Alan Towe - A Look Back In Time - 1st July 2005
In the final two fixtures of the Brookmeadow Individual League, Robbie Earl continued to do what he has done for the majority of the season, win.
In his first match Robbie took on Gareth Lomas and recorded scores of 2x140, 125, 121, 2x100 and also had a 15 darts leg in his 3-0 win. He followed that with yet another 3-0 success against Andy Smith, this time hitting a more modest 2x140, 130 and 112. With twenty wins in twenty two games Earl finished the campaign as champion on 97 points, Mark Showering, on 79 points was runner up.
One player who deserves a word of praise is Ben Wilkins, who in the penultimate fixture of the season chalked up his one and only win of the season. Playing against Dave Elkin Wilkins won 2-1 checking out on 103 in one of his two winning legs.
Robbie Earl was unable to make it a fantastic double as he lost out in the final of the league’s singles knockout to league runner up Mark Showering. Showering won the very close 3-2 final with top shots of 129,2x121,6x100 as opposed to Earl’s 180,2x140 and 4x100. It was then Showering’s turn to miss out on a double as he and his partner Paul Hogan lost 3-1 to John Whitehouse and Alan Smith in the final of the doubles.
The Small Heath League has been engaged in their Doubles Knockout, which attracted a tremendous 75% of the league’s players, a wonderful turnout. The eventual winners were Arthur Forde and John McCaffrey who represented the Innisfree (Red Devils). Beaten finalists were Darren Brown and Kevin Moloney from the Custard House, while the losing semi finalists were Paul Wilding and John Comer (McVeighs) plus Neil Parsonage and his partner John Hudson from the Gunmakers Arms.
Making their exits in the last eight were, Brendon Lysaght / Trevor Frost (Mitre), Sheila Carter / John Young (Innisfree), John Miley / Martin Cooper (Ward End Ex Service Club), Chris Stokes / Mick O’Sullivan (Victoria 301 Club).
Neil Parsonage (Gunmakers Arms) is the new singles champion. Neil’s final hurdle came in the shape of Mitre’s Trevor Frost, but he overcame the challenge to lift the title. Losing semi finalists were Mick O’Sullivan (Victoria 301 Club) and Darren Brown (Custard House).
Losing out in the quarter finals were, Alan Wilcock (Custard House), Dave Carter (Innisfree), Chris Stokes (Victoria 301 Club) and Clive Sadler (Ward End Ex Service Club).
It was week fifteen before league leaders Mitre lost their first fixture of the current campaign. Playing away to middle of the table Bromford Social Club, Mitre finished on the wrong side of a close 5-4 result. However, they retain their two points advantage as their nearest rivals Custard House also lost 5-4 in their home tie with Gunmakers Arms. Gunmakers win keeps them in the number one spot at the top of the shadow league, two points ahead of McVeighs.
Congratulations to Birmingham Midland Red, who with a total of 198 points have won the Warwickshire Men’s Super League title. Bedworth Cherry Tree ended the season as runners up some twelve points adrift of the champions.
Martin Angell had the highest game average of the campaign 35.79, while the highest finish of 164 went to Tony Brown. A total of eight players shared the least darts, an eleven darts game, and they were Mark Hollyoake, Steve Dwyer, Darren Jones, Jim Kiernan, Martin Angell, Robert Earl, John Morris jnr and Prakash Jiwa.
In the ladies Warwickshire Super League Birmingham Central are champions with a total of 29 points. Some six points behind Central came runners up Coventry Bishopsgate, with Leamington Sureway third on 18 points.
Fordbridge Social are the new champions of the premier division of the Sheldon and District Winter League. Fordbridge took the honours finishing just two points ahead of the nearest rivals Saltley Amateur Gardeners. The Shadow League title went to Castle Vale Residents Association, who with ten points had a clear four points advantage over runners up Hen and Chickens.
As the season draws to an end the league have been busy with various finals such as the doubles knockout in which Saltley Amateur Gardeners representatives T.White and T.Randell lifted the silverware after defeating the Three Horse Shoes pairing of M.Heaven and R.South. Heaven gained consolation from the fact that he won the singles knockout with a final 2-0 success over Sheldon Dukes representative Mick Hicks. In the divisional cup finals Highwood had a convincing 8-1 victory over Three Horse Shoes to win the premier division title, while in divisions one and two it was a much closer affair. Both results were 5-4 with Sheldon Social beating RAFA for the first division title and Old Bill and Bull getting the better of Small Heath Amateur Gardeners despite a 180 from I.Durrington, to take the second division crown.
Glebe Community Centre won the M & B Cup following victories against Sheldon and Marlboro and in the final Harvester
Entries are being accepted for both the Guinness Open and the Warwickshire Midland Open. The events will be staged at Barras Social Club, Coventry Street, Coventry on the weekend of the 16th and 17th July respectively.
The winner of the Guinness Open will receive a guaranteed £250, with all entry fees on the day paid out. The eventual champion of the Midland Open will collect a cool £1,000, with prize money paid to the last sixteen players.
For any further information contact Mr Neil Pritchard on 07721-386908
alantowedarts.co.uk