UkPigeonRacing

If people think there is no decline in the sport, well i wont try and change their views. Everyone has a different view, and so they should. Like I always say time will tell.

It's all an attitude thing, I guess. We can use the word decline, and just wait for the RPRA to oversee a managed death of the sport, or perhaps we might use the word change, or maybe even challenge, and actually man up a bit. Grow a pair.
It pisses me off severely.
Yes, it's changing, no it's not going to be as it was. But when I first had racing pigeons 40 years ago I was told the sport was on it's last legs. Would be gone within a decade. And yet, here we are.
I think there are some people who actually want the sport to die, to prove them right.
Well I'm not one of them.

Key Causes of the Decline

• Aging Demographic & Lack of Youth: Most active fanciers are older, and younger generations are drawn to digital technology and modern entertainment rather than traditional outdoor hobbies.
• High Bird Losses: Between 7% and 23% of racing pigeons can be lost in a season due to an increase in birds of prey (such as peregrine falcons), building collisions, extreme weather/heat stress linked to climate change, and young bird sickness.
• Economic & Operational Pressures: Rising costs for feed, fuel used for training trips, administrative/vet rules (including post-Brexit transport hurdles), and stricter housing or garden loft restrictions make the hobby expensive and difficult to maintain.
• Loss of Social Hubs: The closure of many local pubs and working-class clubs has removed the traditional community spaces where fanciers gathered to socialize and track results.

There's so much that has gone into the decline of pigeon racing in the UK

I personally feel as a relatively young flyer being under 40 that in 20 years the only way to race will be in large radius sections/federations

One thing that would improve racing and could be done almost immediately would be enforced joint liberations into areas within the same loft code prefix (multiple if agreed upon)

Provincial racing is what is the norm on the continent and is what should be done here in the UK

Too many small federations and comical club radii to avoid the best flyers

I live in the south of Sheffield but can't race in a Sheffield federation lol

I'd rather all the birds be let up together with several thousand in the birdage with a large result for all lofts then a breakdown for clubs, feds, etc

Harry's Loft wrote: Sun Oct 11, 2026 7:01 am There's so much that has gone into the decline of pigeon racing in the UK

I personally feel as a relatively young flyer being under 40 that in 20 years the only way to race will be in large radius sections/federations

One thing that would improve racing and could be done almost immediately would be enforced joint liberations into areas within the same loft code prefix (multiple if agreed upon)

Provincial racing is what is the norm on the continent and is what should be done here in the UK

Too many small federations and comical club radii to avoid the best flyers

I live in the south of Sheffield but can't race in a Sheffield federation lol

I'd rather all the birds be let up together with several thousand in the birdage with a large result for all lofts then a breakdown for clubs, feds, etc

I can only agree with you Harry, i have said this for a long time. Bigger feds and combines, flying down the same corridor. Better communication to avoid clashes, if kids can use WhatsApp in South Africa to clock birds in. I am sure race controllers can use WhattsApp for better communicatin to avoid clashes. There is so much that can be done to improve the sport.

Harry's Loft wrote: Sun Oct 11, 2026 7:01 am There's so much that has gone into the decline of pigeon racing in the UK

I personally feel as a relatively young flyer being under 40 that in 20 years the only way to race will be in large radius sections/federations

One thing that would improve racing and could be done almost immediately would be enforced joint liberations into areas within the same loft code prefix (multiple if agreed upon)

Provincial racing is what is the norm on the continent and is what should be done here in the UK

Too many small federations and comical club radii to avoid the best flyers

I live in the south of Sheffield but can't race in a Sheffield federation lol

I'd rather all the birds be let up together with several thousand in the birdage with a large result for all lofts then a breakdown for clubs, feds, etc

Totally agree Harry

Harry's Loft wrote: Sun Oct 11, 2026 7:01 am There's so much that has gone into the decline of pigeon racing in the UK

I personally feel as a relatively young flyer being under 40 that in 20 years the only way to race will be in large radius sections/federations

One thing that would improve racing and could be done almost immediately would be enforced joint liberations into areas within the same loft code prefix (multiple if agreed upon)

Provincial racing is what is the norm on the continent and is what should be done here in the UK

Too many small federations and comical club radii to avoid the best flyers

I live in the south of Sheffield but can't race in a Sheffield federation lol

I'd rather all the birds be let up together with several thousand in the birdage with a large result for all lofts then a breakdown for clubs, feds, etc

The RPRA has NO POWER to enforce anything to do with actual racing.
Belgium is a very SMALL country. Just a bit bigger than Yorkshire. And ALL birds fly in one direction.
Clubs/Feds combining will NOT INCREASE membership, it will actually end in LESS MEMBERS.
Having the birds all up together would change NOTHING, if fanciers can't get good returns from a small liberation they certainly won't from an even larger one. Anybody who has ever flown in the Nationals, will tell you, it's very different to club racing, and if your losing birds at club level, forget about National racing or big liberations.