Dr Darts Publishing Coup

WINMAU-sponsored Dr. Patrick Chaplin, popularly known as ‘Dr. Darts’, has hit the book publishing bull’s-eye in a big way.

After many years of self-funded, part-time research, Patrick was awarded a doctorate on the social history of the sport of darts by the Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in December 2006.

His PhD was acclaimed by his external examiners as ‘among the eminent works of pioneering scholarship in the academic history of twentieth-century leisure and sport’ and was snapped up for publication by Manchester University Press (MUP). The result, his book entitled Darts in England: A social history has been published in hardback as part of the prestigious Studies in Popular Studies series.

Darts in England is the first academic book to focus on the social history of darts.

The book includes details of the history of Winmau’s parent company NODOR and the role played by its founder Edward Leggatt in establishing darts as one of the most popular recreations of the interwar years. Leggatt was also President of the National Darts Association (NDA) which set down the original rules and standards of play in 1925 which have remained relatively unchanged to this day. Up until Patrick’s research the history of NODOR was unclear but thanks to his efforts it can be revealed that company will celebrate is 90th anniversary in 2011.

Patrick also reveals that in 1938 Edward Leggatt, together other members of the NDA, formed a breakaway darts organisation, the British Darts Council (BDC). Nothing really changes does it!

But his publishing does not end there…

Patrick hopes that a paperback version will be available next year.

At the end of May a joint writing venture between Patrick and three-time World Professional Darts Champion John Lowe produced The Art of Darts, a two-part masterclass of darts tuition was published in hardback by Hodder & Stoughton. Patrick has also been working with John to update his autobiography Old Stoneface (originally published in 2005). This will be published by John Blake Publishing in mid-to-late June.

As if this was not enough, Patrick has also been working as a consultant for the darts chapter of Simon Inglis’s forthcoming book Played at the Pub, one of the Played in Britain series. And if that was not enough, Patrick’s own book The Complete Guide to Darts is scheduled for publication in New York in early 2010.

Patrick said, "It’s like waiting for a bus. You wait for ages and then three or four turn up at the same time. This is a very exciting time for me and hopefully for darts fans too."

Darts in England costs £55 (fifty-five pounds) in hardback but Patrick is hopeful that a more affordable paperback version will be published by Manchester University Press next year.

Needless to say Patrick is already working on at least two more darts-related tomes!

Winmau/Nodor/Red Dragon are proud to be associated with and to sponsor Patrick’s on-going darts research.

For more information go to Patrick’s website at