Intersite Matches, The Future

[Pete M]

I'm a big fan of the Intersite and have been from day one, don't forget that it was Dave and Maggotdrowning that started it all off.
However I believe it's started to attract a greedy element, and that's to the detriment of the series as a whole

I feel that now the format needs to be revised.

I would like to see the cash element removed to a large degree and for it to become a series of trophy matches. No pools as such, or a minimal pool that only pays sections, Just trophies for 1st, 2nd or 3rd. a bit radical I know, and just a thought at the moment, but it may prevent the local "cracks" that have no allegiance to any website wanting to fish when their only motivation is picking up some easy coin.

This year has seen a large rise in "Ringers" at matches, by which I refer to locals brought in to make up numbers in teams. I don't have a problem with members of other sites fishing for different teams to make up numbers, indeed many of us are registered with more than one forum although most have a main forum that they post on or fish for, but I do have a problem with local specialists who wouldn't know one end of a keyboard from another and are not active members of a forum being drafted in on a win at whatever cost basis.

Just my personal thoughts but would anyone else care to share their thoughts on this, in an effort to come up with a viable format for the future of the series.

[Andycarpcatcher]

Are we still refering to the Intersite indervidual match at Barston? Which I fished. Or are we refering to the team events held in different regions? Which I know less about, because I haven't fished one.
The way I see it is that generally the turn out was poor in relation to the potential turnout. The indervidual was open to all members of all sites yet it was around 50 pegs. I think removing the money element will not help the turnout, especially if people have to travel. If you are garanteed to make a loss with bait costs petrol and entrance fee, etc it makes it hard to be able to fish.
I just think tighter control on the booking on process is the way to go.

[Brian G]

Andy the inention of the Intersite series, is for anglers of all abilities to meet up and have the craic, it is not really there to produce an open match with major prizes but with a turn out of 50 it was maybe the biggest match in the area that weekend, besides those sort of matches are well covered by events sponsored by big companies. On many of the intersite matches a good few make a weekend of it and maybe to some the fishing is secondary, some of the distances travelled dont make it possible to do it all in a day, it is nice to think that it is possible to win a few quid to offset some of the costs that involves, when local ringers start taking all the cash that does not happen, and that has probably happened all to often, the next thing is the Intersite matches fold due to lack of interest.

[Kingfisher]

Wish I could have fished but was cruising on the River Thames. It must have been really annoying for those who were faced with carp anglers.
1. Somebody has already suggesed entry should be via the individual's site.
2. Nobody could be more approacable than Nigel. I'm confident that he would tighten up on the pegging next year if we could be more accurate on the number of pegs required.eg.100 back to 30. 28 back to 1 for the carp fishermen/itinerants, but clearly marked the preceding night and posted before hand. Q.E.D!

[Andycarpcatcher]

Brian are you talking specifically about the individual intersite match or the team events? As I didn't fish the team events it's hard for me to comment.
I agree that local ringers out to clean up on the cash front is not in the spirit of the match and is unfair.
I just think that, in relation to the intersite individual match, changing the match itself, ie the money the prizes etc to try and deter outsiders trying to get onto the match is a negative move. One, it might not deter outsiders, Two, why should the people that fish the match have to change it because of the threat of an outside invasion.

[Kingfisher]

Snap Andy!!

[Brian G]

A bit like guests being allowed to fish for our golden peg money John. Bet you dont propose that tonight ;D ;D ;D

[royst]

The intersite series is all about the friendly rivalry between the members of the various sites. The banter, the 'P' taking, and the craic is what makes it a success.
I can't claim to have personally met all of the members from the other sites, but having read their 'postings' and I certainly know of them.
Although the Barston match was an individual event, it would have been a creditable achievement if the Trophy was retained be a 'Talkangling' man. Although, I'm sure if the winner was from another site, his achievement would have been just as warmly acknowledged.
If the winner however was not a member of any of the sites, then this surely detracts from the competition, and the whole point of the competition, ie to appoint an INTERSITE champion is lost.
All we need to do for next year is, make sure that entry is via the site captain/organiser only.(IMO ;D)

[polemaster]

I dont think money is the main objective of the anglers on these sites, when i was involved with Force Baits we sponsored a serious of matches North, Midlands, and the south qualifiers, the winner Bobby G picked up a cheque for i think £250.00 plus pools for winning the final, plus £200 worth of prizes and i dont think we ever got above 20 entries for any of them.
But the fishing and banter was superb.

[Bobby G]

Right there Steve

I generally, like the rest of the lads from up here, do a round trip of about 200 - 250 miles.I think the only time I have been in pocket was when I won that match
but that isn't the point, putting names to faces, having a day out and a good laugh, THATS WHAT IT'S ABOUT.

[Pete M]

Spot on Bobby,
And that is the spirit that has to be recaptured, otherwise it may just as well become another series of opens.

The original concept was designed to introduce anglers that wouldn't normally entertain fishing a match to the fun that can be had. I know that MD's have had specimen and pure pleasure anglers fish for them in the past and without exception they've enjoyed the experience.

Let's put the fun back into it. ;D

[Stu]

Pete,
I totally agree with what your intentions but like others I am not convinced on removing the pools, although I accept that club level pools may well deter the cash-chasing "ringers". The trophy issue is a nice idea though, with perhaps team and individual trophies per round/series.

However, I think that the single biggest negative influence on the Intersites this year was the choice of venues. They were simply too far in the extremes of the regions to appeal to the wider "membership". Perhaps if the venues were not at the furthest reaches of the regions the support would have been much greater. Added to this is the suggestion that the venue selection itself was somewhat dubious. By that I mean rumours that one water had been booked for a round even though another venue had topped the list for that region, and then there was the odd voting in one region where an inordinate number of "unique" votes were cast.

While I am not going to knock those organising these matches, they may find things easier for themselves if they remove the democracy of the vote and simply chose 5 suitable well-located waters (not at the extreme and close to good road links) in each of the regions and run the series on a "Take it or Leave it" basis. If it was up to me, that's how I would organise it.

Stu

[polepot]

Let each site chose a venue