It’s darts, Jim, but not as we know it
London may have been home to the first ever competitive darts match, but it has fallen a long way behind in the soft-tip, machine version of the game – until today. DARTSLIVE, purveyors of all things plastic and shiny in the darting world, has opened its first...
Pubs
The news last week that up to 4,000 'bad' pubs will close next year is of particular concern for those of us partial to chucking bits of metal inside licenced premises. For the 1,000 pubs that will spring up in their place will rarely contain a dart board - as...
August break
Darts takes a break in August, and I take a break from darts. So I won't be writing about the recent resignation of Robert Holmes as the PR man for the BDO, or the Taylor cheat storm, but I will be updating Capital Arrows, especially if I find new darts pubs in...
10 things we learnt from 2013 Premier League Darts
1.Michael van Gerwen is here to stayHaving lost his previous two major finals – to Taylor and van Barneveld – there was a nagging doubt as to whether MvG was ready yet to take on the best on the biggest of occasions. Having staged a comeback to beat the...
New chapter for digital Murder on the Darts Board
Today sees the launch of a new digital edition of my book Murder on the Darts Board. It costs about the same as a pint (at London prices), and unless you are an incredible speed-reader or a very slow drinker, it will last considerably longer. Amazon now sells more...
Lakeside changes give BDO opportunity to shine
Shortly before the first dart was thrown at Lakeside earlier this month, the British Darts Organisation (BDO) released two significant pieces of news.Firstly, the 2014 World Championships will feature an additional 8 players, selected from ranking tables from across...
Reputational issues the least predictable portion of PDC 2013 World Championship
The most open world championship that the PDC has staged ended at London’s Alexandra Palace on New Year’s Day in the most predictable of fashions. Number 1 seed and tournament favourite Phil Taylor secured his 16th title, defeating second favourite and the...
Unpredictable year of darts leaves the PDC world championship wide open
The holiday seasons commences this weekend with the opening night of the Professional Darts Corporation world championships taking place at Alexandra Palace in London. From Friday through to New Year’s Day, seventy-two men representing 20 countries will be...
Michael van Gerwen crowned as PDC’s brightest new star
A fantastic final fight-back by Dutchman Michael van Gerwen in Dublin at the World Grand Prix on Sunday night rescued what had, until the closing match, been the least compelling PDC major tournament for some time. Lacklustre crowds on the opening nights, high profile...
Taylor’s premier league victory whets the appetite
After fifteen consecutive Thursday, more than fifty games, and several hundred legs of darts in front of a total of 90,000 fans, Phil Taylor won his sixth Premier League darts last week with victory over The Wizard of Aus, Simon Whitlock.A record 10,000 fans witnessed...
Spring is a peculiar time in the world of TV darts. Whilst the Premier League continues its' booze-fuelled tour around the UK, all-bar 8 professional darters are battling it out in the sports-halls and holiday parks across the land in an attempt to qualify for TV...
Lewis wins greatest PDC World Championship: Insert ‘Jackpot’ headline here
There will have been much wailing and gnashing of teeth amongst the embalming fluid in Leamington Spa last night, as Adrian Lewis retained the PDC darts world championship on Sky Sports HD and 3D, defeating Andy ‘The Hammer’ Hamilton 7-3 in sets. Funeral...
Our time of the year
Today sees the launch of the nineteenth edition of the Professional Darts Corporation world championship - and the unofficial launch of 'darts season'.For the next month, darts will raise its' head above the parapet to be enjoyed by millions of people across the UK....
Five minutes with Peter Manley
As several new faces burst on to the world darts stage at the Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, at the Grand Slam of Darts, spare a thought for those players unable to resurrect their former darting glory in the West Midlands.Wayne Mardle, four times World Championship...
Raymond Van Barneveld – three months to reignite a career?
The most unpredictable darts tournament since the 2008 World Championship reached the most predictable of conclusions in Dublin last night, with Phil Taylor securing his tenth World Grand Prix title. As at Ally Pally in 2008, a rank outsider made his way through to...
Launch of ‘Avoiding The Madhouse’ – The Wrong Bed’s manifesto for darts
Coinciding with the start of the third series of the show, Tricky D and I are pleased to launch Avoiding The Madhouse, The Wrong Bed's manifesto for darts. This is a short 11-point plan covering key areas that we, and many of our listeners, think are vital for...
Does ESPN’s walk-on threaten darts’ annual water-cooler moment?
A brief news piece published on the British Darts Organisation website yesterday confirmed that ESPN will join the BBC in broadcasting the 2012 darts World Championship. “All at ESPN are delighted,” tweeted former BBC darts host Ray Stubbs, who will now be...
The BDO’s famous five have a mystery to solve
As an unprecedented week of change at the British Darts Organisation (BDO) comes to an end, its’ five new Board members may by now be wondering if they really know just what they have let themselves in for.The gang of five were elected to join Vic Sexton, the...
Open letter to BDO management, and response
Below is a lengthy letter sent by the 'Gang of Five' to the BDO counties in advance of the Annual General Meeting in 2011, and the response from Olly Croft. This contents of this letter subsequently resulted in Olly Croft being voted off the BDO Board, and Barry...
London 2012 – third time unlucky for the greatest tickets on earth?
The third phase of London 2012 ticket sales begins today, with those successful in the initial ballot given an opportunity to hoover up any leftovers. With just 8,000 available for freestyle wrestling, 40,000 for volleyball and, approximately 1.5 million for...
Anderson’s victory fails to sooth Premier League darts’ seven year itch.
Gary Anderson despatched Adrian ‘Jackpot’ Lewis in the final of the Premier League darts at Wembley last week to secure his first significant PDC title. Having missed out in three previous finals in the last twelve months, the victory was surely a seminal...
The 2012 ticket balancing act
The giant rings now towering above John Betjeman’s head at St Pancras give anyone arriving at this wonderful station the impression that London truly is becoming an Olympic city. The extent to which the British public are intending to support London’s...
Ping pong is homeward-bound
Two and a half years since blustering Boris famously highlights the merits of whiff-whaff, it was announced last week that the British Olympic Association would allow Team GB players to compete in the London 2012 table tennis competition under the ‘hosts...
Handball’s Olympic nod
It was confirmed this week that Team GB would be allowed to field a handball team in the 2012 Olympics. As host nation Great Britain were always technically allowed to throw their hands into this particular court, but the British Olympic Association (BOA) sets both...