Augean Stables

[Cro]

the IPPU should be listened to. The tournament organisers need to start listening to the players and their views and actualy make some changes

at the same time players need to start realising that the organisers do try even if we do complain and moan, things will never be perfect. hopefully things will change in time.

on a more specific note. ref's school. that would be a bonus and i know ALOT of people would agree with me there

Agreed with all of the above.

Additional to that I believe we need permanent tourney & training venues, these venues need to have separate tourney fields to the training ones. The safety of the spectators needs to be paramount, how many tourney's do we go to and see big holes in the netting? One of my team mates was shot in the neck whilst watching a game at a tourney recently, good job he isn't 5'6" or else it could have been a very bad incident. I personally wouldn't take my 5 year old to a tourney as I'd be a bit worried for her safety, even though she keeps asking to come. Snetterton training site is a good example of whats required, good netting all round and a netted ceiling too.

Promotion of the game at other major sporting events, let people have a try themselves and put on demonstration games between two pro (semi pro, or just regular tourney players for that matter) teams.

And the biggie. There are too many people in this game (I'd love to say sport, really I would) who are in it for what they can get for themselves, a little less selfishness will go a long way. I don't just mean some of the paintball companies (although Smart Parts does spring to mind, but they can kiss my arse tbh) but players and team owners too. Now I've never been an ass kisser to wards Robbo, we've had our disagreements in the past on this very forum, but the work he has done does illustrate what we need more of in this game, people that want to improve it, ignoring personal gains.

 

[Robbo]

Agreed with all of the above.

Additional to that I believe we need permanent tourney & training venues, these venues need to have separate tourney fields to the training ones. The safety of the spectators needs to be paramount, how many tourney's do we go to and see big holes in the netting? One of my team mates was shot in the neck whilst watching a game at a tourney recently, good job he isn't 5'6" or else it could have been a very bad incident. I personally wouldn't take my 5 year old to a tourney as I'd be a bit worried for her safety, even though she keeps asking to come. Snetterton training site is a good example of whats required, good netting all round and a netted ceiling too.

Promotion of the game at other major sporting events, let people have a try themselves and put on demonstration games between two pro (semi pro, or just regular tourney players for that matter) teams.

And the biggie. There are too many people in this game (I'd love to say sport, really I would) who are in it for what they can get for themselves, a little less selfishness will go a long way. I don't just mean some of the paintball companies (although Smart Parts does spring to mind, but they can kiss my arse tbh) but players and team owners too. Now I've never been an ass kisser to wards Robbo, we've had our disagreements in the past on this very forum, but the work he has done does illustrate what we need more of in this game, people that want to improve it, ignoring personal gains.

Our sport is full of 'should haves' - we should be doing this, we should be doing that, the IPPU should be listened to rolleyes, players shouldn't cheat..you get the picture I'm sure....

Cro has actually touched upon one of the reasons why there are a lot of 'should haves' and that is because self-interest and greed rears its head far too many times.
Greed (and stupidity) from site owners, greed, lack of imagination and downright intransigence from certain leagues and ironically greed and ignorance from our own player base (some of our pros).

It's hardly surprising we have this much self-interest flourishing when we haven't got the correct structures or people in the right places, let alone the right mindset to put things right.
Far too many people 'talk' about putting things right and never have the slightest intention of helping because they know the status quo will suit whatever grubby little enterprise they have going.

I think the Augean flood will come from the West, rising in California and then cleaning the financial and tournament sh!t out as it sweeps eastwards.
I don't know the exact time-line but I for one will help it along if only to clean some sh!t we have over here that's been stinking bad and getting right up my nose.


The best thing about this particular situation is, the people who I direct this toward are generally arrogant and not that bright (though they think they are) and it is the nature of arrogant people to believe that what they are doing is right and they are unassailable ......... well, there's foes and there's foes and if you put me in the ring with a fighter, I am gonna have a chance of winning but at the very least, even if I get my ass whooped, I am gonna inflict a damage report on him, but if you put me in the ring with a guy who is standing there with an electric mini gun (like the one the guy used in the film, the Predator) then my chances of winning are somewhat curtailed as I stand there with my 8 ounce gloves on with 4000 bullets a second ripping my ass off......and trust me on this next point, if I am right, then this new situation is gonna be just like that.
He he I can't wait

 

[Robbo]

Now I've never been an ass kisser to wards Robbo, we've had our disagreements in the past on this very forum, but the work he has done does illustrate what we need more of in this game, people that want to improve it, ignoring personal gains.

...actually Cro, far from earning one frikkin bean out of what I have done, it has cost me... I got no idea how much, nor do I want to know but all that cr@p I have gotten involved in with the powers that be has taught me one thing, if you wanna make a real differnce and get things done, you either have to bribe them or hurt them physically coz the use of rationale cuts no ice, common sense makes no difference, appealing to their altruistic natures falls on less than fertile ground and so..........we end up where we are.

Of course, I didn't bribe or bash any of them but I had a different weapon at hand and I'm afraid that isn't available to most and that is why it is soo extremely difficult to have any significant leverage with these types unless you got back up.

 

[cookie_834]

Additional to that I believe we need permanent tourney & training venues, these venues need to have separate tourney fields to the training ones.

spot on mate. when we went to HB we took the time to go to SC village

unbelivable place. if we had something like that here it would seriously make a diffrence. i mean it was like 3 in the afternoon on a week day and there were people playing the scenario side, lots and lots of people. although it wasn't tourny (that was round the back out the way as pro's use it) it doesnt take long for them to realise they wanna be playing real paintball

if something like SC village in england was made i think it would be an outstanding change to the sport in this country

Also Ant's comment on one rulebook also links with what i was saying with ref school. if something could start up for the european refs then not only would they be able to learn it they'd be able to write it themselves. and by ref's school i don't mean like some place they have to go in their own time. maybe the day before the tourny a seminar is held or something. just something to start getting the reffing sorted out.

 

[PortoX]

Also Ant's comment on one rulebook also links with what i was saying with ref school. if something could start up for the european refs then not only would they be able to learn it they'd be able to write it themselves. and by ref's school i don't mean like some place they have to go in their own time. maybe the day before the tourny a seminar is held or something. just something to start getting the reffing sorted out.

to be fair mate that would be awesome and I know of a tourney organiser that was considering just that thing (I think you can guess). But the problem was the fact there isn't a core group of refs (no offence but the PA Refs are barely about together anymore because of numerous reasons) but there are alot of good refs and others that can be trained to a high standard. If we get refs as refs and not as players we wouldn't have much of a problem.

Train refs like we train ourselves as players and everything would be dandy.

But the problem is reffings a thankless task with no end of problems occuring right in front of you its no wonder we are short of them.

 

[shamu]

on a more specific note. ref's school. that would be a bonus and i know ALOT of people would agree with me there

Can we have a player's school too? Maybe then some of you would learn the rules

(just kidding)

Seriously though, unified rules and increased training would both benefit the sport. The only problems are ego (all the promoters want to be the chief, no one wants to be an indian) and cost (for organizing and training the refs).

A dedicated ref organization that licenses out to the national and regional events is a great idea. The challenge of course is who's going to pay to start it up and who's going to run it. maybe Robbo has some free time?

 

[cookie_834]

Can we have a player's school too? Maybe then some of you would learn the rules

heh point taken

 

[Syd (NSPL)]

A dedicated ref organization that licenses out to the national and regional events is a great idea. The challenge of course is who's going to pay to start it up and who's going to run it.

Actually, this is already happening, but because it is on a European-wide scale, the results are slow to see. The Millennium are active in this department with the Euro Refs. I am seeing this filter down to the NSPL with the odd ref going out to Europe to gain Euro Ref status and bring back their experiences to my league. So this is, in fact, happening.

Also, I know of several Ref Training days that have been organised in the UK over the last couple of years. The hard bit is getting people interested.

 

[rkid]

also, I know of several Ref Training days that have been organised in the UK over the last couple of years. The hard bit is getting people interested. [/QUOTE]

i would be intreted in training as a ref as this might be the best way to learn the sport in depth wat do you think ?

 

[Syd (NSPL)]

To be honest, ref training days should be attended because you want to ref. But we are off topic... pm me if you want to discuss more and let the thread get back to creating or identifying an upcoming flood.