Who's at the national this year ?

[arcobob]

I have said all I need to say regarding the conduct of the SOP and have made no recent comment on here regarding the Nationals, their conduct, the judging simply because I have no first hand knowledge of what went on. Moreover I have no up to date knowledge of the running of the SOP as I seldom talk to people who have any knowledge about what goes on. I have posted comments in the last few days in response to prompts but I can only relate to first hand experiences that occurred in the distant past. These were not figments of my imagination and memories will never be erased but I admit that they are historical and should not cloud the judgement of those coming into the sport. I repeat that I have not actively participated in the condemnation of judging at the National but I have noticed that some of the early critics now seem to have shifted their position.

 

[IH574]

I have said all I need to say regarding the conduct of the SOP and have made no recent comment on here regarding the Nationals, their conduct, the judging simply because I have no first hand knowledge of what went on. Moreover I have no up to date knowledge of the running of the SOP as I seldom talk to people who have any knowledge about what goes on. I have posted comments in the last few days in response to prompts but I can only relate to first hand experiences that occurred in the distant past. These were not figments of my imagination and memories will never be erased but I admit that they are historical and should not cloud the judgement of those coming into the sport. I repeat that I have not actively participated in the condemnation of judging at the National but I have noticed that some of the early critics now seem to have shifted their position.

You have a very short memory. Read back through some of you posts on this thread.

 

[Kenham]

There might be posts on here criticising the SOP , I hope there will be more, the SOP are very good at taking your money for little reward, very good at telling us what we must do in our hobby. Some of them have made a very good living from the money us ploughmen have given over the years, if people do not like reading it, it is not compulsory to do so. If nothing is said , nothing will ever change. The real decent thing would be for the SOP to actually communicate with people to state the reasons as to what they do, on here would be a good place to start. Of course most of us know that will never happen, as those that run the society would rather die than discuss their business with the mere mortals who fund their living. This is the real reason newcomers to competition ploughing will give up after a few years, not the waffle on here. If you want new people in our hobby we need all of us to help them . Just think a minute, we start the new hobby of competition ploughing, we must join the SOP oh yes and what do we get from it? What we get is a web site that is crap, updated about twice a year, newsletter that tells us about the same and a society that is about as corrupt as it can be . So it is down to us as the SOP will do nothing for newcomers. And before anyone says what have I done , I am 62 and have lent my best tractor and plough to a 22 year old up and coming ploughman who is doing well. This site should not be on the Farming Forum, the SOP should have its own ploughing forum with all their super ploughmen in the society they could be helping others especially newcomers. There is so much more a good society could do for everyone but it will never happen with this society. The correspondence on here, good or bad only scratches the surface of the real problems of competition ploughing .

 

[IH574]

I confess to being past my best but for a whole raft of reasons still act as my own judge and try to improve. Unfortunately I feel that standards are starting to fall in my part of the world, hardly anybody travels outside the county for a variety of reasons and the Nationals hold little or no attraction. Youngsters are not coming into the sport and the local society are doing nothing to improve standards and offer instruction. Local match entries in East Anglia appear to be declining fast, perhaps down 40% in the last five years, mainly because people of high standard are not travelling into the county to compete. Next week is our regional vintage qualifier for the 2019 Nationals and I would be surprised to see more than one aspiring qualifier from within Norfolk across the vintage classes and maybe the odd outsider looking for a walkover.
The people who put Norfolk on the map some twelve years ago when our local society was formed have been replaced by people with no ambition and sometimes despise those who wish to rise above mediocrity.

Is it possible the lack of enthusiasm in your area is due to your attitude towards the SOP and anyone that disagrees with you. No doubt you don't just force your opinions on this forum. It could be like h150 for every ploughmen you help 5 leave because of your rantings.

 

[IH574]

There might be posts on here criticising the SOP , I hope there will be more, the SOP are very good at taking your money for little reward, very good at telling us what we must do in our hobby. Some of them have made a very good living from the money us ploughmen have given over the years, if people do not like reading it, it is not compulsory to do so. If nothing is said , nothing will ever change. The real decent thing would be for the SOP to actually communicate with people to state the reasons as to what they do, on here would be a good place to start. Of course most of us know that will never happen, as those that run the society would rather die than discuss their business with the mere mortals who fund their living. This is the real reason newcomers to competition ploughing will give up after a few years, not the waffle on here. If you want new people in our hobby we need all of us to help them . Just think a minute, we start the new hobby of competition ploughing, we must join the SOP oh yes and what do we get from it? What we get is a web site that is crap, updated about twice a year, newsletter that tells us about the same and a society that is about as corrupt as it can be . So it is down to us as the SOP will do nothing for newcomers. And before anyone says what have I done , I am 62 and have lent my best tractor and plough to a 22 year old up and coming ploughman who is doing well. This site should not be on the Farming Forum, the SOP should have its own ploughing forum with all their super ploughmen in the society they could be helping others especially newcomers. There is so much more a good society could do for everyone but it will never happen with this society. The correspondence on here, good or bad only scratches the surface of the real problems of competition ploughing .

I have been helping a 15 year-old recently. He looks at this forum regularly and asks why the people on here can't be as friendly as at the matches he attends. The only answer I can give him is, when the minority don't get their own way they try to poison as many people as they can against the majority. It doesn't help the sport with all the inaccurate and exaggerated things posted on here. It's quite simple, if you can't go with the majority go away and play darts or snooker but stop putting off the newcomers with selfish comments.

 

[Ley253]

There might be posts on here criticising the SOP , I hope there will be more, the SOP are very good at taking your money for little reward, very good at telling us what we must do in our hobby. Some of them have made a very good living from the money us ploughmen have given over the years, if people do not like reading it, it is not compulsory to do so. If nothing is said , nothing will ever change. The real decent thing would be for the SOP to actually communicate with people to state the reasons as to what they do, on here would be a good place to start. Of course most of us know that will never happen, as those that run the society would rather die than discuss their business with the mere mortals who fund their living. This is the real reason newcomers to competition ploughing will give up after a few years, not the waffle on here. If you want new people in our hobby we need all of us to help them . Just think a minute, we start the new hobby of competition ploughing, we must join the SOP oh yes and what do we get from it? What we get is a web site that is crap, updated about twice a year, newsletter that tells us about the same and a society that is about as corrupt as it can be . So it is down to us as the SOP will do nothing for newcomers. And before anyone says what have I done , I am 62 and have lent my best tractor and plough to a 22 year old up and coming ploughman who is doing well. This site should not be on the Farming Forum, the SOP should have its own ploughing forum with all their super ploughmen in the society they could be helping others especially newcomers. There is so much more a good society could do for everyone but it will never happen with this society. The correspondence on here, good or bad only scratches the surface of the real problems of competition ploughing .

Ok, you have made the accusations, now, back them up
Who have or are receiving their living from the sop, or its members, apart, that is from the one fully employed person.
Where is it written that to plough you have to be a member? Other than the national.
If you have proof of corruption put it in the hands of the relevant authorities, otherwise you may find lawyers knocking on your door.
I do agree with the comments re youth encouragement, website and newsletter.

 

[Ley253]

I have been helping a 15 year-old recently. He looks at this forum regularly and asks why the people on here can't be as friendly as at the matches he attends. The only answer I can give him is, when the minority don't get their own way they try to poison as many people as they can against the majority. It doesn't help the sport with all the inaccurate and exaggerated things posted on here. It's quite simple, if you can't go with the majority go away and play darts or snooker but stop putting off the newcomers with selfish comments.

Keyboard warriors. Everyone feels they have all the answers and the keyboard allows them to be more forceful than perhaps they would be in a debating chamber, or even an AGM, but then they dont go to those do they!

 

[ploughman61]

My fault meeting in Stafford didn't take place, due to major family problems at home. In the plough off judge b was put in to make sure they got the two winners they wanted, saturday nigel vickers was a country mile in front of every body and Chappell wasn't top 5 , but he still won it. I was told on thursday who was going to the worlds and europeans but didn't believe them, if I'd have listenedwhould have stopped at home, reminds me of marden first time round when colin bowen and ashley boyles clearly won the plough off but didn't get it , the whole job stinks if you ask me.

Were did the £250 come from for overall champion, never saw it mentioned in schedule or programme ken pulled it out of his pocket when he presented trophy to david,

 

[IH574]

Were did the £250 come from for overall champion, never saw it mentioned in schedule or programme ken pulled it out of his pocket when he presented trophy to david,

The 250 was a donation towards the cancer thing David is doing. Don't you think that was a good cause?

 

[ploughman61]

The 250 was a donation towards the cancer thing David is doing. Don't you think that was a good cause?

Yes brilliant cause have donated to it today, but didn't hear any mention of donation to the charity at the presentation.

 

[IH574]

Yes brilliant cause have donated to it today, but didn't hear any mention of donation to the charity at the presentation.

That's what they said at the presentation.

 

[ploughman61]

That's what they said at the presentation.

Must clean my ears out didn't.hear that bit, are you sure your not judge c?

 

[Howard150]

Once a thread has been hijacked could you please refrain from telling the truth. The best form to use is bull#@% t, as Howard 150s name suggests it's what he likes to spread.

I let you away with this one earlier. Payday! Just in passing before I get down to it - if you want to make your protege smile then bring him up to our warm and friendly match at Wetherby. In November

2019 world's still a blank result, think judges were pricked to get the results they wanted

My fault meeting in Stafford didn't take place, due to major family problems at home. In the plough off judge b was put in to make sure they got the two winners they wanted, saturday nigel vickers was a country mile in front of every body and Chappell wasn't top 5 , but he still won it. I was told on thursday who was going to the worlds and europeans but didn't believe them, if I'd have listenedwhould have stopped at home, reminds me of marden first time round when colin bowen and ashley boyles clearly won the plough off but didn't get it , the whole job stinks if you ask me.

Time overdue to call time on this now overdone thread but before I do I feel I owe you one you sad and contmptible individuals. Whilst you 574 Have condemned two of us on here, possibly the most honest men you are ever likely to encounter, in a most insulting way, for daring to criticise the SOP. We now see you cuddling up to the very man you were falling out with earlier in this thread, who is the very embodiment of everything you condemn us for - the very man wholesale slagging the SOP and the judges off, and more importantly, the very man who called a meeting to set up a rival organisation. What a convoluted pair of sad sad individuals especially now we see him snuggling up to you and putting likes on your posts against us.
Just in case you missed it first time round - you sad sad pair of individuals.
The very reason the SOP is as it is is people like you two. The SOP is surplus to requirements for the vast majority of ploughmen who get along very well without it. I doubt there will ever be another society, and the reason? Yes you guessed it in one - PEOPLE LIKE YOU TWO

 

[IH574]

I let you away with this one earlier. Payday! Just in passing before I get down to it - if you want to make your protege smile then bring him up to our warm and friendly match at Wetherby. In November





Time overdue to call time on this now overdone thread but before I do I feel I owe you one you sad and contmptible individuals. Whilst you 574 Have condemned two of us on here, possibly the most honest men you are ever likely to encounter, in a most insulting way, for daring to criticise the SOP. We now see you cuddling up to the very man you were falling out with earlier in this thread, who is the very embodiment of everything you condemn us for - the very man wholesale slagging the SOP and the judges off, and more importantly, the very man who called a meeting to set up a rival organisation. What a convoluted pair of sad sad individuals especially now we see him snuggling up to you and putting likes on your posts against us.
Just in case you missed it first time round - you sad sad pair of individuals.
The very reason the SOP is as it is is people like you two. The SOP is surplus to requirements for the vast majority of ploughmen who get along very well without it. I doubt there will ever be another society, and the reason? Yes you guessed it in one - PEOPLE LIKE YOU TWO

We are sad? You cut down ploughmen61 because he likes a post from someone you don't agree with. Nothing more needs to be said

 

[Bruce Almighty]

Back on topic

I enjoyed Saturday. I was proud to watch my son (17) plough in the classic in the national for the first time. He was on a plot on the hard ground on the bank which came up lumpy. He made a good job. I asked a judge for any advice & tips & he said "tell him to keep at it, he's unlucky being on the rough ground" at least he wasn't involved in any of the "dubious" judging on the level ground

I was talking to the chairman of our local society last night, she was shocked at how expensive entry was (£80) and the fact that there was no lunch included for the ploughmen. Anyone who's ploughed at the Forest will know that you get a right good feed that costs more than your entry fee

Anyway my son is as keen as ever & has qualified for next year, I just hope the politics & other issues don't drive him away

 

[Ford1957]

Time overdue to call time on this now overdone thread but before I do I feel I owe you one you sad and contmptible individuals. Whilst you 574 Have condemned two of us on here, possibly the most honest men you are ever likely to encounter, in a most insulting way, for daring to criticise the SOP. We now see you cuddling up to the very man you were falling out with earlier in this thread, who is the very embodiment of everything you condemn us for - the very man wholesale slagging the SOP and the judges off, and more importantly, the very man who called a meeting to set up a rival organisation. What a convoluted pair of sad sad individuals especially now we see him snuggling up to you and putting likes on your posts against us.
Just in case you missed it first time round - you sad sad pair of individuals.
The very reason the SOP is as it is is people like you two. The SOP is surplus to requirements for the vast majority of ploughmen who get along very well without it. I doubt there will ever be another society, and the reason? Yes you guessed it in one - PEOPLE LIKE YOU TWO

Who on earth do youthink you are? There are obvoiusly 2 sides on here:- for the SOP and against the SOP and just becuase somebody on your side likes a post or two of somebody on the SOP side and just because someone is obviously on the SOP side and youre not winning the argument, you call them contemptible! I have to admit, I wasn't sure of the meaning so I googled it (even though you mis-spelt it):- google says other words you could of used for your put downs are:- despicable, detestable, hateful, deplorable, loathsome, revolting, offensive (there are more)

Now i know im not the brightest spark in the fire, but I do know that this is uncalled for. To call them a "sad sad pair of individuals " and contemptible because they stand up for something they believe is not on. I hate to break the news to you but TFFis not all about you and your gospels which are the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. You said you want to call time on this thread, but again, you want to have the last word. why couldnt you just have left it alone instead of insulting and trying to get one up on them? Ive been on the end of that sharpened pencil (ok keyboard) of yours before and it can hurt as you well must know, and you Howard150 are the sole reason i stopped posting on here.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

Back on topic

I enjoyed Saturday. I was proud to watch my son (17) plough in the classic in the national for the first time. He was on a plot on the hard ground on the bank which came up lumpy. He made a good job. I asked a judge for any advice & tips & he said "tell him to keep at it, he's unlucky being on the rough ground" at least he wasn't involved in any of the "dubious" judging on the level ground

I was talking to the chairman of our local society last night, she was shocked at how expensive entry was (£80) and the fact that there was no lunch included for the ploughmen. Anyone who's ploughed at the Forest will know that you get a right good feed that costs more than your entry fee

Anyway my son is as keen as ever & has qualified for next year, I just hope the politics & other issues don't drive him away

Is it a tall order qualifying in the first instance? Talking to a chap in the classic at our local match he had been all over trying too qualify, is there some strong competition in the YFC?

 

[Boysie]

Sorry but you are quite categorically wrong in your assertion that 5 Directors (now deposed) tried to start another organisation. They did not, nor did anybody else at that time. It would help if you got your facts right.
Laughable in the extreme that you propose ploughman 61 for England coach, him being the guy who proposed starting a new society earlier this year. Perhaps you missed his contribution to this thread?
Could well end up with egg on your face decrying other people’s ploughing skills. Laughable that you accuse people of trying to bring the standard down to their level , obviously blissfully unaware of who you are talking to or about. I can see we would need to be up and out pretty damn early to catch you Boysie!

I'm pretty sure they did try and finish the society it was quite common knowledge they wanted chapels out headquarters moved they wanted a one day match on the cheap and wouldn't affiliate with world or European Ploughing society's so no ploughmen would be sent very selfish!
I only wanted to propose ploughmen 61 as coach because as far as I can see the last two teams that have gone to the world haven't done well enough for him last year a man in his 70s had issues but didn't disgrace himself and the boy Brewer managed a creditable 4th very good I would of thought behind two world champions in 1&2! as for this year's world's I wouldn't wish illness on anyone and for 61 to belittle a ploughmens efforts at a competition he has never qualified for or ploughed in it just seemed abit much. If he wants to get the England team to the top of the world rankings then I wish him the very best of luck.
And I'm sorry if I came across as belittling ploughmens efforts I didn't mean that I ment its normally the ones that don't change with the times that are the trouble makers!

 

[arcobob]

With regard to hijacking threads, this one expired last Sunday. Read the title if you don`t believe me.

 

[IH574]

With regard to hijacking threads, this one expired last Sunday. Read the title if you don`t believe me.

Well done. You can write a post without slagging sop off