Time to make some changes to our Team selection

[Paul120]

As my other interest is rugby union, can anyone remember what the England team looked like in the early nineties, Will Carling etc and where the sport is now! We were being left behind by New Zealand/Australia etc and it was a players revolt that triggered the rfu into making a change.

So to move on, something will have to change, looking at it now there is a difference in premiership and grass roots rugby. But if you are good enough and want to succeed you can. An ex player in the same team as me at grass roots level has a son in the 1st team squad at Sale.

Depends on your mind set of a them and us, the personalities are the same, if you want it it should drive you on to get on a professional circuit.

Got to start somewhere, if we think that we don't have a spectator sort, no people interested, not good for TV then guess what it won't happen.

Only my thought for what they are worth

I agree it had to be good for tv. I personally don't like the-

We've had the competition now lets have another to win a gong finals that are now the norm. Look at OT finals, they bare no relation to the qualifying. BUT like it or not it has to be done or the sport will become invisible among those that bow to tv and lose the interest of Joe public.

 

[sidney]

I hear clayshooting described as being not TV friendly or the classic 'it's no spectator sport' week in week out at shoots up and down the country. How the hell have sports like darts and golf become such big audience pullers, can we learn lessons from them? How can we 'sex it up'? If overweight beer swillers chucking darts at a board can become prosperous household names surely our sport has an outside chance?

 

[Salopian]

Sidney,

 We have had Barry Hearn involved, but we as a sport kicked him in the short and curly's so off he went. We have had Theakston's Brewery and John Player Special involved but didn't look after them. Sponsorship is a two way street and we do need to give something back.

Remember there are far more hostelry's for Beer swillers than there are shooting grounds. We could never compete financial turnover wise at for instance  if we compared Southern Counties hotel /shooting complex against the Lakeside Darts tournament. 

 

[dashman1]

Very true well summed up

 

[sidney]

Yes salopian, absolutely no offence intended but the current difference in economics are fairly obvious, my point is that there are many sports that a few years ago could easily have been described as having little spectator/TV appeal, but somehow they have 'done good'.

 

[dashman1]

You would never get a big enough audience end of. Atb

 

[sidney]

That's the spirit! Lmao. I'm off to bed before this forum drags my enthusiasm levels down any further. ;-)

 

[Bryn12]

I agree with Sidney, Clay shooting could quite easily be made 'spectator friendly'. I for one enjoy watching clays whizzing about and being smashed and it's hard wired into our hunter gather DNA to find that interesting, much better than some beer swilling gutbucket chucking overgrown needles at a stationary board 12' or so away YAWN.

Surely the vids from Churchills gives a hint of what could be achieved with the right attitude and the forthcoming American Pro comp will hopefully pave the way Its certainly achievable if some folk would just remove their heads from their bottoms.

 

[dashman1]

But not for a wide enough audience by the way some folk still have their heads there

 

[** Pending Removal **]

We get them.....just saying...!!

They (spectators non-shooting ones) come to watch in family groups or friends groups for a day out (normally Saturday and Sunday) at the major Helice competitions abroad. They eat in the shoot restaurants , which usually have large windows (floor to ceiling) looking onto the ranges. People sit for hours in the sun Oooohing and Aaaahing.

The TV companies are there.

If there is a shoot off the place is full.

I suppose it is a different mentality.....very few leave until the very end.

Mind you their federations are well set up....and well funded.

 

[Bryn12]

I reckon with a well presented televised comp combined with a concerted effort by the whole industry in the way of 'have a go' days running simultaneously  we could add hugely to the number of participants in this sport and go a hell of a long way to dispelling the anti-gun misrepresentation/misunderstanding in the public mind.

 

[** Pending Removal **]

Good video footage with flash clays.....to good music....broken up by short explanations in clear voice. Unusual angles ...etc etc etc....make it interesting...!!

Then shooters spread the word....too many rely on NGB's all the time like a god given right or duty.

Things become popular because people are talking about it in the right way...ie excited at how great a sport it is.....not ...moaning and groaning over every little thing.

Too many want to stay as hillbillies (I will wear what I fooooking want types) rather embrace what is needed to move the sport up several levels.

Yeap.....cantankerous gits of all persuasions is not the best look..... :wink:

 

[ips]

Who remembers the televised pro celebrity incl royals shoot at Sealand in the 80s or am i dreaming it happened ?

 

[no.1topdog]

Who remembers the televised pro celebrity incl royals shoot at Sealand in the 80s or am i dreaming it happened ?

Only old b****rs like us will remember that Ips. They did something from Windsor once too. I was there and got to meet Suzi Quattro and her Husband who shot quite a bit around the South East at the time.  :biggrin:   Saw Eric Clapton in the distance but he turned out to be a miserable git and wouldn't speak to us.

The Sealand thing, did Gerry Cowler appear in that, or am I thinking of the Original Starshot series? 

Edit for mis-spelling (again).

 

[Nick Selby]

To make it more tv friendly, I think like Darts, it needs to be shown on a split screen (see the shooter taking the shot and the clay being busted). having one or the other does not really provide a great tv experience, it really needs both. At the very least if not split screen, the camera really needs to show both the shooter and the clay breaking for it to be entertaining to watch..

 

[Bryn12]

Thing is the technology is there to do that now, whereas it wasn't in the 80's. spit screen, replays in super-slowmo so you can even see the pellets hitting the clay and the break/dusting develop like a chrysanthemum opening out or exploding clays.

As to an earlier comment about only kids from shooting families starting - yeah that's right at the moment but if you get one lad/lass coming along you can guarantee if they have a good experience then their mates will tag along next time and so it builds. It doesn't matter if only one out of their 5 or so mates says wow this is cool/bad and comes back or if mortgage and kids take them away for a few years later on, they'll come back as middle age old gits like us and bring their kids in turn.

 

[Will Hewland]

True. I took my son and a some friends to a have a go; hoping to get some interest into my son. He remains unbothered while his friends were really keen. D'oh!

 

[chubby]

It can work, look at the USA s PSCA.COM webpage and shoots, their aint any 'B' Class shooters in that :fie:  all others aspire to get into that league,

The also have an No where near it league but I could not find any video of it?

http://psca.com/the-pros

 

[ips]

Only old b****rs like us will remember that Ips.

The Sealand thing, did Gerry Cowler appear in that, or am I thinking of the Original Starshot series?

Whadya mean OLD speak for yourself

Not sure who Gerry cowler is mate ?

 

[no.1topdog]

Whadya mean OLD speak for yourself

Not sure who Gerry cowler is mate ?

Thanks for that Ips Another nail through my heart??  :biggrin:

I guess Gerry is another of those World Champions our sport has not publicised enough (You are forgiven for not knowing him Ips, he was FITASC Sporting World Champ in 1984) and quite a celebrity in the Sporting world at the time, and on TV quite a lot before the days of political correctness. Nice Bloke too!  :biggrin: