Marshals to get SA colours

The announcement came from Motorsport SA (MSA), the adrenaline game’s administrators, last week.

In a general circular, MSA set the following parameters.

Colours awarded will embody the same emblems as for competitors, with the addition of a scroll stating “Administrator”.

The nominee must currently be a member of an MSA affiliated motorsport marshalling organisation officiating at regional championship events, or events of higher status.

To be eligible for nomination the nominee must be a person of sound character with a minimum of 10 years’ experience in motorsport marshalling.

The nominee must currently be an active marshal and hold a valid MSA marshals grading certificate, as colours can not be awarded retrospectively.

The nominee must have been awarded “club honours” by his or her organisation.

Nominations may not be submitted by the nominee personally, but must be submitted by a third party, through their organisation’s executive committee, to the relevant MSA regional committee representative.

Regional committees will be responsible for first approving nominations received, before submitting these to MSA.

Written nominations on the official MSA nomination form, detailing the nominee’s experience in motorsport marshalling, must be submitted to the regional committee. Nominations not submitted on the official forms will not be considered.

Race and rally marshals are the unsung heroes of the sport, without whose participation there simply would not be motorsport.

They get to their posts early, stand all day in rain, shine or smoke, and are the last to leave, long after competitors and spectators have retired home.

Marshals do a dangerous job, and from this writer’s perspective, they are heroes.

We think that they could never be adequately praised for the task that they perform so selflessly, and giving the long serving ones national colours should just be the beginning of building motorsport enthusiasts’ esteem.