AS a member of Nestl Rowntree Athletics Club since the 1950s, I am very concerned about the future of athletics in York if the upgrade of the Huntington

Stadium means that the track is lost.

Over the years, I have seen thousands of youngsters, many of them going on to be adult athletes. All of them enjoy their time in athletics.

A good proportion of Nestl Rowntree Athletic Club athletes went on to become champions and some of them internationals.

But whatever the level of their achievements, I believe they enjoyed - and enefited from - their time in athletics.

Whenever I meet someone who spent their formative years at the club, they nvariably have happy memories of those times.

Many people put years of time and effort, not to mention money into getting a track in the York area.

Noises are being made about an alternative track, but a new track is an enormous project, and I don't think the will or the money is there for such an enterprise.

I know how long it took to get the one at Huntington.

In this day and age when exercise and keeping young people gainfully occupied re such high priorities

surely this facility cannot be allowed to just vanish.

Colin Shafto

Sandford

Sand Hole Lane

Shipton-by-Beningbrough

Updated: 10:03 Saturday, April 05, 2003