Sportsman's Dinner Postponed

Next week’s Sportsman’s Dinner and Auction at Pride Park on Trafalgar Day, to raise much-needed funds for Derbyshire Youth Sailing, has been postponed because of the move to Pride Park of the memorial and life celebration service for Brian Clough.

The volunteer run organisation, Derbyshire Youth Sailing, is attempting to contact all of the guests who have bought tickets for the fund raising dinner and auction, to let them know that the event is being re-arranged.

Derbyshire Youth Sailing Chairman, Roger Britton said, “Obviously our deepest sympathies are with Brian’s family. Our plans were made several months ago but there is no question that we will re-arrange. Brian Clough’s fans want to say farewell and I expect that Pride Park will be full and I will be among the crowd.”

Derbyshire Youth Sailing had deliberately chosen the anniversary date of the great sailing sea battle, Trafalgar Day, October 21^st , and the Toyota Suite at Pride Park , as the venue seemed fitting with local hero and footballer Peter Shilton being the Principal Guest Speaker.

Honorary DYS Member, Ellen MacArthur could not be available for the October 21^st event due to the preparations for her imminent solo circumnavigation world record attempt. This postponement may mean that Ellen is able to be at the rearranged dinner now being planned for after her return from this greatest sailing challenge.

Chris Hadden , Fundraising Officer for Derbyshire Youth Sailing commented, “Pride Park Management and Staff have been very helpful and we now need to ensure that our guests all know the event has been postponed.”

The auction catalogue that includes 200-year-old re-worked pieces of wood and copper from the restoration of HMS Victory will be stored to go under the hammer at the re-arranged event along with the other auction lots.

There are no hard feelings from Derbyshire Youth Sailing; it is just the irony of Brian having his Trafalgar Day ‘victory’ over the County’s talented young sailors on October 21^st . This date is the 199^th anniversary of the day that Nelson sailed HMS Victory at Trafalgar and defeated the French.

Anyone who has bought a ticket for the Derbyshire Youth Sailing Trafalgar Day Fundraising Sportsman’s Dinner and Auction, should get in touch with Derbyshire Youth Sailing through the contacts listed on their website at www.dysailing.com for further information.