The UKPSF what does it all mean

The UKPSF what does it all mean?

The United Kingdom Paintball Sports Federation (UKPSF), has been headed, run and a passion of Steve Bull for 20 odd years. Now, the main goals for the UKPSF are to get sports recognition for paintball and to stop paintball being banned, which happens every time some crazy nutbag gets a gun and goes on a rampage like in Dumblane back in 1996. Now please forgive me as I was a bit hungover during the last, well all the conferences! but the UKPSF believes we can get sports recognition for paintball, which has alluded them for years, but I will get back to this later on and the benefits of paintballing being a sports (tax breaks and lottery / sports funding for teams).

Last year, Steve stepped down as being mainly a one man band for 20 years from his role as the UKPSF chairman, and he handed over the reins. Up stepped Bob Schofield from Harrogate Paintball, the new UKPSF Chairman. After a trial year Bob was finally elected as the UKPSF’s official chairmen on the 16th of March, 2015, along with the new committee which is made up of:

Don Logan, owner of Adrenalin Jungle and a regular player back in the day, and still plays a few time a year is in charge of site Membership. A night out with Don should be on everyone’s bucket list.

Ledz, a pioneer and legend of paintball who owns Planet Eclipse, played for Banzai and Nexus, and now the Sandbaggers who is in charge of trade, and was my nemesis for many a year, that a side, he’s a top bloke.

Kayleigh Stanton, the secretary for the UKPSF and organiser of player memberships, and surrently plays for Ultra Violet and her dad is Mike Stanton who owns a couple of very good paintball sites near Bristol along with Jock McCracken. Kayleigh was born in to paintball, and is the kind of person we need on the committee, young and plays for GB’s female team.

Jock McCracken another legend and top bloke, owns Skirmish Bristol with Mike Stanton. I first met Jock back in 1998 at the Mayhem Masters where we were refereeing the same field. The Treasurer for the UKPSF.

James Gregory from Phoenix, going to be honest no idea who he is but I hear good things, and Craig Pattison from the Scottish Warriors paintball team and you will see him playing lots of scenario and big game events, although hopefully not in a kilt, are jointly in charge of players membership. Join the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UKPSF

Don Logan and Ainsley from CPPS are in charge of site membership.

Jock and Kayleigh also are the UKPSF call centre.

Support (not sure what this means) but, Jamie Paggett is another top bloke, John Evans from Outpost Paintball, Scott Rathbone is apparently the man to go for any technical questions, and that guy who you see everywhere Erik Anthony, you will have seen him if you have been to any paintball event one of the biggest characters around often taking photos and laughing.

Steve Bull, is now honourary president of the UKPSF, and I can’t speak highly enough of this gentle northern warrior, a genuinely great bloke who has sacrificed his own business and personal gain for the good of paintball.

Coming soon to the UKPSF will be a membership management system so you can become members, ho help get paintball recognised as a sport, and that then opens up the possibility of sport funding from the lottery and local government. There will be 2 types of membership available, one will be free (light membership) and one you will need to pay for (full membership and includes player’s insurance).

Membership will get you discounts with a variety of suppliers including Warped, BZ, Skirmish Bristol, Mayhem and many more.

I have seen a lot of negativity on Facebook regarding the UKPSF, now I don’t want to get into politics, especially on first strike, but I like to see every side of the coin. What people need to consider is the UKPSF is there to protect paintball, every time a nutter goes on a shooting rampage like Dumblane, it’s Steve Bull who has come to the rescue, and he is the first port of call for the Home Office and believe me if it was not for Steve, paintball would very likely have been banned. This role will now pass onto the UKPSF committee. Steve has given 20 years of his life to the UKPSF and has brought the industry a lot closer together, probably without even realising it. The annual conference gets the traders and sites together, talking and sharing ideas and does help paintball. 

What people have to remember is he only one man, and one man and Tracey who cannot be forgotten who has put his business and own personal gain a side thanklessly over the years. The UKPSF has tried hard to get paintball to become a sport and this is one of the goals. If it happens it will bring a lot of benefits which we can discuss another time.

I see a different side as I have grown up in paintball, travelled the world playing literally lived and breathed it all my life. I actually have lived most of my life on a paintball site. I know it’s hard for people to see from the outside what the UKPSF does but I think you have to remember it has really been one man with a few helpers here and there till this year.