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Sunday 28th October saw 55 members of the Northern Athletics Officials' Association come to the annual conference at Cleckheaton to enjoy a day of athletics-based talk and a chat with colleagues over a good lunch.

To allow time after the Paralympics to organize the conference the date was later than usual but that had no significant effect on the turnout.  However an unforeseen clash with the England Athletics Hall of Fame Evening meant that David Littlewood who had been due to address the conference couldn’t make it. The National award for Services to Officiating made to David at the dinner was well deserved and is recognition for all he has done over the years.

The members of the Association were still entertained by two excellent speakers. 

David Brown gave us an insight into the workings of the UKA Welfare Department and the work they do to protect young and vulnerable athletes. When he started talking about the work done to ensure that our starters have access to the correct guns and the controls necessary to keep guns in the sport you began to understand a little of what goes on behind the scenes. 

David also gave us behind the scenes look into what it takes to run track races down the middle of one of Manchester’s main streets as they do every year at the City Games.  Like everyone else at the conference David had London 2012 memories to share and these were captured in an interesting series of photographs.

Our other speaker Mike Dooling also had London 2012 memories and photographs to share but as well as the competition in the stadium, Mike had the honour of carrying the Olympic Flame on the torch relay and that too had been a fantastic experience.

All in all a fine end to the track and field season for 2012. Roll on 2013.

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