Winter Competitions YES OR NO

[Diamond Geezer]

In the last few days I have recently expressed my doubts about continuing the TTF and Winter Competition to their sponsors owing to a degree of apathy among members here, both in terms of contributing to the threads on the forum and taking part in our competitions.

There is no doubt this place is quieter in the Summer but by now, with the jumps beginning to get into gear, there are usually signs of increased activity on the forum which is not evident this year. I have witnessed the demise of the Neigh Forum and Final Furlong in recent years and all the signs are manifesting themselves here.Social media has inevitably proved more attractive than forums ,members have disappeared and the participation in competitions has dwindled accordingly in recent years. I have also recently become aware there are other members from here using an alternative forum a lot more than here where there is a lot more going on and I do not hide the fact I am one of them.

Running the TTF takes a lot of time and unseen effort during the Summer to come up with a list of 200 horses by looking at ratings, keeping tabs on horses acquired from wherever or switching stables , finding out trainers and owners plans, removing horses who are suddenly out for the season or worse and replacing them in the list so that by the end of October we have a list of 200 horses ready to go. Then of course we have the effort required to run the competition for six months. In recent years we have had a fair number of entries to make this all worthwhile but I'm not so sure there are sufficient numbers to justify running it anymore. Without the TTF of course there can be no Winter Competition either and in any case this season was to have been Grey's last year of sponsorship and administration whilst I did not intend to run the TTF anymore two years ago but somehow ended up doing so last year when new sponsors appeared on the basis I would continue to do so.There were signs competitions kept up interest here years ago but I feel this is no longer the case.

I fully accept there will be members who have no interest in competitions but recently it has been difficult to raise just twelve members to take part in the annual Champions Day contest with TRF and so I do not foresee running any smaller competitons based on specific meetings this season but of course that does not preclude anyone else running a competition, it never has done.

Anyway,sorry for the rant which went on longer than I meant, what support is there for a TTF this season, is it worthwhile continuing as it doesn't feel like to me ? Prove me wrong.

[Flaggers]

DG,
I completely understand all of your points and I have been quiet over the summer.
But I am well up for the winter comps but equally understand it is a lot of work and if it is not worthwhile then I understand.
Appreciate all that you do for the forum.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dvds2000]

I'm just going to add to this, use it or lose it. I did consider closing the forum down in the summer when the hosting was due for renewal, due to the lack of posts, but then thought better of it, considering there was no racing, and summer is usually quiet.

However, I have noticed, despite traffic going up, posts are going down, not to the extent of some other forums, but enough to give concern. Forums are dying off everywhere, and if people just use social media then it will be down to one or two forums left, which eventually will go the same way, however busy they seem at the moment.

Hopefully it doesn't come to the stage of closing, but it is what it is. Hopefully things pick up soon

[jinnyj]

I’d be really sad to lose this forum. I love coming on here and hopefully contribute something. The competitions are great and I’ve met some very nice people through here.

Really hope everyone puts in a bit more content. I think a general apathy has crept in everywhere not just forums. I’ve noticed it’s quieter on Facebook too (or perhaps I’ve binned too many “friends” as I’ve realised they contribute diddly squit to my life).

[barjon]

DG

As you know I’m just a recent member, but I do already appreciate how much relies on your organisation and initiative. So thank you very much for that. Personally, I’m not averse to competitions although I’m just feeling my way around at the moment until I know what they are all about. That said it’s not really competitions that would draw me to the forum, but the day to day participation of members and it is a little quieter than I expected as you indicate.

[barjon]

I'm just going to add to this, use it or lose it. I did consider closing the forum down in the summer when the hosting was due for renewal, due to the lack of posts, but then thought better of it, considering there was no racing, and summer is usually quiet.

However, I have noticed, despite traffic going up, posts are going down, not to the extent of some other forums, but enough to give concern. Forums are dying off everywhere, and if people just use social media then it will be down to one or two forums left, which eventually will go the same way, however busy they seem at the moment.

Hopefully it doesn't come to the stage of closing, but it is what it is. Hopefully things pick up soon

So keen to thank DG I forgot to add in similar thanks to you - I, too, hope the forum keeps going.

[jinnyj]

DG

As you know I’m just a recent member, but I do already appreciate how much relies on your organisation and initiative. So thank you very much for that. Personally, I’m not averse to competitions although I’m just feeling my way around at the moment until I know what they are all about. That said it’s not really competitions that would draw me to the forum, but the day to day participation of members and it is a little quieter than I expected as you indicate.

Definitely get involved with the competitions, Barjon. Good fun.....especially when we beat the Racing Forum! And the TTF which is so brilliantly run by DG, is well worth doing. A couple of years ago I put up Defi du Seuil as my Dark horse and won that part of the competition. I won £50 in betting vouchers which I spent on the Grand National That year.....and managed to back the first, second and fourth so I was very happy!

[Desert Orchid]

The forum is always quieter during the summer as it awaits the return of the NH snowbirds.

They started arriving at the weekend and the numbers will almost certainly increase as the jumps season builds momentum.

I'm as guilty as anyone of under-using the forum and keeping away for extended spells (usually when I get fed up with certain members' lack of civility, just about all of whom I have on ignore but would have preferred not to have taken that option) and gave up on the competitions some time back because I'm so goddam hopeless at them.

Still, as jinnyj says, the forum has enhanced my enjoyment of racing since its first incarnation as the C4 Forum and I've met several very personable people whose company I have greatly enjoyed, including jinnyj's herself.

It would be very sad if it disappeared but nothing lasts forever and, God forbid, people my age and older might not even be here by the time the Festival comes round.

[simmo]

It would be very sad if it disappeared but nothing lasts forever and, God forbid, people my age and older might not even be here by the time the Festival comes round.

Right you are Private Fraser!

I'd be very sad indeed if the forum closed - but like DO, I don't really do the comps due to being so shite at them. I would be happy to make a financial contribution to the upkeep of the place as we've done in the past. It's definitely my most used website I'd say.

[granger]

Roger and Colin, thanks for posting

The forum is a worry in terms of existence with all that happens on SM but long may it continue

I do enjoy the TTF but think for it to occur there should be a minimum entry of 20

Colin, you will be thanked a thousand times more but one more from me for keeping us on oxygen for another while yet

[wilsonl]

It doesn't take a genius to see, or me to reiterate that the majority of the forum seem to prefer the NH season and the site generally picks up at that time with people like myself hopefully contributing more while others emerge from their annual hibernation but I can't comprehend how disheartening as well as financially unrewarding it must be for Colin to keep the show on the road during the quieter months, so to echo the sentiment of others, a huge thank you for that Colin.

And the same goes to those such as Roger who put in such effort in administering the competitions, it really is appreciated.

As already posted, the ante post competition is sure to be popular but regarding the TFF I'm not personally as keen on it as I used to be. That said I still enter it and will this year if it goes ahead but as I'm sure it takes considerable effort to prepare and run, I wouldn't be concerned if it was dropped.

If it were dropped then as an alternative couldn't we just setup a private league in the recently (last year) reintroduced official one instead?, thus removing the majority of administrative overhead. I know that we've had one in the past but maybe that didn't attract the larger audience it would have in the absence of a TH one.

[NewApproach]

I too would really miss the forum - especially the competitions (which tend to be the things I get most involved in). Hopefully we will get a good number of people coming back and contributing now with the start of the NH season.

Many thanks to DG and dvds2000 for everything you do

[Maruco]

A large part of the problem has been the early finish to the season last season. Losing Aintree and Punchestown was a big blow that sent many of us into early hibernation.

I'm later getting going than usual, but that's a work thing that I hope will ease off in the next month or so. Chepstow was great over the weekend, and we've got the first Cheltenham meeting coming up. And there's lot's of nice horses starting to appear.

I think Lee's suggestion of 20 entries makes sense. We normally start the TTF for the Cheltenham Open Meeting in November and that feels like plenty of time for things to get moving again. November also for the antepost comp which is essentially up to the 30th November for the months entries to be in.

I personally very much appreciate what you guys put in. But you already know that. I also think it would be a real shame to let things go when I'm unconvinced that there is a fundamental lack of interest. It's an era that I don't think needs to end.

Ultimately though you guys make your own decisions. Roger, I understand you wouldn't want to put all the effort in you do just for the sake of it. And Col, you don't want to keep the place running if it's like shouting into a cave. Can I suggest that the decision should be at the end of the jumps season and not at the beginning though. The truth is none of us know what will happen, or how much interest there will be until we get into the heart of the season.

[dvds2000]

Thanks for the comments, I appreciate them, as I'm sure Roger does too.

I thought about closing the forum in the summer when the hosting was due for renewal, but obviously with lockdown I guessed that would have most likely caused it to be so quiet, which is why I kept it going. I would be loathe to close it while people are still using it, or ever really, as there is a wealth of information and memories on here which I would hate to lose, and hopefully people do, sometimes, look back at old threads. The forum is like my internet baby, it doesn't make money, it costs me money every year, but it was never set up to make money, so that doesn't bother me, if it did I would have sold it long before now, as I have had many offers for it, a 20 year old domain is actually worth quite a bit to the right person . There aren't many forums that have been running as long as this one, I've been running it for almost half my life!

There isn't much I can do to increase traffic though, without investing serious amounts of time and money, which is why it's so important people don't leave. Obviously some will, either because of age, family commitments, going off racing etc, and there is nothing I, or anyone else, can do to stop that. 'Footfall' usually increases after a mailshot, but I hate doing them as no one likes 'spam', and only do them once or twice a year, usually before Cheltenham and at Christmas. I should have more time later this year and will be looking at doing a few things, which will hopefully work. Having said that, the traffic to the site is actually really high, it's getting people to actually post thats the problem.

Anyway, hope you are all staying safe in these strange times.

[Tout Seul]

It is a hard time for many of us at present due to the Covid Virus and its impact on so many aspects of life. Popping into TH is a pleasant diversion from the onslaught of depressing news. It is refreshing to hear the views of others that share my passion for racing and to get the opinions of people with far more knowledge than me, even if I frequently ignore them to my cost. Personally I find most forms of SM intrusive, whereas TH is anything but.

[jinnyj]

The only other forum I frequent is Jumping for Fun which is for Point to Pointing. They have a “donate” function and members keep it going. I’m sure the same would happen on here if it was available?

[Flaggers]

As has been mentioned, people do use social media a lot these days. What about a social media plan to try and increase footfall? Twitter would be the best platform in my eyes.

[Len Madeiros]

Colin and Roger - you are great lads for keeping this forum going, especially so when many of us tailed off in lockdown and during the Flat season - a massive thank you! Yes, to the competitions, but only if you think it’s worth your while. We’ll understand if you don’t want to run the competitions.

[Desperate Dan]

A definite YES from me, Double Dan...keep it going chaps you are doing a great job.

[dvds2000]

As has been mentioned, people do use social media a lot these days. What about a social media plan to try and increase footfall? Twitter would be the best platform in my eyes.

Again, it's the work involved, not to be a negative ninny, but at the moment I can't sit there all day, doing breaking news tweets, putting each result on, stuff like that, which is really what you need to be doing to get a decent following, at first anyway. Once you get traction, people start retweeting & it gets easier. Hopefully later this year I will be able to spend a bit of time on there, and Facebook