UK Championships 2008 | Birmingham | Discussion

[Robert]

I vote A>B, light wind, random pitches and autoslides are compulsory!

I'm a minority, but I've a right to be heard

You've a right to be spat upon and shunned as well!!

I think that the playx2 option is only viable if we have 15 players.

There are certain things that fit 'magic' numbers. If we have 16 OR 24 players then maybe we should try the Day Two format Garry suggested....like the World Cup with sets of 8, and four 2-legged fixtures to compute you're exact position. This gives us a final. Having said this if you did a play x1 tournament on day one.... people might question the point in Day Two anyway.

To sum up where I satnd on this:

I think we should keep it UK only, we'll get about 20, and we should use the same settings as the London tournament, possibly with ALL auto slides out. Play about 12 games on Day One and 8ish on Day Two. If the top two look close in the league and their game would decide it, keep it to last as a 'final' like last year. Aim to have everyone started by 12pm Sat (real footy at 7pm) and then everyone finished by 3pm Sun and on the road.

[gdh82]

I agree with nearly everything you've said, especially the spitting part!

I agree that the format is tricky and does partly depend on the numbers. If possible I'd like a format that: (a) allows people to get a taste of playing as many different players as possible, and something that produces a number of winners, so everyone has something to play for and is not just going through the motions with a high proportion of loses. I'll get me thinking cap on...

Saturday
10am Arrival + Set-up
11am-5pm Day 1 Matches
6-7pm 5-aside footy: KOBRA v ROTW ?
8pm Meal/Pub/KOA Cup Draw/Bowling/Film/NightClub (take your pick!)

Sunday
10am Practice matches
11am-5pm Day 2 Matches

Regarding the timing (my original post above), personally, I think a 12pm start is too late, might feel too rushed getting through matches and trying to grab some kind of snack (the pub might be able to do us some food btw but will discuss this separately) and it also sets back the later events. Likewise a 3pm finish makes Day 2 too short imho, although a compromise is possible.

How about these suggested match times Day 1: 11am-5pm and Day 2 11am-4pm ? What do others think?

[durban]

From experience I believe GHD is correct and we should aim to Start at 11.

In reality we will start about 11:45 if we aim for 12, so this isn't so bad.

If we aim to start at 12 people will be late, we will be waiting on Amigas and for people to mess about and we won't start till 1 or something.

So an 11 start is fine for me personally.

[Noodlebug]

So good to know Garry is only prepared to shun me and no more!

[Steve Camber]

Awesome news about the UK champs returning to the 2 day format, but unfortunately that severely reduces my chances of attending.

[gdh82]

Awesome news about the UK champs returning to the 2 day format, but unfortunately that severely reduces my chances of attending.

Noooo!! We can't have a UKC without Mr C - it just wouldn't be right! See what you can do your end, and I've got a couple of thoughts to put to you (via pm).

[gdh82]

If possible I'd like a format that: (a) allows people to get a taste of playing as many different players as possible, and (b) something that produces a number of winners, so everyone has something to play for...

One thought I've had on this score is to have a number of cup competitions during Day 2 ? Based on Day 1 positions, the top 8 could got into an elite cup competition, the next 8 a non-elite cup competition, and the remainder in the cup-of-shame competition! As players are effectively starting in the quarter-final, we could make each round, including the final, a 2-legged affair. Because players are being grouped with others of similar ability, it could give everyone a sense of each match being winable ? Any thoughts ? Or any other suggestions on ways of creating more winners/making the event more non-elite friendly ?

[Steve1977]

I do like the idea of cup competitions like that. A large league is fine as well but by concentrating it down, it gives everyone something to play for as opposed to trying to finish in...12th place. This is similar to what Stox did in the World Cup and I think it was a great success there. (apart from the whole changing the rules malarky half way through
I recall speaking to people on Sunday and they looked far happier on Day 2 as they hadnt be walloped over the park all day like some were on Day 1.

From my own personal point of view, the KOA cup was brilliant because instead of simply aiming for a 18th position, like I would have done if it had been a huge league. Instead I was vying for 1ST PLACE in the KOA cup! It sure felt good knowing I could actually come first in something and whilst I didnt get to the final, it was nice to say I finished 3rd in the KOA Cup (as opposed to saying I finished 21st or whatever in the world cup)

Hopefully we'l have a lot of newbies attending and/or people who whilst KOA veterans, havent played in a while and so might be rusty. So although some might get tanked on Day 1, by Day 2 they will feel a whole lot better having played people with similar ability all day and thus will encourage them to play in the future as well. It means everyones happier cause it gives em all something to play for.

[Bounty Bob]

Awesome news about the UK champs returning to the 2 day format.

Yes, it's been nearly a year since the last 2 day UK championships!

[Stainy]

Don`t think I`m up for a 2 dayer!

[gdh82]

Don`t think I`m up for a 2 dayer!

How about 1 and 3/4 dayer then ? Is it any 2-dayer or just this particular format, Stainy ?

I know how real life commitments can work against this but I do think the UK Champs is worth making an extra effort for - once a year, we can meet up for more the usual 3 hour tourney, play some great KO2 spread over 2-days, hang out a bit, have some beers and a meal and maybe some real footy as well.

Feel free to pm me with any particular thoughts that might make it more do-able for you mate...

[Noodlebug]

If a 2-day format is putting people off coming then I don't think you have any choice but to make it a 1-day format. (I understand this is the reason why perfectly sensible options like wind and random pitches are taboo!).

I would rather have a well-attended 1-day tournament with all the UK's brightest and best, than a 2-day tournament with conspicuous absentees. I'm sceptical even the diplomatic powers of Robert will attract more than 15-16 people anyway looking around the current active scene (and I use the word "active" advisedly).

Of course it's perfectly possible to have an "optional" day 1, with stuff like real footy, sightseeing, maybe a cup competition or two, though if you do that a lot of people who would have attended both days might skip day 1. There are benefits though, it gives newbies time to acclimatize (remembering the pain of my "warm up" matches against Alkis and Sascha last year).

Also, if Camberman rules himself out won't that put a strain on the equipment side of things?

[gdh82]

If a 2-day format is putting people off coming then I don't think you have any choice but to make it a 1-day format.

Ultimately this and optional days are the fall-back position but I don't think we have to make that choice just yet - its still very early doors, as they say, so let's just see how things progress... Although I'd love to see Steve C make it anyway, we managed equipment-wise for the London International so I'm sure we could manage here too.