Whats Happening To Uk Paintball

[PETE SHOCK UNIT]

This is my opinion and is not directed at blaming anyone, but back in the day when i started playing there would be at least one tournament a week in the uk with structured leagues and cash prizes, today it costs a bomb in terms of how much more paint we shoot (50 cases a weekend), if you think the facilities are good where you play well sorry they ain't. It seems that players are being ripped off or conned into something that really doesn't exist. I'll explain, remember you yes you are paying customers and yet time and time again we just take it up the jacks being charged loads for entry fees, get told to book hotels and mention the events name so you get a discount but really you get charged more and kick backs occur. I was told this before but ignored it until in belguim last year the same person charged me 200 euros more for our house than any other team i asked, you may ask why didn't question the man! i did and he just played dum. This is just one case of many issues that occur in paintball and as i speak out to all you ballers there are those who would not like what i'm saying cos its TRUE. So many people make comments like oh we will look at a fairer system between the different leagues but they don't, reffing is fair and non bias but it ain't, and whilst all this crap is going on event organisers demand your entry money up front. Youre paying customers so stand up to these people and demand whats right. You'll be told you will lose your spot which is quite rich when you have earnt them over the years and don't forget you were also paying aswell. What sport do you know of that invites teams to events and then charges them. Could you imagine Man utd or Arsenal being told they have to pay entry fees at the champions league! Ok some may say i've opened a can of worms, maybe i have but whats the point in going abroad paying a fortune to not play pros aswell as ams, why not stay back at home and play in the uk. And this my friends is one of british paintballs downfall. How do we expect to take on europe when we cant even sort out our own backyard. What needs to happen is a league across the country where all teams can play and is organised at a high level. I've said said this so many times but we also need acadamies or training camps to bring youngsters up the ranks and not just looking at making a fast buck out of them. Paintball will never have stadiums full of fans paying to watch so dont let anyone tell you different, dont be fouled by leagues you have created in the first place and then been crazily charged, guys its up to you to do something about it or uk paintball will continue to shrink at tournament level.

Pete shock unit

ONE LOVE!

 

[Shadlad]

Accademies, due the fact that councils are not willing to grant planning for these areas easily, it is always going to be hard to do. You find an field inner city they grant it to, it will be vandalished and made none usable with in no time. Ie safety netting slashed, ripped down etc. The British weather stops accademies being used on a day in day out basis if they are outside. Business rates cripple in door events before they start. The likes of the Uk masters was fantastic at the weekend but if they tried doing an event like they did on Sunday every week and the weather stayed like it is, after a month the site woud be none playable for a very long time. People don't see the work that goes into events in the UK behind the scenes by some people.

I say if paintball is such an easy thing to run an event why are there not alot more events and venues out there in the UK ? simple reason it is a long hard slog to start a site or series. People need to devote alot to do it and there is not alot of people who have the love, the cash and willing to do it !

As compering paintball to footie it is hard to do that as paintball is not a proffesional sport. It is not even classed as a sport ! The teams go to the championship league to make money not for a trophy as if that trophy did not pull them in money they'd not be there. The championship league makes money by having the big names involved and by offering them cash insentives to play. Like shares in the tv rights and merchadise etc.

Joe Bloggs paintballer enters an event to play ball and if they are lucky enough to win and get a trophy .... bonus.

I started playing along time ago and it was a lot more expensive then, than it is now. There are more refs on field now, more safety measures and proper insurance and regs to govern a site as well now. To run an event these days you need to budget £1000 just to start looking at air hire for todays markers, where 2 large CO2 bottles did most old events . Or to buy a basic air system 10 k plus and I mean basic.

The nation as a whole needs to invest in all sports and rec activities and be able to clamp down on the people who'll spoil them if they opened. Look at UK compered to USA do you see their local sports fields used as a toilet for the local dogs? For the local chavs to hang around and smash bottles on etc. No they are fenced off and looked after.

I see people complain there is no one doing nothing for the UK paintball scene but I never see them help the Uk scene out.

Everyday of my life for the last 4 years has been about paintball. Wendy in the Masters I bet never goes a day without it in her life. Russ PA and UK refs again not a day with out it. People like Bully from the UKPSF doing things day in day out for paintball which he never gets thanks for. There are some people who make a very good living from paintball but it did not just land in their lap. So until every player who steps on the field is willing to do what an event organiser does then, they can not complain about the costs. If they do then you go do something about it and see where you get.

Not flaming you down here, but i've lost money not made money running events and I wish it was as easy to start and do well as some people think.

 

[tommy"the gun"webb]

pete....im with you 100 percent (as a player that is)


tommy"the gun"webb

 

[Edwards]

Think what petes saying on the torney front ,

As i have spoke to him and many other on this subject,what we need Is something like the pro tour of a few years ago , where you get a good selection of GOOD teams and up and coming teams , to knock heads on a monthly basis without a large cost. To be honest we need a sup air field and some refs thats about it , nothing more nothing less ................easy you cry , however we have this wonderful thing called being british !!!and not wanting to help each other , not only in paintball , this has been said many times b4 ,but unless the larger teams sort there BS out we are NEVER going to such a league .

This is a great shame , as i truly belive the young players that playnig now , dont not have enough options to play on good teams or get noticed by people looking to pick players up , We have lost 2 pro teams this yr ,i personaly belive young players are not going to be given the right focus or drive to move on from there local leagues , its bad now , if something does not happen its going to be a sh!t load worse in 2 - 3 years time !!!

Edwards

 

[Lump]

to true Chris when the pro tour was on there was some thing for the kids to see and aspire to. now we have leagues in remission. some thing is up and dont think it will ever return to the times when pro tour was running. UK teams have nothing substantial to head toward in the UK. if you want to better your self you have to go abroad. when you had the chance to be promoted to the pro tour from winning your league NSPL masters etc. there was a goal

 

[tommy"the gun"webb]

hmmm....all that has been said above makes me think back to when lemon lost her gun..!....bare with me..!...


....if we had a charity/donation system to accumulate to pay for a sup-air field, which i think could work..


.where do you think we could go from there..? am i pipe dreamin..?

its a crazy idea and i know but it leaves location organisation and refs...! and the ultimate thing a stabillity factor...?


hell what do i know ...im just one of those who cares....!


discuss...!

 

[JTD1993]

Well I'm doing my best to get as serious about ball as I can.. There've been a whole bunch of people helping me, lending kit, giving advice and I thank all of them and I'm sure when I get to a lot higher standards I'll help the players coming to play and help them get more serious with money being the least important thing on my mind, and helping and bring back the tournament scene all you other players are trying to bring back (No promises only hopes). Hopefully in years to come I'll be in the much higher leagues.

Joe

I'll go back to my playstation3 now

 

[eastie]

There have been quite a few mentions about the pro tour, if the higher ranked teams are up for playing them, why not actually bring it back?

I understand that it isnt just that easy to start up a league, but its what everybody wants by the sounds of it.

The PA is looking better than ever, and I think it will be a good league to play too.

About the academy idea, fantastic. Northern Quarter used to run them quite often like newbie days and that. So why not adapt that idea, and get the higher ranked teams to run the odd academy day. (obviously if they were willing to do that)
Im sure one of the few major sites around this country would be happy to host the academy days too.

It seems that as other countries are making a step forward with the sport, were taking a step back.

Discuss......

 

[Russell Smith]

The sad truth is if we did another Pro Tour we may get eight teams to play it but would only have three teams worth watching.

And the concept in it's original form was flawed because it was just hooked on to other events to somehow encourage players to aspire to play with better teams er! Doh!.
Something they could not do because they was playing with there own team on other fields and catching a glimpse of a game while walking to their next game.
So were they trying to sell paintball to existing customers!
Give me the same finance and I will show you how it needs to be done, not on a paintball site for paintballers but out there in public venues using less than twenty good players in total where non players can be exposed to a great game with support from the local punter sites who can hand out leaflets to also encourage new customers into the game.
It is from that level and entry point where we can develop and encourage a larger playing base.
Players, you to can help the cause if you stop posting on here with ideas for other people to do and get of your butts and help yourself, your team and paintball.
Everyone wants cheaper paintball! well get yourselves a deal with your local site and if everyone of your teams players could get three or four or even five of there work mates you could take them down to the site and agree a commission from the revenue they take from them, you may be able to help marshal them for the day and you could put that in your kitty as well.
Now if every team did that twice a year the influx of new players who would like to make the step up to tournament play (bearing in mind they would know of the higher level available because you would have told them) would become very considerable after a few years.

We also need to look after the present players and not try and bleed their pockets dry by doing to many events.
We need players who are still playing in five years not skint in two from financial burn out.


Russ

 

[tommy"the gun"webb]

agreed........if you put an event in picadilly gardens Manchester, you'd have thousands of onlookers spreading word about it , and well it would just be amazing....!


could it happen....errrm yeah with a lot of planning, how it would help....well thats for fate to decdide....


alternatively.......stage an event at the extreame events like the nec when all the sports like skate snow and bike are on show..i cant remeber what its called my little brother won the youth skateboard comp there once...!..!...that is really do-able...