Book - Next one underway

Delving into the archive …. Even at this early stage, the next book which covers the Scottish Rally Championship 2000 to 2009 will have a slightly different look to it. Although the format will remain the same, the content will feature some differences.

For instance the 2001 rallying season in the UK was not long started when disaster struck the farming community. Foot & Mouth disease was detected amongst herds and flocks in northern England in February and by March it had spread further south and into Scotland. In a bid to contain the disease many farms were closed to public access and ‘No Go’ areas created across vast swathes of farmland, countryside and forestry properties.

Given the nature of the sport, stage rallying suffered badly, as did many other countryside sports and pursuits, so the Scottish Championship committee took the reluctant but understandable decision to cancel the Scottish Rally Championship in 2001.

Some rallies had actually taken place before the bans came into force. By September things were back under control albeit being very carefully managed and monitored. Access to the countryside was gradually relaxed enabling rallying to take to the forests and gravel roads once again.

With that in mind the review of the 2001 ‘championship’ season will look rather different in the next book but there will be some Scottish stage rally reports from that year.

There will be some changes to the ‘Personality’ sections at the back of the book because as we all know only too well, a terrible tragedy took place in 2007 which had an impact on sport right across the world.

That was followed in 2008 by a unique and remarkable memorial rally event in Scotland which will also feature prominently in the next book.

It goes without saying that these matters will be handled factually and sensitively as befits someone who was known personally to many of us, and to the many thousands of rally followers right across the globe.

With a wee bit of luck the book should be completed and ready for publication by late Summer. Onwards and upwards, eh?

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