CPSA Fixtures Database & Pull Fixtures List

[RobertBeard]

Does anyone else get fed up trying to sort the wheat from the chaff in this listing of every shoot under the sun from practice to competitions?

I would like to be able to search for Sporting related competitions which filters out every other discipline and also filters out anything to do with practice.

One should be able to do the same for other disciplines.  If one wants to search for practice then that should be an option distinct from competitions be they registered or open.

Let's hope the new database might improve things but I have the feeling that its not this but a way of marketing better to members, non-members and past members.

I have set up my own computerised diary repeating reminders for grounds with registered shoots within striking distance but its still a pain trying to find other shoots for when one is away.  I don't think it works as it was originally intended and needs improvement!

Am I on my own with this or do others feel the same?

If others feel the same then I will contact HQ to let them know it could do with improvement.

In Pull there should be one list for Competitions and another list for when grounds are open for Practice.  To be honest if grounds want to list when they are open for practice then presumably they should be paying for it - perhaps they already do?

 

[PhilR]

As I only shoot OT, UT and ABT the number of grounds holding these disciplines is limited and I don't bother with the CPSA website.

However, I do think it is a pretty clunky programme and should be streamlined as it is a complete ball ache trying to search for say a reg'd sporting event as it throws up all and sundry despite using the filters.

 

[ips]

you little liar phil. What about your forays into esp oh and helices

 

[andypandy]

I asked if they could put a region filter in about four months ago, nothing yet!

 

[PhilR]

you little liar phil. What about your forays into esp oh and helices

I don't need to look at the website to work those odd forays out.

 

[RobertBeard]

I did think about a region filter but discounted it on the basis that it would not work for anyone living on or near a regional boundary as they would have to look at more than one region.

I remain convinced that if one could filter for any type of Sporting, Trap, DTL or Skeet Competitions only without any of the practice etc that would be an acceptable and relevant list.  

 

[ExSCA]

Make it checkboxes on a region filter.... You can pick the areas appropriate for you.

 

[CharlesP]

The whole CPSA web site is poor in my view. It gets easier with practice, but it's hardly intuitive.

Looking for fixtures isn't easy, and the region/county borders become a bit of a pain. Perhaps if the site is ever redesigned it could incorporate a "within x miles" filter as found on so many commercial sites

Helping members to find somewhere to go shooting clays has to be high on the list for the CPSA, but of course I acknowledge that it's unfair to compare their site with that of Curry's or Screwfix!

 

[RobertBeard]

I have had a useful exchange of emails with Nick Fellows and he is happy for me to post them on here:-

Dear Mr FellowsI see that there is ongoing database work being carried out on the Associations computer systems.I would like to draw your attention to the CPSA Website Fixtures list. At present one can filter the results by county which works reasonably well.  It would be better if one could select multiple counties.  There is no way to filter the results by region or multiple selected regions so that one can cover one’s reasonable travelling limits in one search.  I think that this would be a welcome addition to the website facilities.  The CPSA is also organised by region as well as county so it would fit the structure to be able to search in this way.  No doubt it would help counties and regions with their shoot planning for team selection shoot availability.What is quite infuriating is the fact that the discipline filter does not seem to work properly.  If I search for English Sporting there are still all sorts of other disciplines listed of no relevance or interest.  Is this is because the grounds use the “Comments” field to list everything under the sun whenever they are open and this all gets picked up because ESP might be available to practice.Furthermore one of the best improvements would be to be able to filter between Competitions and Practice so that one can quickly focus on available registered or other Open competition shoots in one’s region and by discipline if wished.  By removing all of the practice clutter by a simple filter would make the competitions much easier to find and to plan one’s shooting diary.I hope that this request can receive consideration in due course which I have discussed with a number of other members.Robert Beard126212

Dear Mr Beard,Thank you for your helpful comments. We are indeed investing quite heavily into our IT systems this year and have recently introduced a fully featured CRM system to replace our rather out of date old database. This will be joined shortly by a new website and the two will work in tandem to provide a much more user-friendly and functional system for members that will continue to evolve.I am pleased to report that the matters you have detailed in your email will all be addressed. In fact, we shall be going a little further by introducing, for example, a location and range-based sort, including proximity from tablets and smartphones. The current limitations are in part due to how our existing system handles information from grounds and how that is collated, hence the search does not limit itself just to one discipline if a ground offers others too. Similarly for Registered competitions and practice which we should also be able to filter from in future. It will take a little time for grounds to adopt our new system, undoubtedly, but the end result will be a much more effective system for all.I hope this addresses your comments and we look forward to launching the new system in the coming months.Kind regards,Nick

Dear Nick

Many thanks for your prompt and fulsome response.
I am delighted to hear that you have matters in hand to improve the fixtures side of the website amongst other things.
It will also be good to filter between practice and competitions subject only to grounds adopting new procedures to implement these improvements.
My last request is that I may make the contents of my email to you, your response to me and this reply public on ShootClay.com for the benefit of members there whose views I sought before writing to you.
Many thanks
Robert
 

Dear Robert,
That's fine by me but thank you for having the courtesy to seek my agreement before publishing the content of my email. 
Kind regards,
Nick

 

[40UP]

Can I draw your attention to Dave Christensen' fixture list and distance from postcode. He tells me it auto updates at 5am daily from CPSA

http://cpsd.co.uk/

 

[RobertBeard]

That looks excellent!

 

[tiptop]

Club...Discipline...Type...County...From (date). How many filter boxes do we need on the website.

 

[RobertBeard]

The discipline box does not work at present!

If I'm looking for a registered comp its very difficult to find them because of all the practice and the discipline's results included.

If more filter boxes make it better lets have them in my humble opinion!

 

[Nimbusgb]

I sat down and knocked up a system that allowed you to filter all of the shoots in the SouthEast by discipline, registered or practice etc and distance from your home and with specific dates or ranges of dates. 

It only took a few hours and worked quite well with the results displayed graphically on a map with data on days open and location. Certainly didn't cost 'a significant amount'. All it would need would be access to the CPSA database to work quite nicely ( although I can scrape the site on the QT )

One of the problems with the existing website is that the discipline field is freeform and grounds enter things like 'DTL comp and open for ESP practice' which returns a hit on ESP comps which is wrong.

If the CPSA were to ask its membership they might get this sort of functionality for a lot less than they ( sorry we are ) pay on the open market. 

I'll put my can opener away now for fear of opening another worm container!

 

[schmokinn]

Can I draw your attention to Dave Christensen' fixture list and distance from postcode. He tells me it auto updates at 5am daily from CPSA

http://cpsd.co.uk/

 is completely wrong on distances to grounds...I live in Poole

example Yate actually 87 miles Monument 91 miles so not much use for that!

some other places no longer exist :???:




Yate & District Gun Club


AVON


6.7 





Monument Sporting Gun Club


AVON


6.7