Club Journal March 2015 The magazine for all CIU members 75p INSIDE... Club Notices . 3 Club News . 4 Club of the Month . 9 Business Q&A . 12 HQ . 14 Club Outings. 18 Crossword . 21 22 Union President George Dawson and Linda Riordan MP get to grips with two key Heineken brands Sport on TV . at a trade event in Halifax last year Heineken UK appointed as CIU Sport . 23 Preferred Supplier to CIU Heineken UK has extended its relationship up a long-standing relationship over a with the CIU after being reappointed as joint number of years and a great number of our Preferred Supplier of beers and ciders to the clubs have benefited and will continue to Union. benefit from the impressive business support This new agreement with Heineken UK offered to them by Heineken representatives, will run alongside the recently announced as well as from the company’s knowledge of deal between the CIU and Carlsberg UK. the club sector.” Union President George Dawson Heineken UK supplies some of the welcomed the new agreement: “We are country’s most high-profile drinks brands delighted to have extended our relationship including John Smith’s, Foster’s, CIU Racing Club with Heineken UK as joint Preferred Kronenbourg 1664, Bulmers and Strongbow. Supplier of beers and ciders to the Union Many clubs have recently installed fixtures released and look forward to working with them to Heineken’s new SmartDispense system The initial list of CIU Racing Club fixtures both parties’ mutual business benefit,” he which aims to save energy and reduce for 2015 have been released with CIU said. wastage while improving quality, margins member discounts available for raceday Andrew Turner, On-Trade Category & and sales. tickets at many of the country’s leading Trade Marketing Director at Heineken, said: Heineken UK will be exhibiting the racecourses including Doncaster, Kempton “We are proud to be putting John Smith’s SmartDispense system as well as showcasing Park, Newcastle, Sandown Park and Thirsk. back at the heart of clubland and once again their range of brands at the 24th Beer & The fixture list will be added to as the year working with the CIU.” Trades Exhibition in Blackpool on Friday progresses with special one-off offers also Union General Secretary Ken Green April 10 alongside many of the Union’s other being made available at selected meetings. added: “The CIU and Heineken have built Preferred Suppliers. • For more information see page 23 EDITOR’S LETTER EDITOR’S LETTER Welcome to the March edition of the Club Blackpool on April 11 following the Journal as we move headlong towards the conclusion of the Conference. highlight of the CIU year – our Conference In a change to the previous format which in Blackpool on April 11. we believe will add to the prestige of the As you will already know we have a new event, all participating clubs will be fast- venue for 2015 – the Norbreck Castle Hotel tracked into the final which will see some of – and there has been plenty of work going the UK’s top club quiz brains competing on behind the scenes during the past few under one roof. month to ensure that the Annual Meeting In a related change, entry to the event is provides even more stimulus than usual for now free to all so any cheques received for This month’s edition also brings you the attending delegates, with extra activities entry to the quiz have now been destroyed. details of the discounts you can enjoy via the and an expanded Beer & Trades Exhibition The Conference theme continues in the CIU Racing Club with special offers available taking place on the eve of Conference – latest ‘View from HQ’ column in which from many of the UK’s leading racecourses, April 10 – at the same venue. Geoff Blakely, NEC Member for Manchester, including Doncaster, Kempton Park, The Exhibition is certainly shaping up to looks ahead to the 2015 Annual Meeting in Newcastle and Thirsk. See page 23 for the be a rewarding experience for attendees, Blackpool in April as well as reflecting on his current list of discounted fixtures – more giving them an invaluable opportunity to 30-plus years of attending the CIU discounts will be in next month’s issue. meet up with the CIU’s National Accounts Conference – see page 15. I hope you enjoy this edition. and club suppliers – including Aon, BOC, Our latest ‘Club of the Month’ feature Carlsberg UK, Co-op Bank, Dransfields, comes from the West Midlands as we hear Heineken, Smart Energy and Sky – and from Weoley Castle WMC, another thriving discover how they can help improve the Union club which is firmly at the heart of its bottom line for clubs. local community and, as you will see in the Then there is the Dransfields CIU article, has the growing membership figures National Quiz with the Final taking place in to prove it. Stephen Goulding, Editor CLUB JOURNAL CIU CIU Editorial Panel 252-254 Upper Street London N1 IRY Tel: 020 7226 0221 Fax: 020 7354 1847 George Dawson CMD John Tobin Kenneth D Green CMD John Baker E-mail: [email protected] President Vice-President General Secretary NEC Member Website: www.wmciu.org Editor Stephen Goulding Geoff Blakely CMD Brian Davies Stephen Foster CMD Carol Goddard E-mail: [email protected] NEC Member NEC Member NEC Member NEC Member Club Journal is published by Alchemy Contract Publishing for the CIU 59/60 Thames Street, Windsor, SL4 1TX Dave Gravel John Heggs Sid Hicks Chris O’Neill Tel: 01753 272022 NEC Member NEC Member NEC Member NEC Member E-mail: [email protected] www.alchemycontractpublishing.co.uk For editorial, contact [email protected] For advertising, contact [email protected] The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher Ken Roberts CMD Bob Russell CMD George Smith Geoff Whewell NEC Member NEC Member NEC Member NEC Member 2• Club Journal NEWS DOUBLE HONOURS OBITUARIES David Gill We the members AT BEDLINGTON SC and committee of Byers Green Club are very saddened to announce the sudden death of Davy ‘Gunner’ Gill on New Year’s Eve 2014, aged just 63. Davy was a member of our club for over 40 years. He was a long time committee member. He was Concert Chairman for a number of years and lately was Club Chairman. His total involvement in the club was legendary. He was a one-man band who played many musical instruments and his tastes covered Thomas Logan of Bedlington Social Club receives his Certificate of Merit. Pictured, the whole spectrum of music. A very back row, left to right: Club Secretary Jimmy Bradley; Bill Stoker, No.4 Division much respected and admired man, Executive; Ken James, No.6 Divisional Executive. Pictured, front row, left to right: Rob he is already sadly missed by all Yeats, No.5 Division Executive; Dave Richardson, Branch Secretary; Sid Hicks, NEC who knew him. Member; Thomas Logan, Club Chairman; Alan Hardy, Branch President; and Club Treasurer Graham Swarbrick. Jim Turkington Eltham Hill Working Mens Club deeply regret to inform you of the passing of Jim due to cancer. He worked continuously for all charities in the Borough, raising thousands of pounds. In October the Council presented him with the Freedom of the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Jim is greatly missed by the committee and members of the club, as is his playing of the Ian Wardle receives his Certificate of Merit at Bedlington Social Club. Pictured, left to bagpipes. We pass on our right: Club Secretary Jimmy Bradley; Billy Stoker, No.4 Division Executive member; Ian condolences to his wife Cathy and Wardle Committee Member; and Northumberland Branch Secretary Dave Richardson. all the family. Richard Knox ... and another welcome double! Richard Knox died suddenly on Congratulations to West Midlands Branch President Des November 9, 2014. Flood (pictured left) who recently became a grandad for Richard served on the the first time – to identical twin girls. Northumberland Executive from 1987 until 2003 and was a NEC The winner of last month’s competition was Mike Falla member for a number of years. He of Darlington Central WMC who correctly answered was also a scrutineer for the that Harry Redknapp played for West Ham between 1965 Northumberland Branch. He will be and 1972. He receives a signed copy of Redknapp’s book sadly missed by all his family, ‘A Man Walks onto a Pitch’. friends and club members. Club Journal • 3 NEWS TRADE NEWS GEOFF WHEWELL RETIRES AS Elland 1872 Porter named WEST MIDS BRANCH SECRETARY ‘Champion Winter Beer’ Elland 1872 Porter has been crowned as the Supreme Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2015 by a panel of judges at the National Winter Ales Festival in Derby, run by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). The winning 6.5 per cent ABV beer is described in CAMRA’s 2015 Good Beer Guide as a “creamy, full- flavoured porter with rich liquorice flavours and a hint of chocolate from the roasted malt. A soft but satisfying after taste of bittersweet roast and malt”. Carlsberg UK extends cask ale offering via Tapsters range Carlsberg UK – joint Preferred Supplier of beers and ciders to the Union – has increased the number West Midlands Branch President Des Flood presents Geoff and Doreen Whewell with a of cask ales available through its thank you gift from the West Midlands Branch Executive as appreciation of the support Tapsters Range. which Geoff has given to the clubs in the West Midlands region throughout his 16 years New beers for 2015 include ales service as Branch Secretary.