Selection process for EHBPC 2011 23-26.06.2011

How many courts are there going to be? I think a wildcard day is essential to stop all the bitching over at LOBP. 8 spots for a wildcard? 56 teams in total?
I call on the polo community to rally around ale and barca esp with logistical help - putting your name down to ref/goal ref well in advance, helping with the table/brackets and for london and geneva to give some input with regards to what worked and what didn't for 2009+10 (not saying isn't happening, just nudging).

I think one big quali would be easiest, though London may not be the best location geographically.
Simply for the people in scotland and the north. (cost, time)
Two exclusive tournaments; 1 london, 1 rest of uk respectively? #thinkingoutloud
Also shall the UK suggest to barca giving one of our spots to ireland or lump them in with rest of uk?

Also shall the UK suggest to barca giving one of our spots to ireland or lump them in with rest of uk?

a lot people feel that Ireland being lumped in with the rest of the UK is pretty insulting, and would like to avoid it at most costs. sure people feel very strongly on the matter. i don't personally care, but there has been talk before of this and the more patriotic of our ranks don't entertain the idea at all.
that said, i'd gladly accept the donation....
we also have properly filled out the pre-reg form now, so with the slight re-allocation of spaces, we shall see if one was made available for us or not. if not, we'll have to figure out the best way for an irish team to qualify for barca.

helping with the table/brackets and for london and geneva to give some input with regards to what worked and what didn't for 2009+10

This is already happening.

New UK spot allocation coming soon...

I call on the polo community to rally around ale and barca esp with logistical help

Awesome initiative!

a lot people feel that Ireland being lumped in with the rest of the UK is pretty insulting, and would like to avoid it at most costs. sure people feel very strongly on the matter. i don't personally care, but there has been talk before of this and the more patriotic of our ranks don't entertain the idea at all.
that said, i'd gladly accept the donation....
we also have properly filled out the pre-reg form now, so with the slight re-allocation of spaces, we shall see if one was made available for us or not. if not, we'll have to figure out the best way for an irish team to qualify for barca.

Similarly, Scotland feel the same way. We have registered our intentions, to play in the Euros, with the organisers and hope we are allocated a slot.

Good points from Scotland and Ireland, but how many players is 'enough' to get an invite? This is going to be a big issue for the Euros in the future if the game's popularity spreads further into Eastern Europe and Scandinavia - could end up with only one 'guaranteed' spot for each country who applies with a wild-card for everyone else... Unless organisers manage to get huge venues with loads of courts.

If scotland isn't counted as part of the UK (which it is), then london should be counted separately too.

gponx just said scotland is part of UK's spots.

If Scotland don't want to be lumped in a UK allocation, then surely they can't come to a UK qualifying tournament if they don't get a Scottish allocation?

Ireland is obviously not part of the UK, so this discussion doesn't apply - either they petition for their own allocation or we're talking about a 'regional qualifier' including England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and whoever else the organisers see fit to add. Benelux/Scandanavian countries are having that debate on LOBP.

i'm pretty sure Scotland is in the UK

Yes, but it's also a country, right? (To be honest, this shit confuses me - if England is a country, and Scotland is a country, what's the UK?)

Ultimately, it's up to the organisers, and Barca have spoken, so if they want to come, they either compete in the qualifier tournament or go for a wild-card.

It is up to the organisers in the end. Ideally we would like our own slot, a lot of the English teams cities travel to each others courts on a regular basis and know each other well, whereas we are doing our own polo and only travel come tournament time- similar to Ireland. I could understand UK wide selection for the Worlds, but for Euros, in all sports, teams are selected from the individual countries. I agree London should have their own allocated slots, as one of the biggest scenes in the world.
For now we have registered and hope to hear back from the organisers soon so we know if we get a wild card or have to do the UK selections. Unless one of the 10 slots already allocated can be a for us and we'll sort ourselves out- selecting a team to go.
In the future, we need this whole thing sorted.

Scotland is part of the UK full-stop. As is Wales and Northern Ireland. As the spots have been allocated, that's who can try and get them. Giving Scotland its own spots in addition would be like giving Bavaria its own spots (which would probably make Munich happy...).

That being said, breaking up the spots between Scotland/England/Wales/Northern Ireland could be done. But could be unfortunate.

The Netherlands and Belgium share 3 spots as Benelux, and Denmark may even get lumped in there too since they didn't apply in time.

BTW, have Italy given back any of their 7 allocated places yet for team registering late? Seems rather a high number.

The Netherlands and Belgium share 3 spots as Benelux, and Denmark may even get lumped in there too since they didn't apply in time.

BTW, have Italy given back any of their 7 allocated places yet for team registering late? Seems rather a high number.

Exactly and agree.

I think Hackney should get its own spots.

I demand seperate allocation for Tower Hamlets, me and some of the other patriotic residents don't want to just be lumped in with the rest of Hackney.

and people with stiff legs

I demand seperate allocation for Tower Hamlets, me and some of the other patriotic residents don't want to just be lumped in with the rest of Hackney.

You wouldn't be anyway. Tower Hamlet scum.

(4 weeks as a Hackney resident).

Italy has 7 spots?

Italy has 7 spots?

Apparently.

If you are wondering, the UK is a sovereign state, whereas Scotland, Wales, England & Northern Ireland are regions within the state.

Personally, I find the concept of a British nation ridiculous, and explaining to foreigners why we have a Great Britain team at the Olympics, whereas we have separate 'national' teams for a number of teams sports is embarassing. And as for the Isle of Man team at the Commonwealth Games....

E2 4 lyf

Maybe Mrak will be along in a minute to explain the difference between a state & a nation, the evolution of the nation state in the 19th C , and the role they played in the wars of the first half of the 20th.

more history less polo!