Same old question

[Tony-P-]

Wow the site as come alive, some great points made there. And i would have to say many points are so true. what we have to remember its not just the Uk. This is were i feel more and more OLR are being joined by members packing in racing from their own gardens. Some may have had enough of how the sport is being run, or maybe it is much cheaper to send a team of 5 to a OLR. Thank you for your replys.

as you know I don't have pigeons YET, but I entered a OLR last year and had a little win in the 3rd race (bird went missing in the longer races)
I have also got 2 birds in again this year OLR starts around September / October time I think, but it was a good opportunity for me to get involved and I could watch the training and each race (well the trapping) and everything was up dated as the birds trapped, ring number of the birds and the owner ect.
So you could be right Devo it's not only for people who have their own pigeons and lofts but also for people who pack in with the birds and for new starters wanting to get involved with pigeons.

[Spieker-Loft]

I can tell you our combine done countless and countless of things to try to get new people to the sport even advertisement boards around villages and citys here etc. Each year we have a day where 1 fancier holds like a "open house" event to try to get new people to the sport basically everyone is welcome to come to your loft and you give a tour and explain to new people etc. All of this since years and we gained a total of 1 new member eversince and he races 6 birds each year out of a shed for 2 races and thats it

Just gotta have to enjoy the last years of what we got and i predict in 10-20 years it will probaly all come down to one loft races atleast more or less.

The german pigeon federation releases a yearly statement on memberships and we have a solid 10% decline almost every year since 6 years. About 2000-3000 memebers lost each year barely 20.000 left at this point

[Devo1956]

I can tell you our combine done countless and countless of things to try to get new people to the sport even advertisement boards around villages and citys here etc. Each year we have a day where 1 fancier holds like a "open house" event to try to get new people to the sport basically everyone is welcome to come to your loft and you give a tour and explain to new people etc. All of this since years and we gained a total of 1 new member eversince and he races 6 birds each year out of a shed for 2 races and thats it

Just gotta have to enjoy the last years of what we got and i predict in 10-20 years it will probaly all come down to one loft races atleast more or less.

The german pigeon federation releases a yearly statement on memberships and we have a solid 10% decline almost every year since 6 years. About 2000-3000 memebers lost each year barely 20.000 left at this point

Yes Leon I had a look at the website, Jan and his family was on there. I think there is more chance of new starters happening in Europe.

[Diamond Dave]

If you had ppl within the governing body with any sort of imagination or an ounce of initiative there are lots of things that could be done to at least check the decline OR you can do exactly what the RPRA are doing and sit back and watch the sport spiral downwards into oblivion.
Imo , to a man, not one of them are fit for purpose. I don't care if you know someone who is a delegate or official or even if you are one yourself, they or you are all party to what is going on and what's NOT being done to address what is going on.
You can't change things from outside the closed shop and they/you are certainly not doing anything from the inside.

[Devo1956]

If you had ppl within the governing body with any sort of imagination or an ounce of initiative there are lots of things that could be done to at least check the decline OR you can do exactly what the RPRA are doing and sit back and watch the sport spiral downwards into oblivion.
Imo , to a man, not one of them are fit for purpose. I don't care if you know someone who is a delegate or official or even if you are one yourself, they or you are all party to what is going on and what's NOT being done to address what is going on.
You can't change things from outside the closed shop and they/you are certainly not doing anything from the inside.

The working mans sport will always suffer, if you look at the greyhound tracks closed ove the last years. This shows the problems that lay ahead.

[king]

What is going to be needed to save this sport? I am fed up of these podcast all giving their thoughts. and to be honest nothing real coming through. same old Same old. Lets get real.You have a forum to help to keep others involved, but really is it being used to help each other? members make a forum alive. And keep the sport going.

A Time Machine. I can't believe fanciers are still asking the question. The sport has been in decline for 40 years, it's had it's peak. Whilst I admire efforts to attract new members, for every new member the sport gets it's losing 10. Even Rachel from accounts can see the problem.

So the question is "Why is nothing getting done about it"

What can be done? Why would the youth of today find pigeon racing appealing? The 24/7 commitment ain't a big selling point? There will AWAYS be a few that will take up the sport, but NEVER enough to replace the rapid decline in members leaving or in the majority of cases dying.

[Diamond Dave]

The point is King - you can sit back and do nothing or you can at least TRY to bring about some changes.
The RPRA stance is to do nothing which is a disgrace.

[Winfort Lofts]

I do think the German Union website does a much better job of advertising the sport than anything we have in the UK!

They show off the family dynamics, they also have lots of guides and information right there on the site aimed at people who are not already in the sport.

Compare that directly with the RPRA site, and the difference is night and day.

I do think that we should be doing whatever is possible to attract new people to the sport, we definitely shouldn't just roll over and do nothing.

But you also have to have the right approach for the the right people.

The sport is growing in eastern Europe, so we should be embracing the eastern Europeans in the UK that may be interested in the sport, but not so aware of where to reach out to.

How much of a jump would it be from people who have back yard chickens, to add a pigeon loft and try the sport?
You can see the similarities, but again could easily be something they are unaware of, because it's an invisible sport to most of the public.

[king]

The point is King - you can sit back and do nothing or you can at least TRY to bring about some changes.
The RPRA stance is to do nothing which is a disgrace.

And how has trying worked out Dave?. I'm not a fan of the RPRA but the decline in membership is NOT their fault (their mistake is not shrinking along with the membership)
It's all well and good having ideas to attract new members but I've yet to hear a good one in the last 40 years? (that didn't involve spending money)
There are a few clubs that get new members (not to be confused with poaching members from other clubs) but what many cannot grasp, is the sport is losing members faster than they gain them. My old club used to have 60 members in 1975 when I joined, as has since then, always been the biggest club in the city, it's down to around 15. Now in that time it's had members join nearly every year but has ALWAYS lost more than it gained.
I haven't raced now for 8 years but still follow the sport closely. I see all the local results every week, and see the odd new name but the decline is there for all to see.
I get news txts still from the sec about racing every week. One year it got to the point where I was getting news of a local fancier dying almost every month.
Another thing is where do they new starters race too? Many houses now have Restrictive Covenants against keeping livestock, many allotments now don't allow pigeons on them. (In my old club 7 members flew on one site and 5 flew on another) a change in Council rules meant NO new lofts could be built. Now just ONE loft remains on the 2 Council allotments.

And if any new member wants to race pigeons in York, they have no choice but to race 'sprint'. As All the local Feds race just to the coast some 220 miles.

[king]

I do think the German Union website does a much better job of advertising the sport than anything we have in the UK!

They show off the family dynamics, they also have lots of guides and information right there on the site aimed at people who are not already in the sport.

Compare that directly with the RPRA site, and the difference is night and day.

I do think that we should be doing whatever is possible to attract new people to the sport, we definitely shouldn't just roll over and do nothing.

But you also have to have the right approach for the the right people.

The sport is growing in eastern Europe, so we should be embracing the eastern Europeans in the UK that may be interested in the sport, but not so aware of where to reach out to.

How much of a jump would it be from people who have back yard chickens, to add a pigeon loft and try the sport?
You can see the similarities, but again could easily be something they are unaware of, because it's an invisible sport to most of the public.

The Eastern Europeans, can forget about keeping chickens here in the UK let alone racing pigeons. Most Councils are making the keeping of livestock harder each year.