In other words, the cyclists got their act together rather quicker than the rallyists.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but the sport of rallying should have seen the dust trails blowing over the horizon and acted sooner to protect its interests. Indeed there were discussions at the time about the sport’s governing body buying forests, but these came to nought. The RAC MSA, as was, regarded itself as being in the business of governing and regulating not acquisition and organising.
Over the years, there have indeed been other attempts by private companies and individuals to invest in and buy forestry land not just to ‘farm’ the timber, but to create rally schools and even dedicated rally venues for all clubs to use, but very few of these have ever come to successful fruition. Whereas an entrepreneur can see where the investment goes in permanent track facilities, the nomadic nature of rallying with no permanent and centralised HQ does not offer the same attraction and security.
Another attempt was lost in 2003. Proposals and plans were submitted in the early 2000s to South Lanarkshire Council for the creation of a National Rally Sport Centre and Outdoor Pursuit Centre at a former open cast coal mine with good access to the nearby M74 motorway. The idea envisaged the creation of a forested complex which would provide a network of maintained gravel roads big enough to host single venue rallies. Like the current Sweet Lamb complex in Wales, only bigger.
To make the idea more appealing, other outdoor pursuits would have access to the site and its facilities, such as mountain biking and motor cycling, orienteering and cross country athletics, equine eventing and archery, plus hosting school groups and youth clubs. There were also additional commercial attractions with the planting of timber to populate what was a barren site and its ability to host outdoor shows and exhibitions. The project had attracted private financial support but the local Council matching cash injection was subject to the plan’s approval by the sport’s governing body.
Despite a site visit and tour by the then Chief Exec of the RAC MSA, that approval was not forthcoming. A body blow to the small team behind the idea and which left a bitter taste in the gut. All that was needed was a signed letter of approval, not cash, the financial support was already in place but conditional.
It was subsequently claimed that the RAC MSA had their own plans for such a centre in Wales, then they had plans for regional centres, and the final excuse, Scotland was too far away for a national centre of sporting excellence – try telling that to a certain international and hugely successful rallying enterprise in Cumbria.
Had this been successful it might well have paved the way to more such specialised sites.
The situation has now become even more complicated with the Forestry Commission being split up into ‘national’ regions, Forestry & Land Scotland, Forestry England, Natural Resources Wales and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Forest Service in Northern Ireland while on the political front Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland now have their own governments with responsibility for rural affairs.
Once again rallying found itself out of step as the British governing body is not devolved and is still tasked with managing the sport across the whole of the UK. That means they have to deal with four separate government ministers and departments, four separate Sports Councils and four separate forestry companies.
Fortunately, Wales got its act together rather more quickly than the other home nations with their ‘Rally 4 Wales’ initiative while Northern Ireland has a pretty pro-active motor sports council which therefore suggests that Scotland needs its own ‘devolved’ body to deal with sporting matters. There have been too many false starts here with the Scottish Motor Sports Federation, then the Scottish Motor Sport Development Group and most recently, Scottish Motor Sport but we don’t seem to be getting off the Start line. Surely a kick in the teeth for the nation which has produced four World Rally Champions.
In all fairness the Scottish Rally Championship Executive Committee have been busy building relationships with FLS but they need more clout and more support, otherwise the most forested region in the British Isles will be allowed to host the least number of stage rallies.
No one appears to have the answer, so we need a new (radical?) approach with some serious out of the box thinking. To engage with the civil servants who run FLS, the clubs will need some serious backing and influence. That means getting MSUK and the Scottish Sports Council on board, but more than that, we need a plan.
One possibility might involve a partnership approach or joint-management proposal. Perhaps allowing the sport to assume management rights for certain forests and be able to determine which sports could take place where and when, while at the same time allowing FLS to keep the timber rights. That’s a daunting task for an amateur sport to consider but within the sport there are a good number of entrepreneurial and highly successful business people who could bring their own commercial expertise to the negotiations.
At the moment we have no idea how much road building costs are, nor the cost of maintenance, nor the quality standards that have been determined by FLS. That also means we have no idea that the charges being levied by FLS for the use of these publicly owned forests are properly costed and fair. That’s why a sit-down face-to-face meeting with FLS on one side and a joint approach from the Scottish Car Clubs, the sport’s governing body, the Scottish Sports Council, one or two independent civil engineering contractors and the support of some influential, high profile business folk might just get some answers. Once we’ve got answers, we can make a plan.
Difficult yes, but doable? Why not? The expertise is out there.
Forty years ago, a certain championship co-ordinator arranged his own meeting with the Forestry Commission hierarchy at their HQ in Corstorphine in Edinburgh. It was a most interesting, illuminating, educational and enjoyable discussion with both sides listening to the other’s views, but ultimately nothing could be done as the FC could only deal with a nationally recognised sporting authority. There was one outcome though, the co-ordinator in question got a ticking-off from motor sport’s CEO for going behind their back! It makes one wonder if anything has changed.
On the other hand, over recent years Forest & Land
Scotland have sold off a few forests, which means all we need now is a big EuroMillions
Lottery winning rally fan. Sorted, eh?
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