reggiegun Posted December 31, 2011 Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 Hi, Anyone shooting at Worsley on Monday 2nd Reggiegun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Potter Posted December 31, 2011 Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 (edited) Hi, Anyone shooting at Worsley on Monday 2nd Reggiegun No and a word of warning if you do go, get there early, not because of the crowds but a mate and I went on Boxing Day and were somewhat disappointed. I'll confess I've not been Worsley's (Manchester Clay Shooting Club) biggest fan, I usually only shoot competitions and the comps over the last few years have been, well let's say, disappointing (the one with good reports was the one I skipped ). Anyhoo, as I said we turned up on Boxing Day with high hopes, new ground manager just taken over and although he hasn't been there for very long (days/weeks?) we thought we would see if there was any improvement. Didn't start off well when booking on, walked into the cabin and stood at the counter in front of the "take your money" lady. Now she seemed very engrossed in doing something on the desk and it must have been desperately important as she studiously ignored me and the £30+ I wanted to give her for a full minute. Just as I was about to start whistling or drumming my fingers on the counter she finished her task of national importance, looked up we finally got served. Definitely needs to attend "Customer Services 101" So we got out onto the ground and ?? guess what, I recognised all the targets from over the years I've been going there, nothing new at all. They weren't bad or poor targets in the main but so far nothing new or different. It's really no wonder that the Worsley regulars can put good scores in when the targets change so little but hey who am I to knock it, the place certainly has a big thriving club membership. No the big disappointment came as we worked our way round the stands, I think there were 14 or maybe 15 stands open on the sporting course and all went well for the first 6 or 7 stands but at about the half way point a strange thing happened, after that one trap on every remaining stand was empty. Just one trap, on one or two stands we could see the empty trap but on others we squandered more than our "no bird allowance" to deduce the trap was empty. It's also very unsatisfactory to just shoot singles on a stand, you certainly don't feel you are getting value for money As I may have said earlier, we were there about one o'clock if I remember correctly and the car park was still very full but by the time we finished there were only one or two others still shooting. We only saw any of the ground staff once whilst we were out on the ground and that was just before the half way point before our troubles had started. So that's my recent experience of MCSC and yet again I'm whinging about it and I hope it's the last time, a new ground manager (who, when I asked him if regular registered comps were on the way back to MCSC replied that their primary business was "selling clays"!) and a new year. Lets hope they can get the basics right, good customer service, interesting, challenging but most importantly reliable targets and the icing on the cake, registered comps at relatively frequent intervals that run smoothly and make people want to come back. Is it too much to hope for? Plenty of other grounds manage it and some of them haven't got MCSC advantages (great clubhouse, good catering, varied landscape and huge catchment area just off a major motorway network) So GO EARLY and you stand a chance of shooting pairs on all the stands. Potter Edited for spelling Edited December 31, 2011 by Mr Potter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reggiegun Posted December 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 No and a word of warning if you do go, get there early, not because of the crowds but a mate and I went on Boxing Day and were somewhat disappointed. I'll confess I've not been Worsley's (Manchester Clay Shooting Club) biggest fan, I usually only shoot competitions and the comps over the last few years have been, well let's say, disappointing (the one with good reports was the one I skipped ). Anyhoo, as I said we turned up on Boxing Day with high hopes, new ground manager just taken over and although he hasn't been there for very long (days/weeks?) we thought we would see if there was any improvement. Didn't start off well when booking on, walked into the cabin and stood at the counter in front of the "take your money" lady. Now she seemed very engrossed in doing something on the desk and it must have been desperately important as she studiously ignored me and the £30+ I wanted to give her for a full minute. Just as I was about to start whistling or drumming my fingers on the counter she finished her task of national importance, looked up we finally got served. Definitely needs to attend "Customer Services 101" So we got out onto the ground and ?? guess what, I recognised all the targets from over the years I've been going there, nothing new at all. They weren't bad or poor targets in the main but so far nothing new or different. It's really no wonder that the Worsley regulars can put good scores in when the targets change so little but hey who am I to knock it, the place certainly has a big thriving club membership. No the big disappointment came as we worked our way round the stands, I think there were 14 or maybe 15 stands open on the sporting course and all went well for the first 6 or 7 stands but at about the half way point a strange thing happened, after that one trap on every remaining stand was empty. Just one trap, on one or two stands we could see the empty trap but on others we squandered more than our "no bird allowance" to deduce the trap was empty. It's also very unsatisfactory to just shoot singles on a stand, you certainly don't feel you are getting value for money As I may have said earlier, we were there about one o'clock if I remember correctly and the car park was still very full but by the time we finished there were only one or two others still shooting. We only saw any of the ground staff once whilst we were out on the ground and that was just before the half way point before our troubles had started. So that's my recent experience of MCSC and yet again I'm whinging about it and I hope it's the last time, a new ground manager (who, when I asked him if regular registered comps were on the way back to MCSC replied that their primary business was "selling clays"!) and a new year. Lets hope they can get the basics right, good customer service, interesting, challenging but most importantly reliable targets and the icing on the cake, registered comps at relatively frequent intervals that run smoothly and make people want to come back. Is it too much to hope for? Plenty of other grounds manage it and some of them haven't got MCSC advantages (great clubhouse, good catering, varied landscape and huge catchment area just off a major motorway network) So GO EARLY and you stand a chance of shooting pairs on all the stands. Potter Edited for spelling Oh right, Is there anywhere else then in the manchester/cheshire area for the 2nd. Reggiegun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted December 31, 2011 Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 Mr Potter - I too have been a critic, but gave them some recent praise. About 20 of us went on the day after Boxing Day. A fair number had never shot before, so we started off on the practice stands. One group of 7 had just got to the stand - first shooter had gone - they were approached by a man who instructed them to take their card out of the machine and make way for him - he was an instructor and he had two pupils with him. I grant you there is a sign up saying you have to give priority to instructors, but when we parted with good money - no-one mentioned this. It went down like a lead balloon. There were other stands which were empty, but they had to give way. A number of people who were being introduced to the sport were left less than happy. It was embarrassing. I share you view about the disinterest on signing in. Two of the stands were identical. Low incoming clay from left to right followed by going away quartering bird - left to right. Other than that, we had fewer no birds than normal - well done. All in all - I will never, ever set foot in the place again. I just don't need the hassle. There are better and cheaper places to shoot, who might be a little more welcoming. It wouldn't be hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chard Posted December 31, 2011 Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 I've been there when one of their coaches with a novice has hogged one of the main stands out on the course, when there were shooters waiting to shoot the stand on the members competition. ******* ridiculous. I think members are second class citizens now, hence I'm not one. Good luck to them "selling clays", but they won't be selling many to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southrop Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 I can't put my finger on why but when I've visited the ground the overall ambience and atmosphere has been poor and unwelcoming. The checking in process is a bit like a supermarket check out, ie give us your money and push off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning 425 clay hunter Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 The most annoying thing about worsley is the members in the comp, everytime I've been there's always large groups who stand so close to me and friends when shooting That we can't even turn around without being face to face with these ignorant unmannered oaf's. On boxing day it was shocking the lack of respect some people showed. One guy was sat on the side of the fence at the stand I was shooting less than a foot from me. Needless to say he got a couple of spent carts aimed at him over my shoulder and he had the cheek to complain, my response was 'if you weren't so damn close and gave us some room they wouldn't hit you would they'. I don't mind people watching but for ***** sake stand back at a respectable distance. Rant over Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salopian Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 Why is it that Worsley Grange is so badly run.Lack of interest or lack of management? I am amazed it is still open with all the bad comments and press it receives. It sounds to me as though they have yet another new mis-Manager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beretta Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 i iknow the new manager and he will do a great job in time. you can not expect it to turn round over night. with you all the way Mr P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Potter Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 Why is it that Worsley Grange is so badly run.Lack of interest or lack of management? I am amazed it is still open with all the bad comments and press it receives. It sounds to me as though they have yet another new mis-Manager I think it's the a tale of two businesses Salopian. Well actually it's three businesses; Firstly the corporate/stag do/clay shooting experience business. MCSC appear to be very very good at that, in fact I recommended them on a thread about a month or so ago. People who have never shot before go away from Worsley grinning from ear to ear and have a very positive experience. I would imagine that this is the most important part of the business financially, it's why they have invested in the clubhouse and the other facilities. I can't think of any clay ground in the country that has got great facilities that is not underpinned by the corporate market (Catton Hall, Coniston,WMSG et al). If MCSC were doing too much wrong these members would be voting with their feet unless they are dissatisfied but don't know were to move on to. Secondly the MCSC club shooters. Never been a member myself but a lot of the Manc Mafia either are or have been members. Like the corporate business this appears to be very successful, it appeals to the social shooter who in the main are happy at the same ground, shooting with the same group of friends week in & week out, members competition once a month if they want it, discount on clays & cartridges and probably some other perks I don't know about. This club is the natural progression from that few % of corporate clients who get hooked and want to take up the sport. The third business is the competitive clay shooter who wants registered competitions and somewhere relatively local for an occasional round of practice. It appears they have got the first one absolutely spot on and, as far as I can see, they are doing OK with the second the club shooter. There will always be turnover with the club shooter. Newbies will either want to spread their wings (some even end up buying their own shooting ground) or will find they don't take to it and drift away but both these types will be replaced by new blood. It's the third group who aren't being catered for (reasons in earlier posts) but we are the ones that put least into the coffers. I will never write the place off (perhaps I'm too much of an optimist?) and I think it is a sector of the market that they can & should make money at but not at the expense of the first two. Potter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beretta Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 why not just go to another ground if you dont like worsley. must be some near wigan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilR Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 I think you've hit the nail on the head Mr P. Disregarding the corporate entertainment section you've got the club 'social' members who shoot with probably no great aspirations of doing anything else but having a good day out with their mates and that means breaking clays, they don't want to go away disillusioned by not being able to hit the technically interesting targets that more experienced or 'competition' shooters crave. The social shooters are unlikely to have lessons so they can better themselves, they'll just find somewhere else to spend their cash. I think that's the crux of the matter by satisfying the minority of 'competition' shooters who turn up possibly infrequently they're disenfranchising their 'social' members who probably put more cash in the till. Perhaps if there are enough shooting stands and traps there could be a mix of both types of targets with the stands marked 'A' for a simpler target set up, and 'B' for more difficult ones at least then you'd get some idea of which stands you'd want to shoot. There's no justification for having traps empty of clays though, the same thing happened at Sporting Targets last week and I think that's becoming too common there as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 A number of posts have been removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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