Alan Towe's The Line on Darts
It is with sadness and regret I report the passing away of John Young a dear friend and huge contributor to all of my various darts columns.
John was not only a statistician for many leagues but also participated by playing in them and for many years he supplied me with weekly results, tables and information for the Camp Hill, Small Heath, Pip Club and Tamworth leagues together with all of the darts events for the Sheldon Marlborough Cricket Club. In addition to supplying all of this information John also set up his own web site covering all of the leagues he was involved in plus the Head Injuries Club Birmingham.
John Young, a true gentleman who loved to play and follow the sport of darts, he will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him including myself and all of the players for whom he worked so hard in keeping their weekly statistics up to date. Rest in Peace John.
The South Birmingham League have completed their final week of scheduled fixtures and with just five outstanding fixtures remaining over the three groups only one of the group titles is still to be decided. In group one The Raven have won the title dropping just one point throughout the season and finishing four points to the good on runners up Chelmsley Conservative Club. The group three title has gone to Erdington Members Club who with 19 points ended the season with a two points advantage over second placed Mackadown Social. Group two is the only group not to have found a winner as at the time of going to print The Dog and Pavilions both have 14 points and while The Dog have completed their fixture card Pavilions have one more game to play. Although they trail the top two teams by two points third in the table Iron Horse are still in the frame as they too have one game to play and could if the results go their way take the title on average. The league have played off both their doubles and ladies singles knockouts, in the latter both the semi finals finished with straight 2-0 wins for Charlie Kingdon and Diane Hudson who in turn defeated Nicky Harris and Louise Beale. As in the semis the final also had a 2-0 result which went to Charlie Kingdon. [caption id="attachment_25228" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
South Birmingham League Ladies Singles Knockout Winner Charlie Kingdon with Organiser Sue Kingdon.[/caption]
The doubles knockout was won by Chris Millward snr and Matt Gallett who accounted for Phil Jones and Nigel Groves with a straight 2-0 win in the final. Millward and Gallett beat Steve Whatmore and Aggie Hoey 2-0 in the semi finals while Jones and Groves were taken to a deciding leg by Glen James and Matt Cooper.
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South Birmingham League Doubles Knockout Winners Chris Millward snr and Matt Gallett with Organiser Sue Kingdon.[/caption]
The Sutton and District Summer League have now played their last few outstanding fixtures and with the league programme now complete the Boat have won the division one title on average from Golden Hind, Erdington Club rounded off their season with a final 6-3 win at home against Drakes Drum to win the second division title with a total of 22 points from a possible 24 and finish four points ahead of Red Lion who despite losing their penultimate game against bottom of the table Pint Pot Flights 5-4 claimed the runners up spot as they held on to their six points lead over third placed Boot who also lost 5-4 at home to next to bottom of the table Erdington Arrows. In division three the Fox were the only team in the league to have completed the season undefeated, they took the divisional title by a clear six points over Oscott Social and Old Oscott WMC who finished second and third in the table respectively. The semi finals of the Prestridge Shield saw division one runners up Golden Hind once again finish second best to divisional champions The Boat as they lost narrowly by 5-4. The second of the semi’s also finished 5-4 with Drakes Drum beating Plough and Arrows. The last four play off for the Roy Bird Trophy saw The Boot have a comfortable 8-1 win over The Duke while Red Lion booked their final place with a 6-3 verdict against Pint Pot Flights. The league’s Five-A-Side knockout was won by Golden Hind after they won their tense quarter final encounter with Erdington Eagles 3-2 they went on to clinch the title with more convincing 4-1 results against Erdington Birdies in the semi’s and The Boot in the final. Congratulations to Robert Hawker and Steve Paling for winning the doubles knockout
The Netherton Thursday Night League have been busy with their singles and doubles knockouts and in the semi finals of the singles Phil Tonks defeated his brother Antony Tonks 2-0 and from the other half of the draw Kevin Barnfield won by the same margin against Mark Cooper. Phil Tonks carried his fine form into the final where, in what turned out to be the last leg he narrowly missed out on a perfect nine darts game after hitting two consecutive maximums, nevertheless he went on to lift the title with a final 3-1 result over Kevin Barnfield. The final of the doubles knockout produced a win for the Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club duo J.Batham and R.Powers who defeated Fairfield’s father and son pairing of J and S Green. The last four games saw Batham and Powers take out T.Johnson and D.Shilvock (Fairfield) while the two Green’s beat M.Hall and J.Wrench (Delph Bell).
The Silver End Sunday Morning League have completed their league fixtures and taking the title with a final 6-2 win against Old Star was Woodside who amassed a total of 71 points throughout the campaign five more runners up Brickmakers Arms ‘A’ who ended their programme with a similar 6-2 win over The Bridge. Brickmakers finished twelve points to the good on third in the table Dudley Sports ‘B’ who also brought down the curtain with a win, 7-1 at Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club.
The Royal, Albrighton staged the latest of their knockouts which saw Shifnal’s Steve Richie take the top prize of £130 when he beat Pat Pace (Gnosall) 6-3 in the final, Pace collecting £60. Both semi final games finished 5-2 with Richie beating Chris Hill (Willenhall) and Pace winning against Steve Gillam (Wednesbury), the two losers receiving £15 each. The Plate knockout for first round losers was won by Mark Smith (Bromsgrove) who picked up £30, Smith beating Kat McLean (Shifnal) 3-2 in the final McLean received £15 as runner up.
The licencee Katie Ann Round and managers Sarah and Simon of the Wheatsheaf, 379 High Street, West Bromwich, B70 9QW are looking for darts teams to join them in their newly refurbished pub and would welcome anyone wishing to enter a team in any of the local leagues. In this day and age it is often difficult to find a pub willing to entertain your darts team so why not check the venue out and speak to one of the three people in charge Katie Ann, Sarah or Simon.
The South West Birmingham Club’s League season has drawn to an end and taking the division one singles title was Longbridge United with CEM West Heath runners up. The division two title went to Yardley Wood with 16 points, two more than Brunswick Moseley who were runners up. Selly Oak Flights won the division three title by the league’s biggest margin as they finished the season four points ahead of second placed Longbridge Ladies. On the individual front for division one the highest break of 160 was achieved by five players M.Musto, D.Field (CEM West Heath), A.Vaughan, B.Faulkner (Rubery) and T.Jeffs (Bournbrook). C.Steadman (Longbridge United) and T.Atkins (Greenlands) were the only two players to find the three treble twenties and the highest finish of 145 went to S.Jones (Longbridge United). Eight darts was the fastest game of the season and was recorded C.Clarke, G.Cleverley (Solihull Municipal) and R.Hosey (CEM West Heath). D.Field had the division’s most wins winning nine of his ten games. The division two stats were as follows highest break 160 K.Bambrick (Bartley Green FC 'B'), highest score 180 R.O'Neill (Bartley Green FC 'B'), highest finish 135 R.Morris (Yardley Wood), least darts 8 R.O'Neill (Bartley Green FC 'B'), most wins 9 J.Kearns (Bartley Green FC 'B'), and for division three highest break 156 R.Donoghue (Selly Oak Flights), highest score 156 P.Tobin (Longbridge Ladies), most wins 7 D.Barbier, R.Poole (Stirchley Nomads), S.Cash, R.Donoghue (Selly Oak Flights). In the pre match doubles league CEM West won division one with Greenlands runners up, West Heath Warriors were the division two winners with Yardley Wood second and in division three Selly Oak Flights were winners with Stirchley Nomads runners up. In division one of the same league the individual honours went to highest score 180 J.Garghan CEM West Heath), highest finish 157 D.Gorle (Solihull Municipal), division two, highest score 180 K.Bambrick (Bartley Green FC 'B'), highest finish 106 M.Daly (West Heath Warriors), and in division three highest score 156 K.Young (Bartley Green FC 'A'), In the cup games winners of the division one cup were Longbridge United, runners up CEM West Heath, division two cup winners Brunswick Moseley, Runners Up Yardley Wood and division three cup winners Stirchley Nomads with Selly Oak Flights runners up.
The Wednesbury and Darlaston Wednesday Night League trebles knockout was won by Caven Timmins, Deka Owen and Paul Edwards (The Nutan) with Sean Jones, Daniel Highfield and Brian Vincent. (Churchills) runners up.
Dave Duncan and Andy Hutchings have run the Crown at Olton Double Top League for over 30 years, sadly Dave passed away just four weeks into the new season but with the help of Sue Kingdon Andy continued the season in which a total of 25 players did battle for the title and taking the top prize with a total of 64 points was Bob Nixon who lost just two games throughout the season. Nixon’s nearest threat came from runner up Tony Randell who finished the campaign six points behind him, a further six points adrift was third placed Andy Hutchings on 52 points. [caption id="attachment_25475" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
Dave Duncan Double Top League - Andy Hutchings (Organiser), Bob Nixon (Winner) and Sue Kingdon (Organiser)[/caption]
A total of 76 maximums were recorded throughout the season with Tony Randell and John Buckingham each notching nine, Buckingham also recorded the least darts which was twelve plus the highest finish of 164.
The league’s doubles knockout was won by Tony Randell and Paul Nunn with Luis Barberan and Peter Kingdon runners up in what was a terrific final.
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Dave Duncan Double Top League - Andy Hutchings (Organiser), Tony Randell and Paul Nunn (Doubles Winners) and Sue Kingdon (Organiser)[/caption]
It has been decided that from here on in, as a tribute and in memory of Dave the league will be known as the Dave Duncan Double Top League.
Following the recent passing away of Dave Duncan a former captain and a member of the Crown at Olton darts team for in excess of 30 years the family sent out the following message, “I would just like to say to all Dave Duncan's darts friends especially Sue Kingdon, Andy Hutchings, 'Dave's Boys ', Lisa & Amrok, thank you for all your support and affection and for the generous donations to the QE Charity fighting skin Cancer Love Yvonne , Jayne, Rachel, Rhys and all the Duncan Family”.
by Alan Towe Website: www.alantowedarts.co.uk