Biscuit, would that things were so simple; As much as I sometimes hate the politics of our sport, I do sometimes have to get involved.
The fact the Millennium Board wouldn't really listen to me unless they were forced to isn't so much an expedient choice on their part but it is a political decision.
They know fulll well I have been in the game a long time, they also know full I won't take any sh!t from any of them.
That said, they are well aware I'm no fool and any suggestions I make will generally be for the welfare and benefit of the majority of players and vendors who attend their events.
They must know this because I don't stand to gain one frikkin penny whichever way they decide to go and so my only agenda is to try and do the right thing.
Problem is, they don't like me coming up with things and then they have to go away and do them, I suppose they think it makes them feel lacking in some way, they are all their own bosses and don't take too kindly to being told anything they don't wanna hear.
Their take on things would be,'who the frikkin hell does he think he is anyway, bollocks to him, we ain't doing it'.
They also think they know best how to run thier business which I have to say, you can't really blame them for but in a lot of cases, they really don't know.
I have no real power over them other than what I can write on here or in PGi, I know they hate it when I do kick off because they cannot and will not ever control me and so instead of looking toward me to change things, the real power lies with you guys out there .. it really does.
I can give you my advice but ultimately these battles are won by you lot, both vendor and player.
The only real leverage will come about when there is perhaps some competition for the MIllennium because all the time they have this monopoly, they got ya by the (paint)balls ....
If I wanted, I could perhaps put together a European initiative to maybe explore the possibility of an alternate circuit and maybe I could get it off the ground, I certainly know the right people to involve but to be honest, why the fu!k should I?
I got my job with PGi, and I will be with this magazine till whatever end we share, my loyalty isn't toward sorting out Brit paintball, it may well be a passion of mine but my true loyalties lie elsewhere in this sport.
I got no problem in helping people out and advising, but why on earth would I wanna spend huge amounts of my time sorting this cr@p out when the people who already run these interests have got a working blueprint in front of them but ain't got the brains or the balls to put it into practice?
In defence of the MIllennium Board I will say this much, since Barry Fuggle has joined them, he has taken that edge out of them, they still have the same cast of fruitcases involved but maybe Barry's influence is showing a little.
For all the problems at this year's Campaign Cup, they did a much better job than last year's Crystal Palace event.
I think they do want to do the right thing but it's not a quick process with those guys.
If enough of the industry and, if enough of the teams got organized and created a pressure group of some sort then it would change things, of that I am sure, the MS would have to change.
But is that gonna happen?
Well how about some of you teams and you industry bods do it all, I stand to gain nothing, not one thing, but you guys do; and if nothing changes, well, you only have yourselves to blame.
Go do it guys!
Edit Added: Damn you Missy, you go and post that while I am writing mine out, hmmm, I pretty much agree with everything you say though, even though it is quite depressing