Alan Towe - A Look Back In Time - 1st October 2009
The West Midlands County Darts Organisation will kick off their new campaign in the BDO Inter Counties Championships with an away fixture against Suffolk. Both teams will play in a new division this season, West Midlands following their relegation last season from division one and Suffolk, who were promoted from division three will each be striving for promotion from division two.
West Midlands have lost a couple of players, England international Tom Aldridge has returned to Warwickshire, who won promotion back to the premier division last season and Dave Arnold has taken up the challenge with Shropshire and will do battle in division four.
There will be a few new faces in the men’s squad including new signings from Staffordshire, Neil Pointon, Jason Gilbert, Richard Platt and Danny Coyle. The full men’s squad is, Martin Angell, Nick Bache, Robert Carr, Trevor Carter, Danny Coyle, Matt Dicken, Peter Edmonds, Stephen Farmer, Andy Forrester, Richard Foster, Lol Frazer, Jason Gilbert, Viv Gould, Lance Hackett, Ian Hartland, Chris Hickman, Jamie Hughes, Ian Jones, Gregg Parkes, Richard Platt, Chris Plumpton, Neil Pointon, Eddie Price, Paul Price, Shane Price, Andy Roberts, Mark Rollinson, Jack Routledge, Avtar Singh, Ian Stanton, Dean Stuart, Martin Tibbetts, Mark Watkiss, Peter Wyse.
Signing for the 2009 – 2010 season for the ladies are, Cheryl Alcock, Liz Arnold, Lisa Astbury, Kim Fellows, Claire Ford, Natalie Harrison, Claire Hobbs, Katherine Jenkins, Leanne Jennings, Jemma Poole, Sarah Robbins, Jacqueline Simmons, Jane Stubbs, Diane Tolley and Heather Wright.
Congratulations go to Midland Red who have won the Harborne and District Winter League title, but by the narrowest of margins possible. The Reds finished their campaign with 40 points from 22 games, as did the Bear Tavern. However, the Bear Tavern had chalked up 141 legs for, one less than Midland Red and that was the difference between champions and runners up.
Avenue Social took the wooden spoon with 22 defeats in as many games. The Shadow League was won by Old Crown, who finished six points clear of their nearest rivals New Inns.
The Harborne and District Summer League have got their season underway and the early pacesetters are Thimbermill who began the fixture card by handing out a 9-0 whitewash to Quinborne ‘B’ and followed that with another convincing 8-1 success against Bell Inn ‘A’. Smethwick Labour Club are just two legs behind Thimbermill with Hillyfields ‘B’ and Quinton Members Club also chasing the leading duo.
The Grange Sunday Night Charity 301 Double Top League have completed their fixtures and retaining his title is Jimmy Norris. Norris with an eleven points advantage over runner up Matt Cooper won 29 of his 33 matches. Norris was also successful in the league’s Invitational Knockout beating Tony Randell in the final.
Forty players took part in the knockout with five players in eight groups. There were numerous 160 breaks and a very impressive 170 checkout by Trevor Frost. The competition is all about raising money for charity, as is the Double Top League. The combined total from league and knockout of £850.00 was handed over to the Pathway Project.
Other notable achievements from the season were, Shay Darby, singles winner with Jimmy Norris runner up. The doubles title was taken by Jules and Noreen Harris with James Darby and Jim Norris losing out in the final. The Handicap Doubles was won by Eddie Kennedy and Tracey Hogshaw, beating Warren Jones and Matt Cooper at the last hurdle.Matt Cooper won the 501 Knockout with Dave Watkins the beaten finalist.
The Small Heath League have had their Mixed Doubles Knockout on the agenda and on form throughout the evening and claiming the crown were Gloria Lightwood and John McCaffrey. The winning duo took out Darren Brown and June Wallace in the final. Losing out in the last four were Sarah Burbridge and Neil Parsonage and Alice Swann and her partner Terry Constable.
The End of Season 501 Knockout Competition was won by Emerald Club representative Neil Parsonage after beating Potcheen Still player John McCaffrey in the final.
Losing semi finalists were Ian McLean (Emerald Club) and Paul Wilding (Redhill Tavern).
Another league playing off their Mixed Doubles Competition was the Gulp League, John McCaffrey and Gloria Lightwood teaming up again but on this occasion it was not to be as they made their exit in the semi finals. Mick and Ann O’Sullivan were the successful pairing on the night just pipping Colin Walsh and Becky Blackman to the finishing line. Terry Constable and Jackie Francis were the other duo to go out in the last four.
Following the success of the inaugural www.sportdale.com competition the new bigger and better site www.sportsdale.com have now made plans for the sportsdale.com Christmas Open which will be staged at the Festival Inn, Ilkeston Road, Trowell, Nottinghamshire, NG9 3PX on Sunday 13th December. A maximum of 256 entries has been set for the event and it will be first come first served basis. Pre entry to the men’s competition will be £10.00 with that rising to £12.00 on the day. There is a guaranteed top prize of £1,000 for the winner and £400 the runner up. There will be cash prizes paid out down to the last sixteen.
Entry to the ladies competition is £5.00 and £6.00 on the day and there will be £100.00 on offer to the winner with the runner up receiving £50.00.
To find out more details or to enter either of the competitions visit www.sportsdale.com
After playing 23 fixtures in the Carlsberg Olton Double Top League Tony Randell is leading the field with 62 points, but Randell most definitely has to keep an eye over his shoulder as reigning champion Bob Nixon is just one behind him. Both players have lost just one of their matches with Randell notching one more leg of average than Nixon.
At the time of going to print Carl Winters is sitting pretty at the top of the Brook Meadow Individual 301 League with 168 points, ten more than the rest of the field. Ian McFarlane is the nearest rival to Winters on 158 points with Rob Wilson a further six points behind.
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