Re: ...and yet another update...
We had thought about the location a lot, in fact we spent several months looking very closely at a list of possible venues that would meet as many of the set criteria as possible. Gillie and I also spent quite a lot of time on the road and clocking up a good few thousand miles visiting venues that we short listed and having meetings with event promoters and organisers.
We actually did want a site in the Midlands but what determined the choice in the end was purely and simply cost. For the prime sites we looked at we were going to end up with basically nothing more than a very expensive field which would require a lot of time, development and setting up. And at a distance where we would have little control over what was going on unless I went to live away from home for a month.
Witton Castle was actually the very last location on the short list as I was reluctant to even consider it initially for exactly the reason of distance and time.
The reasons it was chosen are as follows:
1. Cost. We have an excellent arrangement with the estate, which means we can keep costs down and put more of the players money back into the tournament.
2. Facilities. The site has camping and caravan facilities, has a fully licensed bar and proper toilet facilities. To find a site with similar amenities was going to cost a pigging fortune. Remember it's not just the two days of the tournament but all the setting up that needs to be done before hand and the clearing away afterwards. One premier location which was absolutely perfect wanted to charge £500 per day just for us being there setting up and clearing away...that would have cost us £3,500 before a shot had even been fired...the entire entry fees from 10 teams...and at this time we didn't even know if 1 team was going to enter...let alone 10
3. The Field. After hosting the 2K2 "Storming the Castle" event last year we already know that the field is about as flat as you can get without being a dedicated soccer pitch. It has excellent drainage and not one single rabbit hole because of the ground structure underneath the topsoil. (Rabbits aren't good with rocks apparently). With the good grace of the Witton estate we have been given permission to mark out the fields with a dedicated white-line marked "Paintball Pitch" with start boxes, dead zones and distance markings. Something other venues were not prepared to let us do unless we could somehow "remove" the markings afterwards.
4. Safety. Again due to the ground condition we were able to erect 5 meter high netting at STC without the need for expensive scaffolding rigs. For this event we are extending the netting to 6 meters in height.
5. The Venue. Witton Castle already hosts events for the British MotoX National championship circuit and is one of the countries better known venues for point to point and various other horse trial events. and a great many national & international riders already come to Witton Castle for these events. So the Castle & the estate themselves are no strangers to hosting large scale events and it’s a location that is already known to a lot of people OUTSIDE of paintball. Those with a particular interest in motorbikes may be more familiar with the “Storming the Castle” MAG rally every year (from where we took the name for the 2K2 event).
6. The players. 52 teams from ALL over the country, including the Jersey Warriors attended Storming the Castle in 2002. Afterwards we were inundated with requests from teams to host a 2-day tourney in the summer. So we have . I agree the timing is a little bad…a bank holiday would have been preferable but with the calendar the way it is this year it was difficult enough to try and find ANY weekend in the summer that didn’t clash with another event. We certainly didn’t want to clash with the international events. We are however trying to attract teams and players who are probably not going to play the bigger international events.
I know that you know where we’re coming from with all this, but for those who may have missed exactly what we’re up to, what we’re asking from the teams who enter this tournament is an investment of time & money in order to get something back. It’s not a quick turn around…there’s a lot of hard work still to do which is why we targeted team “managers” rather than just throwing it open. And it’s a gamble too, there is NO guarantee that teams will get anything back. All I can promise is that they will get 2 days of top class paintball with some of the best marshals in the country and THE CHANCE to change the way the general public, the media AND potential sponsors from outside of the sport look at us.
The potential however is huge. To quote from a call we had recently, paintball has been around a long time and nothing has changed and nothing is going to change unless we do something. Already the Bicester team have a television interview and the York team have had interest from Minster radio. This interest has got nothing at all to with paintball but because these guys are representing their hometown. They could be hanging spoons off the end of their noses but because they’re doing it for Bicester they’re going to be on TV. Someone is going to see them on TV, or hear York on the radio…and maybe, just maybe think “ooh…I could get my company some coverage by sponsoring these guys.”
Next year the PA Cup WILL be a series of events hosted a venues all over the coubtry…under the same conditions…proper sports pitches, a proper league that looks, sounds, smells, walks & talks like a sport. Not a bunch of lunatics with guns lurking around the woods in camo…which is how 99.9% of the media and the public still perceive paintball.
Ultimately future plans for the Paintball Association is to purchase our own land, central to the whole UK where we can begin to build and develop the UK’s first dedicated National paintball arena. But before then we have to make it real and make it happen….
Heh heh, I don't consider it a dig at all...feedback is always welcome...especially from people I respect ...Originally posted by mikeyR
Hatts, you know I support this venture to the hilt so this isn't a pop but have you thought that the lack of Southern teams might have to do with events location?
Its over 350 miles from Brighton to County Durham so if you take a leisurly drive your still talking the best part of a day unless of course we flew up and incurred extra expense.
If I had carried on with the Brighton team I would of proposed the following schedule:
Thursday: Travel, locate hotel, crash out, chill, eat, drink, be merry!
Friday: Locate site, walk fields, setup kit if poss (air etc) chill some more
Saturday/Sunday: Play (and WIN!!
Monday: Return home
Thats 4 nights accomadation to be paid for as well as all other expenses. Of course, we could of just bombed up Friday checked fields etc, played the weekend, return Sunday night. Less expense but extremley tiring especially with driving involved so this option probably calls for flying (money saved on hotel spent on flight, no win situation)
If your a player you need to look at two things before entering any event, cost and time. I would of endeavoured to get an outside sponsor(s) to allievate the cost but as we all know time is something you cannot buy. Its in August, holiday time for most people, so commitment to family becomes more pressing.
Because of the nature of the Cup your guarenteed play on the Sunday, not all big tournaments are like this. Those that dont make the Sunday club no doubt use that time to travel home, no choice with this event.
As its the first year and the event hasnt even been held you dont know what lessons to learn for next year but two suggestions already spring to mind:
Move it to the Midlands, equal travel for all and a journey thats more conducive to less time spent on the road and lower costs.
Do it on a Bank holiday weekend, the August one is usually major event free. This gives everyone the Monday to travel home or recover.
Like I've said before, I support your efforts entirely and you probably have very good reasons for the date and location of the event, so by all means feel free to tell me to *&^% Off and keep my suggestions to myself, I wont be offended.
We had thought about the location a lot, in fact we spent several months looking very closely at a list of possible venues that would meet as many of the set criteria as possible. Gillie and I also spent quite a lot of time on the road and clocking up a good few thousand miles visiting venues that we short listed and having meetings with event promoters and organisers.
We actually did want a site in the Midlands but what determined the choice in the end was purely and simply cost. For the prime sites we looked at we were going to end up with basically nothing more than a very expensive field which would require a lot of time, development and setting up. And at a distance where we would have little control over what was going on unless I went to live away from home for a month.
Witton Castle was actually the very last location on the short list as I was reluctant to even consider it initially for exactly the reason of distance and time.
The reasons it was chosen are as follows:
1. Cost. We have an excellent arrangement with the estate, which means we can keep costs down and put more of the players money back into the tournament.
2. Facilities. The site has camping and caravan facilities, has a fully licensed bar and proper toilet facilities. To find a site with similar amenities was going to cost a pigging fortune. Remember it's not just the two days of the tournament but all the setting up that needs to be done before hand and the clearing away afterwards. One premier location which was absolutely perfect wanted to charge £500 per day just for us being there setting up and clearing away...that would have cost us £3,500 before a shot had even been fired...the entire entry fees from 10 teams...and at this time we didn't even know if 1 team was going to enter...let alone 10
3. The Field. After hosting the 2K2 "Storming the Castle" event last year we already know that the field is about as flat as you can get without being a dedicated soccer pitch. It has excellent drainage and not one single rabbit hole because of the ground structure underneath the topsoil. (Rabbits aren't good with rocks apparently). With the good grace of the Witton estate we have been given permission to mark out the fields with a dedicated white-line marked "Paintball Pitch" with start boxes, dead zones and distance markings. Something other venues were not prepared to let us do unless we could somehow "remove" the markings afterwards.
4. Safety. Again due to the ground condition we were able to erect 5 meter high netting at STC without the need for expensive scaffolding rigs. For this event we are extending the netting to 6 meters in height.
5. The Venue. Witton Castle already hosts events for the British MotoX National championship circuit and is one of the countries better known venues for point to point and various other horse trial events. and a great many national & international riders already come to Witton Castle for these events. So the Castle & the estate themselves are no strangers to hosting large scale events and it’s a location that is already known to a lot of people OUTSIDE of paintball. Those with a particular interest in motorbikes may be more familiar with the “Storming the Castle” MAG rally every year (from where we took the name for the 2K2 event).
6. The players. 52 teams from ALL over the country, including the Jersey Warriors attended Storming the Castle in 2002. Afterwards we were inundated with requests from teams to host a 2-day tourney in the summer. So we have
. I agree the timing is a little bad…a bank holiday would have been preferable but with the calendar the way it is this year it was difficult enough to try and find ANY weekend in the summer that didn’t clash with another event. We certainly didn’t want to clash with the international events. We are however trying to attract teams and players who are probably not going to play the bigger international events.I know that you know where we’re coming from with all this, but for those who may have missed exactly what we’re up to, what we’re asking from the teams who enter this tournament is an investment of time & money in order to get something back. It’s not a quick turn around…there’s a lot of hard work still to do which is why we targeted team “managers” rather than just throwing it open. And it’s a gamble too, there is NO guarantee that teams will get anything back. All I can promise is that they will get 2 days of top class paintball with some of the best marshals in the country and THE CHANCE to change the way the general public, the media AND potential sponsors from outside of the sport look at us.
The potential however is huge. To quote from a call we had recently, paintball has been around a long time and nothing has changed and nothing is going to change unless we do something. Already the Bicester team have a television interview and the York team have had interest from Minster radio. This interest has got nothing at all to with paintball but because these guys are representing their hometown. They could be hanging spoons off the end of their noses but because they’re doing it for Bicester they’re going to be on TV. Someone is going to see them on TV, or hear York on the radio…and maybe, just maybe think “ooh…I could get my company some coverage by sponsoring these guys.”
Next year the PA Cup WILL be a series of events hosted a venues all over the coubtry…under the same conditions…proper sports pitches, a proper league that looks, sounds, smells, walks & talks like a sport. Not a bunch of lunatics with guns lurking around the woods in camo…which is how 99.9% of the media and the public still perceive paintball.
Ultimately future plans for the Paintball Association is to purchase our own land, central to the whole UK where we can begin to build and develop the UK’s first dedicated National paintball arena. But before then we have to make it real and make it happen….
