Brian Higgins is the new Chairman and John Collins the new Vice Chairman of the ACU after being appointed by the Board of Directors earlier this week.

Both Higgins and Collins will lead the ACU for three years commencing from 1st January 2011, in what is widely anticipated to be a forward thinking partnership to help motorcycle racing grow and expand against a difficult financial and economic backdrop.

Higgins moves from being Vice Chairman into the Chairman's position and is one of the most widely respected members of the ACU. He has an excellent grounding in bike sport being a Trials and Enduro competitor and has a keen understanding of the commercial requirements to operate events successfully. He takes over from Jim Parker who has stepped down from the Chairman's role and will now concentrate on his position as Managing Director of ACU Events Ltd.

Higgins has organised many motocross events through his club – West Devon MCC - and for the last four years has been the Series Manager for the MAXXIS ACU British Motocross Championship, viewed by many as one of the best domestic Motocross Championships in the world. Higgins has been Chairman of the Motocross Committee for three years and runs a successful vehicle hire company in Tavistock, Devon.

He said: "Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the contribution and progress Jim Parker as Chairman has made in the past seven years of moving the ACU into the 21st century. My aim, together with the rest of the Directors, will be to maintain this progress and ensure our grass roots sport is able to survive in these difficult times and, together with our clubs, move forward with value for money events in the future.

"I shall expand my knowledge of off road events further by supporting some more Trials, Enduros and Track Racing this year and visit as many Road Race events as possible, which will be a vast learning curve for me. However, I believe the ACU Road Racing is in very good hands with some very professional Promoters and Clubs and I do not wish to interfere in this. Behind the scenes there is much to do over the next few months and I am looking forward to the challenge."

New Vice Chairman Collins is another enthusiastic Trials and Enduro competitor. An ex school teacher, Collins has his own motorcycle shop in Port Talbot, Wales. He was the West South Wales Centre Secretary for over 20 years and has been Chairman of the Trials & Enduro Committee for 10 years.

Collins has just been appointed onto the FIM Enduro Commission in the recent restructuring of the FIM and officiates and plays a key role in the organisation of all major British Championships in Trials and Enduro events.

Collins said: "My role is to work with the new Chairman, assist him and do what I can to promote motorcycle sport. I think we've made progress under Jim's Chairmanship and we now want to carry on with the work he started.

"I would hope my experience as Chairman of the Welsh Federation and Secretary of my Centre for many years will help me to be the interface between the Centres/Clubs and the new commercial people involved in our sport. As a rider in Trials and Enduro events I will also keep close to the grass roots and continue to understand what it is our riders want from their sport and the ACU."

First Priority:

Resolve the Doctor situation for heavens sake !!!!

(17-12-2010, 10:39 PM)ian huntly Wrote: First Priority:

Resolve the Doctor situation for heavens sake !!!!

The TT is organised by ACU Events Ltd, not the ACU so Higgins and Collins can do nothing.

(18-12-2010, 07:11 PM)tripod Wrote:

(17-12-2010, 10:39 PM)ian huntly Wrote: First Priority:

Resolve the Doctor situation for heavens sake !!!!

The TT is organised by ACU Events Ltd, not the ACU so Higgins and Collins can do nothing.

It is clear that Parker and his minions have stolen Tarmac Speed Sport, and left the new brood the off-road stuff, which doesn't generate any significant money and was a bl**dy nuisance to the Porker.

(18-12-2010, 09:03 PM)larryd Wrote:

(18-12-2010, 07:11 PM)tripod Wrote:

(17-12-2010, 10:39 PM)ian huntly Wrote: First Priority:

Resolve the Doctor situation for heavens sake !!!!

The TT is organised by ACU Events Ltd, not the ACU so Higgins and Collins can do nothing.

It is clear that Parker and his minions have stolen Tarmac Speed Sport, and left the new brood the off-road stuff, which doesn't generate any significant money and was a bl**dy nuisance to the Porker.

Dr Paul King is now the new Chairman of the ACU Road Race, Drag and Sprint Committee.

(18-12-2010, 07:11 PM)tripod Wrote:

(17-12-2010, 10:39 PM)ian huntly Wrote: First Priority:

Resolve the Doctor situation for heavens sake !!!!

The TT is organised by ACU Events Ltd, not the ACU so Higgins and Collins can do nothing.

The chairman automatically inherits the chair of ACU Events, so that will be Brian Higgins.

(19-12-2010, 01:27 PM)sticky Wrote:

(18-12-2010, 07:11 PM)tripod Wrote:

(17-12-2010, 10:39 PM)ian huntly Wrote: First Priority:

Resolve the Doctor situation for heavens sake !!!!

The TT is organised by ACU Events Ltd, not the ACU so Higgins and Collins can do nothing.

The chairman automatically inherits the chair of ACU Events, so that will be Brian Higgins.

Parker isn't going anywhere just yet. He had to retire from the ACU, but the chair of ACUE was tailor-made for him

Parker will be the Managing Director of ACU Events. Presumably he won't be able wield as much influence but can still join in the jollies...

Taken from ACU website, Brian Higgins speaking:-

"I shall expand my knowledge of off road events further by supporting some more Trials, Enduros and Track Racing this year and visit as many Road Race events as possible, which will be a vast learning curve for me. However, I believe the ACU Road Racing is in very good hands with some very professional Promoters and Clubs and I do not wish to interfere in this. Behind the scenes there is much to do over the next few months and I am looking forward to the challenge."

In other words " I know S**** F*** A** about Road racing so Im gonna leave that to everybody else ".

I must say I was a little surprised to see no tarmac "pedigrees" in the new board, which makes me wonder if the Fat Controller and his equally rotund oppo have truly relinquished power. For some time they have held the purse strings through MCRCB and it looks like the big money events will still be in their grubby mitts. And by "big money" I also mean any club that has the misfortune to have to pay rental of a racing circuit in the summer months!

It would be nice to think the new Committee do truly have the grass roots of the sport in mind, and not only on the grass. I will give them the benefit of the doubt - in my experience off-road has long been more sporting and less commercially driven than on-road. The ACU always used to be the grass roots organisation before the money men got their claws into it, and it needs to continue that tradition of supporting club events, protecting the sport from hostile outside influences, keeping the costs affordable for all and providing a framework where riders with the talent can rise to the top of their field without bankrupting themselves. That's a tall order in today's cold climate, good luck to them.