say that they are going to insulate the high performance squad, I think we are going to see the effects through significantly smaller squads for big international events.

[Rafa Maciel 1,606]

UK Athletics' death spiral continues:

 

Stephen Maguire: UK Athletics technical director leaves with immediate effect - BBC Sport

 

Depending on which source you take, Maguire leaving was either by mutual agreement or as seems more likely, he was sacked after he challenged Jack Buckner on the chronic mismanagement of the federation's finances as he prepared for the final run in to Paris and the announcement of the 23/24 athlete funding settlement which is due in early November. 

 

I had a feeling that the strong World Championship results were papering over the cracks in the management of the sport in the UK, but hadn't expected the s**t to hit the fan in this way as soon as this. 

 

Interestingly, we're already seeing some of the big-name athletes speaking out against the move - something we didn't see when there were complaints around the selection policy going into Budapest. If the top British athletes collectively express no confidence in the management of UK Athletics, it would be difficult to see how Buckner would be able to hold on to his position. 

[mpjmcevoy 363]

  On 10/17/2023 at 10:13 PM, Rafa Maciel said:

UK Athletics' death spiral continues:

 

Stephen Maguire: UK Athletics technical director leaves with immediate effect - BBC Sport

 

Depending on which source you take, Maguire leaving was either by mutual agreement or as seems more likely, he was sacked after he challenged Jack Buckner on the chronic mismanagement of the federation's finances as he prepared for the final run in to Paris and the announcement of the 23/24 athlete funding settlement which is due in early November. 

 

I had a feeling that the strong World Championship results were papering over the cracks in the management of the sport in the UK, but hadn't expected the s**t to hit the fan in this way as soon as this. 

 

Interestingly, we're already seeing some of the big-name athletes speaking out against the move - something we didn't see when there were complaints around the selection policy going into Budapest. If the top British athletes collectively express no confidence in the management of UK Athletics, it would be difficult to see how Buckner would be able to hold on to his position. 

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It's strange how Buckner, an athlete was so successful at British Swimming, and is having such a horror show at British Athletics. Feels like UKA may go the way of its predecessor, and simply go bust. What on earth has been going on?

[Rafa Maciel 1,606]

  On 10/17/2023 at 10:17 PM, mpjmcevoy said:

It's strange how Buckner, an athlete was so successful at British Swimming, and is having such a horror show at British Athletics. Feels like UKA may go the way of its predecessor, and simply go bust. What on earth has been going on?

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I think it is just a classic case of financial mismanagement where the organisation is run by people who may understand the sport, but do not have the necessary skills and experience in budget control, project management, contract negotiation and strategic planning. Ed Warner penned a good article on the issue earlier in the year:

 

UK Athletics' demise is a scandalous situation - Ed Warner (cityam.com)

 

Going through UK Athletics financial statements, a big part of their failure has to be their handling of broadcasting rights. They are showing no income coming in from broadcasting rights in 2022 whereas in 2021, that accounted for over 1mln GBP and in the years before that, they were raking in around 3mln GBP a year from broadcasting. Likewise, the ticket sales have plummeted through the floor - just 300,000 in 2022 compared to 1.3mln in 2020 and 3mln in 2019. 

 

[mpjmcevoy 363]

  On 10/17/2023 at 11:08 PM, Rafa Maciel said:

I think it is just a classic case of financial mismanagement where the organisation is run by people who may understand the sport, but do not have the necessary skills and experience in budget control, project management, contract negotiation and strategic planning. Ed Warner penned a good article on the issue earlier in the year:

 

UK Athletics' demise is a scandalous situation - Ed Warner (cityam.com)

 

Going through UK Athletics financial statements, a big part of their failure has to be their handling of broadcasting rights. They are showing no income coming in from broadcasting rights in 2022 whereas in 2021, that accounted for over 1mln GBP and in the years before that, they were raking in around 3mln GBP a year from broadcasting. Likewise, the ticket sales have plummeted through the floor - just 300,000 in 2022 compared to 1.3mln in 2020 and 3mln in 2019. 

 

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A big problem is that broadcast rights look to have been all but a charity donation by BBC; wildly overpaying based on mere value. Once that stopped...

 

Birmingham 2022 and the redevelopment of Alexander was supposed to be a new beginning for Birmingham, for the Commonwealth Games and for British Athletics. Seems to have become an unmitigated disaster for all three...

 

Buckner has effectively walked into a nightmare not really of his making, as Warner has hinted. Warner also noted the 'skinny' model used by British Swimming, which makes me wonder if all the key players saw this coming, and wanted Buckner precisely in place to run a 'skinny' model freed entirely from the home Nations (who seem to cause havoc across a number of sports, actually e.g. Basketball) - but at a price t the wider sport.

Edited October 18, 2023 by mpjmcevoy