give away all the secrets.......
Ssssssshhhhhh, behave yourself. At least when you offer a marshall a bribe of some Percy and a Ho at the SWPL or MM, it only costs me a Blue Peter Gardner and a gardening utensil.
Try that sh*t at the M25, and I’m in for a Kilo of GianLuca, and a gaggle of Brazilian Lap Dancers. No wonder it’s such an expensive series.
On a more serious note, I think everybody who played the series appreciates the efforts gone into Southern Paintball and an attempt to play full 7 man tournaments. The events are in good locations with quality playing surfaces, all of which is appreciated, however (constructive criticism), it is important that the info gets out to the players as soon as possible. I actually don’t think the location was as much the problem this time, more that fact that nobody really knew the Tourney was going to go ahead. This is pretty much the last opportunity to play 7 man Millenium style Paintball before Campaign, and as such was looked at as a critical event for many teams. More than any other leg this was the real deal, the one that people were going to be most anxious about.
Criticism has been generated because of this issue. I think a lot of people (us included) started to make contingency plans to get some good competition in before Campaign. Because of the will it / won’t it go ahead rumours, a few of us made the trip from down sarf up to the MM on Sunday just to get serious game time in, so I think the argument re travel time dosen’t weigh up quite as people make it. We’ve driven up to Ancaster and Uttoxeter a few times this season for MM’s / Nexus training so people are willing to travel, but we do need to be able to make plans in advance.
As much as many of us would love to play in teams that were well sponsored and got good subsidies on Paint, a lot of us don’t have that ability or daring do. To play an M25, with Petrol, food &drink, Paint and entry (and not including quick visit to the Emporium of shinyness stand), I reckon it costs 150 quid. Throw in training, the odd MM, Nexus cockers (god bless Nick Truter and his silky smooth sales technique), and enough AA & 9v batteries to power all the vibrators in Amsterdam, we the paying customer can get a little anxious when things appear not to run to plan.
For all the brilliant work done by Miss M25, getting the gig onto proper fields, proper locations and near a Mcdonalds is a little undone on the organisation side. Although Paintball attracts all walks of life, anybody sinking the amounts of cash required into Paintball ain’t exactly living on the breadline. If you cater towards this target group, you gotta be sure your providing the right service and best conditions, as there are a lot of choices out there. It would be a crying shame if the majority of paying customers took their business to another league, series or sport.
I overheard some players talking recently about giving up the game cos of all the shiat that goes with it, dodgy marshals, organisation, playing surfaces etc. It don’t take much for the rot to set in
Tournament organisation MUST be looked at as a service industry. Alienate the paying customer and you lose business. Lose players and the whole “sport” suffers as the revenues generated from Equipment sales nose dives, and whilst punter paint sales may keep a few sponsored teams afloat, I think the days of Punters running around in Dye Invisions, E-blades and Core divisions tops (oooops that’s us
) are a loooooooong way off to provide revenue to sponsor other teams.
My 2pence, trying to be constructive from more of a business standpoint.J
