Caught up with my old team mate Downesy this morning. We talked about current athletic issues and reminisced on our old team manager John Dorgan. Fondly known in team circles as The Big JD.

A man who tirelessly commited himself to facilitating team competition for the club. Giving up several hours of the week, driving hundreds of miles, standing around in the cold, organising, cheering people on. Looking after all.

He was truly a character and is melodic loud tones could be heard on all corners of cross country courses. He was also giving to other athletes from other teams, offering encouragement. A fair man, but fiercely competitive.

There is one story going back where a 4 man team finished the Brighton 10k and stripped down 2 of the athletes who didn't break 30 minutes, saying they were a disgrace to the club. He got heated. He was passionate. He wanted the best and he gave it all.

This instilled a powerful ethos at the club. When I joined, I couldn't make the top 24 and I was running 33/10k at the time. We fought for position. We fought for each other. We didn't want to let down ourselves. We didn't want to let down the team.

I don't think JD would recognise athletics now. I think he would struggle to understand it. Yes, more people are running, but club athletics has all but died a death apart from some unique clubs and those with geographical advantage.

Park run initiatives and other less know run health related stuff has got people out there. It's good. But his done little to the beating heart that is 'the club'. Clubs now, can have very little direction. They can be fragmented. Not many follow the traditional pathways.

Not many even know what those traditional pathways are. Not many understand the focus of winter and summer, the emphasis on different challenges. So how can this bring the client group of a club forward?

In reality, it can't. It's as different as chalk and cheese. These clubs that may have had traditional competitive roots are now unrecogniseable from their original foundations. So, although there are examples of clubs keeping things going, it is now lesser and more concentrated.

A system that has largely relied on the goodwill of those who give freely for the love of their sport. A sport where success is measured at so many levels. Watching youngsters develop over years. So much good. Let's hope club athletics lives on. It's going to need people!