Club History
Mid-Antrim Motor Club was formed in December 1944, at a meeting held in the Café Royal, Wellington Street, Ballymena, called by members of the Transport Platoon, Second Antrim Battalion, Ulster Home Guard. The Home Guard had been set up soon after the start of Word War II, in anticipation of a possible German invasion of Great Britain. By late 1944 the War was coming to an end and with the German army in retreat on all fronts and invasion no longer a threat, the Ulster Home Guard was stood down. The second Antrim battalions “Stand Down Parade” took place in Ballymena on Sunday December 3 1944. The “Ballymena weekly telegraph” of Friday December 15 1944, reported on the formation of the Mid-Antrim Club as follows: - “A meeting was held in Ballymena last week with a view to inaugurating a Motor Club which would continue in peacetime the good fellowship and team spirit which have been existent, during the past four and a half years among members of the Transport Platoon of the second Antrim Battalion, Home Guard. In the unavoidable absence of President, Lieut-Col, Chichester OBE, The chair was taken by Captain Long, while Mr A Watt, former Transport Officer acted as Secretary. Mr R Patterson, Director of Robb’s Garage, Dundonald, gave an interesting talk on ‘Club and Trial work’ and ‘Post-War Motoring’, and subsequently messers. Rex McCandless and G.A McQueen, both well known in Ulster Motoring circles, were most interesting and instructive in talks on Motorcycle Construction. Many questions of a technical nature were afterwards put by members of the audience and concise answers were given. Before the close of the meeting, a large number of those present were enrolled as members of the new club. As a Motor Club, the new organisation catered for both car and motorcycle enthusiasts. Petrol rationing was a problem in its inaugural year. The first event organised by the Mid-Antrim Motor Club was a car reliability trial on September 8 1945”.
Mid-Antrim Motor Club now has a car section and a motorcycle section, both promoting Clubman and Championship events for their competitors. The club has always prided itself in promoting top quality events through good organisation, a tradition that the present officials and committee strive to continue and even improve. But with every year that passes it is becoming more time consuming and difficult for all involved in the promotion of events. Please always remember that we are all volunteers, giving up our free time to run the club and the events, for the love of their club and sport. When you think of the number of people who have been involved over the past 74 years plus, and the number of hours they have voluntarily given, the figure would be astounding.
