Hi Guys!! Me and my mens doubles partner are playing in all 3. Its the first time we are playing in them. We initially entered the league standard but then some previous players told us the league standard was silly good and we would get spanked early.. so we went to social instead Whos played in one recently and is the league standard really that high? I thought county players are not allowed to enter. Anyone else from here playing in any of them? I heard the flooring in the liverpool one is horrible with tape used for marking the court lines. Would be nice to meet some of you in person
Our lot should be at the Liverpool one; going in for the Social level. As I understand it there is a blanket embargo on any and all county players. I've been told they used taped courts last time - tbh I'm not looking forward to that!
Hi guys, I've entered Liverpool and B'ham in social - need doubles partners for both. I'll attend Liverpool social and maybe B'ham in League...let's see how it goes.
Nice one Mark.. should see you there! Yea i hope there are no county players although i hear every year they do enter the league standard somehow.. Im quite worried about the flooring.. my knees are quite bad as it is! CarlBkk, are you coming all the way from bangkok to play?! Theres no prize money involved you know Anyway, hopefully it will be lot of fun and a chance to meet new friends. Anyone else playing? Do comment on this thread.. we are going china town afterwards for a big meal
Hi Zeddie, fortunately I'm in UK at the moment...albeit Somerset, so it's quite a trek to any of the tournaments! Can't make the London one as I'll be doing the coaching course on that day but looking forward to the other two. Still undecided whether to enter social or league - might try to find some videos of last year. On TS it seems very few people have entered these bonanzas...
Hi CarlBkk, there are some videos of the previous liverpool tournament on youtube. The standard for league seems ok and to be honest we are good players, but just from advice of previous entrants we decided to go into social. On TS yea it does seem like a few people but a lot of people are applying by paper entry and they have not been uploaded to TS yet. Normally the bonanzas are packed! Specially birmingham. Hope to see you there
Turns out our club is taking eight pairs, and I've been cajoled into going for the singles as well. Any BCers who see a wheezing, bespectacled 14 stone six-footer in an Under Armour tank top... that'll be me.
wow youre a brave man going in for singles as well! Social or league? We were thinking about playing singles too but decided it would be too tiring to play both.. Sticking to just mens doubles! There are 6 of us coming up from our group in luton. Is there no one else from BC going to these bonanzas?! They appear to have extended the deadline for the liverpool one.. i guess not enough interest
The last time my club (but not me) went to this thing, they applied after the deadline and still got in. I hope it doesn't get scratched... playing against people who AREN'T from our club is a very rare treat!
I'm playing in London, in the mens singles veterans. Didn't enter the doubles, as it would have meant sticking around from 9:30 until 7 pm! FYI, it's not a complete ban on county players, just people who've represented a county in the past 3 years. I know a few ex-county players who could enter, some are professional coaches. Would not want to meet any of them in the first round. If you've ever played nationally for any country, you are also banned. Does anyone know what the standard is like for singles? It's harder to judge as there are no leagues for singles here.
Hi Guys, I have been to the Birmingham Bonanza a few times and the level for league players is hard, as some player say that I should first play the social. But still is a good feeling when you play because you meet other people you know from past events. I will be entering for the Birmingham Bonanza for social singles and my target is enjoy to win a match.
Hi CarlBkk, Will you be doing a level 2 badminton coaching course in New Vice College Sport Hall in 9th July?
Nice one guys.. good luck to both David, Akife and any one else from BC who is goin there. I will see you all hopefully. Yep, thats why we entered social first lol. I heard league is very very tough and you need to play to quite a high standard.. the finals last year consisted of people who played in and won previous badminton england bronze tournaments apparently
I'm hearing on the grapevine that the Liverpool event will have some proper mat courts after the number of complaints about the taped courts used last time. Fingers and toes crossed, eh?
Thanks Zeddie, I look forward to seeing you at NIA play doubles.I may be in the mens doubles playing social as I have entred myself for partner wanted.
Mark thats great news if its true! my knees are pretty shabby as it is. Keep us updated if you hear thats confirmed. Akife, yep see you there too man : )
Wow, that is pretty high. To win a national bronze level tournament you surely HAVE to play to county level? I can't imagine a non-county player winning a tournament full of county players from all over the country.
Exactly my point.. So how can these players get in to the bonanza tournys? It seems like bad eng dont check applications thoroughly enough. Also im aware that a lot of the players in the league cat are eligible to play at county level but simply chose not to. I guess we shall see on the day how good the standard is. I suppose also that it will be toughest in the Bham one since everyone would want to play in the NIA, compared to the liverpool and london bonanzas.
Hi Akife, no I'm doing a level 1 in Somerset. Liverpool now has 260 applicants across all categories - I've been paired up with a doubles partner in social, maybe a BC member? As a general rule England Bronze winners/finalists are county 2nd/3rd team players who may also play Division 1 league. So if you play to a good league standard you could, in theory, go far in the League Bonzana.
But surely county second and third team players are still county players and not allowed in the bonanza?