I would like to make a point just so’s people have got a handle on what I am trying to say because I don’t want anybody to think that what I am advocating is almost impossible.
I recently, well a few months ago, had the opportunity to go up north to a tournament at John Payne ‘s site at Eylsham (not sure of the spelling on that one, I get confused with the spelling with anything north of Watford).
Anyway, there were over 40 teams there I think and this is my point.
I never really got a good chance to see a lot of games up there but I can tell you this much, I could have easily selected 8 young players from what I saw that would easily make the grade as top class pros given the right direction and training.
These players I am talking about that would be the raw material I am referring to, are not all frikkin Californian based, they are everywhere if you know what to look for, the Northern teams are loaded with the young *******s.
I say I could have easily picked 8 of them; in fact, I could have picked 20 of them that would have made the grade and that was only after a minimal viewing.
There were hardly any teams from down south at this tournament and those that were there were festooned with predominantly old timers, well maybe not old timers but experienced and older type players.
The problem that teams or perhaps it would be better expressed, that individual players have, is that they are generally immersed and camouflaged (or rather their abilities are) in amongst teams and players who have no real direction or flair.
We have the talent base or rather raw material base, of that I am sure and it seems a frikkin tragedy that whilst all the top American companies invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in their top teams, what do we get ?
About five American top pro teams are getting more than 100,000 dollars (some considerably more) of sponsorship in the form of cash, paint and product.
Is it any real wonder why we are behind ?
What UK company is going to come up with that sort of dosh ?
None that I know of, they would rather send it Stateside but who can blame them when that’s where the biggest market is !!!
But it would be nice to get someone with a bit of faith in the UK scene instead of just paying lip service to it with a few boxes of paint and maybe a few cheap guns.
Potentially the north has more opportunity than us down south because of the number of teams and different mind set of the players, it just takes the next step for that to be transformed into something significant.
Laters
Robbo
