1996 was the year of the NPPS, Europe had been crying out for a 10-Man Series to rival the NPPL, and Tim Taylor, Doug Setters and Darren Hall - along with some of the industry's prime movers - answered the call. The first leg at Eurosplat was a good start, event two at Finmere attracted even more teams and the final round up at NTF was a fitting finale to a tremendous first season. With even more of the European Paintball industry getting involved this year, expectation was high: combine this with a return to the near-legendary Holmbush site, now run by X-Sports, and a major Continental presence, and the stage was set for an explosive start to the Euro calendar. Team wise, both Pro and Amateur brackets were wide open. In the Pros, last season's Champions, Shades, have undergone a major revamp, with several familiar faces leaving and new captain Tris introducing former Punisher Andy Piper and four Iron Wolves to the fold. British 10-Mans so far this year had been four horse races, with Shades vying for supremacy with NWC, Banzai Bandits and Shockwave. NWC had a full 14 man squad on show, including Ashley Wright, Banzai, keen to put their recent thrashing at Vegas behind them, were introducing Avalanche's Chris Lasoya to the joys of Britball and Boddingtons, while Shock had robbo and Phil Ham looking to impose themselves onthe event. The UK Predators hadn't played a 10-Man for nigh-on six months, and rumours about various players quitting have been buzzing about the circuit for ages. They may have picked up a new sponsor - Zap - but it was the same old Preds on show and out for blook. Add to this France's finest - Hellwood, Tonton and Wolverines - and the likes of Mayhem Tigers and Storm, and any one of 10 teams was in with a fair chance of glory. As for the Ams, last year's Champs True Colours were out of the picture, which left the way clear for half a dozen young sides to shine. From the UK, Topcats, Hillbillies, Wolf and Sharks were all out to prove a point and try to establish early season dominance, while European sides like OPM Ugly Ducklings, Allstars and Bladerunners were desparate to take a major title home with them.

Portugal's Old Stars made the trip over and had a thoroughly enjoyable day. They struggled in such a high class line up, but got a few good headcounts and played some attractive stuff. The experience gained at this event will stand them in good stead for the future, and hopefully next time they'll notch up a few Maxes and start causing some problems for the top Ams. Punishers was more of a mix and match team, with only a handful of their original squad on show. Considering it was a thrown together side they performed excellently, with one Max and several good headcounts to their credit. They only lost twice all weekend - no mean feat. Hopefully Neil and the boys can rebuild and return to Pro status over the next couple of seasons. Shades II started making waves last year with a great result at the Campaign Cup; they've continued to play well in the HCL and had high hopes of a semis spot or better at this event, but two Maxes wasn't enough in such a tight bracket. It was a similar story for the Chameleons; they played well, picked up two Maxes and were close to a third. they've got the quality to make a real impact on this Series if they play all three legs, and could well be looking at a top four place overall. What happened to Storm? They'd played the fields a couple of months earlier and had a pretty good day and have been performing well at 5-Man level. They were second seen in this division and looking at a semi spot at least. Sosta's boys beat Banzai in the first game, taking seven or eight ridiculously quick eliminations before Jack and Ledz nearly turned it around, Maxed their next two, but only managed 92 points from their last five games, finishing over 200 points off the pace and nearly 100 behind Iron Wolf. After a brilliant 1996 the boys were all set to turn Pro; they'd finally got industry support - courtesy of Global Leisure, MPM and Belsales - and were, for our money anyway, the best Amateur side in Europe. However, the olss of four players to Shades put their upgrade on hold, but unfortunately for everyone else, they're still a force to be reckoned with. They scored consistently well throughoutthe prelims, and lonly 16 penalties could stop them from finshing as top Ams... and honour which fell to Thomas and Stefan's OPM Allstars. This German team improve with every outing; controlled, aggressive, well organised, they communicate superbly and are strong contenders for the Amateur crown this year. Wolverines have been very quiet of late, and they fielded an old squad which hadn't played together for a while. However, individual ability saw them smash their way to five Maxes and a Transit - a worrying result for some of the other Pros. Topping the group by nearly 100 points, however, were the Banzai Bandits. They took to the fields like ducks to water, with Paley and Chris Lasoya making the most of every opportunity to bunker hop their way into the opposition's face. After the aforementioned headless start against Storm they powered their way to seven Maxes and a place in the last six.

RSA looked rather sexy in their new kit, but unfortunately didn't play up to their abilities. Their first six games yielded just 30 points, but they picked up a Max in round seven and finished on a respectable score. Technoballers Magpies, featuring site operators Wayne and Clive, seemed to be enjoying themselves, and took at least five players in every game. A couple of draws could easily have been wins, and if they sharpen their end game up these boys might be in for a good '97. Every team has bad tournaments, and this time round it was The Firm's turn. Jim Frensham's Pros started off with a Max, and then promptly fell apart. The quick moves forward and aggressive pushes for which they're known just weren't coming off, and they finished well out of the running. They're a quality side, though, and will come back stronger at the next leg. Hillbillies featured a couple of Evolution Xers and Chewy from Force...it was almost like a best of the South West team. They played it tight and hard, picking up a Max and doing The Firm after the Midlanders had all but won the game, but finished 40 points short of Dave Elliott's Sharks. After promising so much and delivering so little last year, the Forest boys decided to take things more seriously this season. Their game has tightened up considerably, and a draw with Hellwood and a comfortable Max over the Firm in their first two games started the ball rolling. They still nearly blew it against RSA, the whistle going with Billy yards outside their flag station after taking four players out, but made it through in the end. Hellwood marked their return to these shores with four Maxes and a Transit, and played with their customary flair and aggression, but the real stars of this group were the OPM Ugly Ducklings. This young Danish mob really turned up the heat with some classy, stylish play, and their five Maxes took them perilously close to Pro status. 37 more points and it could have been bye-bye Shades. A first round headcount victory over NWC gave them an early psychological advantage, and five Maxes saw the team with the most markers in Paintball (Shockers, Sovereigns, Evolutions, Automags and Minimags were all on show) into the semis. Unsurprisingly, the NWC machine steamrollered its way through the prelims. Mark Friend's team seem to be able to despatch their opponents at will, picking their moment and then swooping in for the kill. In full flow they're an awesome sight, and at this stage of proceedings another year of Euro dominance looked to be on the cards.

On paper, Blaze are a force to be reckoned with. Made up of ex-Top Heavy and Rebellion players, they've got the quality to become one of the UK's premier Amateur sides. Quite what went wrong is beyond us; on three separate occasions only one of the opposing team left the park, and they averaged just eight points a game. Urk! The rest of the Ams were really tight, with Topcats brace of Maxes and couple of draws still leaving them in 8th. The Cats are a quality outfit who, on any other day, could have found themselves in the semis. Cougars had a flying start, with two Maxes and a 27 from their first three games. They seem to be a team reborn these days, and were only 24 points off qualification. German faves Bladerunners went the opposite way, struggling in the first four games before racking up a 70, and 84 and a final round Max to haul themselves into the semis. Team Wolf distanced themselves from the Amateur pack and were playing some amazing stuff. Just a few weeks before they'd struggled at Holmbush, but Charlie's angels were inspired on the day - they even trounced Shockwave. We reckon it was divine intervention thanks to His Holiness John Bonich (who is now officially a Grandfather, by the way). Talking of Shockwave, they'd been having a good year so far, and several people tipped them to go all the way in this event. Unfortunately for them, it wasn't to be. The writingwas on the wall after their first game: they faced the Preds on Field One, and Mel went for the obligatory mound mug, which was essential to control the game. For some reason he ran inside the mound rather than down the tape and got lit up from the middle before removing Dave Spittle or Stevie B. Robbo was low on the tape and couldn't get his gun out, and as soon as Jem was taken he tried, and failed, to bug out. Game over, and only three Preds left the field. New boys to the Pro scene Tonton Flingeurs were playing some good stuff, and going into the last round they were only 20 points behind the Tigers. Unfortunately for the Tontons, their last game was against the Preds...nuff said. Turn up of the day was the form of the Mayhem Tigers. This lot really are a odd bunch: no-one disputes the talent within the team or the professional manner they conduct themselves in, but their results are schizophrenic to say the least. On a good day they can go through teams like a hot knife through butter, on a bad day it's a different story. This was a good day. They powered their way to five Maxes and an 87 and looked like the genuine article again, as did the UK Predators. No-one really knew what to expect from the Preds: how would they play, who'd be playing, even what paint they'd be shooting. The answers? Brilliantly, all the regulars and Zap. They were Maxed comprehensively by the Tigers, but apart from that it was seven 90s and the highest prelim score on the the board. some things, it seems, don't change...

Division A of the Amateur semis was an all-Zap bracket, and it would have been a close run thing if the Bladerunners hadn't incurred a whopping 80 penalty points across their two games. Iron Wold were definitely the whipping boys of this group; they were Maxed by the 'Runners and drew with the Ducklings, but still managed to finish 2nd to go into the 3rd and 4th place play-off. The Ducklings, who, along with Wolf, had been the cream of the Ams in the prelims, were comfortable finalists, and they appeared supremely confident about their chances. Amere 16 points separated Sharks, Wolf and Allstars, and it really was anyone's division. The Germans despatched the Sharks before losing to Wolf, and it looked like a two-horse race. All Wolf had to do was eliminate five Sharks and the final was theirs; for the Sharks, only a Max would do. Wolf played it tight and time ran down, but a brilliant bottom tape crawl combined with a steamroller push on the top saw the Sharks grab the flag and run it back. It was hung with eight seconds left on the clock... Division A in the Pros was all Banzai; they hung on both the Preds and the Shades, leaving a couple of players on the field in each game, although the Preds did remove nine of them from the field. The Predators took Shades apart to ease into the 3rd-4th place play-offs, while Web's boys finished well behind with 27 points to their name. In the other bracket Powergames two premier UK sides wound up all square on 51; Tigers spannered Wolverines to cruise into the final, and the NWC/Wolverine clash proved inconsequential, as penalties stopped either side advancing. As it was, NWC lined up for an Auld Firm showdown with the Preds to see who could take 3rd.

Into the last round, and neither 3rd or 4th play-off took place. The sides made various agreements between themselves, resulting in Iron Wolf and the Preds taking 3rd in the Ams and Pros repectively, and NWC and Wolf in 4th. In the Amateur finals, Sharks squared up to the Ducklings in an England Vs Denmark final. After a tight start the Ducklings got up on bodies and began grinding the Sharks down. The final push came and the whopping Danes left the field as convincing winners. Yet another Amateur title to the Continent, and the gap between the European and UK sides continues to grow. Sharks may have been missing three first team players, but they were still simply outclassed by the Ducklings. Time will tell whether they can field a full squad and gain revenge at Round Two. As for the Pros, Banzai and Tigers met on Field One, and the Tigers sent four players to control the all-important corner mound. It was a game of attrition which could have gone either way, but Banzai ended the game as victors by the narrowest of margins. Early season events aren't always an accurate way to predict form for the rest of the year, but Banzai have been looking strong so far. At this stage in the game, feeling is that honours will be shared between the Northerners and NWC, yet the Preds were playing so well at Holmbush it would seem foolish to write them off. And what of the Tigers? their announcement that they were no longer marshalling came as a shock, and it'sa real shame as they are among the best in the world. However, if they spend more time playing and training now we could see the team realise their potential and really mark their mark. It promises to be an interesting season...

So was it a good event? The simple answer is yes. The fields were absolutely fantastic: all offered unique challenges and a variety of terrain, with One and Four hosting some incredibly exciting games over the weekend. Wayne and Clive have done an awful lot of work, both to the fields and the safe area, and full credit must go to them. Holmbush has arguably the best fields in the UK, it's well situated and, now the facilities are up to spec, there's nothing to stop it becoming one of the UK's major tournament venues. If you haven't played there yet, check out X-Sports Summer 7-Man Series and see what you're missing. The running order and turn-around was predictably good, helped in no small way by Daystate's excellent bottle-filling service - which is a godsend. The sooner the boys are at every reasonably sized tournament in the UK the better. The atmosphere was also excellent, and this was in no small part down to the impressive trade presence. The stands gave players the opportunity to potter about, chat and mingle away from the confines of their team tables, and all the companies stands were professional and impressive. Onto the judging: the size of the fields meant that reffing was a bloody hard job, and the judges who'd bothered to turn up worked their asses off and deserve all the praise in the world. However, there simply weren't enough marshals per field. Tim Taylor informed us that a certain group of marshals pulled out on Friday night, leaving the organisers in the lurch and, more importantly, affecting the teams' enjoyment. So cheers to those people who pulled out and tried to stuff things up for everyone... you know who you are. That moan aside, it really was a superb event and a great way to start the season off. Congratulations to Doug, Tim, Darren, Powergames, X-Sports, the judging staff and all the sponsors and teams involved who helped to make it such a great event - see you at Round Two

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