I WAS very interested to read Nigel Kerton's article in the Gazette on October 19, covering the interview with David Hemery the president of UK Athletics.

I, too, share David's delight in the performance of the UK team in the recent Olympic Games and am delighted to see that this performance continues with further success in the Paralympics.

However, I was bowled over to read that David would love to have a centre of sporting excellence established in Marlborough. This is not what Wiltshire needs.

I was amused to read about the all- weather track at Marlborough College; this is the first official mention I have heard of this facility. I wonder who gets to use this facility? It's never been offered for use to the local athletes as far as I'm aware.

What Wiltshire Athletics does need from our Governing Body is restoration of the coach education programme.

What we have at present is a plan to transfer existing coaches from the old British Athletics Federation's three tiered coaching system to the new UK Athletics five tier system over the coming months.

This is impinging on the programme that should be running now to get new people into coaching.

The new coach programme will not, I understand, now start until March 2001.

This is a crazy situation and, in my opinion, potentially very damaging to grass roots athletics.

For example, my own Wessex and Bath Athletics Club has at least six people backed up wanting to train as coaches.

The club's main coaching activity is currently based in Bath but we have a coaching group operating in both Devizes and Tidworth.

We have plenty of youngsters keen to participate and the support we receive at a local level, particularly from Kennet District Council, Tidworth Leisure Centre and Devizes School is wonderful.

However, what we really need is those new coaches coming through to involvement on the ground.

As to facilities, surely the key facility now serving the wider area encompassing Marlborough must be the new all- weather track and the recently opened leisure centre, both at Tidworth.

Surely the logical way to build on the excellent performance by our Olympic athletes is to offer the grass roots structure what it really needs?

Geoff Brewer

Secretary

Wiltshire Athletics Association