LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
WHAT CROQUET IS NOT This is gonna be another of those rants you must frequently endure, so grab a brew, take a seat and enjoy... As Cotter insightfully indicated in the very first sentence of his seminal 1960 work "Tackle Croquet This Way"... "Croquet is not Golf Croquet". They are in fact two very different games played on the same court with similar equipment. Both games have their own merits, supporters and detractors. Despite all the advanced warning of Cotter not to mix the two games and his entreaty to rename GC so it could be more easily distinguished, we have gotten to a point where GC events are advertised simply as “Croquet” across all of our media streams (which they are not). In the latest newsletter I found myself drawn to a link to "Croquet Away". I travel regularly to compete in Europe and hope to play further away in the future (Ireland, Switzerland, Austria and Czechia in the last few years). I put in my search criteria, which does at least separate GC and AC, for one calendar year in advance and got zero returns. Out of interest I opened up the search to include GC and events started appearing. Turns out that all the competitive tournaments that are on the site are GC. This is not croquet but the 'other game'. Similarly I attended the Welsh CA AGM yesterday and had to ask for clarification when I was informed about the European Croquet Inter-Club Championship. Turns out it wasn't croquet at all, it was the 'other game'. Some people have accused me of being a detractor of 'the other game'. Not only is this not true, I have
incomprehensible stigma that croquet still retains. Thanks for reading, if you've got this far, and I do hope you enjoyed a decent brew and will ponder the contents of this rant. Rick Harding
occasion to indulge in it and find it very enjoyable. But it is not the game I know as croquet, I would offer a rationale but don't believe I could offer more than the bleeding obvious and what has been immortalised in print from at least 1960. Not only is the lack of distinction confusing but I have also noticed, in many clubs around the country, that GC is being used as an apology for the complexity and time- consuming nature of croquet and as something suitable as an introduction to the game. Doing either of these is highly detrimental to both games, as croquet is a game which should be applauded for its complexities and depth of gameplay and the commitment that that requires. At the same time, it is also hugely disrespectful to GC which, as we all know, is an excellent game in its own right, rather than an inferior feeder regime. GC is not a simpler, quicker version of croquet. Rather, it is a completely different game, played on the same court, that just happens to be simpler to learn and quicker to play than croquet is. If we are to promote a quicker version that is easier to learn then we should be focussing on 'short croquet' and 'one ball' which are everything that GC is being incorrectly marketed as. In the continued interests of both games I beseech the powers that be to recognise that GC is a game in its own right, not a form of croquet, and contemplate a shift to a more appropriate name and supporting structures to prevent the confusion and damage to both games from spreading any further. Many names have been suggested in the past. I would suggest 'Hoopzz' or something equally as snappy such as 'Hoop Attack'. The game of GC is very different to croquet and should be marketed to different segments and demographics. The current name holds it back as it marks GC with the same
RESPONSE TO WHAT CROQUET IS NOT
Croquet Away is a free and easy to use website to find croquet competitions, clubs and croquet holidays all over the world. Players can browse interactive world maps or use the Explore page to add date and region filters to find events happening in different parts of the world during specific dates. Each event has a direct contact form to put you in touch with the event organisers, so you can easily enter with one click. The site already has 70 listings from all over the world. Players can make an account on the site and save events they are interested in. Clubs and organisers of croquet events can list their competitions and club details on the site. Just make an organisers user account and then click "Add a Listing" and the easy to fill out form handles all the rest. Your event will then be visible to the approximately 50 daily users that visit the site from around the world. The site is a free to use resource for players and organisers and has been created to make it easier for players to find croquet events around the world and make it easier for organisers to advertise their events. Duncan Catterall, Croquet & Cocktails
www.croquetengland.org.uk | 10
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