I'm not sure why you addressed this to Robbo specifically?
I have nothing better to do right now so I'll see what I can dig up.
http://archive.sportengland.org/about/Policy_briefing_notes/recog_act_gov_bodies_3.htm <- that is some information about how an activity can be recognised as a sport and I think we are pretty close to acheiving it!
There is money available for sports development from the lottery fund and the government. For paintball I'd expect this money would mainly be available to sites to make them more accessible to spectators and to improve safety and facilities for training. Although thats just my opinion..
Paintball becoming recognised as a sport would surely get some aditional media interest and that could be turned to our advantage in terms of gaining outside sponsorship but it would still require work from the teams in the way you are marketting yourselves.
Consider:
"Oi Kellogs, Paintball is a sport, give us £10,000 to build ourselves a stadium"
Or:
"Dear kellogs advertising department,
I am writing on behalf of Lincoln Storm Paintball team. I have enclosed our Team Profile for your consideration. As you may be aware, the sport of paintball has recently been officially recognised by the UK sports council and we believe that this, along with the recent PA league which was televised on SKY sports and other factors detailed in the Team Profile will lead to a rapid rise in the popularity of tournament paintball.
We would like to discuss the possibility of an advertising arrangement between yourselves as a UK manufacturer of healthy foods with an impressive range of "sports" targetted products and the Lincoln Storm team who..... "
Need I go on?
PS I don't know if we have approached kellogs, thats not my role, I just made up what I wrote above on the spur of the moment.
