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Created page with "'''Lucky 15s''' (also known as '''The Lucky 15s''' and '''Lucky 15s Staffordshire''') is a British professional tournament paintball team based in Staffordshire, England. Founded in 2008 by Ainsley Baddeley, the team competes in the professional division of NXL Europe and the Elite Division of the Central Premier Paintball Series (CPPS).[1][2] The team originated from a group of recreational paintball players whose matching equipment was purchased using winn..."

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'''Lucky 15s''' (also known as '''The Lucky 15s''' and '''Lucky 15s Staffordshire''') is a British professional tournament paintball team based in Staffordshire, England. Founded in 2008 by [[Ainsley Baddeley]], the team competes in the professional division of [[NXL Europe]] and the Elite Division of the [[Central Premier Paintball Series]] (CPPS).[1][2]

The team originated from a group of recreational paintball players whose matching equipment was purchased using winnings from a horse-racing bet at Cheltenham. Its name, green team colours and horse emblem were inspired by the winning wager.[1]

Lucky 15s progressed through British and European divisional competition, earning promotion to the European professional level in 2018. After competing in Germany's [[Deutsche Paintball Liga]] (DPL), the team made its NXL Europe professional debut in 2022.[3][4]

The organisation also operates a development team, '''Lucky 15s Mustangs''', which provides a pathway for younger and developing players.[2]

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Lucky 15s
|-
! Full name
| The Lucky 15s
|-
! Alternative name
| Lucky 15s Staffordshire
|-
! Founded
| 2008
|-
! Founder
| [[Ainsley Baddeley]]
|-
! Country
| United Kingdom
|-
! Location
| Staffordshire, England
|-
! Sport
| [[Paintball]]
|-
! Discipline
| Tournament paintball
|-
! Competitive level
| Professional
|-
! Home field
| [[Central Premier Paintball Series|CPPS Paintball Park]]
|-
! Principal leagues
| [[NXL Europe]]; [[Central Premier Paintball Series]]
|-
! Historical leagues
| [[Millennium Series]]; [[Deutsche Paintball Liga]]
|-
! Team colours
| Green
|-
! Emblem
| Horse
|-
! Development team
| Lucky 15s Mustangs
|-
! Owner
| Ainsley Baddeley
|-
! Website
| [https://www.thelucky15s.co.uk/ thelucky15s.co.uk]
|}

== History ==

=== Formation in 2008 ===

Lucky 15s was founded in 2008 by British paintball player [[Ainsley Baddeley]].[1]

The team originated from a group of friends who regularly played recreational woodland paintball.

According to the team's official history, Baddeley placed a £6 Lucky 15 accumulator bet at the Cheltenham horse races, selecting four horses across four races.

All four selections won, producing winnings of approximately £3,500.

Baddeley used the money to purchase matching paintball equipment for the group.

The team adopted the name '''Lucky 15s''' in reference to the winning bet.

Its horse emblem and green colours were also inspired by the wager, with the green representing the colours of the final winning horse.[1]

In a 2019 interview, Baddeley recalled the winnings as approximately €4,000 from a €7 bet and identified Planet Eclipse Ego 5 markers among the equipment purchased.[3]

The differing figures reflect retrospective accounts of the same event rather than evidence of separate wagers.

=== Early tournament competition ===

Following its formation, Lucky 15s began competing in British tournament paintball events.

The team subsequently entered European competition through the [[Millennium Series]].

Its early years were characterised by gradual development and limited sponsorship.

In August 2011, [[Planet Eclipse]] published an article describing Lucky 15s as a developing British team led by Ainsley Baddeley.

The article praised the team's commitment and progression through the competitive divisions despite having relatively little financial support.[5]

The team continued developing its playing standard through regular practice and tournament participation.

=== 2010 A-Ball European Championship ===

In July 2010, players from Lucky 15s participated in the European A-Ball Championship at National Paintball Fields in Birmingham.

The team competed under the name '''Uber 15s''', combining Lucky 15s players with German players Ulf Mueller and Joern Windler.

The combined team won the championship.[6]

Documented Lucky 15s participants included Ainsley Baddeley, Dan Campbell and Luke Paxton.

The competition was played using the A-Ball format on an artificial-turf field.

The result is an early documented tournament achievement involving members of the Lucky 15s organisation, although the championship was won under the combined Uber 15s name rather than by the regular Lucky 15s tournament squad.

=== Development through the Millennium Series ===

Lucky 15s progressed through the European divisional structure during the 2010s.

The team's official history records victories in Division 2, Division 1 and semi-professional competition.[1]

These achievements contributed to its progression toward the highest level of European tournament paintball.

The organisation's development coincided with the growth of the CPPS league in the United Kingdom.

Baddeley and fellow player '''Dylan Owen''' purchased the existing CPPS tournament series around 2012 and invested in the development of its Staffordshire venue.[3]

Following the acquisition, both men stopped playing competitively.

Baddeley continued to own and manage Lucky 15s while concentrating on coaching, player development and tournament administration.

=== Domestic development ===

During the 2010s, Lucky 15s became an established competitor in the CPPS Elite Division.

In his 2019 interview, Baddeley recalled that the team initially struggled against leading British teams such as London Nexus, London Tigers and Birmingham Disruption.

He described a period of approximately four years during which Lucky 15s developed into a leading Elite Division team.[3]

The team's success was supported by a structured training programme and the recruitment of younger players.

By 2019, Baddeley reported that the first and second Lucky 15s squads occupied the top two positions in the CPPS Elite Division.

=== Promotion to professional competition ===

Lucky 15s earned promotion from the semi-professional division of NXL Europe following the 2018 season.[3]

However, the team did not immediately take up its professional place.

According to Baddeley, changes in the team's sponsorship arrangements and the cost of competing in NXL Europe influenced the decision.

The organisation instead accepted an opportunity to compete in Germany's [[Deutsche Paintball Liga]].

Baddeley described the German competition as an opportunity to gain experience against high-level teams while reducing travel and tournament costs.

The arrangement also allowed the organisation to integrate developing players from its second squad into higher-level competition.

=== Deutsche Paintball Liga, 2019 ===

Lucky 15s competed in Germany's DPL Bundesliga during the 2019 season.

In his August 2019 interview, Baddeley reported that the team had completed three events in the German championship.

One of its notable results was a 4–2 victory over Belgian professional team [[Breakout Spa]].[3]

The team viewed the German league as a developmental step toward professional European competition.

The decision also reflected the financial challenges faced by self-funded tournament teams.

=== NXL Europe professional debut ===

Lucky 15s subsequently qualified for a professional position in NXL Europe.

The team's own announcement dated 11 February 2022 confirmed that it had accepted an invitation to compete in the professional division for the 2022 season.[7]

The announcement explained that the team's professional entry had been delayed after its earlier qualification, partly because of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lucky 15s made its NXL Europe professional debut at the 2022 German event.[8]

The team subsequently competed at the British Invitational and European Championships.

Its first professional season included two podium finishes, according to the team's official website.[2]

=== NXL World Cup ===

Lucky 15s extended its international competition programme to the United States.

The team's official website records that it received an invitation to compete in the professional division of the NXL World Cup in Orlando in 2022.[2]

The team also participated in the 2023 World Cup.

An official National Xball League report of the 2023 event identified Lucky 15s as a leading British team.

The team finished its preliminary group with a 3–1 record, defeating Diesel, Uprising and LVL.[9]

The result placed Lucky 15s at the top of its preliminary group and demonstrated its ability to compete against established American professional teams.

=== Continued European competition ===

Lucky 15s continued competing in the professional division of NXL Europe during the 2020s.

Its PBLeagues tournament record documents participation in European and American professional events, including the NXL World Cup and European Championships.[10]

At the 2025 NXL European Championships in Dreux, France, Lucky 15s Staffordshire finished third in the professional division.[11]

The team remained active in 2026, participating in the Czech Cup and British Invitational.

Its registered tournament history provides a continuing record of professional competition.[10]

== Lucky 15s Mustangs ==

=== Development team ===

Lucky 15s operates a development squad known as '''Lucky 15s Mustangs'''.

The Mustangs provide a pathway for younger and less experienced players to develop toward the organisation's professional team.[2]

The programme reflects a development philosophy established during the team's progression through British tournament competition.

Baddeley explained in 2019 that the organisation created a second squad because successful teams needed a continuing supply of developing players.

Rather than operating the second team solely to fund the first squad, the organisation allocated resources to both groups and trained them together.[3]

This structure was intended to allow players to progress while maintaining continuity within the organisation.

=== Domestic competition ===

The Mustangs compete in the CPPS domestic championship.

The team's official website records that the Mustangs finished second in the British league during two consecutive seasons.[2]

The exact seasons associated with that statement are not specified in the available source.

The organisation continues to identify the Mustangs as its feeder team and maintains separate player information for the development squad.[12]

== Team identity ==

=== Name and colours ===

The Lucky 15s name originated from the horse-racing wager that funded the team's original equipment.

The horse emblem reflects the team's founding story.

Green became the team's principal colour because it was associated with the final winning horse in the original bet.[1]

The team is sometimes referred to as the '''Green Machine''' in its own promotional material.

=== Home venue ===

Lucky 15s is based in Staffordshire and trains at CPPS Paintball Park near Penkridge.

The venue is associated with the [[Central Premier Paintball Series]], which was acquired and developed by Ainsley Baddeley and Dylan Owen.

The team's connection to CPPS has provided access to permanent tournament facilities and regular competitive practice.

The Lucky 15s organisation and CPPS league are separate entities, despite their common ownership history.

== Organisation and management ==

=== Ownership ===

Ainsley Baddeley is the founder and owner of Lucky 15s.

He has overseen the organisation's development from a recreational group into a professional tournament team.

His responsibilities have included recruitment, coaching, sponsorship relationships and the development of the feeder squad.[3]

The team's published personnel directory identifies Baddeley as owner and Matt Carver as team manager.[12]

=== Player development ===

Lucky 15s has emphasised internal player development rather than relying exclusively on recruiting established professional players.

The organisation trains its first and second squads together and provides opportunities for developing players to gain experience at higher competitive levels.

This approach has been central to its long-term structure.

== Sponsorship ==

Lucky 15s has maintained sponsorship relationships with paintball equipment and apparel companies.

Its official history identifies long-standing relationships with:

* [[Planet Eclipse]]
* [[GI Sportz]]
* Jersey Clinic
* BeyondNRG

The team has also worked with other commercial partners, including GelBlaster.[1][13]

These relationships have provided equipment, apparel and other support for the team's competitive activities.

Sponsorship arrangements have also influenced the team's choice of tournaments.

In 2019, Baddeley explained that changes in the team's relationship with GI Sportz contributed to its decision to compete in the German DPL rather than immediately enter NXL Europe professional competition.[3]

Sponsorship relationships may vary between seasons.

== Selected competition results ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Competition
! Result
! Notes
|-
| 2010
| European A-Ball Championship
| 1st
| Won by combined Uber 15s team including Lucky 15s players
|-
| 2018
| European semi-professional competition
| Earned professional promotion
| Qualified for NXL Europe professional competition
|-
| 2019
| DPL Bundesliga
| Participated
| Included a documented 4–2 victory over Breakout Spa
|-
| 2022
| NXL Europe
| Professional debut
| First NXL Europe professional season
|-
| 2023
| NXL World Cup
| Preliminary group winner
| Finished preliminary group with a 3–1 record
|-
| 2025
| NXL European Championships
| 3rd
| Professional division
|}

The team's official history also records championship victories in European Division 2, Division 1 and semi-professional competition, although the exact seasons require further verification.[1]

== Historical significance ==

Lucky 15s is a notable example of a British tournament paintball team progressing from recreational origins to international professional competition.

Its development illustrates several aspects of modern European tournament paintball:

* Progression through domestic and international divisions
* The financial challenges of professional tournament participation
* Long-term sponsorship relationships
* The importance of structured player development
* The use of feeder teams to maintain competitive continuity
* Participation by British teams in European and American professional events

The organisation is particularly associated with Ainsley Baddeley's approach to developing players through a shared first-team and development-team structure.

Its progression into NXL Europe professional competition and participation in the NXL World Cup demonstrate the development of British tournament paintball within the wider international competitive scene.

== Timeline ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Event
|-
| 2008
| Lucky 15s founded by Ainsley Baddeley using winnings from a Cheltenham horse-racing bet
|-
| 2010
| Lucky 15s players participate in the winning Uber 15s team at the European A-Ball Championship
|-
| 2011
| Planet Eclipse publishes a contemporary profile of the developing team
|-
| c. 2012
| Ainsley Baddeley and Dylan Owen acquire the CPPS tournament series
|-
| 2010s
| Lucky 15s progresses through European divisional competition
|-
| 2018
| Team earns promotion to European professional competition
|-
| 2019
| Competes in the German DPL Bundesliga
|-
| 2022
| Accepts NXL Europe professional invitation and makes its professional debut
|-
| 2022
| Invited to compete at the NXL World Cup in Orlando
|-
| 2023
| Wins its preliminary group at the NXL World Cup with a 3–1 record
|-
| 2025
| Finishes third at the NXL European Championships
|-
| 2026
| Continues competing in NXL Europe professional competition
|}

== See also ==

* [[Ainsley Baddeley]]
* [[Central Premier Paintball Series]]
* [[Lucky 15s Mustangs]]
* [[NXL Europe]]
* [[National Xball League]]
* [[Millennium Series]]
* [[Deutsche Paintball Liga]]
* [[Paintball in the United Kingdom]]
* [[Paintball in Europe]]

== References ==

# [https://www.thelucky15s.co.uk/about "About the Team"], The Lucky 15s. Official team history documenting its 2008 founding, Cheltenham horse-racing bet, development through European divisions and long-standing sponsors.
# [https://www.thelucky15s.co.uk/ "The Lucky 15s"], official team website. Documents the team's Staffordshire base, NXL Europe professional competition, 2022 World Cup invitation, domestic championships and Mustangs development squad.
# [https://www.paintball.shop/blog/Interview-with-Ainsley-Behind-the-Scenes-4/b-287/ "Interview with Ainsley — Behind the Scenes #4"], Paintball.shop, 20 August 2019. First-person interview with Ainsley Baddeley covering the team's founding, early development, CPPS ownership, feeder-team structure, European promotion and 2019 DPL participation.
# [https://www.thelucky15s.co.uk/blog "Lucky 15s News"], The Lucky 15s. Official news archive documenting the team's 2022 professional debut and European tournament participation.
# [https://eclipsehq.blogspot.com/2011/08/lucky-15s.html "Lucky 15's"], Planet Eclipse HQ Blog, 1 August 2011. Contemporary profile of the developing team and its leadership under Ainsley Baddeley.
# [https://eclipsehq.blogspot.com/2010/07/ "A Ball Euro Champions 2010"], Planet Eclipse HQ Blog, 30 July 2010. Contemporary report documenting the Uber 15s victory at the European A-Ball Championship and identifying participating Lucky 15s players.
# [https://www.thelucky15s.co.uk/blog "15s Accept NXL Europe Pro Invitation for 2022"], The Lucky 15s, 11 February 2022. Official team announcement confirming acceptance of a professional invitation.
# [https://www.thelucky15s.co.uk/blog "A Strong Debut in Pro at NXLE Germany"], The Lucky 15s, 30 May 2022. Official team report of its first NXL Europe professional event.
# [https://www.nxlpaintball.com/post/nxl-world-cup-recap-dynasty-wins-historic-fourth-straight-pbfit-perfect-pro-paintball "NXL World Cup Recap"], National Xball League, 2023. Official tournament report documenting Lucky 15s winning its preliminary group with a 3–1 record.
# [https://pbleagues.com/team/VZzFRwZP4g5vhqwF "Lucky 15s Staffordshire"], PBLeagues. Official tournament registration and historical results database documenting the team's participation in NXL Europe and American professional events.
# [https://pbleagues.com/scores/L403/E9002/scores/s255_c8.html "2025 NXL European Championships — Pro X-Ball"], PBLeagues, 2025. Official tournament results documenting Lucky 15s Staffordshire's third-place finish.
# [https://www.thelucky15s.co.uk/athletes "Players"], The Lucky 15s. Official personnel directory identifying the professional squad, coaching and management staff, and Lucky 15s Mustangs.
# [https://www.thelucky15s.co.uk/blog "Lucky 15s News Archive"], The Lucky 15s. Official team announcements documenting commercial partnerships and sponsorship developments.

== External links ==

* [https://www.thelucky15s.co.uk/ Lucky 15s — Official Website]
* [https://www.thelucky15s.co.uk/about Lucky 15s — Team History]
* [https://www.thelucky15s.co.uk/athletes Lucky 15s — Players and Staff]
* [https://pbleagues.com/team/VZzFRwZP4g5vhqwF Lucky 15s Staffordshire — PBLeagues]
* [https://www.paintball.shop/blog/Interview-with-Ainsley-Behind-the-Scenes-4/b-287/ Ainsley Baddeley — 2019 Interview]

[[Category:Paintball teams]]
[[Category:British paintball teams]]
[[Category:Professional paintball teams]]
[[Category:Paintball in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Paintball in Europe]]
[[Category:Sports clubs established in 2008]]
[[Category:2008 establishments in England]]

Lucky 15s - Revision history