Selection process for EHBPC 2011 23-26.06.2011

I'd still encourage teams like skids and Psyclone to enter though

Well, that really depends.

As mentioned, the Euros isn't about inclusivity. Even if by some miracle we qualified, we'd get knocked out in the first round, and all we've done is wasted a load of peoples time.

I'm happy to not go to the qualifier, if it allows the process to be shorter. But obviously if 30 teams from around the UK turn up, we'd be justified in thinking we can beat some of them.

But I'd rather save that for a national series, or the UK champs (which should be about inclusivity).

so you can't seed them, because you don't know them, but when they both tell you of their honest ability you still want them to be included / encouraged? Maybe unrealistic encouragement is as bad as no encouragement at all...

I just said i didnt know enough about the teams, and even if they are seeded low they should still come. It's a good way for them to improve their game, regardless if they make the top 10 or not.

Jono writes:

*It's weird for me that you associate these tournaments (having good teams?) with scene size, polo growth and inclusivity? There is no natural correlation as far as I've experienced? *

I particularly associate qualification tournaments ie. one tournament leading to another higher status, as having a natural correlation with growth - through awareness, aspiration, involvement and support. If 'elite' tournaments take place in a vacuum then this is the first step en route to a two class polo nation.

Polosynthese and L'Equipe were both formed from tiny scenes and still struggle to get more people to play polo (perhaps because there level is now too high for beginners, perhaps because they lack further support from the city, who knows).

And that gap will only widen if they get sole satisfaction from playing away, surely?

What I'm saying is I see no need to associate the Euros or Worlds with inclusivity, or (backwards) the idea that for a scene to grow you must be able to attend these "big" tournaments, etc?

I was at no stage arguing for the 'rights' of fledgling regional teams to a place, 'subsidised' or otherwise, at the Euros. I was arguing that within the regions the Euros and the Worlds don't exist even as discussion points - but should IMHO. Surely hestitates before using a football analogy the FA Cup has a traceable link to Saturday pub team football??

You could argue that participation in these big events (including training for them and the build up) is actually distracting you away from focussing on beginners, polo growth, etc.

That just makes no sense at all.

Anyway I'm done with waving the 'inclusivity' flag for the benefit of UK polo for now - good luck LDN in the Euros/Worlds, send us a postcard....!

If there is to be a swing to the single tournament, albeit fine for the immediate need, then the general point about working 'inclusion' and 'awareness' (yawn) into the longer term strategy for UK polo as a whole is lost for another year.

This has no business in the qualifying tourney for the Euros. Inclusion and awareness happen during the rest of the year. Not during the qualies.

Single tourney. If we have small enough numbers, then we do round robin. If too many, then swiss rolls.

@chan: I don't think tournaments improve your game. Playing in the league, playing 100's of throw-ins / drills and solo polo makes you better. I see this Q tourney as a necessity not another reason to have a 'fun' tournament weekend. Quite frankly i'd rather play the top 6 London teams all weekend as training than play a 30+ tournament because i have to.

Can someone contact all a rep from each scene and have them post their interested teams here -- teams that think they have a reasonable chance of making the top 10 and will travel to Barca?

London:

1. L'Quiche
   
2. La Schmoove
   
3. B_D - confirmed 3
   
4. Spring Break
   
5. Nice Touch
   
6. Degeneration
   
7. Dogma or Pie
   
8. Cosmic
   
9. The Joker, The Ace, and The King
   
10. Otters & Co (needs clarification)
    
11. Lebowski & sons (needs clarification)
    
    

Manchester:

1. Asbo
   
2. Netto
   
3. Polo Erectus
   
   

Cambridge:
15.Fen Boy 3

1. Cream
   
2. Thor
   
   

Birmingham:

1. Black Stabbath
   

jono already has

I have moved a few LDN teams to an unconfirmed status. I have emailed each of them asking them to confirm their intention of playing.

Official list of teams for the Euros qualies

London (confirmed:)

1. L'Quiche
   
2. La Schmoove
   
3. B_D
   
4. Spring Break
   
5. Nice Touch
   
6. Degeneration
   
7. Cosmic
   
   

London (unconfirmed)

1. Dogma or Pie
   
2. The Joker, The Ace, and The King
   
3. Otters & Co (needs clarification)
   
4. Lebowski & sons (needs clarification)
   
   

Manchester:

1. Asbo
   
2. Netto
   
3. Polo Erectus
   
   

Cambridge:
15.Fen Boy 3

1. Cream
   
2. Thor
   
   

Birmingham:

1. Black Stabbath
   

Can someone contact all a rep from each scene and have them post their interested teams here -- teams that think they have a reasonable chance of making the top 10 and will travel to Barca?

jono already has

Is it reasonable to require any team that wants to play the Euros qualies to have to register here? Say, teams must be registered by one week from today?

The nationals should be earlier in the year nxt year end of march early April. They should be inclusive and all that. Euro and world qualification can be taken nationally.

Who is gonna do nxt years nationals then? Step up and shine..

through awareness, aspiration, involvement and support. If 'elite' tournaments take place in a vacuum then this is the first step en route to a two class polo nation

Awareness, aspiration, involvement and support... all of this can happen without competing. The tournaments don't take place in a vacuum, they are the most high-profile events of the year and anyone is welcome to attend, not everyone can play however as the purpose is to find the best teams in Europe/the World and the organisers have finite time/resources. If you wanted to you could bid to host/organise the Euros as it currently stands, how's that for inclusive/accessible?

And that gap will only widen if they get sole satisfaction from playing away, surely?

Satisfaction from playing away? They're trying to win the Euros/Worlds and have earned the right to compete, they're not self-satisfying themselves! You would take that away from them so a different (selected) team could play (who have less chance of winning)? Home cities/countries should support their best teams as they'll be able to leverage any success in their home city/country to secure better facilities, support in the future, etc.

I was at no stage arguing for the 'rights' of fledgling regional teams to a place, 'subsidised' or otherwise, at the Euros. I was arguing that within the regions the Euros and the Worlds don't exist even as discussion points - but should IMHO. Surely hestitates before using a football analogy the FA Cup has a traceable link to Saturday pub team football??

It sounds as if you simply want more organisation at a UK level to discuss how we can ensure polo inclusivity, organise more tournaments, work out the "Road to the Euros/Worlds", etc. I'm all for this, but you'll still not convince me that the Euros or Worlds should be an opportunity to be inclusive... I'd prefer more team training, UK-wide tournaments and knowledge/facility sharing, etc.

That just makes no sense at all.

An example: London would not have been able to organise the Euros and London Open within the same year, there are finite resources... one is about starting a tourney that finds the best players on the continent, the other is about polo inclusively and never capping teams, etc.

Another example: Encourage more team night training to improve your "best" (or formed) teams, or encourage individual polo drills, or beginners nights, or throw-ins, etc?

You are wasting your time, Jono.

if you want to go, finish in the top 10. if you want to go but are not able to finish in the top ten, then assess your game, work hard and try again next year.

#IMO

IMO also. The various teams that I have been on missed qualification by 1 place for the last 2 Euros & the Worlds. It hurt, but I got over it, and tried to learn the lessons each time. I would like to think that I am a better player than I was when I was in the Euro Quali in 2009.

^ Same for me, never "properly" qualified for anything, but felt like I kept learning, etc.

if you don't understand post 787 you're a dolt.

Is it reasonable to require any team that wants to play the Euros qualies to have to register here? Say, teams must be registered by one week from today?

What about this? I think there is no way to proceed without having a complete list of teams first.

It's tricky though, what about teams that aren't formed yet, what about teams that change their line-up due to injury, what if someone's plans change and they can suddenly make the Euros, etc?

I reckon if you can make the qualifying tourney, that's good enough... obviously it'd be good to have an idea of numbers of teams for scheduling purposes though, hmm.

Maybe have a list of teams, but give them 5 days before the tourney to get on that list (plenty of time to re-schedule things a little)?

Let's move things forward RoUK we could chat all the way to the euros...
Swiss rolls with an extra round sounds good and achievable (cambridge?). Or round robin in london?

London:

1. L'Quiche
   
2. La Schmoove
   
3. B_D
   
4. Spring Break
   
5. Nice Touch
   
6. Degeneration
   
7. Cosmic
   
   

London (unconfirmed)

1. Dogma or Pie
   
2. The Joker, The Ace, and The King
   
3. Otters & Co (needs clarification)
   
4. Lebowski & sons (needs clarification)
   
   

Manchester:

1. Asbo
   
2. Netto
   
3. Polo Erectus
   
   

Cambridge:
1.Fen Boy 3

1. Cream
   
2. Thor
   
   

Birmingham:

1. Black Stabbath
   
   

Sheffield:
?

Edinburgh:
?

@jono -- Yeah, good point. There are teams that have not formed yet.

How do we move this thing forward? Have a vote among all the teams that are on this list at a certain point, say, by Friday? (Assuming that Jono has emailed all teams that registered interest to Ale. And probably we should post on LOBP -- or perhaps we should move the discussion and list of teams there?)

**Official list of teams for the Euros qualies

**London:

1. L'Quiche
   
2. La Schmoove
   
3. B_D
   
4. Spring Break
   
5. Nice Touch
   
6. Degeneration
   
7. Cosmic
   
8. The Joker, The Ace, and The King
   
   1. Otters & Co (needs clarification)
      
   2. Lebowski & sons (needs clarification)
      
      

London (unconfirmed)

1. Dogma or Pie
   
   
   

Manchester:

1. Asbo
   
2. Netto
   
3. Polo Erectus
   
   

Cambridge:
15.Fen Boy 3

1. Cream
   
2. Thor
   
   

Birmingham:

1. Black Stabbath
   
   

Sheffield:
?

Edinburgh:
?

Can you update the list Chuckles?

So are JAK entering?

Yep.

How do we move this thing forward? Have a vote among all the teams that are on this list at a certain point, say, by Friday? (Assuming that Jono has emailed all teams that registered interest to Ale. And probably we should post on LOBP -- or perhaps we should move the discussion and list of teams there?)

+1, with mention of dates. Keep the discussion here to avoid confusion.