OK, as no one has been on here moaning as usual about an event I thought I start this time.
Firstly, I was a spectator so these observations come from the 'other' side of the netting!
Which brings me neatly on to the first moan, Netting.
Now this keeps coming up at most events so I think it really is a matter to be looked at. Campaign was in a public sports facility and as such had joe public casually strolling in. If by some freak one of these non-paintballing spectators gets hurt then Paintball as a whole will suffer very badly indeed.
My main concern was a large gap at the corner dead zone on the Draxxus field where paintballs were flying through becuse the netting hadn't been pulled out round the ballast (this was holding the poles up) properly. This field and the Angel field were at the top of a bank so as you walked up this bank paint was coming through, at some speed because these shots were aimed at the back corner bunker, and coming at me at head height!!
Not good!!
Other concerns were:
Because of the grass bank that ran down the side of the Raven field, great for spectating but you were higher than the top of the netting. I had at least two 'bouncers' ('bouncers' are balls that hit a bunker intact and just bounce into the air) come over and hit me whilst watching games here.
'Bouncers' hitting me and my son both in the neck whilst shopping
at the back of the RPS fields. I dont know the vendors name (they were french and next to Rekka) but their stall was under constant bombardment due to one of the rear lay downs. Other stalls also suffered like Just Paintball and the worst was Powerball. They were set up nearest the RPS field and had taken a lot of hits. Some steps were taken to help them out but quite late on Friday afternoon. The shopping areas get a lot people in them, its an accident waiting to happen. I have suggested it before and I'll say it again now, put netting roofs on the fields. Its the only way to keep 'bouncers' on fields!
Secondly, more signage to attract spectators. This has been mentioned on another thread and its something I agree with. The posters outside the venue were a bit amatuerish to say the least and not many of them. Hardly going to bring in hordes of spectators. Without an audience no major outside sponsor will be willing to sponsor an event because theirs no attraction. Also, many of the non-paintballing spectators I saw did look a little bemused by it all. Maybe posters on the inside of the venue explaining the event might help the public perception.
Thirdly, pink paint. I wasnt playing so obviously I didnt get stained but Niall made it perfectly clear on here and the official Campaign website, No Pink Paint! and yet I saw bunkers and parts of Crystal Palace covered in pink paint!
Now I know the Marshalls have alot to do but surely they would of noticed, especially when cleaning bunkers down, that pink paint had been fired. The marshalls should of contacted the organisers and informed them of such and the teams involved, then action should of been taken.
And lastly, and this is aimed at the players, shooting bits of the venue! Just by the chrono area were two small football pitches with metal fences round them. Someone obviously didnt think the chrono area was big enough and shot this fence instead. I didnt see who but I did see the mess it left. If it was an accident, fine but at least have the decency to clean it off. If it was deliberate then whoever you are, if Nialls landed with a cleaning bill that puts him off using this venue in the future then your actions would of helped with this decsion.
If you read this to the end then thanks for your time. These are my own views and are meant as constructive criticism not flaming. I for one want to see this event (and all the others like it) flourish and stay at this venue. With a few tweaks I'm sure that can be achieved.
Firstly, I was a spectator so these observations come from the 'other' side of the netting!
Which brings me neatly on to the first moan, Netting.
Now this keeps coming up at most events so I think it really is a matter to be looked at. Campaign was in a public sports facility and as such had joe public casually strolling in. If by some freak one of these non-paintballing spectators gets hurt then Paintball as a whole will suffer very badly indeed.
My main concern was a large gap at the corner dead zone on the Draxxus field where paintballs were flying through becuse the netting hadn't been pulled out round the ballast (this was holding the poles up) properly. This field and the Angel field were at the top of a bank so as you walked up this bank paint was coming through, at some speed because these shots were aimed at the back corner bunker, and coming at me at head height!!
Not good!!Other concerns were:
Because of the grass bank that ran down the side of the Raven field, great for spectating but you were higher than the top of the netting. I had at least two 'bouncers' ('bouncers' are balls that hit a bunker intact and just bounce into the air) come over and hit me whilst watching games here.
'Bouncers' hitting me and my son both in the neck whilst shopping
at the back of the RPS fields. I dont know the vendors name (they were french and next to Rekka) but their stall was under constant bombardment due to one of the rear lay downs. Other stalls also suffered like Just Paintball and the worst was Powerball. They were set up nearest the RPS field and had taken a lot of hits. Some steps were taken to help them out but quite late on Friday afternoon. The shopping areas get a lot people in them, its an accident waiting to happen. I have suggested it before and I'll say it again now, put netting roofs on the fields. Its the only way to keep 'bouncers' on fields!
Secondly, more signage to attract spectators. This has been mentioned on another thread and its something I agree with. The posters outside the venue were a bit amatuerish to say the least and not many of them. Hardly going to bring in hordes of spectators. Without an audience no major outside sponsor will be willing to sponsor an event because theirs no attraction. Also, many of the non-paintballing spectators I saw did look a little bemused by it all. Maybe posters on the inside of the venue explaining the event might help the public perception.
Thirdly, pink paint. I wasnt playing so obviously I didnt get stained but Niall made it perfectly clear on here and the official Campaign website, No Pink Paint! and yet I saw bunkers and parts of Crystal Palace covered in pink paint!
Now I know the Marshalls have alot to do but surely they would of noticed, especially when cleaning bunkers down, that pink paint had been fired. The marshalls should of contacted the organisers and informed them of such and the teams involved, then action should of been taken.
And lastly, and this is aimed at the players, shooting bits of the venue! Just by the chrono area were two small football pitches with metal fences round them. Someone obviously didnt think the chrono area was big enough and shot this fence instead. I didnt see who but I did see the mess it left. If it was an accident, fine but at least have the decency to clean it off. If it was deliberate then whoever you are, if Nialls landed with a cleaning bill that puts him off using this venue in the future then your actions would of helped with this decsion.
If you read this to the end then thanks for your time. These are my own views and are meant as constructive criticism not flaming. I for one want to see this event (and all the others like it) flourish and stay at this venue. With a few tweaks I'm sure that can be achieved.
