Dirty Dog Airsoft, Shildon, North East UK. My home site since it first opened its doors, and I played there for many years beforehand as well so I’ve seen the evolution. I thought it was about time I showcased it, why I love it, and why it’s worth a visit.

The site has seen a lot of changes since Day 1, previously it was under different ownership and largely consisted of some very old, run down portacabins in a field, and before then simply pallets. It was still a good site, but had the potential to be so much more. As Dirty Dog, there has been huge investment back into the site which has then seen the average number of weekly players grow from 30-40 to over 200 even outside those popular summer months. It has become the hub of Airsoft in this part of the country; the big one, the main event. It now attracts players from across the UK, from Southampton to Aberdeen who are keen to travel for the opportunity to play a skirmish day.

Upon arriving at the site (do follow your sat nav, it is tucked away inside a residential area but keep driving…), the entrance appears and you’re greeted by a well-maintained car park, which is big for a reason, and the safe zone and site facilities.

Just above the cars in the dead centre of this photo, are the office and shop where you’ll need to sign in (green containers), but it is the trading centre of the site and a lot of the local airsoft community where players sell and swap their old gear and guns. Occasionally there are stall and shops that visit to set up in the vast open space. To the left, a large indoor mess area where you can get kit on in all weather and stay dry, and further left is a 115m long range with targets at 20, 40, and 60m where you can get your guns working (or realise they’re not). Snipers and DMR’s are checked and tagged before play on a morning. To the right of the office, is the Saloon which serves the obligatory Dirty Dog Hotdogs for lunch, as well as chocolate and drinks to keep you fuelled, and there are a good set of toilets.

Dirty Dog is a skirmish site like few others. It’s a very relaxed and fun sort of site, playing a variety of games across different terrains, which makes it accessible to everyone. Snipers, speedsofters and milsim players mix together and everyone gets something out of the day. It has a very universal appeal and delivers something for everyone. There’s a great social scene, so much so that some of the regulars have started converting containers into living spaces on site. It’s probably the only one I’d go to and still be happy just spending a day around the safe zone talking to people and sorting or testing my kit, and I do use it a lot for that purpose. With the numbers it gets, there’s a vast body of airsoft knowledge here if you have a problem, or just want to check out other people’s kit.

I’ve seen as well a lot of the players, who started when the site was small, grow themselves and Dirty Dog now commands quite a social media presence, as well as bringing bigger names from further afield. I think a big credit goes to the many site photographers who capture the action and the players all day long, giving us excellent in-game shots. I’ve been to some sites that maybe publish ten or twenty “good” photos a few days after a skirmish day and you have to pray you posed at the right time; some have professional photographers who unfortunately have paid targets or projects in mind before the day starts anyway. Dirty Dog throws up 500-1000 photos each week for you and your friends to sift through, and usually on the same day, which means we can all update our profiles with the day’s action. The marshals are all current or ex-players from some of the bigger teams on site and know how to run a game, and they’re mixed up each week so there are no biases.

The focal point, as mentioned earlier, is “The Village”. A mass of shipping containers laid out carefully inside what looks like a running track by staff who actually play airsoft, to create an awesome and imposing outdoor CQB area, which is miles better than these indoor plywood and pallet dumps that are so small you can shoot across the whole room. It’s a vicious experience playing 100-a-side at high speed, where the objectives are often explosives taped both inside and outside containers where an attacking team has to locate a detonator and set it off. Or frantic flag grabs in a hail of bb’s from all angles. It certainly keeps you sharp and it’s here that I blow off cobwebs ahead of big events and tournaments. However, there’s much more to the site than just the CQB area.

At the top of this picture is a wooded area, which is a deceptively steep hill criss-crossed with tracks and a few scattered bases to fight over, sided by bushes, shrubs and small trees. To the right, is an open field area with a dirt bike track through it which requires totally different tactics again. There are trenches, treelines, ridges and vehicles if you want to change things up a bit for more woodland gameplay, and the site does alternate well between the different game areas.

In wint…well, in not-summer, the site is a whole different animal and develops many water features. It is dirty, it is wet, it does get muddy enough to pull your boots off, there are opportunities to swim or possibly launch landing craft, and it’s brilliant. Nobody likes going home clean anyway, and if you do, you’d be better off taking your social media guru and doing some indoor photoshoots with smoke grenades and waiting for summer again. Dirty Dog serves up a fantastic challenge for the tougher players who will brave a bit of rain and get stuck in, and the locals do with great enthusiasm. It’s always a laugh and there’s a reason it’s my local, and I’ve kept coming back for years. It keeps improving, keeps developing the site and continues to attract new players.

Further details, pricing and FPS limits are all up on their website at www.dirtydogairsoft.co.uk

And if you do decide to come for a visit, find me and come and say hi!