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Assume that a national relay team - the GBR M65 4x200m relay team at the World Masters Indoors Linz 2006 for instance - has been detailed on the Final Call Room List. The Call Room officials have escorted the relay team from the Call Room onto the competition area.

May the national team leader then enter the competition area and attempt to substitute with a runner who is not on the Final Call Room List?

The context is the item posted January 13, 2007:
http://www.masterstrack.com/news2007/treacher.html

On 6 April 2007 I receive the following response from a regional official:

"I have been in contact with the person who was the Call Room Manager at the XXXXX Championships for their thoughts on the matter.

The gist of their reply was that it was a matter for the Call Room Referee or the Track Referee at the meeting to decide on anything that arose. This ties in with IAAF Rule 125 which gives the Referees the authority to decide on any matter not covered by the rules & regulations.

So, in the absence of specific rules laid down by your federation, the procedures adopted become an operational matter under the control of the Call Room Referee and/or Track Referee at that particular meeting.

Perhaps the correct procedure at the time may have been to approach the Call Room Manager/Track Referee for a ruling on the matter.

I am sorry that I cannot provide the definitive answer that you were looking for, but it appears that there isn't one".

I sincerely thank my contributor for his trouble. Any other expert official opinions?

Anthony

On 17 May 2007 - after a delay of eight months - I finally received the following birthday present from the WMA:

This pathetic e-mail is actually a sensation - in particular Point 2 - for those affected by this matter. Unfortunately Point 2 still avoids the point as to whether or not the BMAF team leader broke the rules at Linz in entering the competition area and attempting to substitute with a runner who was not on the Final Call Room List.

The Linz, Austria organisers - who could resolve this final question - refuse to reply to me. That is unfortunate. Not only does it demonstrate lack of Zivilkurage. It is also grossly impolite to me, a former WMA fee-paying athlete and guest of the Austrians at Linz. It is unjust to me, as I cannot prove my case without their input. To be generous to the Austrians, I assume that the WMA Secretary, who is also the BMAF Chairman, has gagged them as he has gagged everyone else in this matter.

In the absence of further input I interpret Point 2 as vindicating me in my complaint against my BMAF Team leader for breaking the rules at Linz and in my assertion that I did not break any rules of competition at Linz.

I "go on" about this because the BMAF Chairman has consistently alleged wrongdoing by me during the competition at Linz. He has suspended me from BMAF-affiliated competition for one year with reference to Rules for Competition.

If I did nothing wrong at Linz, then my suspension should be rescinded. The person - the British Team Leader possibly - who did break the rules of competition at Linz should be disciplined.

Anthony Treacher
M65 British Athlete

For those who are still interested in this WMA-BMAF Linz Scandal (maybe "Get a Life?"), anyway:

On 17 May I sent an e-mail reply to the "WMA VP-Stadia Chair: Stadia Committee" concerning his ambiguous e-mail above. I posed a number of questions and requested a response to clarify what the rules actually were at Linz, who broke them, etc.

Judging from my experience with the BMAF and the WMA with its BMAF Chairman-cum-WMA Secretary, I obviously cannot expect a response. I am only a BMAF and WMA fee-paying athlete. This scandal has been covered up for 14 months already. I will be 80 years-of-age in 144 months - I am acutely aware that my competition time is running out. So I will cut the cackle.

If I do not get a response to my 17 May e-mail within 2 weeks (that is Thursday 31 May 2007) I will post my questions to WMA VP-Stadia Chair: Stadia Committee" on this topic. I will also regretfully - I liked the Linz people - further take up the matter with the Linz organisers, gagged or not..

It just cannot be that my BMAF Team Leader or anyone is allowed to flout the normal rules - IAAF rules, "Linz rules", any rules - in this manner and get away with it.

I have from the very start in March 2006 advocated a discrete, off-line solution to this disgusting matter. Call me if you are interested, anyone.

Anthony Treacher
M65 British Athlete (and not particularly proud of the British part)

For those who are still interested in this WMA-BMAF Linz Scandal (maybe "Get a Life?"), anyway(2):

As expected, the WMA's Rex Harvey has not responded to my May 17 e-mail.

Accordingly I have today requested the British Athletics Weekly Forum readers to contact the British Team Manager and the Linz organisers directly - to ask them whether or not the British Team Manager had permission to enter the competition area in order to substitute a runner who was not on the Final Call Room List. Ref. http://www.athletics-weekly.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=1, Post subject: "M65 sprinter banned for speaking out."

The responses of the British Team Manager and the Linz organisers should finally settle the question of culpability for what happened at Linz.

Anthony Treacher

E-mail 25 August 2008 from Rex Harvey, WMA VP-Stadia (my underline at end):


Thank you Rex Harvey. This finally validates Anthony Treacher's original 2006 complaint against British Team Manager Maurice Doogan for putting the GBR M65 4x200m relay team at risk of disqualification. It was Anthony's subsequent public protests that the BMAF ignored his complaint against the British Team Manager that led to Anthony's 2007 suspension.

The British Masters Athletics Federation (BMAF) owes Anthony Treacher an apology.