LAST POST

WHAT’S HAPPENING MAN!!

LAST MONTH FRENCHIE COMPLAINED THAT NOTHING WAS HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OF UK AIRSOFT AND IT SEEMS THAT MAY BE THE CASE FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER, AT LEAST AS FAR AS SKIRMISHING IS CONCERNED.

Quotesideas.com

The pandemic and its associated lockdowns have had a very real effect north of the border, where I am in Scotland, with the decision by LandWarrior to close their current site, Airsoft Edinburgh, permanently.

In a lengthy post on their Facebook page, owner Scott Allen explained that the lack of financial assistance available to airsoft sites and the lengthy periods of inactivity left them with no option but to shut the site as, despite generating no income, it was still costing money in rent and insurance - the cost of which has risen dramatically over the past year.

With that decision it is likely that the landowner is going to harvest the timber, meaning that, for this location, there is no going back.

LandWarrior are confident that a new site will be found and that operations will resume - given the size and loyalty of their player base I don’t doubt it - but it is telling that many businesses, especially those occupying specialised market areas have found it almost impossible to access any government aid during the past year.

PALPABLE FRUSTRATION

Although he expressed this politely, Scott’s frustration was palpable, not helped by his local council acting like some two-bit gumshoe operation and forcing entry into the LandWarrior Core gym to make sure that it wasn’t open. Clearly Midlothian Council cannot tell the difference between a gym owner and his wife making use of their gym, on their own, during lockdown and posting about it on social media and a business operating illegally. Therefore, forcing entry, having berated staff and failing to observe social distancing and the requirement to wear a face covering is apparently a reasonable response. It’s no wonder Scott was feeling slightly miffed!

Now, I hear on the grapevine (well, Facebook) mutterings of attempts to create another Airsoft Governing Body. I haven’t yet seen any proposals, rather a slew of cynical comments from those who have literally been there and done that - and I have to include myself amongst that chorus of tragedy.

“But why? Isn’t it a good idea to be properly regulated, like other sports?”. Arguably, yes, it is but let’s just take a whistle-stop tour through what that actually means. Standardised energy limits for all sites (possibly). Agreed standards of marshal training and behaviour, probably to include first aid training. It may require setting rates of pay for marshals as the “play

“CLEARLY MIDLOTHIAN COUNCIL CANNOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GYM OWNER AND HIS WIFE MAKING USE OF THEIR GYM, ON THEIR OWN, DURING LOCKDOWN AND POSTING ABOUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND A BUSINESS OPERATING ILLEGALLY. THEREFORE, FORCING ENTRY AND FAILING TO OBSERVE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND THE REQUIREMENT TO WEAR A FACE COVERING IS APPARENTLY A REASONABLE RESPONSE.”

for free” system is harder to apply when you have to invest money in individuals and expect them to perform as professionals, rather than as “mates who help out”.

Disciplinary procedures to deal with problem players and problem sites. Disciplining players may be expected to apply across all participating sites - get booted off one, get booted off all. That alone means the need for a format to ensure the basic tenets of justice apply or face possible legal challenges. Disciplinary procedures become much more important if you are judging another site for failing to adhere to the governing body’s rules. Now you may be dealing with someone’s livelihood and their investment and that has the potential to get serious.

On that subject… What happens to sites who simply do not want to participate - and there will be some. Will the very existence of a governing body become the stick authorities use to determine whether or not a site can operate? Will insurers insist on membership as a precondition of granting cover? Given how many freewheeling individuals are involved in, and possibly necessary to, airsoft in the UK, I foresee some serious issues here.

It is, in short, a substantial undertaking. If it’s just for the sites, there is (or was) the UKASGB, the United Kingdom Airsoft Sites Governing Body but it looks like it is, at best, nascent, if not dead. If you want to encompass the entire industry and get retailer buy in, you need to appreciate that the real money lies with the retailers. If you want them to fund this you are going to have to present a convincing business argument and I just can’t see one.

I have argued often for improved standards in marshalling, for a commonality of standards across sites but my experiences back in 2006/7, when the VCRA directly threatened airsoft’s future, made me realise that making this happen was very likely a pipe dream. If you do a search for UKASGB you’ll see quite a few “organisations” pop up in the results, all claiming to represent airsoft or a part of it, in the UK. None of them, not even UKAPU, the players union, do so in terms of buy-in and numbers. Some are in fact simple expressions of self-interest or ego.

The fact is that over the last twenty years that I have been involved with airsoft, it has pretty much survived just fine as a loose conglomeration of interested parties. It managed to deal with the VCRA and with the attempts by governments, national and devolved, to define lethality as one joule. In both cases, success was achieved by a small group of individuals representing various parts of the industry working towards a common goal, rather than action by established organisations or mass mobilisation of players. The question, when discussing governance in relation to airsoft, is not whether it’s a good idea (it is in my opinion) but whether airsoft in the UK really needs it. Without that need and without it being pressing, it simply will not happen. Airsoft as we know it will trundle on, ducking and diving as it has for years and largely keeping itself in good order.

However, if there are some intrepid souls out there, determined to give it a go - good luck and fair winds! I fear you may be joining us in the cynic’s corner before too long. AA

“IF YOU DO A SEARCH FOR UKASGB YOU’LL SEE QUITE A FEW “ORGANISATIONS” POP UP IN THE RESULTS, ALL CLAIMING TO REPRESENT AIRSOFT OR A PART OF IT, IN THE UK. NONE OF THEM, NOT EVEN UKAPU, THE PLAYERS UNION, DO SO IN TERMS OF BUY-IN AND NUMBERS. SOME ARE IN FACT SIMPLE EXPRESSIONS OF SELF-INTEREST OR EGO.”