Marshals in the National News

[EvilPumpkin]

Um has anyone seen the article in News of the World about the treatment of marshals at Silverstone?

Comments?

[jase]

No, but i did hear about it on the campsite this evening, tell me more.

[EvilPumpkin]

Well I'm in work at the moment, but I have the full thing at home.

The headline was something along the lines of "Marshals treated like animals at Silverstone" and a photo of three marshals - one of whom was Sue Whitlock which is a name that's very familiar - I think she posts to Yahoo.

When I get home, I'll type it up and post the lot.

[EvilPumpkin]

Ok I've typed this up from the article so excuse any typos - if anyone wants a scan of the original, please let me know.

British Grand Prix marshals last night accused stingy Formula One bosses of treating them like animals.

A Shock News of the World investigation has revealed:

Silverstone track officials are paid a meagre £5 per day
Marshals are forced to pay for their own safety overalls, boots and gloves
They have been ordered to sleep in their own tents in a field outside the circuit to make way for car parking
They have to queue up for makeshift toilets and showers
Marshals receive just one free meal voucher during the three days of the event
they have been banned from the pits unless they are working there

To make matters worse, their German counterparts are paid more than five times as much.

Furious marshal Sue Whitlock stormed "the organisers do not really think of us as human beings any more. All we want is a little bit of respect. We are volunteers working for virtually nothing. And even though the event could not happen without us, we have been shifted outside the circuit, toilet facilities have been all but halved and there are just 24 showers for 600 people.

Friends tell me they have to queue in the rain sometimes to use the toilets and showers. And the water is provided by just three standpipes fixed to a fence.

We were promised facilities would not deteriorate when we moved, but they have.

When you think of all the money sloshing around in Formula One, you would think they could stretch to a packed lunch. We don't get any more at the biggest race of the year than we do at small club meetings. I worked the Nurburgring 24 hour race in Germany and they paid for my bed and breakfast. And I got £136 for five days."

While safety standards for drivers have dramatically improved over the years, the efforts for marshals have not kept pace. Fire marshals Paulo Ghislimberti was killed by flying debris in the 2000 Italian Grand Prix. Then Graham Beveridge died at the Australian Grand Prix last year when he was hit by a loose wheel after Jacques villeneuve's BAR collided with Ralf Schumacher's Williams.

Two 22 year old marshals were killed by an out-of-control car in the Donegal Rally in Ireland last month and two more injured in last November's Rally of Great Britain.

Silverstone marshal Mark Werrell rapped: "I don't think people at the top of Formula One give a stuff about us. There is a general attitude that marshals don't matter"

Werrell from the North East British Motorsport Marshals Club was disgusted when he was kicked out of the pits by security guards after doing to talk to his wife, who was a pit-lane marshal.

He fumed "I couldn’t believe it. Just a few minutes with my wife during a hard day was the least they could have allowed me. Instead this security guard told me I didn't have a tabard for the pit wall so I'd have to leave. I was very angry. I just thought "why do I bother to do this?" There has been a general deterioration in facilities and I dread to think how much I spend on equipment, food and petrol.

I've spent £40 on overalls, £25 on boots and another £25 on waterproofs, plus gloves. There are not many rewards for the hard work we do and it is no wonder numbers are falling. All I want is a little recognition and appreciation"

Circuit owners Octagon did throw a party for the marshals last night and gave each one a meal voucher, entitling them to a burger, Cornish pasty, sausage roll, packet of crisps, doughnut and can of Foster's lager.

And Colin Hilton, chief executive of governing body, the MSA, declared "Marshals certainly need more perks but Octagon are trying to help them. They found a campsite as close to the entrance as they possibly could, put in toilets and water stands and also threw a party for them. Octagon are trying to say thank you. But obviously these complaints need to be discussed"

By-line - Byron Young.

Photograph shows 3 marshals - named as Sue Whitlock, centre, with fellow marshals Mark Hunter and Liz Ginns

[PaulPerkins]

Cor - Germans get paid 5 x 0 = ??

[EvilPumpkin]

*shrug* I wasn't there so I can't comment. The only thing I will say is that this isn't going to help recruitment any.

[AndyF]

I think the News Of The World is making a story out of nothing. Marshals already know this, and are used to the conditions. A free meal voucher - how about one of them at Club meetings!!

[PaulPerkins]

It isn't really going to help our cause either, to be honest. Blabbing to the Snooze of the World...hmmm. Perhaps better to have put a slightly better spin on it. 'yes we're unpaid and conditions are poo, but we do it for the sport, etc, etc'

[jase]

Thanks EP, enlightening (what am I saying I was there!).

The Octagon party was good, an excellent band, free beer and food, although I didnt go for the food. Talking to one of the people next to me i found out that he wasn't a marshal and had walked in from another site having heard the music. It was supposed to be secure!

[EvilPumpkin]

Well in fairness, we are all aware that the press put their own spin on things.

We have no idea how much of the "interviews" were taken out of context or even how close the wording is to what was actually said. It's a fairly sensationalist rendering of the standard marshalling gripes so I wouldn't pass judgement on anyone who was quoted in it unless they actually stood up and said "this is what I said in its entirity".

I've had conversations of this type before as I'm sure we all have - it's just that ours have never been printed. If NOTW have no qualms about being "economical with the truth" with big stars who can afford to sue them, I doubt if they'd be too worried about misquoting a couple of marshals.

[PaulPerkins]

EP, I agree with what you're saying, it's just that I think I would think twice before saying anything to journos. (and I don't mean the nice ones that hang around here ) This is particularly true if I've got an axe to grind.

But as you quite rightly say, we don't know the circumstances behind the conversation, so I shouldn't be so quick to criticise.

I does make me wonder, though, whether the 'troublesome trio' will be marshalling at next year's GP? (That's if there is one next year)

[EvilPumpkin]

Well that's an interesting question. Don't the various UK marshalling clubs have rules about talking to the press? I know that the Irish ones do.

[TwoSheds]

Originally posted by PaulPerkins
I does make me wonder, though, whether the 'troublesome trio' will be marshalling at next year's GP? (That's if there is one next year)

I don't believe Sue was actually marshaling this year anyway. She lives locally to Silverstone, was helping with the party, and her other half was marshaling (I think).

As for the party, the music was good but the drink ran out early, possibly because of the extra people from outside of the campsite, and also I did see quite a few people walking out with whole cases of beer...

[neilwaynesmith]

Interesting comments all,

Perhaps there is an opportunity for a bit of Publicity out of the 'Snooze'? perhaps a journalist could be invited to a training day to experience this for him or herself? What about it PRO's??

Reading about the conditions on this site, together with the www.marshal.org.uk and www.groups.yahoo.com/group/themarshalsclub/ sites, I wonder how many people will actually re-volunteer next year? or will time dull the memory?

Incidentally, I have just read that Rob Bain, the CEO of Octagon has resigned. I quote:

"Rob Bain, the man charged with running the British Grand Prix, has resigned from his post just a day after the race. The Octagon Motorsports boss has stepped down in frustration at comments made against Silverstone by Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone".

Hmm, perhaps he is fed up of all of the mud being slung at him. I imagine many marshals at recent British G.P.s know EXACTLY how that feels....

[Peter Mallett]

I spoke to Stephen on Friday and Saturday. He'll tell you in his own words but I got the impression that many marshals weren't happy with the facilities.