The postponed Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point Club fixture at Sheriff Hutton has now been rescheduled for Saturday 25th January.
Paul Miller, PPA Chief Executive said “A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes to make the new date happen. Unfortunately, there was a lot of misinformation put out over the weekend by various parties on social media which didn’t help, creating a lot of confusion and causing emotions to run high”.
When a fixture is postponed and wants to be rescheduled, the process requires the fixture organizer to submit a request to the PPSA (Point-to-Point Secretaries Association) for a new date. The PPSA will review the proposed date and consult with any fixtures already scheduled for that day. If there are objections, an independent 3-person panel will make the final decision, potentially recommending an alternative date.
Miller explained, “The final decision was that the fixture could not be rescheduled for January 19th but could potentially take place on January 25th, provided the fixtures already planned for that weekend agreed. Ilona Barnett, the PPSA Chair, faced considerable criticism but dedicated all of Monday and most of Tuesday working tirelessly to find a solution that would work for everyone involved.”
He added, “I spoke with Mick Easterby and Fixture Secretary Christine Drury on Monday afternoon to update them on the situation and to highlight Ilona’s work. Both expressed their gratitude and acknowledged that they had underestimated the complexity of the process and the amount of work Ilona was doing.”
In the end a suitable solution was found, with everyone coming together to put the good of the sport ahead of personal interests.
The Yorkshire Area Point-to-Point Club fixture at Sheriff Hutton, in aid of Yorkshire Air Ambulance, will now go ahead on Saturday 25th January.