====== The Rise and Fall of FtF Diplomacy in the UK ======
**by Stephen Agar** //article published initially in god save the zine 17 (june 2O24)//

In general terms, the hey-day of UK FtF Diplomacy was from the mid-80s to the mid- 90s. 
Occasional peaks of interest occurred when a UK Con was hosting a EDC or a WDC, 
but by and large the FtF Tournaments declined sharply after 2000. 
Nick Kinzett’s article reprinted below in this issue is a pretty good analysis of why the decline happened. 
There were also regional trophies from time to time (London Trophy, OxCon, Tour of Great Britaietc.), 
but the mainstay of Diplomacy FtF Tournaments was MidCon, MasterCon and ManorCon., plus an honorable mention of WDC
2017 in Oxford (probably the last sizeableDiplomacy tournament in the UK with 84 players).
FtF Diplomacy PLayers

[Odd peaks in the graph are sometimes explained by WDCs (held at ManorCon in 1988,1994 and 2004 and EDCs (held at MasterCon in 1995, 1998, 2006; ManorCon in 2015 and MidCon in 2011).]

===== MidCon and the NDC =====

As far as | can tell, the first UK National Diplomacy Championship that actually called itself that was held at MidCon IIl in 1981 and was won by David Long (out of a field of 63 players
The spike in the number of players in 1993 is because the number includes those who played in regional qualifiers for the NDC, even if they did not attend the finals at MidCon. This was a result of the efforts of John Dodds, a hobby oldtimer,
sadly no longer with us. At the prompting of Neil Kendrick, who had pushed the ideas of a NDC with regional qualifiers in his zine, John
Dodds (the Tournament Director) threw himself into the idea with enthusiasm.
The idea that year was that the NDC would consist of a qualifying stage and a final over two
days at MidCon. To take part in the final you would have to prequalify by either (
  * a) being a previous NDC Champion, 
  * (b) having come in the first 7 at the previous years NDC, 
  * (c) have prequalified at a regional heat (John envisaged 3/4 players per board qualifying), 
  * (d) be among the best 21 players at Manorcon who would also be pre-qualified or 
  * (e) qualify at a latecomers round to be held on the Friday evening of MidCon.

Regional tournaments would be a single round, either at a con or housecon in the nine months leading up to MidCon, the game terminating in 1911. You could play in more than one regional tournament. 
If you don't pre-qualify for the NDC then you can still play at MidCon, 
but if you win you will only collect the MidCon Trophy, not the NDC itself. 
Regional qualifiers were announced for Exeter, Oxford, Burton on Trent, Brighton, Birmingham and Nottingham (all held within other games cons) and other housecons were also added soon thereafter.
| believe the most recent “NDC Champion” was Richard Williams who won the title at MidCon 2005 (though with only 10 players competing).

After that, it was considered that there were not enough players to make the tournament worthy of the name.
Odd small Diplomacy Tournaments have continued to be played occasionally at MidCon since (I think the most recent was 2019, won byGraham Dent), but without being described as
the UK NDC. | suppose you can make an argument for EuroDipCon XIX which was held at
MidCon 2011 as being at least worthy of an NDC as it had 33 players. And | know that Bradley Grace considers SpireCon 2022 to have been a NDC as he won it. ©
In my book the “official” National Diplomacy Championship lasted from 1981 until 2005, some 24 years. Not a bad run.

===== ManorCon =====

The establishment of the NDC at MidCon IIl was followed in April 1982 by TouCon, an event organised by Peter Calcraft, and incorporating the Universities Diplomacy Tournament (a 42 player tournament), which was established as an annual event to complement the NDC. From 1983 this tournament became part of ManorCon, giving rise to both the ManorCon individual Diplomacy Championship and a Team Championship.
As you will see below, ManorCon routinely had more players than MidCon, mainly due to the fact that at ManorCon you could be part of the tournament even if you only played in a single round - and the addition of a team competition
went furth to motivate e the one-round player. 
ManorCon was also usually a bigger con than MidCon and held in the summer - which always helps. 
The hardcore Diplomacy players played at both. From 1986-1994 every ManorCon had over a 100 players playing Diplomacy, for at least one round.

===== MasterCon =====

An honourable mention must be made for MasterCon, the brainchild of Shaun Derrick.
Founded in 1994 as a con with a Diplomacy focus, it peaked in 1998 when it hosted EDC for the second time (and was won by Toby Harris).