Ehbpc 2013

1. Spring Break
   
2. Nice Touch
   
3. Gettin wild
   
4. Yea Baby
   
5. Dead Rappers
   
6. Cosmic
   
7. Calaveras
   
   

They all went last year, we should tick them off as attending this year or not. I am definitely going this year with the Rappers. Not sure what the Irish boys are doing....Kropa, Stevie?

Well, hopefully Ireland will get their own allocation this year. I'm sure Krakow would do, after the East Europe fiasco last year.

1. Spring Break
   
2. Nice Touch
   
3. Gettin wild
   
4. Yea Baby
   
5. Dead Rappers
   
6. Cosmic
   
7. Calaveras
   
   

So as far as I see it, it would be Getting Wild, Cosmic, Spring Break, plus any teams formed of 2 of Cam, Dave, Brendan, Boagey, Antonio, Iain, Ali, who would qualify to the second tournament, in a 2 stage qualifier. Is Emmet back?

Don't think I would use Bristol as should of been clear before that sold out.

Sure. But at the same time, the winner will still be one of the best UK teams, and would mean 1 team less for the qualifiers. Anyway, just a suggestion, to help speed things up.

April 13th, for prequalifier?

Newington?

Then do the other one 1 month later in May...what's free in May John?

4th/5th/6th (bank holiday weekend).
18th/19th

yes! do it. set the date.

i would almost push for the pre in the end of march and the main on april 13th....

is that to soon?

oh and lee is away all of april....whoops.....

Depends what the people say...but if those dates are free then let's keep the free for it.
I can help set up the pre qualifier on the day.

Pole

yes! do it. set the date.

i would almost push for the pre in the end of march and the main on april 13th....

is that to soon?

I'd say May is enough time to sort stuff. People also need time for pre qualifier April sounds good for that.

May is good for the final one. I've heard Torino are looking to do euros with help of Milan and Geneva at the end of July. But nothing is concrete..but of course Krakow could come in last minute decision.

I've made plans for loads of weekends now. I wouldn't be able to attend any bank holiday weekends, they are reserved for real life. This late Euros announcement will lead to some qualification problems I reckon. Tourney calendar starts to get filled up so early now!

Depends what the people say...but if those dates are free then let's keep the free for it.
I can help set up the pre qualifier on the day.

Yeah maybe keep the dates free, then people know.

It is a little annoyin how things have filled up this year and the euros being annonced late..

I am also willing to help in anyway I can.

Yeah, pretty sure all my bank holidays are all booked up with non-polo stuff or real life as spoons calls it.

Well 18th//19th May

The actual number of dedicated travelling teams in the UK is getting smaller and smaller. It may be we don't even need a qualifier. What's happening with the LDN teams for the big tourneys? Will the full spring break and cosmic original line ups play? Whats the deal with DR now, and like John H said, players like Cam, Iain, Ali etc who qualified last year - any plans to form teams for this?

Good idea to do a list of teams than can actually commit to this, even without knowing the dates.

1. 5G (neil, chan, em)
   

Spring break are in. Jono back for Bristol

Also no one can commit till its announced. People don't need full teams for qualifiers. Generally 2 of 3. There will be more interest from people not in teams.

DR is me boges and a +1

Thanks, John...

Ok, I think the discussion should be public (this thread is fine) but maybe have someone coordinating who can basically kill any circular or repeating arguments.

I also agree with John H, the system would be a lot easier if the top team or two auto qualify... One would reduce the number of games needed by the number of teams... So last year would have have 17 less games...

Also like the idea of a feeder tourny.

I need to check with Yomoyo... But I intend to go to the euros.

Ok, I think the discussion should be public (this thread is fine) but maybe have someone coordinating who can basically kill any circular or repeating arguments.

This.

The idea I was bouncing off Jess and Neil Kawasaki was that there should be a coordinating/steering group that basically liaises with each club/scene and feeds back to the wider community (rather than a thread reflecting individuals personal opinions).

Therefore it would make sense at this stage for people to go away and ask their respective clubs/scenes:

1) How many team they can realistically send to the Euros (you must have time, money and the commitment to travel potentially to krakow etc).

2) What format of qualifier you'd prefer.

3) Ideal dates

"Real life" is an illusion Rupert

This.

The idea I was bouncing off Jess and Neil Kawasaki was that there should be a coordinating/steering group that basically liaises with each club/scene and feeds back to the wider community (rather than a thread reflecting individuals personal opinions).

Therefore it would make sense at this stage for people to go away and ask their respective clubs/scenes:

1) How many team they can realistically send to the Euros (you must have time, money and the commitment to travel potentially to krakow etc).

2) What format of qualifier you'd prefer.

3) Ideal dates

My advice is to keep such organisation/working group small and realistic at this moment. As Chan says, how many teams outside London are really committed/able to travel to Europe and America at this point? Very, very few. Therefore I'd suggest you start with a register of recognised UK teams and then take a player representative from each of those teams - I'm guessing 5-7 people at best outside London. From there you can have a cleaner, more effective debating and decision making process, whether that's regional views from non-London teams or national, with London teams. You might even view the register as a sort of team 'licence' - as part of a process that makes that team eligible to represent the UK for a given period.

To make things expedient - I'd suggest that recognised players that are shaping new teams ought to be able to register under a 2/3rds policy from the outset. I don't think it is especially important that the team is resolved at this point, as long as the representation is in place allowing the feedback to begin in earnest.

Feedback can or course continue back and across 'scenes', but it is a distortion to ask a Sunday throw in player whether they think the Worlds should be in MKE or FL for example.... Of course if and when polo expands, this framework can be made larger and more democratic - but for now, let's just get something cogent together that has a pulse.

On another point - my view has always been that the UK Champs remain seriously undermined as our most senior ranking tournament, outside of a specific Euros qualifier. I don't accept that teams that qualified for last years Euros have an automated ranking that carries through from last April's farcical qualifiers - that means they have over 16+ months grace. A lot changes in team polo over 6 months let alone over a year. I would be pushing hard within such a team representative group to ensure this tournament's credibility is rightfully restored and indexed to other events such as the Euros etc. If the NS is ever revived, then those end-of-year rankings would be second on the list, followed by LO. performances abroad don't register IMHO.

I not sure London players want one person to represent them as view differ as many players.

We always dance around this issue each year and make up weird and wonderful ways to qualify because everybody loves dragging it out. Or we could just use use a two day round robin and vote on a date so its fair. Then nobody can hide or get a free lunch or denied the opportunity to eat!