Parkinson. LJ
Every now and again I have email communications with fanciers or ex fanciers about the state of the sport. Recently I had an email from Keith so I replied explaining some of the ways that the sport has gone or even going. These are the communications we had.
“Hi. So, I am an ex-fancier whose only current link with the sport is various online sites and your wonderful articles column on Elimar.
I raced pigeons back in the seventies when the internet wasn't available. I recently bought, (from a well-known online auction site), a copy of Squills year book from the early seventies and was surprised at how many individuals were offering quality stock at affordable prices back then. Looking at a year book from back then to one from the present day, it's startling how much has changed and how the sport has shrunk to a few die-hards and the increasing number of studs. I've got nothing against studs in general, they make money from laying out large sums for proven race/stock birds and selling their offspring. The problem is that the prices charged for quality but unproven young birds is absurd.
I also notice a prominent contributor to Elimar articles often states how much he detests the commercialisation of racing pigeons whilst promoting the free exchange of quality distance stock between his circle of friends, whilst in the same breath he promotes the sale of his books on pigeon racing? It seems to me, from the outside looking in, that the only way to make money in the sport is to write and promote a book about pigeon racing or sell as many youngsters of dubious distance from the original 'champion' racer as possible? Am I wrong to think this way?
Keith”
I thought about it and instead of a one liner decided to do a bit of explaining on the way the sport is going, this is my reply.
Hi Keith. No matter what hobby or sport we compete in there are always going to be a certain amount of people making money, if not the hobbies or sports would not exist. What I do believe is there are far more people out there selling pigeons, therefore there is far more choice and the better chance therefore a better chance of pigeon fanciers buying better pigeons at a workingman's price. Pigeons are bought on their pedigree and that dictates the cost of them in the first place, some fanciers pay an awful lot of money for pigeons and some who stretch their pockets to buy hope to get some kind of return on them as well as filling their own young bird sections. If you look at anything people participate in there is always going to be a cost. We hear it said that pigeon racing is an expensive hobby, not totally but I do disagree to a certain extent. There are a lot of things out there that people take part in that are far more expensive than racing pigeons.
Look at the football world where fans pay quite a bit out for season tickets and how much those who don't pay to go to matches. Look how many travel the length and breadth of the country to stand there for 90mins to watch a ball being kicked about. Plus, the fact there are football supporters who travel abroad to watch their favourite team. Yes, I like watching a good football match but only from the armchair. Look at a large number of today's children who spend most of their time playing games on the PC or even on their phones, games are not cheap. I also know that if I had a son I know what I would prefer him to do and it would not be sitting looking at a screen for as many hours as they can each day. We hear it said about how PC's have taken the younger generation away from the sport, yes that may be the case but I don't think the sport helps itself at times. You like anyone else in the sport know as well as I do there has to be more that we could do to help ourselves in the pigeon sport. How often have we heard from people who say they are not letting their children have pigeons in the back garden. If they stopped to think they would come to the conclusion that in this day and age it is far better for the children of today to have something at home to do and what better than them having the job of looking after pigeons in the garden.
I keep saying, "Today's children are far better having a loft of pigeons in the back garden than roaming the streets where their safety is far from safe" At the end of the day it is not always the children who do not want pigeons it is their parents who don't want a loft in the back garden, they are not thinking about their children but more a case of what the neighbours might think. Plus, the fact that in many cases the council does not help the sport yet they waste no end of rate payer’s money every year and then cry in their cup of tea when they run out of money. There are a lot of obstacles in the way of potential pigeon fanciers. When you say about reading articles, Scribes are not like newspaper men who make a living out of writing articles, this part of the sport is more or less a labour of love. I have my own views that I like to share with others, some will always disagree but we do have a democracy that in the main works. We need to share more of what we do with the general public and do it in a more professional way.
The problem with pigeon racing is many positions are taken "Because Of" and the people more suited to take the sport forward are left on the side-lines and that is a fact and this is not only in pigeon racing it happens through every aspect of life. Keith, when you say about the distance away from the originals, that is not a problem because if you look through generations of pedigree's there are a great number of top class pigeons who are generations away from the originals. It's not just in pigeon racing that this happens but look at Horse racing where the odd Champion pops up from time to time who is generation's away from a Champion.
In pigeon racing we had a pigeon called "Nationaal II" who has at least 7 x 1sts National following him but such pigeons are few and far between. A good winning pigeon can pop up anywhere it does not have to be a child or grandchild to be a winning pigeon. How many people have become Champion's without a pedigree behind them, winning is in the makeup of the person/animal concerned. Pigeon racing is still a great hobby and one where children could learn a lot more about life and learn how to be responsible if they were allowed to have pigeons in the first place.
Regards Les.
“Hi Les.
I agree with what you've said in your reply, very grateful you took the time too, many thanks.
I guess there are still many out there who get a lot of pleasure from their pigeons, after their initial outlay, though there's few sports these days where you send your very best and may not get a return at all? There seems no 'grand plan' by those in charge of the sport, no unification, apart from medications and technology advances it's still as fragmented in places and mismanaged nationally as it always seemed? I was looking to buy a 2017 Squills and couldn't find it because it wasn't advertised well online, I had to tell the guy to make it more easily available on their website! that shouldn't happen in these days of easy communication. The sport, or those at the top, need to take things forward, much like yourself as you've re-energised a competition but it needs national standards across the board.
Anyway, thanks again, had to get it off my chest.
Thanks Keith”
Hi Keith. There are people out there who do a good job and are all for the sport but there are not enough of those people available to take all the positions and fully understand what they are doing. Years ago, there were always younger members coming along who would in a way serve an apprenticeship +down at the club and you would find the ones who were enthusiastic to take over the positions where required.
We hear it all the time “There is no-one to take on such and such a job in the sport” They are there but they want to receive payment for what they do which then means the costs go up and as far as marking goes if everyone participated the job would be much easier and those who are there week after week would not get fed up. What they should be doing is learning the trade within the sport and then get paid but many don’t want to, they want payment straight away get their birds marked and go home. There are such cases where I don’t blame them because they do other things in their local area for the sport. Even waiting and loading the transporters is a job that most do not like but someone must do it, the problem is the same ones are put on year after year.
I think I will leave it at that but there are far more areas that I could go into where the administration of the sport is concerned.
Les J Parkinson. 11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0NJ. 01606836036 Mobile 07871701585.
Email
web site www.elimarpigeons.com
NWCC Email:
