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Post by Rajiv on Jan 7, 2013 23:07:31 GMT 8
For the weeknight games at East Coast: The East Coast game was moved from Tuesday to Monday night on 24 September 2012. The Kallang game was first switched from Monday to Tuesday night on 9 October 2012. On Tuesday, 2 October 2012, I tried a game on a small covered pitch at Turf City. The games on 2 and 9 October 2012 were cancelled. The Kallang game on Tuesday night was more consistent after that, and I returned to putting up the schedule thread 5 days beforehand. Apart from the game on 15 October 2012 being somewhat unexpectedly cancelled, the Monday night games at East Coast have been filling up reasonably well. With Christmas and New Year's Day both falling on Tuesday, both the Monday night and Tuesday night games were affected. With a longer interval between Monday and Thursday, until towards the end of the year, the Thursday night game at East Coast has also been more consistent. Since switching the East Coast game from Tuesday to Monday, the Thursday games have been as follows: * Two games on 27 September 2012, but both washed out by rain. * Two games on 4 October 2012. * One game on 11 October 2012 at East Coast. * One game on 18 October 2012 at Khalsa. * One game on 25 October 2012 at Khalsa. * One game on 1 November 2012 at East Coast. * One game on 8 November 2012 at East Coast. * Two games 15 November 2012. * One game on 22 November 2012 at East Coast. * One game on 29 November 2012 at East Coast. * Two games on 6 December 2012. * One game on 13 December 2012 at Khalsa. * One game on 20 December 2012 at Khalsa. * One game on 27 December 2012 at Khalsa. * Two games on 3 January 2013. For the Saturday game at Turf City: The schedule thread for the Saturday game at Turf City filled up very quickly in successive weeks in November 2012: * Game on 3 November 2012, within a day of the schedule thread being put up, with 3 reserves 24 hours of the schedule thread being put up. * Game on 10 November 2012 - within 12 hours of the usual time of putting up the thread (about 8 am). * Game on 17 November 2012 - within 12 hours of the thread being put up. * Game on 24 November 2012 - in just over 2 hours of the thread being put up. * Game on 1 December 2012 - within an hour and a half of the thread being put up. .... Like the East Coast game when it was on Tuesday, with withdrawals in the day or two before the game, most of the reserves for the Saturday game at Turf City have gotten to play. When a game develops a reputation for being very popular, players try to get their name down quickly, and then withdraw later if they find they can't make it. So you end up with games filling up within 2 hours. .... With several players away, it took a fair bit of SMSing on the Friday to fill the game at Turf City on Saturday 8 December 2012, the week after the game that had filled up in an hour an a half. Several players who don't usually get to play on a Saturday got to play. With several players being away of having other social commitments at this time of the year, the Saturday Turf City games last week and this week have filled up well, again, with several players who don't usually play on Saturdays or who are new. It is good that the pool of players is broadened, but when everyone is back and raring to go in the new year, the Saturday Turf City game may well fill up faster than ever. For me, a game filling up by the second day after the schedule thread is put up is too fast. You get players rushing to put their names down, and then withdrawals as you get closer to the game, which makes for much volatility and uncertainty, and can be a barrier to playing for less regular players. The aim is to have several players down by the end of the second day, and full or almost full by the third day, 2 days before the game itself. It's a sign of a good spread of games and players - sufficient players and sufficient games - which makes the system sustainable. However, unlike the Tuesday East Coast game, I can't move the Saturday Turf City game. My preference would be to start a Saturday morning game at Turf City to take some of the pressure off the Saturday evening game, but unfortunately, a covered pitch at Turf City is not available on Saturday mornings as it is block booked by a soccer school. Also, it is never easy to start a new game, as it does not have a "track record". However, if in the new year, the Saturday Turf City game regularly fills up within an hour or two, I will need to find a solution. It might well be a Friday night game at The Rainforest Arena at Turf City, a bit further up from the Premier Pitch. Another option is to not allow guests in the first 48 hours after the schedule thread is put up. Players who want to get in quickly for Saturday would need to be approved players. New players need to get at least one game in before their registration is approved. If they can't get a game in on Saturday, there are lots of other games to get in for. There were 3 reserves for last Saturday, and this Saturday's game filled up in just over 2 hours. I was actually trying to schedule a Friday night game at the Rainforest Sports Hub @ Turf City before putting up the the schedule thread for the Saturday game, but I didn't have the time, so I went ahead and scheduled the Saturday game as usual, albeit the thread went up over an hour later than usual. This would be our first Friday night game. We've only ever had a game on Friday when it was a public holiday, and thus had an evening game at Turf City as we do at the weekend. The reason why it is at Turf City is that those who fill up the weekend places, especially the Saturday game, seem to prefer Turf City. Trying to fit an extra Turf City game at some other time over the weekend is difficult, so I'll try Friday night instead. Not everyone is out on a Friday night, and some may prefer a game on football. Others may like a game of football before heading out for the night, in the way that beers after the Saturday game can be a prelude to a night out. Friday night also leaves an interval from the other weeknight games at Turf City organized by Elvin/Jye/George. There are several different pitch sizes at the Rainforest Sports Hub. To start with, not knowing how many players we'll get, we'll go with 6-a-side. It would ordinarily work out to $10 per player (same as with all other uncovered pitches), but as a new game with no track record, I'll fix it at $9 per player to start with. |
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Post by Rajiv on Jan 12, 2013 9:09:57 GMT 8
Following on from above: Although several players indicated interest, they're not available tonight, so doesn't look like Friday night will work this week. I'll switch the game to tomorrow (Saturday), 6 to 7 pm, at the same venue to see if those who are on reserve for 5 to 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday at Turf City can make it. Priority given to those who put their name down for tonight, and those who are in reserve for Saturday and Sunday. The slightly later time on Saturday means it will be cooler on the uncovered pitch. The risk for the uncovered pitch is heavy rain. .... No one other than me down for the game. Doesn't look like we'll have an extra game at Rainforest Sports Hub this week. As there was some interest, I will try again next Friday. I was asked why not make it 8 pm. My text reply: The above has previously been discussed earlier on this thread, and OPSAGE. However, an 8 to 9 pm weeknight slot has been on the horizon: .... ..., for weeknights, an 8 to 9 pm slot would appear to be more viable than a 10 to 11 pm slot .... If we ever get round to having two regular games at the same venue on the same night, the extra one can be from 8 to 9 pm. However, our pool of players would have to be very much larger before we get there. Trying to start a Friday night game reflects a larger pool of players, at least for games at Turf City. Friday night also has a different dynamic from other weeknights. More people try to get out of the office a bit earlier so that they can go out for the evening. If they were to squeeze a game in in between, it may well have to be an earlier slot. Next Friday, I will try 8 to 9 pm at Rainforest Sports Hub. Also, as a new game, I will put it up a day earlier (6 days beforehand instead of 5). For the two games scheduled from 9 to 10 pm on Thursday, as set out in the post above, since 27 September 2012: * We've had 2 games on 5 occasions. * We've had only 1 game at Khalsa on 6 occasions (including this Thursday (10 January 2013)). * We've had only 1 game at East Coast on 5 occasions. For 10 January 2013, the game was switched from East Coast to Khalsa at a late stage as numbers for East Coast dwindled, while numbers for Khalsa held up (including those able and willing to switch from East Coast to Khalsa). If I remember correctly, this had happened once before. While trying to fill up the East Coast game on Thursday, at least one player said he could only make 8 to 9 pm, not 9 to 10 pm. I would consider bringing the Thursday game at East Coast forward to 8 to 9 pm to give players more choice. It would also mean that there would be separate threads for the two Thursday games. Although it makes it a bit complicated, I have been using a single thread up to now to ensure that, if we don't have enough players for both games, at least one of the two games goes ahead , and those who are flexible and make themselves available for either get priority. It is also worth bearing in mind that the one occasion we have had a weeknight game from 8 to 9 pm, it was on a Thursday night at East Coast, due to Sports Planet mixing up the bookings. |
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Post by Rajiv on Feb 2, 2013 8:42:12 GMT 8
Following on from the above, I tried again the following Friday (18 January 2013). Again, it didn't work out. No names down, so game cancelled. .... If ... I thought some of those rushing for the Saturday evening game might switch to Friday night, I might have tried harder to get this game going. As it is, I'll leave it until after Chinese New Year. The Saturday game continues to fill up fast: * For 19 January 2013, in just over 2 hours. * For 26 January 2013, in just over an hour and a half. * For this Saturday (2 February 2013), in just under 2 hours. Ideally, my solution would be to move the Saturday evening slot forward to Saturday afternoon. Then if it continues to fill up as fast, I could then re-create the evening slot. Moving the game to an earlier slot of similar character worked when the East Coast game was moved from Tuesday to Monday - what used to fill up within a couple of hours now fills up more evenly, over 3 or 4 days. Unfortunately, no big covered pitch is available between 2 and 5 pm on Saturdays. Between 12 noon and 2 pm would be too different in character - a midday game. I would imagine even 2 to 3 pm wouldn't work. What I need is 4 to 5 pm or 3 to 4 pm, both of which are not currently available. 6 to 7 pm is available, but creating a later additional slot has its own difficulties, including: * Persuading players to switch from the very popular 5 to 6 pm slot to an unknown new slot. * Trying to get enough players for an additional slot later on Saturday evening, when many players will be planning a Saturday night out. 4 to 5 pm on Sunday is also available, but the Sunday game is not an issue, regularly filling up fairly evenly over 3 to 4 days. I guess all I'm left with is again Friday night at Turf City ( now known as The Grandstand). Like I said, I'll try again after Chinese New Year. |
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Post by Rajiv on Jun 11, 2013 22:51:00 GMT 8
As far as I am concerned, the mad rush for the game from 5 to 6 pm on Saturday at The Grandstand filling is a problem. However, neither a Friday night game at The Grandstand, or a 6 to 7 pm slot on Saturday, appears to be the solution. What I'm left with is: .... .... From June 2013 onwards until further notice, if a Saturday game fills up within 2 hours of the schedule thread being put up, I will automatically switch it to a two-hour game with 3 teams, subject to the availability of the pitch from 6 to 7 pm. If necessary, I will extend it to filling up within half a day or even a day. .... I've been including the above at the end of each schedule thread for the Saturday 5 to 6 pm game. As for a game on Friday night: .... I get asked about a game on Friday night from time to time, .... Further, if I do get round to introducing a Friday night game, it is likely to be at Kallang, where we only need 8 to 10 players for the game to go on. However, the pool of players for Kallang is not big enough, struggling to sustain one game a week, let alone two. The game at Kallang was switched from Monday night to Tuesday night in October 2012, and has been filling up well of late. It is the only one of our regular venues where we only have one game, so players don't have a choice of playing on another day. I have sounded out a few Kallang regulars, and they would be interested in a Friday night game. Unless you have to work late (in which case, you wouldn't be looking to play), most people try to get out of the office a bit early on Friday, so 8 to 9 pm would be viable. It also allows players to head out for the night after the game. I am looking to start scheduling a Friday night game from 8 to 9 pm at Kallang as early as from 5 July 2013. Other new games I am considering over the next 12 months (in order of priority): * Sunday, 8 to 9 pm, Khalsa (or Indian Association). Previously, I was looking for the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand to fill up before trying to get a Sunday night game going at Balestier. However, increasingly I find the pool of players for The Grandstand is quite distinct from the pool of players for Balestier. The Khalsa games on Wednesday and Thursday suffer from being on consecutive days. A Sunday night game would provide a better spread. * Tuesday night at The Grandstand (Rainforest Arena). Currently, I only have weekend games at The Grandstand. Monday and Wednesday are out as Elvin/Jye/George (or whoever runs it from time to time) have their own games at The Grandstand, and I have no desire to be competing with them for players. Tuesday night may workable, as the pool of players are distinct from those who play at Kallang, and it provides a decent spread from the weekend games. And not everyone who plays at the weekend get in for the Monday or Wednesday game, even if they want to play weeknights. Or they may not be available Monday/Wednesday night. I would start with 6-a-side so we wouldn't need as many players. * Saturday morning at East Coast. It's worth giving a weekend morning game a try, and a 5-a-side on a covered pitch may be viable, providing an alternative to the weeknight 7-a-side games at East Coast. Perhaps from 10 to 11 am, so no need to wake up too early on a Saturday morning. |
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Post by Rajiv on Jun 29, 2013 19:39:46 GMT 8
.... The Thursday night games since April 2013: * 11 April 2013, one game at East Coast. * 18 April 2013, one game at East Coast. * 25 April 2013, two games, one at Khalsa, one at East Coast. * 2 May 2013, one game at East Coast. * 9 May 2013, two games, one at Khalsa, one at East Coast. * 16 May 2013, one game at Khalsa (no pitch available at East Coast). * 23 May 2013, no game (eve of Vesak Day public holiday). * 30 May 2013, one game at Khalsa. * 6 June 2013, one game at Khalsa. * 13 June 2013, no game. Even excluding 9 May 2013, when no pitch was available at East Coast, 4 weeks now without a game at East Coast on Thursday, and two of those weeks, we didn't have a game at all. Until numbers pick up, I will schedule just the one game on Thursday nights, at Khalsa. .... For the remaining Thursdays this month: * The one game scheduled for Thursday, 20 June 2013, at Khalsa, was cancelled as we had several withdrawals as the haze headed towards a peak on Friday. * The one game scheduled for Thursday, 27 June 2013, at Khalsa, was slow to fill up, but it finally did, and went ahead. However, with already two players on waitlist for the Monday night game, and the Wednesday night game at Khalsa filling up faster than usual, I will schedule two games for Thursday, one at Khalsa and one at East Coast, as before, even though I am also going to try to schedule an additional game on Friday night at Kallang. |
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Post by Rajiv on Jul 7, 2013 18:03:53 GMT 8
The games since last Thursday have been slow to fill, so I won't try an additional game next Friday.
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Post by Rajiv on Dec 27, 2013 22:47:43 GMT 8
Brendan contacted me a couple of weeks ago to say that Elvin was giving up the Monday night slot on a big pitch at The Grandstand, and asked whether I could bring the game under GIFFA. As this is an existing game, with several players who play in our games at The Grandstand at the weekends, I'm ok with adding it to the GIFFA Schedule. The GIFFA System and the GIFFA Playing Rules & Principles will apply. As there is hardly any overlap between the players who play at The Grandstand and those who play at East Coast, it should not affect the Monday night game at East Coast. The two games will have separate schedule threads. I will start on 6 January 2014, after The Premier Pitch @ The Grandstand re-opens after refurbishment. With two games on Monday night, I hope that those who are keen on the Monday night game at The Grandstand will make an effort to get enough players. If both games are slow to fill up, my focus will remain on the East Coast game, as it is currently the only game at East Coast each week. I stated on the old blog on 3 August 2008: Funnily enough, the Monday night game at The Grandstand was one that I previously gave away. Previously: .... As for a game on Friday night: .... I get asked about a game on Friday night from time to time, .... Further, if I do get round to introducing a Friday night game, it is likely to be at Kallang, where we only need 8 to 10 players for the game to go on. However, the pool of players for Kallang is not big enough, struggling to sustain one game a week, let alone two. .... I have sounded out a few Kallang regulars, and they would be interested in a Friday night game. Unless you have to work late (in which case, you wouldn't be looking to play), most people try to get out of the office a bit early on Friday, so 8 to 9 pm would be viable. It also allows players to head out for the night after the game. I am looking to start scheduling a Friday night game from 8 to 9 pm at Kallang as early as from 5 July 2013. Other new games I am considering over the next 12 months (in order of priority): * Sunday, 8 to 9 pm, Khalsa (or Indian Association). Previously, I was looking for the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand to fill up before trying to get a Sunday night game going at Balestier. However, increasingly I find the pool of players for The Grandstand is quite distinct from the pool of players for Balestier. The Khalsa games on Wednesday and Thursday suffer from being on consecutive days. A Sunday night game would provide a better spread. * Tuesday night at The Grandstand (Rainforest Arena). Currently, I only have weekend games at The Grandstand. Monday and Wednesday are out as Elvin/Jye/George (or whoever runs it from time to time) have their own games at The Grandstand, and I have no desire to be competing with them for players. Tuesday night may workable, as the pool of players are distinct from those who play at Kallang, and it provides a decent spread from the weekend games. And not everyone who plays at the weekend get in for the Monday or Wednesday game, even if they want to play weeknights. Or they may not be available Monday/Wednesday night. I would start with 6-a-side so we wouldn't need as many players. * Saturday morning at East Coast. It's worth giving a weekend morning game a try, and a 5-a-side on a covered pitch may be viable, providing an alternative to the weeknight 7-a-side games at East Coast. Perhaps from 10 to 11 am, so no need to wake up too early on a Saturday morning. and .... I am currently not scheduling a game at East Coast on Thursdays: .... With getting numbers a struggle, I have have only been scheduling one game on Thursdays since 1 August 2013. As for some time before that, when we have had enough for a game, it has been for a game at Khalsa, the game that has not been scheduled is the East Coast game. .... .... . Now, with a game at The Grandstand on Monday nights, I doubt I will try one on Tuesday nights, at least not in the first half of 2014. Any other additional game will have to wait. However, a Sunday night game at Khalsa and a Friday night game at a venue to be decided are possibilities later in the first half of 2014. |
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Post by Rajiv on Feb 11, 2014 17:12:44 GMT 8
I'll resume scheduling the Monday night game at The Grandstand from 17 February 2014 onwards. If there is significant interest, I will continue beyond March 2014 until perhaps May 2014. If the game hasn't taken off by then, I'll give it a break. The games at Balestier Road on Wednesdays and Thursdays have been filling up well, with a lot of players on waitlist. I will try adding a Sunday night (8 to 9 pm) game at Balestier Road from 23 February 2014 onwards. If the above games take off by May 2014, I will try two more in the second half of 2014: |
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Post by Rajiv on Mar 2, 2014 16:11:41 GMT 8
From the "Weekly schedule & number of games" thread, apart from threads relating to venues/pitches: .... There are three other announcements & developments threads listed under the "Scheduling & numbers" section of the GIFFA System thread - this one, "Days, times & locations" and "Public holidays etcetera": - This thread covers the scheduling method, the current regular games, a record of the number of games per week or month, and past and current trends.
- "Days, times & locations" looks at preferences in terms of days, times and venues, new or extra games, and the future.
- "Public holidays etcetera" looks at how public holidays, school holidays and other seasonal factors affects numbers.
I will keep the three threads separate. However, I will re-name this thread "Weekly schedule & number of games" to be more focused on what it covers. I will also re-name the "Scheduling & numbers" section of the "GIFFA System" thread as "Weekly schedule & venues". From the post above: .... I'll resume scheduling the Monday night game at The Grandstand from 17 February 2014 onwards. If there is significant interest, I will continue beyond March 2014 until perhaps May 2014. If the game hasn't taken off by then, I'll give it a break. The games at Balestier Road on Wednesdays and Thursdays have been filling up well, with a lot of players on waitlist. I will try adding a Sunday night (8 to 9 pm) game at Balestier Road from 23 February 2014 onwards. .... There was no one down for the Monday night game at The Grandstand on 17 February 2014, so it was cancelled. Rainer took over the booking for 24 February 2014. No one down for the game at The Grandstand tomorrow (Monday), so it's cancelled as well. I haven't tried the Sunday night game at Balestier Road yet, mainly because I've been busy with all the recent changes in the GIFFA system and on this forum. I will start next Sunday (9 March 2014). For now, I will alternate weekly between a Sunday night game at Balestier Road and a Monday night game at The Grandstand, so for the rest of this month: - Sunday, 9 March 2014, 8 to 9 pm, Balestier Road.
- Monday, 17 March 2014, 9 to 10 pm, The Grandstand.
- Sunday, 23 March 204, 8 to 9 pm, Balestier Road.
- Monday, 31 March 2014, 9 to 10 pm, The Grandstand.
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Post by Rajiv on Apr 5, 2014 11:20:39 GMT 8
Since we first played at the Premier Pitch's covered pitch at The Grandstand in July 2008, the venue has grown in popularity. In those days, our games were on the small pitch, but for some time now, hardly any of our players want to play on the small pitch there. From the "Filling places & choices" thread: .... Currently, the Wednesday night game at Balestier Road is the most popular. The Saturday evening game at The Grandstand, which from November 2012 to June 2013 was by far the most popular game, has barely been filling up on the forum since the start of the year. The Monday night game at East Coast, which at various times has been the second most popular game, has required some effort to fill up of late. The Thursday night game at Balestier Road also requires some effort to fill up, and with a lot of different non-regular players taking up places from week to week, it is difficult to predict how the game will turn out. The pool of players for the Tuesday night game at Kallang is smaller than for the other venues, with fewer players wanting to play 5-a-side and at The Cage, so if several of the regulars are unavailable, we struggle to get to 10. .... The Sunday evening game at The Grandstand has been struggling since early last year, but more so this year: - Three games cancelled at the turn of the year due to insufficient players. I don't know if the switch to an uncovered pitch while the covered pitch was re-surfaced was a factor, but it the Saturday games went on as usual on the uncovered pitch.
- The games on 16 and 23 March 2014 went ahead with the minimum number (14), so they were 7-a-side.
- The game yesterday (30 March 2014) was stuck on 5 on Friday morning. Although I made an effort to fill up the places, and we managed to get to 16 in the end, there were many new, newer or non-regular players. In fact, the games for much of the year so far have been slow to fill, and have required some, if not a lot, of effort.
It's hard to believe that on several occasions between December 2011 and June 2012, we had back to back games on Sundays at The Grandstand, one from 4 to 5 pm and the second from 5 to 6 pm. Before that, in July 2010, we had back to back games from 5 to 6 pm and 6 to 7 pm. Keeping the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand has required a fair amount of work over the weekend. From earlier in this thread: .... With numbers for last Sunday's game stuck on 12, there was some discussion on the WhatsApp group chat about complacency. If we don't have at least 14 by Saturday, I actually message about 100 players on Friday or Saturday. If we are still short on Sunday, I message again, largely the same 100 players but some other more remote possibilities. I wouldn't call that complacent. The problem is several players wait until Sunday before deciding to play, or can only be sure of their availability on Sunday itself. Often, the players who have come in on the Sunday afternoon had been messaged twice, once on Friday or Saturday, and again on Sunday. Bearing that in mind, I sometimes wonder whether it is worth my while messaging before Saturday evening. .... This is still often the case. Also from above: .... Apart from a few names down for the first two weeks ( 6 January 2014 and 13 January 2014), there have been no names put down for the Monday night game at The Grandstand. .... Hardly anyone put their names down, but it really wasn't surprising as I didn't make any effort, and players won't try a new game without a lot of canvassing on my part. I would rather give the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand a rest and make an effort to get the two new games going. What I plan to do is not schedule the Sunday evening at The Grandstand for the whole of April 2014, and instead schedule both the Sunday night game at Balestier Road and the Monday night game at The Grandstand. Those who want a second game at The Grandstand still have it, on Monday night, and better spaced from the other game on Saturday, so players can play both games if they want. It also means that we now have a weeknight game at The Grandstand. And we get a weekend game at a venue besides The Grandstand. While trying to fill up the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand over the past couple of years, I have become aware that there are players who would otherwise play on Sunday who find The Grandstand too far from them. It also means that the Sunday game is at a cooler time of day. The heat at 5 pm is a factor, even on the covered pitch. .... Unsurprisingly, the regulars for Sunday evening at The Grandstand want the game back. Damian is a longstanding regular, while Kenny is a longstanding player who has been regular at various times. Gerard and Kien are more recent regulars. Apart from those posting their preference on the thread for the Monday night game at The Grandstand, Wing Kong, another longstanding player who has been fairly regular, and Jon Stratton, a more recent regular, have messaged me in support of the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand. As the aims are to have a game at a venue other than The Grandstand at the weekend, and to have a Monday night game at The Grandstand, it is inevitable that as between the Saturday and Sunday evening games at The Grandstand, the Sunday game will take the hit, as it sits in the middle of it all. Like I said, I'm only giving the Sunday game a break. I suppose my primary purpose in doing so is to get the Sunday night game at Balestier Road and the Monday night at The Grandstand going. With regard to the Sunday night game at Balestier Road, we do need a weekend game at a venue other than The Grandstand ( as reflected by how many we got with just some effort), and Sunday night at Balestier Road is really the only viable option. From earlier in this thread: .... .... All our games were entirely weeknight up to April 2009, and there was resistance to weekend games to being with. I guess it's human nature to resist new things. The aspect of Turf City which is a bigger headache than for Khalsa is that if we're stuck at 12, I have to consider switching to a small pitch at Turf City, but that has been addressed under the other thread. The fact remains all our weekend games are at Turf City, which increases choice for some, and reduces choice for others. .... .... plus a link to the old blog on how the weekend games came about. The Monday night game at The Grandstand has a different history. Since Brendan asked me at the end of last year to take over the Monday night booking at The Grandstand, we haven't managed a game at The Grandstand on Monday night. Also, from the Venues/pitches & team sizes thread: .... Our first game on the refurbished pitch was the game today (Sunday). One comment so far: The newly redone turf is really nice!! Maybe we can consider moving one of the week nights from Khalsa to here?  As there is only one covered big pitch at The Grandstand, it has always been an issue of availability. There is now an additional game at The Grandstand on Mondays. Since last Monday. .... Unfortunately, I am not aware of the covered pitch being available on weeknights, other than, now, Monday. .... Unfortunately, I can't keep the Monday night booking at The Grandstand indefinitely without the game taking off. I am under some pressure from the Premier Pitch to give up the booking if I'm not using it. If I give it up, I doubt we'll get a weeknight slot for a covered big pitch at The Grandstand for the foreseeable future. It's a stark choice for The Grandstand regulars - use it or lose it. Slots at the weekend are more readily available, so I am less concerned about cancelling weekend games at The Grandstand. I made the same effort to fill the Monday night game at The Grandstand as I did to fill the Sunday night game at the Balestier, but we only have 7 so far. We need at least 7 more. Unfortunately, Brendan, who might have helped to fill the game up, is away until Wednesday. Other players who might have played, such as Foo Cheong and Rainer, are out with long term injury or illness. I will try again the following week (Monday, 14 April 2014). The weekend after that is the Good Friday/Easter weekend, so I'm not sure whether I should try again or just bring back the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand sooner. I am thinking of proceeding as follows: - For next weekend/Monday, I'll stick with the new games - Sunday (13 April 2014) night at Balestier Road and Monday (14 April 2014) night at The Grandstand.
- For the following weekend/Monday, which is a long weekend for Good Friday, we just have the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand. Not a good idea to push ahead with new games over a long weekend, and a good opportunity for those who favour the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand to show their support for this game by getting the numbers up.
 - For the last week/Monday of April, I am thinking of replacing all 3 games with an 11-a-side game using the GIFFA System, the first event to mark 5 years of GIFFA in November 2014.
- In May 2014, I will schedule all 3 games, and each week, any of the games which doesn't look like getting sufficient players will be cancelled.
- In June 2014, I will schedule at least 2 of the games, but only those that looked like they were stabilising in May 2014.
- In July 2014, I will schedule all 3 games, and hopefully by the end of July 2014, all 3 games will be stabilised.
Also, from May 2014, I intend to bring the Sunday game at The Grandstand forward from 5 to 6 pm to 4 to 5 pm. From earlier in this thread: We had two games again on Sunday (11 December 2011), the first from 4 to 5 pm, and the second from 5 to 6 pm, like the last time. Foo Cheong sent me the following private message at 5.15 pm on Sunday: The Saturday game at Turf City was from 4 to 5 pm from when it was first started in April 2010 until September 2010. It was switched to 5 to 6 pm in October 2010 because: ... we have struggled to fill the big pitch from 4 to 5 pm for a few Saturdays before that. From October 2010 onwards, I have the big pitch at the Premier Pitch on Saturday for both 4 to 5 pm and 5 to 6 pm. The 5 to 6 pm slot is very popular on Sundays, and it might be a bit easier to fill places for the 5 to 6 pm slot on Saturdays as well, so I'll switch the game on Saturdays to the later time from October 2010 onwards, and cancel the 4 to 5 pm booking. .... Even since the switch, the Saturday game has at various times struggled to fill up, as recently as several games in July 2011. I don't think whether the weekend game are from 4 to 5 pm or 5 to 6 pm makes much difference as to player availability. 4 to 5 pm is hotter, and more draining during the hotter seasons. Apart from that, it appears to be more about who else is playing. Since then, the Saturday game has become very popular. However, the 4 to 5 pm slot has not been available for an extra game on Saturdays. I think what happened on Sunday is that when players saw who were playing in the 4 to 5 pm game, they thought it would be a more competitive game, so some who were available for both later indicated a preference for the earlier one. It is still advisable that those who are available for both indicate they are available for both, even if they indicate a preference as well, so that they maintain their priority for both games. If you state only one game, but don't get in for that game, either because there are 16 players ahead of you, or the game is cancelled due to insufficient numbers, you have no priority for the other game. Anyway, there is only one 4 to 5 pm booking left until the end of the year, that is, this Sunday (18 December 2011). January 2012 bookings are not available yet. Now, with the night game at Balestier Road on Sundays, I will bring forward the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand an hour so that there is a better spread of games. And Foo Cheong finally gets his wish! Hopefully, he will be back by then. |
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Post by Rajiv on Apr 14, 2014 22:41:57 GMT 8
Following on from the post immediately above: - We managed to get a full complement of 14 for the new night game at Balestier Road on Sunday, 6 April 2014.
- Some of the regulars for the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand put there names down for the game on Monday night (7 April 2014) at The Grandstand, but we had no more than 7 players, so the game was cancelled.
- With 3 withdrawals on the day, including a late withdrawal, the night game at Balestier Road on Sunday, 13 April 2014, was left one short, and was therefore cancelled.
- Apart from one player from the Sunday night game putting his name down for the Monday night game at The Grandstand last night, no one else was down, so the game was cancelled.
I'm not sure how many people are away, but with Easter break in international schools last week, this week a short week with Good Friday on 18 April 2014, and a long weekend coming up, I'm pretty sure numbers will be affected. Although the Saturday evening games at The Grandstand (both last weekend and this weekend) filled up within the day, and Wednesday night game at Balestier Road filled up within an hour, apart from the Sunday night game at Balestier Road and the Monday night game at The Grandstand being cancelled, last night's game at East Coast was also cancelled due to insufficient players ( stuck on 8). Both Brendan (via e-mail) and Babs (via WhatsApp) contacted me to ask if we could have a game at The Grandstand on Good Friday. There is no availability from 4 to 8 pm on a big covered pitch at The Grandstand, so the options are: - 3 to 4 pm or 8 to 9 pm on a big covered pitch.
- 5 to 6 pm on an uncovered big pitch.
As 8 to 9 pm on a public holiday may be too late, and an uncovered pitch carries the risk of cancellation due to heavy rain (and it has been raining a lot recently), I'll put up 3 to 4 pm on a big covered pitch. If there is a preference for either of the later slots, I may change the time/pitch.
As we will be having an extra game at The Grandstand on Friday, I won't schedule a Sunday afternoon/evening game at The Grandstand. As we came so close to having a night game at Balestier Road on the Sunday, I will try again for the coming Sunday. Also, as it is a long weekend, I won't schedule the Monday night game at The Grandstand.
For the following weekend (the last weekend of April 2014), I was considering having an 11-a-side game on Sunday afternoon/evening instead of any of the Sunday/Monday games at The Grandstand/Balestier Road. I was thinking of having it on the 9-a-side pitch at the Premier Pitch @ Khalsa (which is used for 11-a-side), but the Premier Pitch @ Khalsa is not available on 27 April 2014 due to a day long event. Therefore, apart from no pitch being available at Khalsa on 27 April 2014, I will start the May 2014 schedule for Sunday/Monday from 27 April 2014: - Sunday, 4 to 5 pm, The Grandstand (covered pitch)
- Sunday, 8 to 9 pm, Balestier Road (uncovered pitch)
- Monday, 9 to 10 pm, East Coast (uncovered pitch)
- Monday, 9 to 10 pm, The Grandstand (covered pitch)
Any one or two games that are slow to fill up may be cancelled. |
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Post by Damian on Apr 27, 2014 11:17:39 GMT 8
Jiv just wondering if we cld reinstate the 5-6pm session if the others prefer that timing that is... |
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Post by Rajiv on Apr 27, 2014 11:29:13 GMT 8
Jon Stratton messaged me as follows on Tuesday morning: As set out above, Foo Cheong had earlier argued in favour of playing 4 to 5 pm instead of 5 to 6 pm. I was neutral at that time, but since we had been playing 5 to 6 pm for some time, I left it at that. As stated above, now that we are also going to have a night game at Balestier Road on Sundays, the earlier start for the game at The Grandstand gives us a better spread for the 3 weekend games. Also, as we have been struggling to fill up the Sunday game at The Grandstand for some time now, I hope the change in timing is enough of a shake up. Damian, you can discuss with Jon and the other players at today's game. Or anyone can post their views on this thread. |
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Post by Rajiv on May 11, 2014 23:31:57 GMT 8
Both Sunday games went on today, the 4 to 5 pm game at The Grandstand, with 14, and the 8 to 9 pm game at Balestier Road, with 12. This is the first time we've had 2 games on Sunday since June 2012, when we had back to back games at The Grandstand from 4 to 5 pm and 5 to 6 pm. Although we only had the minimum number for both games, it is remarkable we managed two games, as not only were a lot of players away (with Tuesday being a public holiday, Vesak Day, people take Monday off for an extra long weekend), but today is Mother's Day, so a lot of players had additional family commitments. I will continue to schedule both games indefinitely. The only question is whether the afternoon/evening game at The Grandstand should be 4 to 5 pm or 5 to 6 pm. One reason I moved the game forward was to have a better spread of the two Sunday games. However, it has become clear that there is little overlap between those playing at The Grandstand and those playing at Balestier Road, and it is unlikely anyone playing at The Grandstand in the afternoon/evening is unlikely to play again at Balestier Road at night, so the spread doesn't really matter. The best way to decide this is through a poll. The voting will be applied in the future. For this month, the game will remain from 4 to 5 pm. As for the Monday night game at The Grandstand, from the "Public holidays & seasonal factors" thread: .... The extra game on Labour Day (Thursday, 1 May 2014) will be in place of the night game at The Grandstand on Monday (28 April 2014). Likewise, any extra game on Vesak Day will be in place of the night game at The Grandstand on Monday (12 May 2014). The extra game on Thursday or Tuesday is better spaced from the 2 regular games at The Grandstand at the weekends, so there is no point having the game on Monday as well, especially since the Monday night game at The Grandstand has yet to take off despite efforts since the start of the year. In fact, I might skip Monday, 5 May 2014 as well, and only try again from Monday, 19 May 2014 onwards. .... The extra afternoon game on Labour Day was cancelled, with numbers stuck on 8, and the regular Thursday night game not filling up until later. I have a covered big pitch at The Grandstand from 4 to 5 pm on Vesak Day (Tuesday, 13 May 2014), so I'll try an extra game again. . I will schedule the Monday night game at The Grandstand for the next two Mondays, 19 and 26 May 2014. If neither game goes ahead, it means that the Monday night game at The Grandstand would not have taken place despite several attempts since January 2014, so I won't try again until July 2014. If either goes ahead, then I might consider trying again in June 2014. A reminder that if we give up the slot, it is unlikely we will get it back anytime in the foreseeable future. |
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Post by Rajiv on Jun 30, 2014 22:08:08 GMT 8
From above: .... The only question is whether the afternoon/evening game at The Grandstand should be 4 to 5 pm or 5 to 6 pm. .... The best way to decide this is through a poll. The voting will be applied in the future. For this month, the game will remain from 4 to 5 pm. .... From the poll thread: The poll has been locked. 7:3 in favour of reverting to the 5 to 6 pm slot. So it shall be. I thought the 5 to 6 pm slot was still available, so I scheduled this Sunday's game for the later time slot. Unfortunately, it is not available until July 2014, so I have to bring the game forward to the earlier time slot of 4 to 5 pm for the rest of June 2014. The Sunday evening game at The Grandstand returns to the 5 to 6 pm slot from July 2014 onwards. Also from above: Both Sunday games went on today, the [evening] game at The Grandstand, with 14, and the [night] game at Balestier Road, with 12. .... Although we only had the minimum number for both games, it is remarkable we managed two games, as not only were a lot of players away (with Tuesday being a public holiday, Vesak Day, people take Monday off for an extra long weekend), but today is Mother's Day, so a lot of players had additional family commitments. I will continue to schedule both games indefinitely. .... While the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand has picked up and has been filling up well over the last couple of weeks, we only managed one more Sunday night game at Balestier Road, a 5-a-side the following week (18 May 2014). Once players feel that the game is not going to go on, they stop putting their name down for the game, and we have had no names down for the Sunday night game at Balestier Road since the game scheduled for 8 June 2014. It hasn't helped that the friends of Nic F and Nic G who formed a core group of players for the Sunday night games at Balestier Road between 11 May 2014 and 1 June 2014 have largely left Singapore. With the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand filling up on its own,I'll make more of an effort over the course of the third quarter of 2014 to fill the Sunday night game at Balestier Road. Also from above: I struggled to get 3 names for the game on 19 May 2014, and there were no names down for 26 May 2014, so I did not schedule any Monday night games at The Grandstand this month (June 2014). I will resume scheduling Monday night games at The Grandstand from July 2014 onwards, starting next Monday, and over the course of the quarter, will also make more of an effort to fill the game. Other games I will consider starting in the second half of 2014: - Friday night game at either Kallang or The Grandstand. The Tuesday night game at Kallang has been filling up well, so maybe it's time for a second game at Kallang each week.
- Tuesday night at The Grandstand. There is currently no game on a big pitch on Tuesdays.
- Saturday morning at East Coast (5-a-side).
As the covered pitch at The Grandstand is unlikely to be available on either Friday night or Tuesday night, we are looking at an uncovered pitch, either at The Premier Pitch or Rainforest Sports Hub.
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Post by Rajiv on Jul 22, 2014 9:51:58 GMT 8
From the Regular venues & pitches" thread: .... There are just too many issues with the game on the big pitch at East Coast .... I'm away next week, so I won't schedule a Monday night game at East Coast, as same old issues will arise, and I can't manage them while I'm away. From above: .... I have always been ready to stop playing on the 7-a-side pitch at Sports Planet @ East Coast if a majority of the regulars are prepared to switch to other venues. However, there have always been a significant number of players who want to stick with Sports Planet @ East Coast. However, the number of former East Coast loyalists willing to play at Balestier Road is increasing all the time. If numbers for East Coast dwindle to such an extent that we regularly don't have enough players for a 7-a-side game at Sports Planet @ East Coast, the game will in any event no longer be feasible. The alternatives to the Monday night game at East Coast are the Sunday night game at Balestier Road, the Monday night game at The Grandstand (to be re-started in July 2014), the Tuesday night game at Kallang, and the Thursday night game at Balestier Road. .... An increasing number of former East Coast loyalists are no longer playing regularly at East Coast. Either they play more regularly at Khalsa, or they hardly play anymore. With all the problems with the big pitch at East Coast, I am inclined not to schedule any more games there. Players would then have to make the following choices: - Those who want to stick with a big pitch on Monday night will have to consider travelling to The Grandstand for the Monday night game there.
- Those who want to stick with a big pitch closer to East Coast should consider the Sunday night or Thursday night games at Khalsa.
- For those who want to play at East Coast, and don't care if it is a big pitch or small pitch, I will try out a Monday night game on a small pitch at East Coast in August 2014.
For those who are not prepared to consider any of the above alternatives, I am sorry, I have nothing left to offer you if we go down the above route. Accordingly, no Monday night game at East Coast next Monday (28 July 2014), and the game will be switched to a small pitch for the whole of August 2014. From above: .... ....While the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand has picked up and has been filling up well over the last couple of weeks, we only managed one more Sunday night game at Balestier Road, a 5-a-side the following week (18 May 2014). Once players feel that the game is not going to go on, they stop putting their name down for the game, and we have had no names down for the Sunday night game at Balestier Road since the game scheduled for 8 June 2014. It hasn't helped that the friends of Nic F and Nic G who formed a core group of players for the Sunday night games at Balestier Road between 11 May 2014 and 1 June 2014 have largely left Singapore. With the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand filling up on its own,I'll make more of an effort over the course of the third quarter of 2014 to fill the Sunday night game at Balestier Road. .... I'm reluctant to start asking around for the Sunday night game at Khalsa until the Sunday evening game at The Grandstand has filled up. The latter has just about been filling up, usually at the weekend itself, so by then, it's too late to get the Sunday night going. As I'm away from Saturday, I won't bother scheduling the Khalsa night game for this Sunday (27 July 2014). A couple of players put their names down for 6 July 2014 and 13 July 2014, but without more interest, the game wasn't likely to go on. Also from above: .... .... I will resume scheduling Monday night games at The Grandstand from July 2014 onwards, starting next Monday, and over the course of the quarter, will also make more of an effort to fill the game. .... No names down at all for 7, 14 and 21 July 2014. A bit hard for me to make an effort when there doesn't seem to be any interest. Again, as I'm away from Saturday, I won't bother scheduling the Grandstand game for next Monday (28 July 2014). I am back on 2 August 2014. Also from the "Regular venues & pitches" thread: .... ..., The Premier Pitch @ Khalsa have informed me that they will be re-turfing the pitches between 27 July 2014 and 10 August 2014, during which time, they will only have one big pitch. As such, they have cancelled two of my bookings, on 6 August 2014 (Wednesday) and 7 August 2014 (Thursday). .... I asked if they have small pitches on those days. They only have one on the Wednesday. I also asked at the uncovered pitches at The Grandstand. An uncovered big pitch is available from 8 to 9 pm on both days. For the week from 2 to 7 August 2014, I propose the weekly schedule be modified as follows: - Saturday, as usual, 5 to 6 pm, on a covered big pitch at The Grandstand.
- Sunday, as usual, 5 to 6 pm, on a covered big pitch at The Grandstand.
- Sunday, 8 to 9 pm, on a big pitch at Khalsa.
- Monday, 9 to 10 pm, on a big pitch at The Grandstand.
- Monday, 9 to 10 pm, on a small pitch at East Coast.
- Tuesday, as usual, 9 to 10 pm, on the small pitch at Kallang.
- Wednesday, 8 to 9 pm, on an uncovered big pitch at The Grandstand and, 9 to 10 pm, an uncovered small pitch at Khalsa.
- Thursday, 8 to 9 pm, on an uncovered big pitch at The Grandstand, and 9 to 10 pm, on an uncovered big pitch at East Coast.
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Post by Rajiv on Aug 10, 2014 9:55:13 GMT 8
From the "Venus, pitches & team sizes" thread: I scheduled the game tomorrow (Monday) night at HYSA and it filled up in two days (put up on Wednesday, filled by Friday). I'll stick with HYFA for the Monday night game. Also from the "Venus, pitches & team sizes" thread: .... ..., when driving through the Stadium area a couple of weeks ago, I saw two covered pitches in the open area behind The Cage. The only signage in the vicinity was for the neighbouring batting cage. I looked it up. The batting cage is owned by the Singapore Baseball & Softball Association (SBSA). The SBSA also owns the two covered pitches. The SBSA has outsourced the running of the batting cage and pitches to Sportskinesis. However, Sportskinesis are required to give priority to the batting cage, so they are not promoting the covered pitches. The pitches are available. The pitches looked suitable for 6-a-side. I will follow up to confirm. I will start a Friday night game there. .... , with four players on waitlist already for the coming Tuesday. I'll start the additional game on Friday (15 August 2014). It has been difficult to get a Friday night game going in the past, so to give players more opportunity to try out this new venue, I'll switch the Sunday night game from Khalsa to the SBSA @ Kallang for the time being. I am also thinking of moving the Tuesday night game there from 26 August 2014 onwards (after the current payment cycle for The Cage). |
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Post by Rajiv on Aug 16, 2014 19:19:48 GMT 8
From above: .... ... from the "Venus, pitches & team sizes" thread: .... ..., when driving through the Stadium area a couple of weeks ago, I saw two covered pitches in the open area behind The Cage. The only signage in the vicinity was for the neighbouring batting cage. I looked it up. The batting cage is owned by the Singapore Baseball & Softball Association (SBSA). The SBSA also owns the two covered pitches. The SBSA has outsourced the running of the batting cage and pitches to Sportskinesis. However, Sportskinesis are required to give priority to the batting cage, so they are not promoting the covered pitches. The pitches are available. The pitches looked suitable for 6-a-side. I will follow up to confirm. I will start a Friday night game there. .... , with four players on waitlist already for the coming Tuesday. I'll start the additional game on Friday (15 August 2014). It has been difficult to get a Friday night game going in the past, so to give players more opportunity to try out this new venue, I'll switch the Sunday night game from Khalsa to the SBSA @ Kallang for the time being. I am also thinking of moving the Tuesday night game there from 26 August 2014 onwards (after the current payment cycle for The Cage). Both the Friday night and Sunday night games were cancelled with no names down. As I have pointed out before, I need to ask around a lot to get a new game going, and I just haven't had the time. I finally had a look at the two covered pitches at the SBSA @ Kallang. The size of each pitch is somewhere between the size of the covered big pitch at The Grandstand and the size of the big pitches at Khalsa, so suitable for 7-a-side, or maybe even 8-a-side. I am quite keen to start using the pitches there. Switching from the Tuesday game from a 5-a-side to a 7-a-side may not be the best way forward, especially as we only have one 5-a-side game each week, and the dynamic of a 5-a-side game is different from that of a 7-a-side. Instead, I will move the game that is currently the most popular there. The Wednesday night 7-a-side game at Khalsa continues to fill up within a day or two. I will move the Wednesday night game to the SBSA @ Kallang from 27 August 2014 onwards (bearing in mind the possibility of allowing for higher numbers with an 8-a-side). Location map here. We'll start off with 7-a-side, and at $8 per player. I won't schedule extra games on Friday and Sunday until the we've settled into the new venues (HYFA @ MacPherson and SBSA @ Kallang). |
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Post by Rajiv on Sept 18, 2014 9:30:49 GMT 8
From above: .... I finally had a look at the two covered pitches at the SBSA @ Kallang. .... I am quite keen to start using the pitches there. .... I won't schedule extra games ... until the we've settled into the new venues (HYFA @ MacPherson and SBSA @ Kallang). The Monday night game has been at MacPherson since 11 August 2014. We have now had 6 games there. The main issue seems to be that they have to switch off the lights at 10 pm sharp (due to neighbouring flats), so we can't carry on playing past 10 pm. However, if there is no one playing before us, they will let us start earlier. We've tried the SBSA @ Kalllang pitch once, on Wednesday, 27 August 2014. Several issues about the pitch and the venue were raised, to which I have responded. Also from the "Regular venues & pitches" thread: .... ..., I guess no point switching from the better pitches at Khalsa and MacPherson to SBSA @ Kallang even as a one-off to allow players to try it out. Instead ..., I am looking at the following: - Switching the Tuesday games on 16, 23 and 30 September 2014 to SBSA @ Kallang, so that we can have a 7-a-side game on Tuesday, while keeping it at Kallang until the end of September 2014.
- From October 2014 onwards, switching the Tuesday game to MacPherson, so that we have two games at MacPherson each week, and a 7-a-side game every night from Monday to Thursday. The Cage game would be switched to Wednesday night, so we will have two games on Wednesday night, one 5-a-side (for those who prefer 5-a-side) and one 7-a-side.
- From 19 September 2014 onwards, trying to have additional games on Friday night (8 to 9 pm or 9 to 10 pm), Saturday afternoon (4 to 5 pm) and/or Sunday night (8 to 9 pm) at the SBSA @ Kallang.
. I guess players want to stick with what they are familiar with.  I will leave the Tuesday game at The Cage for now. I will try SBSA @ Kallang for a new game, either a Friday night game or, with both our Saturday and Sunday games at The Grandstand (Bukit Timah) an extra game in the East at the weekend. I am targeting 3-5 October 2014. As for the Tuesday night game at The Cage, if numbers are sustained or increase, I am looking at having two games schedule there a week, which probably means moving the Tuesday night game. Also, at some stage, I will start a 7-a-side game on Tuesday, so that there is a 7-a-side game every day of the week. I'll come back to this later. |
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Post by Rajiv on Oct 30, 2014 11:38:56 GMT 8
From the "Regular venues & pitches" thread: .... The next game at The Cage @ Kallang starts a new payment cycle. I am now very reluctant to incur the cost of a new payment cycle when numbers have been so bad over the past four weeks, especially when I have paid for bookings at Sports Planet @ East Coast and SBSA @ Kallang which I have not been able to use. I have a balance of 2 bookings at Sports Planet @ East Coast, for which they are refusing to give a refund, despite the issues over the conditions there ..., and 4 bookings at SBSA @ Kallang, which have already been paid for. I have put up a schedule post for a Friday night game at SBSA @ Kallang for three weeks now ( 3 October 2014, 10 October 2014 and 17 October 2014), but trying to fill up regular games is taking up too much of my time, and I haven't had the time to try to fill up a new game. As I have pointed out before, new games need a lot more effort to get going. In the circumstances, I have no choice but to switch the Tuesday night games to first SBSA @ Kallang, and then to Sports Planet @ East Coast, until all the bookings that have already been paid for are utilised. Only then will I move the game back to The Cage @ Kallang. From the schedule thread for the game on Tuesday, 28 October 2014: .... ..., SBSA @ Kallang have changed their operating hours, and now close at 9 pm. I'll switch the game back to The Cage for this week, and re-look the Tuesday game from next week onwards. .... I switched the game from SBSA @ Kallang to The Cage @ Kallang, but even with 2 players switching over from the Monday night game that was cancelled, numbers dwindled from 7 to 5, so the Tuesday night game was cancelled as well. From the previous week's game (Tuesday, 21 October 2014): Only 3 so far. It's the eve of a public holiday, and we have 4 places left for Thursday, so instead of giving myself extra work to try to fill 11 places for today, I will cancel today's game and focus on Thursday. I will make more of an effort for next Tuesday. Now that the Monday night game has been moved from East Coast to MacPherson, several players who used to play at East Coast on Mondays don't play or don't play as regularly as they find MacPherson a bit far. Hopefully, some of them will come back for the Tuesday game at Kallang to give us the numbers. Previously, the East Coast game was on Tuesdays, before it was switched with the Kallang game, which used to be on Mondays. Several of them won't play 5-a-side at The Cage, but may play 7-a-side at SBSA, especially since the 7-a-side pitch at SBSA is the same size as the 7-a-side pitch at East Coast (the size of a tennis court). I have considered an 8 to 9 pm weeknight slot earlier in this thread, for example: .... .... I was asked why not make it 8 pm. My text reply: The above has previously been discussed earlier on this thread, and OPSAGE. However, an 8 to 9 pm weeknight slot has been on the horizon: .... The main reason I've stuck to 9 to 10 pm on weeknights is to minimise the risk of late-coming, especially if players are held up at work. 9 to 10 pm minimises the risk of players being late for a game should they be held up at work, but also allows more time to find a replacement if at 5 or 6 pm, a player unexpectedly finds he has to work late that night. On the other hand, over the years, several players have told me they find 9 to 10 pm too late. In the end, it is a matter of personal preference, but I don't see much harm in having one weeknight game from 8 to 9 pm, so that players have greater choice. So the Tuesday night game at the SBSA @ Kallang will be from 8 to 9 pm. |
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