Nick Wright previews this weekend's clash between York City Knights and Hull FC
Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
James Tompkinson reviews an excellent pre-season victory for the York City Knights against Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos
Why do you think you would be a good York Sport President?
I am the only person from outside of the current York Sport to be running so I would represent a change. I am completely unbiased having played no previous university sport and am a believer in fairness. I want everyone's voice to be heard with me as York Sport President.
What experience would you bring to the role?
Having been Sports Editor of every student's favourite online media outlet and York Vision I bring a lot of organisational skill to the role. Being a Sports Editor is not too indifferent to being Sports President, you must keep all the clubs happy, give as much coverage to teams as possible, listen to people (for stories) and have confidence in your own ability.
How do you think Alex Lacy has done this year? Would you have acted differently?
I think Lacy has been more concerned with the 'Lacy Leviathon' than the university's sport. His lack of communication over some really big issues has been awful and his selfishness over putting through many motions against the will of the majority of sports clubs was not quite cricket. He has been more concerned with creating a legacy for himself than anything else this year.
I would have created better communication, more transparency and fairness. My policies explain how I would have acted differently.
How do you intend to boost York’s sporting achievement next year?
I will get fully behind the clubs of York and support them with qualified coaches and more efficient administration. A twice termly meeting with club representatives will also help me gauge where teams stand and if they need any extra help to push on for promotion.
This would improve York at the top and should hopefully improve all sport at York. Success breeds participation, just look at the Rugby World Cup win in 2003 boosting numbers playing rugby or the successful 2005 Ashes campaign seeing members of cricket clubs rising dramatically. BUCS success can help the entire university.
What is the most important issue that affects York Sport in the coming year?
BUCS success. As I said before, progress on the sports pitches and up the BUCS ranking has more positive connotations than many would think. A few years of real success with big clubs challenging at the top of the best leagues would see better sportsmen apply for York, higher quality university teams, higher quality college teams and York will catch the sporting bug and all standards will want to participate more.
Voting is already underway at http://www.yusu.org/elections and runs until Friday.
Would be good to get someone completely out of the YUSU and York Sport clique...
Someone who has no knowledge of what the university teams want or the current situation?
you stated in your hustings speech you dont play sport, do you think this is a hinderance?
How would you allocate grants to each club? Will you show more financial support for the smaller clubs who are potentially just as expensive as the more popular larger clubs?
#2, this is simply untrue. The fact is that his media experience interviewing and talking with many people involved with all sides of university and college sport as well as reporting on and examining impartially its current situation surely gives him a much broader and less partisan outlook than someone simply involved in playing one university sport, and the ability to analyse the state of York sport (not YorkSport) as a whole is surely far more important than ability in one particular game.
#5, that's unreasonable. 2 of the candidates take part in more than one sport, and one represents the University in 3. Also, all other candidates running hold other positions of responsibility outside of YorkSport. Not only do they have experience of York Sport, but of sport at the university in general, as Leahy represents for lacrosse and is treasurer, Scott is Hockey President, Women's cricket captain and part of the Ski race team as well as a sports rep, and Johnson has been a captain and a president within the riding club, and is press and publicity for the ski club. They all have lots of experience outside of York sport, giving them insight that Sneddon simply does not have.
That's the whole point you muppet (#6). That he's not a member of any club and therefore hasn't got a biased view to any club. No offence to Gemma but I wouldn't be too happy if I saw a extra £s going towards paying for some horses. Because He's not involved with any club He's completely impartial. And because they're all already in the clique of YorkSport, surely he offers an alternative?
Not sure how that makes anyone a muppet. You think because they're a member of a club, they're going to funnel money off to their own clubs? That's properly ridiculous. Even if you don't value the experience of individual clubs, or the experience of YorkSport, or the experience of college sport (probably the three most important things to run for a paid position as the representative of all sport at the University), surely it would be important to recognise that success breeds participation in the same way that participation breeds success.
I'd take experience over someone trumpeting the fact that they know nothing over and over again any day.
I think I'd vote for someone who has been a part of the committee, has the experience and knowledge and is aware of the difficulties that certain clubs have... and isn't simply an average commentator.
I think that if he has a passion for both university and college sport (which he clearly does) and is also capable of communicating effectively with clubs (which he claims to have done in his media positions), then I don't see why he would lack the ability to do the job.
Providing he has the personality and organisational skills to manage a committee, I am pretty sure that the rest of the elected members would be able provide him with the "knowledge of what the university teams want or the current situation" as #2 was correct to point out.
I'm sure Sneddon has lots of experience with speaking to individual club members but as anyone who has been in a university club knows, there's a huge difference to just being in a club, and being able to speak on behalf of them (ie the role of a committee member voicing legitimate concerns). Every sports person in York has their own opinions on how things should be done, but until you've been involved, either at a club committee or higher level, you're unlikely to be able to fully understand the inner workings of a club.
Even if this isn't going to be an issue, internal communication with clubs is not the only communication a president is involved in. I wonder how aware of the BUCS system and procedures Sneddon is given his acknowledgement of never participating at university level sport. The President plays a vital role in this sense, especially given York's recent appeal against pre-term walkovers being given. Is Sneddon aware of these sorts of issues, and will he be able to handle them given his relative inexperience?
#1 surely it's a little unfair to punish those who have already tried to contribute to York/sport at York by being on committees and gaining experience?
Given the fact that all but one of the current York Sport committee are graduating this year, wouldn't it be a good idea to retain at least a little experience in the President?
I don't know about you, but I don't think I'd be happy with an entire government being elected, who had never had any experience of even being MPs before...
#11 what on earth are you on about? If I remember correctly Alex Lacy was part of a club that didn't compete within the BUCS system. Just because Sneddon hasn't competed at University level standard doesn't mean that he will be any less familiar with any of the rules and regulations.
In my opinion, and this is from someone who HAS competed for the University in BUCS, the fundamental problem with sport at York is the lack of adequate facilities and coaching, improving this is the only way to attract sporting talent and raise our level of competition.
Performance must always be regarded above participation.
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