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Interview with Marcus Davis - One of the Most Successful Brits of All Time !!

Robbo

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Last week I met up with Marcus Davis; for most of you guys, you won't readily recognise his name but he is without doubt one of the UK's, if not Europe's finest ever players, and most successful team captains of all time.
Marcus was captain and the inspiration behind the Predators, a team who went on to dominate the UK, Europe and contested for the very top spots in World paintball in the mid to late nineties.

Marcus came from South London like myself, he was an amateur boxer like myself and Paintball became his life, like myself.
He was my nemesis, and I was his ... we were the worst of enemies at a time when paintball was extremely volatile ... but we never lost respect for each other ... It was inevitable we would clash and we clashed ohhh soo many times, on the field and off; someone once remarked that the struggle between myself and Marcus for dominance dragged UK Paintball up behind it ... I don't know whether this is true or not but I do know I wouldn't have been the same person or indeed been as successful without him and he has admitted the same to me ...

It was ironic though, if at any time he had gotten into trouble, he knew he could have relied upon me, as I him; it was a perculiar relationship but it had its roots deeply embedded in our competitive natures and mutual respect ... it led to some pretty dramatic events in our lives I can tell you.

When Marcus took his Preds to the States, he had those guys running for their lives.
And here I am talking about the top Yank teams at the time, the likes of Aftershock, Ironmen and the All Americans [Philly Americans] ... in their time, the Preds bashed them all up ... one by one he took their scalps and if it wasn't for some inter-team chicanery, the Preds would have been crowned world Champions on at least one occasion for sure and another not far behind.

When Marcus returned home from the US after those ill-fated attempts for the World Cup, he told me how he had been cheated out of first place because two of the teams colluded in fixing a result to ensure an American victory ... I have to say, I disbelieved him at the time, more I suppose because I didn't want to believe him but even so, it was a tough story to invest in.

A year or so later, I went over to play for the All Americans and Aftershock and spent five years playing as a pro on those two teams and it was there that I found out the truth of what went on.

One of the captains involved in the collusion that robbed Marcus and the Preds of their deserved victory admitted to me it had happened .... I am gonna ask Marcus about everything that went down in those times and trust me, it's gonna be an eye-opener for sure.
He's popping round my house hopefully this week and I'll do a vid of the interview for anybody who's interested to go see .....

At the very least, it'll give everybody a new perspective on what Brit success really is because Marcus and the Preds really did take it to the Yanks .. he not only took it but he rammed it up their ass .... I'll post the interview vid as soon as I can so watch out for it some time next week.
If any of you have any questions for Marcus, then please post them in this thread.
 

Spike

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Nov 11, 2001
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Pete - Nice to see he's still around. Give him my regards and tell him its been too long.

Didn't the Preds win Pittsburgh one year - they were the first european team to win a major US event. 1991 was a year that I found via google but I can't remember for sure which event.

So my questions to Marcus are....

1. Assuming Mucus has kept a casual glance over the scene over and above playing one of the last real Campaign events (prior to inclusion in the MS)... What does he think is the major difference in todays game / industry that is affecting the playing numbers.

2. Ever thought of picking up the gat again?

3. and do you still say bollox a lot - LOL
 
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Robbo

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Pete - Nice to see he's still around. Give him my regards and tell him its been too long.

Didn't the Preds win Pittsburgh one year - they were the first european team to win a major US event. 1991 was a year that I found via google but I can't remember for sure which event.

So my questions to Marcus are....

1. Assuming Mucus has kept a casual glance over the scene over and above playing one of the last real Campaign events (prior to inclusion in the MS)... What does he think is the major difference in todays game / industry that is affecting the playing numbers.

2. Ever thought of picking up the gat again?

3. and do you still say bollox a lot - LOL
The Preds never won Pittsburgh Spike, I don't think they even played it mate but Ledzy's team at the time, the Banzai Bandits most certainly played Pittsburgh.
I know this because I was reffing that event at the time because the host team [The All Americans] used to ref their home events for points.
The Banzais did pretty well but didn't qualify for the final unfortunately but they did play some balls to the wall paintball I remember.

I also doubt you found anything on Google in 1991 Spike, Google wasn't created until September 1998; In fact, I don't think you would have found anything on paintball in 1991 on the internet and the NPPL wasn't even played then mate.
I think the 1991 date should be 1995 possibly?
 

Bolter

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Aug 19, 2003
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Pete - Nice to see he's still around. Give him my regards and tell him its been too long.

Didn't the Preds win Pittsburgh one year - they were the first european team to win a major US event. 1991 was a year that I found via google but I can't remember for sure which event.

So my questions to Marcus are....

1. Assuming Mucus has kept a casual glance over the scene over and above playing one of the last real Campaign events (prior to inclusion in the MS)... What does he think is the major difference in todays game / industry that is affecting the playing numbers.

2. Ever thought of picking up the gat again?

3. and do you still say bollox a lot - LOL
He reformed a team a few years ago by taking some players and pretty much jumped in at the deep end played a full year at the PA.

Although he pretty much sucked that time around, he still had an air of brilliance about him.

Dude has got big though! About as wide as he is high! :D
 

Spike

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The Preds never won Pittsburgh Spike, I don't think they even played it mate but Ledzy's team at the time, the Banzai Bandits most certainly played Pittsburgh.
I know this because I was reffing that event at the time because the host team [The All Americans] used to ref their home events for points.
The Banzais did pretty well but didn't qualify for the final unfortunately but they did play some balls to the wall paintball I remember.

I also doubt you found anything on Google in 1991 Spike, Google wasn't created until September 1998; In fact, I don't think you would have found anything on paintball in 1991 on the internet and the NPPL wasn't even played then mate.
I think the 1991 date should be 1995 possibly?

It was by googling i found that date :rolleyes: however I was 500 odd miles out, it was Nashville not Pitsburgh. It was also the 5man. I should have known to search the true oracle of paintball...

item 33 -

http://www.p8ntballer-forums.com/vb/showthread.php?114721-Eighty-Moments-That-Shaped-Paintball :)
 

Missy-Q

300lb of Chocolate Love
Jul 31, 2007
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I remember him taking a crap in Dave Spittles loader once, in Toulouse (the very first toulouse). Dave only found out once he was kitted out and just loading his paint up. I remember thinking that was one of the most disgusting things I'd ever seen. The hopper was thrown on the floor, where some french player-peasants fought over it.
I still wonder whether they were after the loader or what was in it...
 

Robbo

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Marcus once crapped and wiped it on the inside of the door handle to Bob Long's people carrier when at an event.
Marcus was pi$sed off at the Ironmen for some reason and exacted his revenge in his own inimitable way .... Bob was not amused when he went to open the door and looked down at his fingers .......Ewwwww ... :eek: .... he wisely elected not to confront Marcus over the matter.
Awwww, such sweet memories ... :)
 

timmyh007

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Aug 25, 2008
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Pete, I'd like to know a bit more about Marcus and the Preds.
How did he get involved in Paintball, how was his team put together and why does he think they were so successful?
Why did they disband and does MD play any paintball at all these days? Does he still follow the scene or has he washed his hands with the whole thing?