enduro news
© Bob Mullins   

News

Friends, colleagues. on this sad occasion I want to pay a tribute to John Cadogan and his massive contribution to our motorcycle sport in Wales.

As John, JC, or ‘the Ayathollah’ he was a constant presence around our sport for more than 50 years – at trials, scrambles/mx, sprints, enduros and road races all around the southern half of Wales.

As an official, organiser, adnministrator and enforcer of the rules he was known to all levels and ages of competitors.

He would always guide and help the youthful and novice competitor and would never hesitate to sanction the highest level of competitor on any transgressions.

In the distant past times – before punchcards and transponders - he had the ability to translate and interpret rainsoaked, mud encrusted, observer cards or enduro time cards, quickly doing the arithmetic in his head, and producing near enough accurate results which would be accepted by all.

Although he was the first to admit that his career as a trials rider was best forgotten, he did have success in the vintage road trial scene at events such as the Banbury and Saunderfoot run on his much treasured vintage sunbeam.

His real ability was as a club secretary, secretary of the meeting, centre secretary, secretary of the Cambrian Council (later WMF), and a prolific producer of annual yearbooks, event programmes, supplementary regs etc etc - all the tiresome paperwork side of the sport.

His efforts in this area led to him being declared ‘Welsh Sports Administrator of the Year’ by the Sports Council for Wales in 1996, a prestigious award which gave him much satisfaction.

For most of his employed life he worked for the cooperative wholesale society in the role of manager of large stores around South Wales. every store that John managed had a section set aside for ESWC paperwork and records etc, a situation that was apparently condoned by his cws superiors because he couldn’t be faulted on the stores trading figures and general performance. and, he never took a holiday!

For many years JC was a centre delegate to the General Council of the ACU. he was very good at asking awkward questions of the the top table which endeared him to many of the other delegates who enjoyed his irreverent manner.

His views were so respected at the general council that in time he was elected a director of the ACU. when he stepped down from this position he was made an honorary member of the union – an honour granted to very few ACU officials and, i think, the only welsh member to have this recognition.

He relinquished all his official activities when his health stated to fail him in the last couple or 3 years, and he withdrew to his flat in Bettws.

JC never drank alcohol or smoked a cigarette. he was only to be seen in a pub if he organised a quiz night or awards night or a social occasion. he would only eat out if he could have egg or ham and chips and would drink copious numbers of cups of tea provided they were at least 80% milk and 10 spoons of sugar.

His only trip abroad was when he and I flew to San Marino for a FIM trials officials seminar prior to the World Trial at Merthyr. he refused the splendid Italian food and wine on offer and only ate when a sympathetic waiter in the hotel cooked him egg and chips and produced a jug of orange cordial.

But John enjoyed controversy – you could say that was meat and drink for him.

And I know, from many years experience, that it was not easy to win an argument with the Ayathollah.

But, there was never any doubt that he always had the interests of the sport, and the ESW centre close to his heart.

It was very sad to see his decline in health affect him as it did at the end.

For sure, our sport will never see a more dedicated volunteer than John Cadogan.

Rest in peace JC