Shouldn't the focus of any team be competing in a series, rather than stand alone events anyway?
Buddha,
Yes series are important in the UK, however a standalone event is just as important on a teams resume as winning a local series. Think about it like football, you have leagues yes, you have cup competition(standalone events) and you have the European Cup(Millennium), now, to win the treble is a great acheivement for any team, but how many UK Teams can afford or indeed have the drive to go for the treble...none really, how many have the drive to go for the double?? Now how many go for the league events thinking winning Div3 of your local series is a massive selling point for the team???? Come on, we have all seen the please sponsor me E mails about how the team won the East of Glasgow 5 man series can you sponsor us!!!!!
When I talk to customers on my paintball site about my Team I will talk about how they have taken various 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies in UK events regardless of divisions, I will then talk about how they took 2nd and 3rd in the European Indoor Championships, now from a marketing point of view adding in the European Part makes it seem alot bigger than what it is, it's the label placed on that standalone event, doesn't matter if the only European Team at the event were from Scotland, it's still the European Championship and people kinda go wow, is it that big!!! Hence using a play on words if you like make it look alot bigger and brighter than it is, nothing against the European Indoor but as you can see from the reponse this year it's lacking in actual European Flavour.
Also, local events are once a month, if teams are so serious about turning UK Paintball around then why are they not attending the standalone events?? These events are once a year, with the chance to get drawn and play against much bigger teams, I mean, before the Millennium Series changed the ruling on who you would play at events you would have the chance to go on a field against some of the greatest teams in the World, regardless of your stature as a team, I have had the privilage to play against Bob Longs Ironmen, Avalanche in 2001, Strange, NeXus Eclipse, Aftershock to name but a few, this was in the Millennium Series where you could go on that field and cause an upset, you could beat a top team and have bragging rights for at least the weekend, where has this gone!!! Now you play a Millennium and you will be drawn against Teams in your Div or lower, there is no fairy tale, there is no FA Cup dream of Hull beating Chelsea, nothing.
As far as Robbos comments on someone putting on a one off standalone event in the UK that will blow your mind, YES, please someone, anyone, just do it, bring back the passion, bring back the chance to be a giant killer for once in your life!!!!
I don't know any company on the PLANET, that could acheive such a thing, with a passion for the game how it used to be played, no politics, no bull, just a well put together one off event that will blow you away....I mean, there are alot of EGO's out there, maybe it's time we put them all in the same place at the same time and maybe we would have something that would ECLIPSE all other standalone events
Or maybe it's the East of Glasgow 3 man series for me as the dream has well and truly faded
Sid
