UK sport. Pigeon racing decline

I can remember when he was taking pics, Rays club is shown at the start

whats the reason pigeon keeping / racing is in decline....is it cost, or is it society has made our younger people into couch potatoes sat in the house playing computer games, watching x factor and all these crap towie / love island/ big brother rubbish, and generally being brainwashed by the government and media...and not thinking for them selves....?

That's it dave its the way they are being conditioned if it hasn't got buttons to press they are lost most young people don't no how to hold a conversation a lot of the don't even no how to play not like our generation or older who would go off for hours on end and cause no bother to anyone and have a good time

David wrote:

whats the reason pigeon keeping / racing is in decline....is it cost, or is it society has made our younger people into couch potatoes sat in the house playing computer games, watching x factor and all these crap towie / love island/ big brother rubbish, and generally being brainwashed by the government and media...and not thinking for them selves....?

Spot On David

markevans wrote:

That's it dave its the way they are being conditioned if it hasn't got buttons to press they are lost most young people don't no how to hold a conversation a lot of the don't even no how to play not like our generation or older who would go off for hours on end and cause no bother to anyone and have a good time

Spot On Mark

There is not one but many reasons why the sort is not what it once was.

if over the years you had received the letters from fanciers in different places many with same complaints which I have done requesting solutions to many different problems you would see that there has always been basic problems, even when the sport was thriving.

Many were relative to miss behaviour etc; by fanciers who then threatened to, such as burn lofts down if any action was taken, likewise the use of drugs, and many other such situations.

I could not help because we had the same situation at times, and I know many left the sport through such matters.

In fact, It was partly due to such a situation that I stopped racing sooner than I could have done.

I was either, secretary, chairman or president of nearly every club I have been involved in, latterly president and chairman, and no one can deny I did all the jobs without favour to anyone.

I have been threatened with violence at meetings, told that the secretary had to put in the minute book what certain members wanted or else;

There were several what I would call, at least, undesirables involved and to settle they matter they formed another club and promised faithfully not to return tour club but some retained membership.

One person in particular who should not be in any sport for numerous reasons and who is in a position to spread her kind of poison was sat at the marking table when I arrived at the club house one night, marking the birds, she had no right as she was not on the marking committee and was in a position to miss mark the birds on purpose.
#
I had too options, I could not stand being in the same room, so I decided to see the season out and resign.

Then we have all the latest options to the youth of today, they are educated for longer need to do more to obtain decent living standards, want a house, car and all the trimmings as soon as they get married and many mortgaged with the price of houses etc; to an extent that they have no surplus funds.

The old fanciers who pass away are doing so at a far greater pace now than ever previously and there is no chance of replacing them at the same rate.

Those involved in the school projects are doing a great job doing a great job
but how many of the youngsters will become long term fanciers when they have numerous other activities they can either do or leave till another day?

I have given unrung pigeons to several youngsters at an age who are able to look after them and it has only been a short lived experiment as ypu have to ensure they are actually looking after the pigeons needs, and this usually stops too soon.

If I was just starting as a grown up I would adopt an interested youngster and take him/her into partnership and retain their name when they had to seek a living etc; and explain they could be involved at any time.

One of the main problems is the mind set of the latter day fancier they do not make them like they used to.


Regards.

markevans wrote:

That's it dave its the way they are being conditioned if it hasn't got buttons to press they are lost most young people don't no how to hold a conversation a lot of the don't even no how to play not like our generation or older who would go off for hours on end and cause no bother to anyone and have a good time

I agree Mark off at sunrise home as the sun was setting etc & we didn't have to mug some one to have a good day either, like some of the youth of today sadly seem to like doing for kicks as such.

young people are being led they cant think for themselves outside of a mobile or computer or games console ...sad but true ,my club may fold at the end of this year as we had a meeting last night and 2 members wont be racing for health reasons and it looks like our secretary is packing in end of the year and nobody wants his job ,I cant do it as will be clocksetter and basketing committee so cant do it all,its always the same faces doing the work ,I was thinking only last night just how delicate racing pigeons is in my area ...a few faces pulling out of the right jobs and it will be finished

Two clubs in our area have packed in due to older members having had enough and no one willing to take on the work, although those that want to continue have joined other clubs which is a good thing, as there has been a tendency for break aways in the past with too many small clubs.

The fanciers who have a possible reasonable length of time in the sport are the ones to do something about the present situation.

They could adopt a young one who is interested in the school projects as apprentices, the RPRA addmitting them on a nomonal yearly fee, the apprentices would have no claim on anything to do with the fanciers investments but their name could be included in the parnership, this would give them a lift when wins were recorded etc;

And they could take up the sport at any time later on their own when matters permitted.

Most fanciers of long term standing do so from youthful experience.

The exception being those interested in one loft racing which will not save the sport.

The apprentice would obviously have to be involved in all aspects of the sport.

If something is not done the sport will done.

Regards.

It is not all Gloom and Doom. Sport is thiving in other countries. I doubt if pigeon racing will die out. Fanciers will find ways and means to compete. That way if they win a lot they can sell to other countries or they may end up flying one lofters only. The whole scenario is changing. As of this year, to my limited knowledge, Asian buyers still import birds from Europe and North America. I would have thought with all the champions they have bought, they could breed their own strains. Could be they breed many and ship many without too much thought for the future. Money now attitude. Just guessing.

Leeds article.
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/what-does-the-future-hold-for-pigeon-racing-the-sport-born-in-a-leeds-pub-1-8605604

good link Hal

FW was searching for growth of sport per country. Apparently the sport is growing. But not in any ones local area. Times are changing. One cannot live in the past. So solution? What does one want to achieve? Small club winners mean nothing only to the flier. Combine and Fed winners get noted. They can sell birds or just take pride in winning. Clubs will disapear from lack of fliers. Better they amalgamated. Much better competition. I drive an hour to my club. Open road, few villages to go through. This club folds then it would be an almost 2 hour drive. I will not do that. Hence for various reasons, that being one of them, will cut down from present 100 or so to 6 stock, 12 pairs of racers. I select them right and eliminate the poorest will be tough. Has to be done. Have to get with the times. Club gone will fly one lofters or special Fed races. Training through club races would not be available. So. Have to train as best I can. Personally again, think birds have an inherent instinct to home. If they have been trained (young birds) the last 40 miles or so trigger memories of landmarks. They get confidence and try harder. Drag, location, really does not matter much except in short races 150 to 200 miles. But hey! Racing season is coming up! Put my birds were my mouth is. Youngsters I will lose quite a few. As with yearlings, many not flown. As for 2 year olds and better if they were amongst the best they would be in the stock loft. Doubt if will get an exceptional one. Perhaps a hen or two. Just my thoughts.

SO many really great points brought up in these postings.

I started keeping pigeons when I was 14 years old and was lucky to be helped by the late great Guy Barrett OBE and his loft manager.

Yes things are going down hill in the UK and France (maybe other places in the world also), and YES things are not all doom and gloom as, in many parts of the world, pigeon racing is thriving.

BUT - it is only thriving because, take China for example - the big MONEY men are ploughing thousands of dollars into the sport ONLY because they gamble on the birds. They are betting mad in China.

That is partly why the prices of 'so called' quality birds have gone through the roof. To such an extent that no ordinary working man could afford the prices asked for some birds. Which by the way may have dubious pedigrees!

Hil has 3 grand children now and I am going to try my best to see if I can get any or all of them interested in our sport.

The only way that we have a chance of keeping our wonderful sport going (in the UK) is to get the young involved. But as many have pointed out - most of them are too interested in computer games and their bloody mobile phones. It seems to me, that most of the children today have the wretched things bolted to their hips.

However, I think we have a job on our hands lads and lasses, we might be the last of the last.

I spoke to Chris Sutton for nearly an hour yesterday, mostly about one loft races. You have to be made of money to enter some of the bigger one loft events. Six hundred dollars here and six hundred euros there, plus up to £120 for transport - what is the world coming to?

Take the Derby Arona race for example - we have all heard of the massive losses they have, I was told yesterday that 50% losses from the first sea liberation is normal. They start the races with many many Thousands of birds, and when it comes to the last race, there are about 1,400 birds left. What is that for a sport?

The RPRA say One Loft Racing is a way of getting non fanciers interested in the sport - but I can't see how you can enter birds into a race if you don't have any pigeons in the first place.

I think we will all have to push on and do our best to get more people interested in our sport.

Phil

I think one of the main reasons pigeon keeping/racing is in decline is how society as a whole is in decline, we have lost or given away most of our industry to foreign countries, we closed pits, steelworks our own car industry, these were the places where families worked all there lives, where sons came into the job and followed their fathers........pigeons were a way of life to many of them, now we have no community spirit, our communities are getting smaller with immigrants flooding into our towns and cities, we are a minority in some areas, we have no identity any more.......instead we are fed x factor, dancing on ice, eastenders and coronation street, we are brainwashed into accepting the propaganda our corrupt leaders put out on the news programs and news papers.....most of which are lies and fake news.

our children are obsessed by computer games and "celebrities", listening to the degenerate music they put out inciting violence, little wonder we get such crimes when some lunatic goes crazy with a gun.....

the world has gone mad, little wonder taking up pigeons is not high on most young peoples list.

David wrote:

I think one of the main reasons pigeon keeping/racing is in decline is how society as a whole is in decline, we have lost or given away most of our industry to foreign countries, we closed pits, steelworks our own car industry, these were the places where families worked all there lives, where sons came into the job and followed their fathers........pigeons were a way of life to many of them, now we have no community spirit, our communities are getting smaller with immigrants flooding into our towns and cities, we are a minority in some areas, we have no identity any more.......instead we are fed x factor, dancing on ice, eastenders and coronation street, we are brainwashed into accepting the propaganda our corrupt leaders put out on the news programs and news papers.....most of which are lies and fake news.

our children are obsessed by computer games and "celebrities", listening to the degenerate music they put out inciting violence, little wonder we get such crimes when some lunatic goes crazy with a gun.....

the world has gone mad, little wonder taking up pigeons is not high on most young peoples list.

not a big fan of modern society then david

Be using an old toulet to time in on

You are right David, our country has become the laughing stock of other countries that have kept adopted standards relative to a civilised society.

Anyone with a normal idea that would improve society is dismissed by the pc brigade and with them anything that the majority of society disagrees with and wants to express an opinion on are called discriminates, whilst they go on with further ridiculous demands.

There is no wonder Putin looks on us as idiots.

It may help to look at what the Bible says the latter days will involve.


Regards.