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THE WORLDWIDE DARTS MAGAZINE<br />
www.insidedarts.co.uk // ISSUE 1 : MARCH 2012<br />
Wel<strong>com</strong>e to the world of darts...<br />
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS,<br />
NEWS & VIEWS INSIDE »<br />
COLIN ‘JAWS’ LLOYD<br />
& RUSS BRAY WRITE<br />
FOR THE MAGAZINE<br />
‘ONCE IN A LIFETIME’ COMPETITION<br />
COMPETITION<br />
DESIGN A DARTS SHIRT FOR THE ‘THE POWER’ p39<br />
WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THE NEW WORLDWIDE DARTS MAGAZINE
NEWS NEWS<br />
2<br />
3
ISSUE NO.1<br />
INSIDE DARTS<br />
—<br />
Publisher<br />
chris haill<br />
D&c media Ltd<br />
13 Springbank<br />
Eversley park road<br />
London N21 1Jh<br />
Contact<br />
offi ce: 00 44 20 8886 0858<br />
<strong>com</strong>pany No. 7265503<br />
Online<br />
www.insidedarts.co.uk<br />
JohN WILSoN // SALES<br />
& mArKETINg DIrEcTor<br />
John is a die hard<br />
Evertonian and loves<br />
the ‘arrers!’<br />
www.insidedarts.co.uk // ISSUE 1 MARCH 2012<br />
Wel<strong>com</strong>e to the world of darts...<br />
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS,<br />
NEWS & VIEWS INSIDE »<br />
COLIN ‘JAWS’ LLOYD<br />
& RUSS BRAY WRITE<br />
FOR THE MAGAZINE<br />
‘ONCE IN A LIFETIME’ COMPETITION<br />
DESIGN A DARTS SHIRT FOR THE ‘THE POWER’ p20<br />
WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THE NEW WORLDWIDE DARTS MAGAZINE<br />
© <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong> 2012. All rights reserved.<br />
—<br />
mEET<br />
THE<br />
TEAm<br />
—<br />
click the names to<br />
contact directly<br />
KIm crAIg // DESIgNEr<br />
Kim is a Scot living<br />
in London, enjoys her<br />
free time with her<br />
family and getting out<br />
of the ‘Big smoke’ for<br />
weekends away.<br />
Wel<strong>com</strong>e to the fi rst issue of <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong> magazine.<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong> is new interactive and print publication<br />
looking at the sport around the world. With the growth<br />
of <strong>Darts</strong> it makes sense to give you, the reader a new<br />
option each month to read and interact with<br />
the changing face of the game.<br />
ANDrEW DEvoNShIrE<br />
// JoUrNo<br />
Andrew is from<br />
Bridgend in South<br />
Wales. We’re delighted<br />
to have Andrew on<br />
board at <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong><br />
with his ‘Darting<br />
around the UK’ column.<br />
The magazine will be available in 5 languages which will give<br />
the magazine a truly worldwide appeal.<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong> will have exclusive interviews, articles and much more<br />
from around the darting world and will strive to help promote<br />
the sport in anyway possible. We will offer brands and products a<br />
different perspective when looking to market their products.<br />
ID has a team of journalists from around the world with years of<br />
experience in the industry and we introduce them to you, below.<br />
As well as that, Colin Lloyd and Russ Bray add a professional feel<br />
to the magazine giving you an insight into their lives inside<br />
and outside the game. Also, there is a coaching article from<br />
Alan Warriner of the PDPA.<br />
This is the fi rst issue and it’s FREE. We are however offering a<br />
minimal subscription to <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong> magazine, to help develop<br />
the magazine and offer you the best publication worldwide.<br />
WE HOPE YOU ENJOY!<br />
THE NEW mAgAZINE FOR THE FASTEST gROWINg SPORT WORLDWIDE!<br />
rUSSELL roEBUcK AKA<br />
‘BIg hAUSEr’ To mANY<br />
// JoUrNo<br />
A massive darts and<br />
Schwarzenegger<br />
fan, been watching<br />
darts since Jocky<br />
encapsulated a<br />
nation. Supporter of<br />
youth development<br />
or the “Young guns”<br />
so read my column to<br />
discover the champs of<br />
tomorrow.<br />
JAmIE ShAW // JoUrNo<br />
Jay is an avid lover<br />
for the game and is<br />
responsible for one of<br />
the fastest growing<br />
worldwide darts sites:<br />
Live-<strong>Darts</strong>. he also<br />
<strong>com</strong>petes in local<br />
darts tournaments and<br />
is a member of the<br />
cleveland Youth county<br />
team.<br />
KrISTIAN ‘KrISpY’<br />
BroWN // JoUrNo<br />
A simple darts fan and<br />
terrible player who<br />
<strong>com</strong>bined his love of<br />
darts and <strong>com</strong>puter<br />
skills to create one<br />
of the world’s most<br />
popular pDc fansites,<br />
“<strong>Darts</strong>, Beers &<br />
cheers!” Krispy is also<br />
known within the<br />
pDc darts scene, with<br />
players, offi cials, and<br />
fans alike. he loves<br />
the real ale!<br />
inside:<br />
WHAT’S gOINg ON...<br />
WELCOmE mArch 2012 | CONTENTS<br />
EXCLUSIvE INTERvIEW<br />
8KEvIN PAINTER ‘THE ARTIST’,<br />
TALKS TO INSIDE DARTS<br />
THE RENAISSANCE OF DARTS<br />
IN THE NEW WORLD What’s happening<br />
over in north america?<br />
PLAYER PROFILE We talk to<br />
Dean Winstanley and fi nd out what<br />
happens at the Q School<br />
FIvE RINgS AND ONE BOARD<br />
Should darts be an olympic sport?<br />
RETURN OF THE YOUNg gUNS<br />
We meet mike Smith and future Stars<br />
of the game<br />
Dr. pATrIcK chApLIN<br />
// JoUrNo<br />
patrick is a darts<br />
writer, researcher<br />
and historian known<br />
around the globe as<br />
‘Dr. <strong>Darts</strong>’. Author of<br />
several books on the<br />
sport and editor of<br />
Dr. <strong>Darts</strong>’ Newsletter,<br />
patrick, who lives<br />
in Essex, has been<br />
described by The<br />
guardian as ‘eccentric’<br />
and The Sun as ‘an<br />
arrers nut!’<br />
ANgELA vAN hEES<br />
// JoUrNo<br />
Angela is a 29 year old<br />
dart fanatic from the<br />
South of holland. She<br />
is editor for the Dutch<br />
website Dartfreakz.nl<br />
for the last few years.<br />
Loves rvB and rock<br />
music.<br />
THE gERmANS ARE COmINg!<br />
angela rees looks at the popularity of<br />
darts in germany and the netherlands<br />
mOvERS AND SHAKERS<br />
the PDC – is the grass greener on the<br />
other side?<br />
ScoTT mAcKENZIE<br />
// JoUrNo & ASIAN<br />
rEp For ID<br />
Scott is both an<br />
avid darts player<br />
and writer; he has<br />
twice appeared at<br />
the pDc World <strong>Darts</strong><br />
championships,<br />
representing hong<br />
Kong. he plays both<br />
soft tip and steel<br />
tip darts in Asia and<br />
has previously won<br />
tournaments at the<br />
prestigious Asia<br />
Bullshooter, medalist<br />
International and<br />
<strong>Darts</strong>live events.<br />
RILEYS DARTZONE REPORT<br />
DIARY OF A PLAYER:<br />
JAWS BITES BACK! Colin lloyd tells<br />
us what he’s been up to<br />
DOES SIZE mATTER?<br />
the growth of Soft tip darts<br />
RUSS CALLS IT AS HE SEES IT<br />
the man, the voice gives us his views<br />
on all things going on with mr Bray<br />
4 5<br />
JUSTIN IrWIN // JoUrNo<br />
Justin is a writer<br />
and broadcaster<br />
with an unhealthy<br />
darting obsession.<br />
having spent a year<br />
in the mid-noughties<br />
failing miserably as<br />
a darts professional,<br />
chronicled in his<br />
book murder on the<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> Board, most<br />
Wednesday nights he<br />
can be found in the<br />
pubs of West London,<br />
averaging 26!<br />
WILD gIRL! erica Wild gives us<br />
the lowdown on being a ‘Walk on girl’<br />
THE FUTURE’S BRIgHT, THE<br />
FUTURES PDPA Who’s behind helping the<br />
players in the PDC<br />
ANDREW DEvONSHIRE’S<br />
DARTINg AROUND a close look at the<br />
associations around the British Isles<br />
DOCTOR DARTS our monthly<br />
appointment with the Doc.<br />
chrIS mUrphY<br />
//JoUrNo<br />
chris is currently<br />
making in his way in<br />
the professional world,<br />
whilst studying Sports<br />
Journalism as a mature<br />
student. he is a huge<br />
fan of darts and is<br />
excited about being<br />
part of the <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong><br />
team, as he believes<br />
darts should get<br />
much greater media<br />
coverage.<br />
PAgE 39»<br />
DESIgN DESIgN A A SHIRT SHIRT FOR FOR<br />
‘THE POWER’<br />
ADAm ‘ThorN’ SmITh<br />
// JoUrNo<br />
Adam is a darts-travel<br />
blogger from the “rose<br />
city”, portland, oregon,<br />
USA. his mission is<br />
to explore the globe<br />
spreading the love of<br />
the sport and unite the<br />
world of darts. he is<br />
also a valued member<br />
of the <strong>Darts</strong> Around<br />
The World team.
NEWS NEWS<br />
DARTS NEWS FROm AROUND THE WORLD<br />
UNICORN SIgNS<br />
mAJOR NEW DEAL<br />
WITH PDC<br />
The Professional <strong>Darts</strong><br />
Corporation and<br />
Unicorn Products<br />
are delighted to<br />
announce a fi ve-year<br />
contract to extend<br />
their partnership.<br />
The deal sees Unicorn continue<br />
their association as the Offi cial <strong>Darts</strong><br />
Equipment provider to the PDC<br />
until at least 2017, which extends<br />
the partnership between the two<br />
<strong>com</strong>panies to 20 years.<br />
Unicorn’s Eclipse Pro dartboard<br />
will continue to be used in all<br />
<strong>com</strong>petitive matches in the PDC,<br />
including all televised tournaments<br />
as well as events on the PDC<br />
ProTour and PDC Unicorn Youth<br />
Tour.<br />
Unicorn will also continue to<br />
support the future stars of darts as<br />
sponsors of the PDC Unicorn Youth<br />
Tour and PDC Unicorn World Youth<br />
Championship over the next fi ve<br />
years.<br />
“It’s a pleasure to extend<br />
our relationship with Unicorn<br />
Products and we thank them for<br />
their continued support of the<br />
Professional <strong>Darts</strong> Corporation,”<br />
said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.<br />
“They have continued to<br />
develop the quality of their<br />
products in recent years, and this<br />
is epitomised in the use of the<br />
Unicorn Eclipse Pro board which is<br />
used in every PDC tournament.<br />
“In addition, Unicorn has played<br />
a key role in our introduction of<br />
the Youth Tour and World Youth<br />
Championship in the past two<br />
years, and their ongoing backing for<br />
the stars of the future shows their<br />
<strong>com</strong>mitment to developing this<br />
sport in the long-term.<br />
“We are delighted to continue<br />
working with them and look forward<br />
to an exciting fi ve years for both<br />
our partnership and the game as a<br />
whole.”<br />
Barry hearn agrees the deal<br />
with Edward Lowry<br />
6<br />
SEND YOUR NEWS<br />
With this, the fi rst issue of <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong>,<br />
we invite Associations, players, and<br />
anyone else, to send news from around<br />
the world, for our Game On section.<br />
Please email your news to enquiries@<br />
insidedarts.co.uk and we will do our<br />
best to publish it. It doesn’t matter what<br />
it is as long as its darts related.<br />
Edward Lowy, the Managing<br />
Director of Unicorn Products, said:<br />
“We are absolutely delighted<br />
to <strong>com</strong>mit to a new long-term<br />
agreement with the PDC.<br />
“This will cement a 20-year<br />
relationship for the exclusive supply<br />
of Unicorn Eclipse Pro dartboards<br />
to the PDC, and there can be no<br />
fi ner endorsement of the enduring<br />
quality of Unicorn dartboards than<br />
that.<br />
“Equally important, however, is<br />
the announcement of Unicorn’s fi veyear<br />
<strong>com</strong>mitment to sponsoring the<br />
PDC Youth Tour and World Youth<br />
Championship.<br />
“This announcement shows the<br />
strength of the relationship between<br />
Unicorn and the PDC, and that we<br />
are both <strong>com</strong>mitted to the future of<br />
darts at both Youth and Professional<br />
level.<br />
“This is an incredibly exciting<br />
time to be playing darts – whatever<br />
your age!”•<br />
The latest designs<br />
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3 new styles, in a range of weights<br />
901 90% TUNGSTEN STEEL TIP<br />
4 new styles, in a range of weights<br />
902 90% TUNGSTEN SOFT TIP<br />
4 new styles, in a range of weights<br />
903 90% TUNGSTEN STEEL TIP<br />
2 new styles, in a range of weights<br />
904 90% TUNGSTEN SOFT TIP<br />
2 new styles, in a range of weights<br />
Optimise your performance<br />
The SHOT! Bandit Plus dartboard<br />
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A <strong>com</strong>posite edge and backing board give the board a clean<br />
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<br />
Visit www.shotdarts.<strong>com</strong> to see our full range of darts and<br />
dartboards and get the monthly tips from the Shot! Ambassadors<br />
Shot! darts give you the power to perform to your best . . . do not settle for less.<br />
7<br />
To buy visit:<br />
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Shot! made by Puma<br />
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Shot! and the Shot! logo are<br />
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All rights reserved.
INTERVIEW<br />
IMAGES FROM LAWRENCE LUSTIG/PDC<br />
IF AT FIRST<br />
YOU DON'T<br />
SUCCEED,<br />
TRY AND TRY<br />
AGAIN.<br />
IT’S not be more apt<br />
an age old saying<br />
and one that could<br />
when describing the mentality<br />
of Kevin Painter, throughout his<br />
twenty year career as a professional<br />
darts player.<br />
‘The Artist’ is well known for his<br />
never-say-die attitude on stage but<br />
was also carrying a reputation as<br />
darts’ nearly man. That changed in<br />
December 2011 when Painter fi nally<br />
won his fi rst televised tournament,<br />
claiming victory at the Players<br />
Championship Finals in Doncaster.<br />
“It was great to win my fi rst<br />
major,” he said. “You could go<br />
through your whole career and<br />
never win one, and there will be<br />
better players than me that never<br />
do. Nobody can take that away<br />
from me now. Everything just fell<br />
into place that weekend and I<br />
played better and better as the<br />
tournament went on. I was really<br />
pleased to win it.”<br />
Before that triumph, the closest<br />
that the Daventry based player<br />
had <strong>com</strong>e to clinching a major<br />
title was in the famous 2004 World<br />
Championship fi nal, where he lost<br />
a dramatic last leg decider against<br />
the great Phil Taylor. Despite being<br />
condemned to defeat on the day,<br />
Painter looks back on that moment<br />
with a great sense of pride.<br />
He said: “The world fi nal defeat<br />
against Taylor was, and still is one<br />
of the greatest moments of my<br />
career. I know I lost the match but<br />
how many people can say they have<br />
played in a World Championship<br />
fi nal? And it was not just any fi nal;<br />
it was one of the greatest ever. Phil<br />
has told me since that he thinks our<br />
fi nal was the best one. What made<br />
it more special was that nobody<br />
had given me a chance. Everyone<br />
expected Phil to win 7-1 or 7-2<br />
so to run him so close was a big<br />
achievement. I wanted to win it,<br />
obviously, but it was still a great day<br />
and a great moment for me.”<br />
‘Everything just fell into place<br />
that weekend and I played<br />
better and better as the<br />
tournament went on’<br />
IMAGES FROM LAWRENCE LUSTIG/PDC<br />
Painter wasn’t about to let that<br />
fi nal eight years ago defi ne his<br />
career however, and remained<br />
typically determined to prove his<br />
doubters wrong.<br />
He said: “I don’t think I ever<br />
doubted that my day would <strong>com</strong>e.<br />
I’ve always believed that I have<br />
got the ability. The only doubt you<br />
might have these days is whether<br />
your ability is going to be enough.<br />
There are so many good players<br />
around now and we can’t all be Phil<br />
8 9<br />
KEvIN pAINTEr | INTERvIEW<br />
Taylor. He’s a different animal to the<br />
rest of us and while he’s around you<br />
are always going to need to have<br />
luck on your side.<br />
“In the past I’ve been accused<br />
of trying too hard but I don’t agree.<br />
How can you try too hard? I’m<br />
trying to win and I would never give<br />
up in any game. I wear my heart on<br />
my sleeve and I always have done.<br />
It is natural for me to play with<br />
aggression. That’s my game. I’m<br />
passionate and I want to win every<br />
time I play.”<br />
So where does Painter go from<br />
here? He is in the World’s top ten,<br />
has sealed a place in the McCoy’s<br />
Premier League, and has fi nally<br />
won a major title. What next for the<br />
Artist, now that he has succeeded?<br />
For the 44-year old it’s simple.<br />
Even when you do succeed, try and<br />
try again. “It’s all about doing it<br />
again now,” he added. “I want to<br />
keep playing the best I can and try<br />
and do it again. If it doesn’t happen<br />
again then so be it, I’ve done it<br />
once and while I don’t just want<br />
to sit back and say “I’ve won one,<br />
that’s it for me thanks”, but in reality<br />
nobody knows what they are going<br />
to win in the future. I just want to<br />
keep playing well and see what<br />
more I can achieve.” •<br />
BY CHRIS mURPHY
FEATURE | DArTS IN ThE USA<br />
—<br />
THE<br />
RENAISSANCE<br />
OF DARTS<br />
IN THE<br />
NEW WORLD<br />
—<br />
Until one day, a small group of thinkers<br />
began to ask questions, sparking an<br />
interest in Science and Art. The printing<br />
press was invented, revolutionising<br />
<strong>com</strong>munication and knowledge spread<br />
like fi re. Enlightenment occurred, and<br />
humanity headed into the Modern Age.<br />
I can claim to be a history teacher,<br />
because I was. I cannot claim to be a darts<br />
historian, because I’m not.<br />
In fact, I’m simply an average American<br />
steel tip player who discovered darts in<br />
2005. But, I do have an unusual love for<br />
the sport, so I try to learn from people that<br />
have lived through the history of darts. I<br />
also promote the sport through writing<br />
and photography, and I love to travel,<br />
seeking and spreading darts at home and<br />
abroad. I have a broad perspective on darts<br />
around the world and the past, present and<br />
potential future of the sport. In my opinion,<br />
after years of stunted growth, darts in the<br />
United States is poised to rise again.<br />
For ten centuries, the Old World was plunged into<br />
the Dark Ages. great empires fell, broke apart and<br />
<strong>com</strong>munication was blocked. vital knowledge died in a<br />
plague of ignorance. All advancement stopped, as small<br />
villages struggled to survive and the people suffered,<br />
unaware of a better existence.<br />
John part<br />
THE PAST<br />
For a generation, darts in the New World<br />
was in the Dark Ages. Twenty years ago,<br />
popularity began to decline in the United<br />
States. Leagues, tournaments, purses,<br />
sponsorships, and spectators slowly began<br />
to fade. Perhaps the image of darts became<br />
stigmatised. Perhaps the sport became<br />
divided. Perhaps it was the sheer size of<br />
North America. Perhaps the simple answer<br />
is: money.<br />
Of course, over<br />
that same period,<br />
Canada maintained<br />
a healthy national<br />
darts <strong>com</strong>munity.<br />
They produced<br />
three times world<br />
champion, John<br />
Part, who holds<br />
one BDO and two<br />
PDC titles, and<br />
Canada’s national<br />
10 11<br />
DArTS IN ThE USA | FEATURE<br />
team always contends for the WDF World<br />
Cup. They have strong organisations, large<br />
tournaments, popular city leagues, and<br />
youth programs from British Columbia to<br />
Newfoundland. Nonetheless, as cultural<br />
neighbours, they too feel the burden of<br />
the American decline. Patiently, they wait,<br />
watch, and want darts in the United States<br />
to return to glory.<br />
In the early 1980s, top American players,<br />
like John Kramer, were able to challenge<br />
Britain’s legends like Jocky Wilson, John<br />
Lowe, and Eric Bristow at events like the<br />
North American Open <strong>Darts</strong> Championship.<br />
The US won the team event over host<br />
Australia at the WDF World Cup V after a<br />
stunning 9-0 semi fi nal upset over England’s<br />
Eric Bristow, John Lowe, Cliff Lazarenko,<br />
and Bob Anderson.<br />
Larry Butler<br />
In the early 1990s,<br />
Larry Butler defeated<br />
Dennis Priestley at<br />
the fi rst PDC World<br />
Matchplay in 1994,<br />
paul Lim<br />
the only American<br />
to win a European<br />
major. And, the legendary and current soft<br />
tip world champion Paul Lim represented<br />
the US briefl y back then. Via the American<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> Organization, the BDO has continually<br />
supported US darts. More than once,<br />
the PDC attempted to ignite darts in the<br />
USA. Regardless, the popularity of darts<br />
continued to stagnate in the USA until the<br />
mid 2000s.<br />
In 2005, when I joined the darts world,<br />
I soon learned about how things used to<br />
be; huge leagues, packed tournaments,<br />
and attractive prize money. I wondered why<br />
it changed, but I knew that history could<br />
repeat. Out of love for the game and the
FEATURE | DArTS IN ThE USA<br />
way it brings people together, I wanted to<br />
be part of the rebirth of darts in America.<br />
THE PRESENT<br />
Just like the printing press, the internet<br />
has profoundly improved <strong>com</strong>munication<br />
and interaction in North America’s darts<br />
<strong>com</strong>munity. Today, a small group of thinkers<br />
from the US and Canada are fi nally turning<br />
ideas into action, hoping to educate,<br />
enlighten, and inspire the masses, challenge<br />
the status quo, improve incentives and<br />
<strong>com</strong>petitive levels, increase entertainment<br />
value, and spark the love of darts again.<br />
Outside the country, other darting<br />
nations wonder, “What’s happening in<br />
the United States?” I can tell you what<br />
most players tell me and what I see; it’s<br />
disorganised and divided like medieval<br />
kingdoms.<br />
Despite due appreciation for decades of<br />
national leadership and effort, the American<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> Organisation has be<strong>com</strong>e a topic of<br />
frustration for many. Top players want better<br />
<strong>com</strong>munication, organisation, and changes<br />
to formats and ranking systems, that will<br />
enable them to play professionally and<br />
prepare them to challenge the best talent in<br />
Europe.<br />
Prize money is the main incentive, which<br />
means we must build the fan base, rebuild<br />
the leagues, and attract major sponsors.<br />
The worlds of soft and steel have grown<br />
into distinctly different branches, yet both<br />
continue to plod along without substantial<br />
change or growth in twenty years. And,<br />
sadly, the vast majority of typical American<br />
players know as little about the wide world<br />
of darts as the world knows about them.<br />
It’s baffl ing to fi nd people that love darts<br />
yet ask,”Phil Taylor who?”<br />
But, that’s where science has brought<br />
a cure for the epidemic of darts ignorance<br />
in North America. More than ever, people<br />
can learn about, discuss, and enjoy the<br />
modern sport and its history through the<br />
internet. Grassroots promoters, leagues,<br />
and darts organizations have learned<br />
to <strong>com</strong>municate and promote action<br />
through websites, blogs, and forums.<br />
Social networks have exploded with darts<br />
discussion groups with ever increasing<br />
connectivity and participation. New pro<br />
development leagues and sanctioning<br />
bodies are marketing themselves online,<br />
experimenting with improvements until a<br />
brighter future for American darts is found.<br />
And, creative new broadcasting efforts are<br />
upping the entertainment value for fans<br />
and players, building spectatorship and<br />
participation.<br />
Team USA<br />
One interesting development in<br />
North America is the creation of new pro<br />
development leagues that attempt to<br />
meet the needs of the top talent: higher<br />
<strong>com</strong>petition, longer singles formats, and<br />
bigger payouts. One story of success is<br />
the DartProLeague, an online association<br />
that lets players <strong>com</strong>pete from home<br />
via webcams; an affordable form of<br />
<strong>com</strong>petition that has expanded globally.<br />
But, more recently,<br />
real tours and new<br />
sanctioning bodies<br />
have been formed<br />
to challenge the<br />
traditional ADO<br />
schedule, format,<br />
and ranking systems.<br />
Most notable are<br />
Major League <strong>Darts</strong>,<br />
Dart Players New York, Pro Development<br />
Singles League, and North American<br />
Dart Players Association. While MLD has<br />
grown the fastest, including local and<br />
major events in the US and Canada, they<br />
American players know as<br />
little about the wide world<br />
of darts as the world knows<br />
about them. It’s baffl ing to<br />
fi nd people that love darts yet<br />
ask,”Phil Taylor who?”<br />
John & Evan of DATW<br />
all share a <strong>com</strong>mon goal to improve darts<br />
in North America, often <strong>com</strong>municating,<br />
coordinating, and cooperating together for<br />
the <strong>com</strong>mon good.<br />
The second intriguing development<br />
involves technology and the innovative<br />
new ways to follow the sport. In the<br />
past, insatiable fans in the US could only<br />
read about darts in forums and blogs or<br />
see snippets of uploaded video. Now,<br />
online streaming has made it possible for<br />
North Americans to watch events they<br />
otherwise couldn’t see on television. And,<br />
podcasting is bringing darts broadcasting<br />
to life. Two fi ne examples, Dart Talk and<br />
Bull Shot, are online shows whose main<br />
focus is darts in North America. A third<br />
example, and perhaps most ambitious,<br />
is <strong>Darts</strong> Around The World, along with<br />
its vast content and social network, <strong>Darts</strong><br />
Underground. Since the fall of 2010, DATW<br />
has interviewed world champions, pros,<br />
players, and darts people around the<br />
globe. They’ve also remotely broadcast<br />
from major events, including the World<br />
Cup, John Lowe’s Exhibition Tour, and the<br />
Fleetwood Memorial Las Vegas Open.<br />
12 13<br />
<strong>Darts</strong>live<br />
DArTS IN ThE USA | FEATURE<br />
Now, online streaming has made<br />
it possible for North Americans<br />
to watch events they otherwise<br />
couldn’t see on television<br />
In an entertaining and artful way, DATW<br />
continues to draw fans to the sport,<br />
promoting darts in North America and<br />
worldwide.<br />
A third infl uential development has<br />
entered the US from Asia: DARTSLIVE.<br />
This new soft tip organisation has already<br />
captured a market of millions in China,<br />
Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.<br />
The machines have integrated the powers<br />
of the internet with the most modern<br />
electronic darts technology. Players’ cards<br />
insert into machines to record statistics<br />
and player information that can be viewed<br />
live via <strong>com</strong>puters, pads, phones and any<br />
gadget that gets online. If DARTSLIVE<br />
captures the US soft tip market, there is<br />
no doubt that darts in America will see<br />
explosive growth.<br />
THE FUTURE<br />
In my opinion, these developments will be<br />
three of the driving forces in North America.<br />
At the moment, things are still confused,<br />
but more and more people join the<br />
conversation each day. With <strong>com</strong>munication<br />
<strong>com</strong>es knowledge, new ideas and action.<br />
The fi nal key will be cooperation because<br />
just like the game itself there is strength<br />
in numbers. The Renaissance of <strong>Darts</strong><br />
in the New World has begun, and the<br />
ramifi cations could be global.<br />
THORN’S FINAL THOUgHT<br />
There’s more to the New World of<br />
darts than North America. I have been<br />
to countries in Central America, the<br />
Caribbean, and South America – like<br />
Barbados, Costa Rica, Trinidad and<br />
Tobago, and Brazil. These nations and<br />
others around the Earth are ready to<br />
be part of the Renaissance as well.<br />
They will be the stars of Thorn Reports to<br />
<strong>com</strong>e, exclusively written for <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong>.<br />
Over and double out.
NEWS<br />
Wel<strong>com</strong>e to<br />
the PDc<br />
PromiseD<br />
lanD!<br />
14<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong>’ Krispy Brown grabs some<br />
of Dean Winstanley’s time to talk about<br />
his Q School experience, and his move<br />
to the PDC this year…<br />
Dean, let’s start by<br />
congratulating you on<br />
winning a tour card<br />
for this year’s PDC<br />
season. How did you find it?<br />
I found the tour school very hard<br />
but very good as the standard was<br />
amazing; I had to be on my game<br />
from the words “game on”.<br />
So the opposition was better than you<br />
were expecting?<br />
Yes! It took three days as<br />
the standard was so high, but I<br />
persevered and got there in the end.<br />
So what made you decide to switch<br />
codes this year?<br />
I’d had three happy years in the<br />
BDO, and learnt a lot as be<strong>com</strong>ing<br />
world number 1, and holding that<br />
position for a long time was a great<br />
feeling, as was being runner up in<br />
two major tournaments. But there<br />
came a time after my last game<br />
at Lakeside where I had to try and<br />
change my life and my family’s life,<br />
so I made the decision to strike while<br />
the iron’s hot and have a go!<br />
The BDO tour always seems to be quite<br />
close knit, who will you miss most now<br />
you won’t be part of it?<br />
I will miss a few people in the<br />
BDO but as I say we still keep in<br />
touch, and you never know we<br />
can still meet up and win the odd<br />
doubles <strong>com</strong>p on the BDO... before<br />
they stop PDC players playing all<br />
together!<br />
Your partner Lorraine Farlam obviously is<br />
still a big name in the BDO Ladies darts<br />
scene – what’s it like being a ‘darts<br />
couple’?<br />
Being a darts couple is amazing<br />
as a lot of people class us as the<br />
most successful couple in darts.<br />
Lorraine is at the top of her game<br />
now which is cool, so I’m looking<br />
forward to Lakeside next year to<br />
watch. Hmm, I wonder who will talk<br />
to me? (He laughs). On that note I<br />
would like to thank Robert Holmes,<br />
the BDO PR man, for being great<br />
promoting Lorraine and myself.<br />
So do you feel more nervous playing or<br />
watching Lorraine?<br />
As for watching Lorraine yes<br />
I feel more nervous than playing!<br />
I get 100% involved shouting her<br />
on and she does take note. If I think<br />
she’s doing something different I do<br />
hand signals and she gets back in<br />
the zone.<br />
Did Lorraine have any misgivings about<br />
you moving to the PDC and therefore not<br />
being at the same events anymore?<br />
We spoke about the switch<br />
before I made the decision, and yes<br />
there was tears, and differences in<br />
opinion, but it’s what I had to do<br />
and we worked it out. I still drive her<br />
abroad if I’m free and support her<br />
like she supports me.<br />
You’ve played in your first couple of PDC<br />
pro tour events, have you noticed any<br />
differences in the set-up?<br />
I won’t belittle the BDO’s setup<br />
as it’s worked for me the last three<br />
years, but the first two PDC <strong>com</strong>ps<br />
have been great, best of 11 gives<br />
me that extra help if needed as not<br />
best of 5 anymore. Also the officials<br />
are great; you have one chance<br />
in your game, and if you make a<br />
mistake you’re out. It’s very strict<br />
and I like that, and as for the boards<br />
they’re great as you have plenty of<br />
room.<br />
15<br />
DEAN WINSTANLEY | PLAYER PROFILE<br />
I know some players take some time<br />
to settle, feeling like an outsider or<br />
new boy?<br />
I don’t feel an outsider at all, I<br />
speak to all the players and most<br />
have congratulated me on moving<br />
over, also given me tips which is<br />
great. I feel at home and I’ve settled<br />
in all ready, I think had some great<br />
games with some great players.<br />
‘There came a time after my last<br />
game at Lakeside where I had<br />
to try and change my life and<br />
my family’s life’<br />
You’ve already signed with a new<br />
management team, why was it you felt<br />
you needed to do that at this point in<br />
time?<br />
I got offered a few paths to<br />
choose, some better than others but<br />
in my own head it’s not just the best<br />
money deal to take all the time, it’s<br />
the foundations of the management<br />
side what helps me along the<br />
way. After speaking to Justin for<br />
over an hour, we were like an old<br />
married couple and have a great<br />
family behind us which we want to<br />
support. JP’s a great guy and we get<br />
on well, so I’d like to thank Matt and<br />
Clifton for giving me this path in my<br />
PDC career.<br />
You’ve obviously not lacking talent,<br />
but you are infamous for your dodgy<br />
counting, is that a fair reputation?<br />
(He laughs) Yes I believe I can<br />
throw a dart as good as the next<br />
person, and yes my counting’s been<br />
rather dodgy in the BDO, which<br />
I find strange as I never made a<br />
mistake in the Grand Slam. But in<br />
Con’t p26
PLAYER PROFILE | DEAN WINSTANLEY<br />
School<br />
for<br />
Beginners<br />
Just a few years ago all it<br />
took to play in the PDC was<br />
some bottle, some darts talent,<br />
and a few quid in your pocket<br />
to pay for the entry fees. If you<br />
had the dosh to spare (£200 a<br />
weekend entry fees), you could<br />
take on the big boys whatever<br />
your standard, be it pub, club, or<br />
even my terrible standard!<br />
Benidorm I made one against Chizzy,<br />
but don’t tell anyone (he laughs). I<br />
think the best of 11 format gives me<br />
more time to relax and get it right. If<br />
I make a mistake now I should be OK<br />
as my power scoring gives me that<br />
gap to rectify it… well some times<br />
(ha-ha).<br />
Have you set yourself any targets for<br />
this and next year?<br />
My targets were as follows in the<br />
BDO; I said to my dad (who is my<br />
hero in darts apart from Eric Bristow);<br />
“Dad, I will make Lakeside in three<br />
years and world number 1 in fi ve. I<br />
did it all in my fi rst full season which<br />
was amazing achievement!<br />
So the PDC target is try and reach<br />
top 32 in my fi rst year, and the top<br />
16 the following year. I know it’s<br />
really hard but I’m determined.<br />
You won through your group stage at<br />
last year’s grand Slam, how did you fi nd<br />
playing in front of a PDC crowd? Are you<br />
looking forward to any specifi c venues<br />
or tournaments?<br />
Then a couple of years ago<br />
someone at the PDC realised that<br />
if they were going to back-up the<br />
claim that they were the ‘Elite<br />
darts organisation’, they probably<br />
needed to restrict the fi eld based<br />
on talent as well as the ability<br />
to pay their entry fees. Thus<br />
the ‘Qualifying school’ was<br />
created, although the name is a<br />
little confusing; “School of hard<br />
knocks” could probably describe<br />
it better seeing how hard it is<br />
to win through, what with the<br />
quality on show!<br />
Over 220 hopefuls <strong>com</strong>peted<br />
in four knock-out tournaments<br />
this year, hoping to take part<br />
in the 2012 PDC season. From<br />
quality pub players, through BDO<br />
County players, a smattering<br />
of the ‘big names’ in the BDO<br />
hoping to swap codes, and last<br />
year’s PDC members who didn’t<br />
make an automatic tour card.<br />
16<br />
I’d have to say the crowd was<br />
amazing at the Grand Slam. As<br />
an ex-BDO player them crowds<br />
were similar to our fl oor games so<br />
the noise didn’t bother me, but to<br />
hear a few hundred people shout<br />
‘Deano’ against the PDC players was<br />
amazing, and I felt at home right<br />
then. As for the other venues, well<br />
if I can make all the TV stages I’ve<br />
done something right and I’ll be<br />
smiling!<br />
Finally, are there any players you’re<br />
looking forward to testing yourself again<br />
now you have a whole new organisation<br />
to pit yourself against?<br />
Ha-ha, well I’ve played a few all<br />
ready, but I think whoever I get I’ll<br />
look forward to playing them as I’m<br />
sure they know I’m no push over, so<br />
it’s like the old saying; “Don’t poke<br />
the fi re if you can’t stand the heat”.•<br />
Thanks Dean and good luck mate.<br />
In the end forty lucky souls<br />
came through some really tough<br />
battles to claim their well-earned<br />
‘tour cards’, which enable them<br />
to play in any PDC Pro Tour event<br />
they wish, and hopefully win their<br />
way through into the TV events.<br />
Just to show how high the<br />
standard was, big names such as<br />
Peter Manley and Chris Mason<br />
failed to win through!<br />
PDC Director Rod Harrington<br />
said; “The tournaments have<br />
been a huge success and it<br />
bodes well for the future of the<br />
sport at the top level to see so<br />
many quality players winning<br />
Tour Cards.<br />
“With £5 million of prize<br />
money to play for this year, the<br />
standard of <strong>com</strong>petition will be<br />
higher than ever and I’m sure<br />
we’ll see many of these Tour<br />
Card winners in front of the TV<br />
cameras soon.”<br />
C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
CM<br />
MY<br />
CY<br />
CMY<br />
K<br />
17<br />
NEWS
FEATURE | oLYmpIc DrEAmS<br />
FIvE RINgS<br />
AND<br />
ONE BOARD<br />
—<br />
LIvINg ThE DArTINg<br />
oLYmpIc DrEAm<br />
BY JUSTIN IRWIN<br />
With Olympic anticipation building fast throughout<br />
the UK, many darts fans will be looking on with<br />
more than a touch of jealousy. For a short while<br />
after London was chosen to host the games of the<br />
XXX Olympiad, there was genuine hope that darts<br />
would make an appearance, albeit as a demonstration sport. After<br />
all, special dispensation had been granted at Beijing 2008 for a<br />
traditional sport, and if the Chinese can show off their Wushu,<br />
what’s to stop London chucking a few ‘arrers’?<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> at the Olympics, really? Raymond Van<br />
Barneveld carrying the Dutch flag proudly<br />
at the opening ceremony? A teary Phil ‘The<br />
Power’ taking his place on the winner’s<br />
podium? Shouts of “USA, USA” as Stacey<br />
Bromberg seals victory over Anastasia<br />
Dobromyslova, tabloid journalists revelling<br />
in an opportunity to return to the headlines<br />
of the Cold War?<br />
ONE mAN’S DREAm<br />
Unlikely as it may seem, darts as an Olympic<br />
sport is not that far-fetched. The British<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> Organisation (BDO) is fully behind<br />
the idea, members of the International<br />
Olympics Committee (IOC) have attended<br />
the Lakeside championship in the past, and<br />
one man in the UK in particular continues<br />
to live the Olympic dream – Sir Bob<br />
Russell, elected Member of Parliament for<br />
Colchester in Essex.<br />
When it <strong>com</strong>es to darts, Russell is a<br />
man to be listened to. Following a chance<br />
meeting with Bobby George, Russell<br />
18 19<br />
oLYmpIc DrEAmS | FEATURE<br />
spent years trying to persuade the UK<br />
government and sports councils that<br />
darts should be classified as a sport. With<br />
assistance from a BDO-run campaign, and<br />
just months after the Professional <strong>Darts</strong><br />
Corporation (PDC) put on an exhibition<br />
for MP’s in the Houses of Parliament,<br />
<strong>com</strong>petitive darts formally vacated the pub<br />
in June 2005, be<strong>com</strong>ing<br />
a fully-fledged sport in the UK.<br />
Now Russell wants to secure a spot for<br />
darts in the Olympics: “The darts world<br />
in the UK seems to think that now we’re<br />
recognised as a sport, that’s it,” he recently<br />
told The Wrong Bed darts podcast. “That<br />
is a very important step along the road…<br />
but if you want darts to be taken seriously<br />
around the world, the home of darts has<br />
got to up its game – and you can’t get any<br />
higher than the Olympic Games.”<br />
Rio 2016 is already out of the question,<br />
but Russell is looking ahead to 2020 and<br />
beyond. To start with, Sir Bob has asked the<br />
BDO and PDC to put aside any differences<br />
and join him at the Houses of Parliament<br />
during London 2012 for an exhibition for<br />
sporting dignitaries from around the world.<br />
He wants to ‘sow the seed’ for future years,<br />
and, knowing Bob Russell, he probably will.<br />
So what’s the likelihood that his<br />
campaign will succeed? Having added golf<br />
and rugby sevens to the 2016 schedule,<br />
the IOC has declared that in future new<br />
sports can only be replacements, and<br />
Con’t p21
DARTSZONE<br />
NEWS<br />
38<br />
20<br />
Would ‘The count’<br />
represent Transylvania<br />
in the olympics?!<br />
Will we see ‘Wolfie’ against ‘Jackpot’ in 2016?<br />
not additions. Once the<br />
snobbery blinkers are<br />
removed, darts could justify<br />
a place on skill required –<br />
the game certainly requires<br />
no less dexterity than<br />
archery or pistol shooting,<br />
and the fact that darters are<br />
required to vary their aim gives it a fair case<br />
for claiming more skill than these Olympic<br />
sports.<br />
mEDALS IN THE BAg?<br />
Yet even if the sporting argument is won,<br />
a much greater barrier exists. Typically,<br />
the Brits create a sport and then teach the<br />
world how to win at it. In darts, the British,<br />
and specifically the English, are simply too<br />
good.<br />
Although both men’s and women’s<br />
events at the Lakeside tournament earlier<br />
this year were, for the first time, won by<br />
players from outside the UK, nearly twothirds<br />
of the male <strong>com</strong>petitors were English,<br />
and only 1 (Belgium’s Geert De Vos) was not<br />
from either the UK or the Netherlands. At<br />
the PDC, 21 of the current top 32 players<br />
are English, and just three players in the top<br />
50 <strong>com</strong>e from outside Europe (one of whom<br />
is the Geordie-Australian Paul Nicholson).<br />
In the last year each code has held a<br />
World Cup – both won by England. The<br />
World <strong>Darts</strong> Federation/BDO version<br />
has been running biennially since the<br />
late 1970s, but has only ever seen three<br />
winners, England, Wales and Holland; the<br />
2011 event was the least <strong>com</strong>petitive of all,<br />
with England taking a home a record 7 of<br />
the 8 available trophies.<br />
Although played throughout the world,<br />
steel tip darts is so focussed on Europe<br />
and particularly the United Kingdom that<br />
it remains extremely difficult for non-<br />
Europeans to break through. There’s little<br />
doubt that there are enough talented<br />
players outside of Europe to challenge the<br />
status quo, but for as long as ‘making it’ at<br />
the PDC or BDO realistically necessitates<br />
living in northern Europe, there are few<br />
non-Europeans who will be in a position to<br />
take that darting leap of faith.<br />
The creation of a World Cup,<br />
alongside additional overseas players<br />
in the preliminary rounds at the World<br />
Championship, are two positive steps<br />
taken by the PDC in an attempt to broaden<br />
their worldwide audience. However until<br />
darts’ administrators take the brave step<br />
of shifting the centre of the sport a little<br />
further away from its’ birthplace – ultimately<br />
moving major tournaments out of northern<br />
Europe – professional darts players will<br />
remain a British (and Dutch) quirk.<br />
As for the IOC, well whilst Britannia and<br />
England in particular, rule the oche, Adrian<br />
Lewis’ chances of winning an Olympic<br />
medal remain about as likely as Eric Bristow<br />
bringing home gold in Wushu. <strong>Darts</strong> in<br />
the Olympics will remain Sir Bob Russell’s<br />
fantasy, but if it is one that helps to spread<br />
the sport further around the world, then it’s<br />
a dream worth living. •<br />
—<br />
‘If you Want DartS to Be taKen<br />
SerIouSly arounD the WorlD, the<br />
home of DartS haS got to uP ItS<br />
game – anD you Can’t get any<br />
hIgher than the olymPIC gameS.’<br />
—<br />
21<br />
oLYmpIc DrEAmS | FEATURE
NEWS<br />
www.harrowsdarts.<strong>com</strong><br />
www harrowsdarts<strong>com</strong><br />
22<br />
In association with<br />
By RUSSELL ROEBUCK<br />
NEWS<br />
It’s that time of year again, April showers,<br />
Easter eggs and the start of the PDC Youth Tour!<br />
It all kicks off in Derby this year as the PDC<br />
continue their <strong>com</strong>mitment to developing the<br />
stars of tomorrow. Players, 14 and over can enter,<br />
as the PDC proceeds to build a youth policy<br />
structure not unlike a football club without a<br />
sugar daddy.<br />
23
FUTURE STARS | YoUNg gUNS mIKE ‘BULLY’ SmITh | FUTURE STARS<br />
T<br />
he 2nd season of the youth<br />
tour offers young players seven<br />
weekends of darts, fi ve in the UK<br />
and two overseas to be held in<br />
Germany and Holland. The inclusion of<br />
European venues (mirroring the main tour)<br />
is a smart move as the game continues to<br />
develop overseas.<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> has ever increasing participation<br />
levels but perhaps most importantly a fan<br />
base that seems to grow by thousands each<br />
year. Increasing popularity has attracted<br />
extensive TV coverage and the game<br />
has now developed into a marketable,<br />
promotional product that provides exciting<br />
global TV entertainment. Like any sport,<br />
excitement is created when a new face or<br />
young superstar begins to make headline<br />
news and youngsters all over the country<br />
are now realising that darts could actually<br />
provide a career rather than a hobby.<br />
The pro-activity of the PDC is now<br />
evident, marketing young players with<br />
nicknames, up to date walk on music,<br />
promos and the creation of a fi nancially<br />
rewarding youth tour. The reliance on<br />
plundering the best of the BDO talent pool<br />
may soon be<strong>com</strong>e a thing of the past.<br />
For young darting talent, the youth<br />
tour is already evolving into a <strong>com</strong>petitive<br />
environment to learn the professional game<br />
and even has an order of merit ranking<br />
table! Players have the added bonus of<br />
being able to participate in main tour<br />
events and open qualifi ers dependent on<br />
membership/tour card status.<br />
2012 seen many young players enter the<br />
Q School in the hope of also gaining a main<br />
tour card. This season any player out with<br />
the top 64 or holding a current tour card<br />
has seen their rolling prize money reset for<br />
ranking purposes (even players regaining<br />
their tour cards through successful Q School<br />
entry have been reset). The successful<br />
young card winners are now in an enviable<br />
position with everyone starting from a level<br />
playing fi eld this year vying to push up the<br />
rankings. •<br />
—<br />
‘DartS haS ever InCreaSIng PartICIPatIon<br />
levelS But PerhaPS moSt ImPortantly<br />
a fan BaSe that SeemS to groW By<br />
thouSanDS eaCh year. InCreaSIng<br />
PoPularIty haS attraCteD eXtenSIve<br />
tv Coverage anD the game haS<br />
noW DeveloPeD Into a marKetaBle,<br />
PromotIonal ProDuCt that ProvIDeS<br />
eXCItIng gloBal tv entertaInment. ’<br />
—<br />
✮ FUTURE STARS ✮<br />
Over the <strong>com</strong>ing months I will be revealing future stars and begin<br />
with an exclusive insight from rising star Mike ”Bully” Smith<br />
ranked 47th in the World. Mike is a great example of a young<br />
player making the step up from youth to main tour with 2 senior<br />
fl oor tournament wins to date...<br />
ID: You played the Youth Tour last year, how did it improve<br />
your game?<br />
MS: Due to the standard of the main tour you can<br />
sometimes be eliminated in the fi rst /second round,<br />
I did well on the youth tour, facing more opponents<br />
and regularly reaching the latter stages. This was really<br />
benefi cial as it provided good <strong>com</strong>petitive match<br />
practice.<br />
ID: Were any of your YT games<br />
harder than the main tour?<br />
MS: Most defi nitely, all the<br />
young guys are looking to<br />
prove themselves and are<br />
hungry to get to the fi nals, the<br />
rivalry is friendly but pretty<br />
fi erce!<br />
ID: Who were your most diffi cult<br />
opponents?<br />
MS: Mike Van Gerwen is<br />
dangerous, he’s beaten<br />
me four out of our last last fi fi ve<br />
games.<br />
Arron Arron<br />
Monk is tough tough to beat<br />
but I have won my last three three<br />
against him!<br />
ID: What is the strongest aspect<br />
of your game?<br />
MS: Scoring, I hit a a lot lot of 180s,<br />
I’m working on my my doubles,<br />
I was gutted at my fi nishing<br />
in the World Championships<br />
just past, although I was really<br />
happy to hit a 9 darter in the<br />
youth event at Barnsley, setting<br />
a new 3 dart average of 132!<br />
(Mike received the Silver Pin<br />
badge badge at at the the PDC PDC 2012 awards awards as as<br />
recognition of his<br />
non-televised 9-darter)<br />
ID: When did you start playing darts?<br />
MS: I began throwing at 15 for my dad’s pub team in<br />
St. Helens. I loved it and was soon vice captain, I then<br />
entered the BDO Youth Welsh Classic which I won and<br />
reached the Winmau Youth fi nal.<br />
ID: Did you consider giving the BDO circuit a try?<br />
MS: To be honest no, for my two tournament successes<br />
all I received was a set of brass darts and a plaque. I see<br />
the PDC as a chance to start a career; I’m currently a fulltime<br />
professional. I also wanted to test myself against<br />
the best players.<br />
24 25<br />
ID: Brave but ambitious decision! What diffi culties have you<br />
encountered?<br />
MS: With not having a day job, tournament success,<br />
earnings and sponsorship are vital, I’ve been lucky and<br />
am sponsored by Haydock Park and backed by Gary<br />
Anderson. Sponsorship is hard to <strong>com</strong>e by in tough<br />
economic times.<br />
ID: How did the relationship with<br />
gary materialise?<br />
MS: Gary stayed behind as a<br />
spectator at a youth event, he<br />
approached me directly offering<br />
to be<strong>com</strong>e my manager. At<br />
the time I was on my last PDPA<br />
warning, since joining Gary he<br />
has ensured I’m on the right track<br />
and in a good routine. I practice<br />
3-5 hours on my own then an<br />
hour with<br />
I'M NOT A BULLY!<br />
various<br />
opponents. Gary’s Gary’s great.<br />
He calls me almost daily,<br />
offering support and guidance.<br />
We have yet to meet in<br />
<strong>com</strong>petitive <strong>com</strong>petitive action, I reckon<br />
I’ll trounce him 6-0 he reckons<br />
I’ll be lucky to win a leg!<br />
(He laughs)<br />
ID: What advice would you give a<br />
new youth tour player? player?<br />
MS: Don’t go to tournaments over confi dent, I have<br />
done it myself after winning local games easily and then<br />
underestimating an opponent in <strong>com</strong>petition. If you get<br />
defeated don’t take it to heart, practice hard as there’s<br />
lots of good players emerging.<br />
ID: Finally, what are your goals this year?<br />
MS: I’d like to break into the World top 40, make more<br />
TV appearances and qualify for the World Championship<br />
again.<br />
ID: Thanks mike, <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong> wishes you good luck in 2012<br />
and looks forward to reporting your successes throughout the<br />
year ahead.
FEATURE | ThE gErmANS ArE <strong>com</strong>INg!<br />
ThE<br />
gErmANS<br />
ArE <strong>com</strong>INg!<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> is a very popular sport in germany, and today the country<br />
has replaced the netherlands as the second most important country<br />
after england. It makes you wonder, how the sport became so<br />
popular in germany and if the recent growth is <strong>com</strong>parable<br />
to the popularity of darts in the netherlands in the late 90s.<br />
BY ANgELA DEr hEES<br />
26<br />
T<br />
here are many differences<br />
between the Netherlands<br />
and Germany when it <strong>com</strong>es<br />
to darts. When Raymond van<br />
Barneveld became the first Dutch World<br />
Champion in 1998, it was a turning point.<br />
From that time, darts became incredibly<br />
popular. Tournaments and television<br />
coverage lifted the sport to another level.<br />
The Netherlands needed a figure head, a<br />
World Champion to drive the sport and the<br />
growing audience.<br />
It’s a different story in Germany as<br />
they don’t have a World Champion yet.<br />
Although, that’s not entirely true. Germany’s<br />
Michael Rosenauer is a bit like the ‘Phil<br />
Taylor’ of Soft Tip darts.<br />
Rosi is a three times World Soft Tip<br />
Champion and he is a legend in Germany<br />
27<br />
NEWS<br />
for all his Soft Tip titles, but most of all<br />
because he was the first player to be<br />
successful in both Soft Tip and Tungsten.<br />
However, did Rosi attract the large<br />
crowds to tournaments in Germany like<br />
Barney did in The Netherlands? The answer<br />
is plain and simple no! Apparently, Germany<br />
does not need a World Champion to attract<br />
big crowds to its ‘Houses of <strong>Darts</strong>’.<br />
In the Netherlands, it started with a<br />
World Champion, a small organisation<br />
and tournaments. A certain crowd culture<br />
was already present, before the big Dutch<br />
names switched to the PDC. Visiting a darts<br />
tournament was a family event where you<br />
could get close to players meet friends and<br />
basically have a lot of fun. Familiar faces<br />
and a cosy atmosphere meant it was quite a<br />
laid back affair.<br />
Con’t p28
FEATURE | ThE gErmANS ArE <strong>com</strong>INg!<br />
—<br />
‘SInCe 2007, DartS haS BeCome more PoPular<br />
every year anD after the IntroDuCtIon<br />
of the euroPean orDer of merIt In 2009<br />
the SPort DeveloPeD to greater heIghtS.’<br />
—<br />
Suddenly, in 2006 and 2007 it all<br />
changed. New faces attended to the<br />
tournaments and the Dutch viewers were<br />
introduced to the PDC, a new era, different<br />
culture. Major tournaments like the WDT<br />
and IDL stopped after 2007 and there<br />
was no strong organisation to replace<br />
it with other major tournaments, linked<br />
to the PDC. There is still a PDC Players<br />
Championships in Holland, but they are not<br />
as popular as the Players Championships<br />
in Germany. The Dutch crowd did not shift<br />
towards the PDC culture and these events<br />
are far from sold out.<br />
In Germany darts developed in<br />
<strong>com</strong>pletely the opposite direction. There<br />
was no history with major tournaments,<br />
World Champions like Raymond van<br />
Barneveld or Jelle Klaasen, and above all,<br />
there was a different crowd culture from the<br />
beginning.<br />
Germany has a clean slate when it <strong>com</strong>es<br />
to major tournaments, and it all started with<br />
one important ingredient: development.<br />
The GDC, later known as PDC Europe<br />
made a smart move to cooperate with the<br />
PDC and brought darts to Germany in 2007<br />
with a partially televised major and a Players<br />
Championship. From the beginning, it was<br />
about the darts and the participation of the<br />
crowd. The crowd developed within the<br />
culture of the organisation.<br />
Since 2007, darts has be<strong>com</strong>e<br />
more popular every year and after the<br />
introduction of the European Order of Merit<br />
in 2009 the sport developed to greater<br />
heights.<br />
The European Order of Merit gave<br />
German players a better chance to <strong>com</strong>pete<br />
in the PDC World <strong>Darts</strong> Championship and<br />
PDC European Championship and with this<br />
players like Andree Welge, Jyhan Artut and<br />
Bernd Roith have <strong>com</strong>e through and added<br />
an extra dimension to the popularity of<br />
darts in Germany.<br />
It is just a matter of time, before one<br />
of the German players picks up a PDC<br />
title. Until that day, the Germans will<br />
continue to enjoy darts without honouring<br />
a German World Champion. That is the<br />
main difference with The Netherlands. A<br />
clean slate, no history, a different culture, no<br />
World Champion, enough room to honour<br />
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FEATURE | ThE gErmANS ArE <strong>com</strong>INg!<br />
—<br />
‘raymonD van BarnevelD WIll alWayS<br />
Stay In the hIStory BooKS aS the<br />
Player Who Won the fIrSt PlayerS<br />
ChamPIonShIP In germany, anD<br />
vInCent van Der voort lIKeS<br />
german SoIl too, WIth a feW tItleS<br />
In hIS PoCKet. ’<br />
—<br />
darts as a sport itself and World Champions<br />
from other countries.<br />
Today, Germany has taken Holland’s<br />
place on the PDC calendar. In 2006 there<br />
were several tournaments on Dutch soil.<br />
Now in 2012 Germany is the place to watch<br />
the ‘big guns’ on the oche.<br />
Germany may have replaced The<br />
Netherlands when it <strong>com</strong>es to tournaments<br />
and the popularity of the crowd, it will<br />
however take a while to replace a small<br />
Dutch army of talented and skilled players.<br />
The Netherlands is still the 2nd country<br />
behind the UK when it <strong>com</strong>es down to<br />
talent and success. Raymond van Barneveld<br />
will always stay in the history books as<br />
the player who won the fi rst Players<br />
Championship in Germany, and Vincent van<br />
der Voort likes German soil too, with a few<br />
titles in his pocket. Co Stompé even beat<br />
Phil Taylor in a fi nal of a German major and<br />
meanwhile we are still waiting for a German<br />
Player to pick up a PDC title. One thing’s for<br />
sure, when that day <strong>com</strong>es it will give darts<br />
in Germany an even bigger boost.<br />
There has always a connection between<br />
the popularity of darts and the rise of<br />
exhibitions in Europe and there lies the<br />
differences between popularity of darts in<br />
Germany today and the popularity of darts<br />
in The Netherlands since the late 90s. Yes,<br />
an exhibition with Phil Taylor or Raymond<br />
van Barneveld will sell in Germany.<br />
However, how about an exhibition with<br />
Kevin Painter or John Part? That’s a<br />
<strong>com</strong>pletely other story.<br />
The fans in Holland fl ocked to see any<br />
top class player play in an exhibition; this<br />
isn’t yet the case in Germany. A player knew<br />
there was and still is money to be made<br />
from exhibitions in the Netherlands.<br />
Germany is going to be a very important<br />
part of <strong>Darts</strong>’ development as a major sport<br />
worldwide but the Netherlands is a part of<br />
darts history and will always be.•<br />
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FEATURE | movErS AND ShAKErS<br />
mOvERS<br />
&<br />
a fresh infl ux of players switched legions to the PDC<br />
following the lakeside World Championship in January,<br />
but will be grass really be greener on the other side?<br />
BY JAmIE ShAW<br />
T<br />
ed Hankey was given a harsh<br />
dose of reality on his fi rst Pro<br />
Tour weekend in Benidorm.<br />
Fresh from his semi-fi nal<br />
appearance at the Lakeside,<br />
the Count fl ew out to sunny Spain to<br />
begin a new chapter of his career as a<br />
PDC player.<br />
With the eyes of the darting world<br />
eagerly tracking his progress over the<br />
weekend, Hankey had a point to prove. He<br />
was dumped out at the preliminary round<br />
on both days, picking up just fi ve legs<br />
in defeats to Matthew Edgar and fellow<br />
new<strong>com</strong>er Dean Winstanley.<br />
He made amends in Crawley a fortnight<br />
later though, earning £600 that could<br />
potentially kick-start his PDC career by<br />
virtually guaranteeing him a spot at this<br />
year’s UK Open.<br />
As the BDO Lakeside World<br />
Championship draws to a close each year,<br />
the traditional rumours begin to circulate as<br />
to which players will up sticks and leave for<br />
the bright lights of the PDC.<br />
In fact the PDC Q School close of entry<br />
date has be<strong>com</strong>e a darts ‘transfer deadline<br />
day’ in its own right.<br />
This year, Hankey led an exodus of no<br />
fewer than seven players, which included<br />
former Lakeside fi nalist Dean Winstanley,<br />
Stuart Kellett and the West brothers – Steve<br />
and Tony.<br />
They have been forced to start from<br />
scratch and must begin from the bottom by<br />
earning enough prize money in fl oor events<br />
to credit a TV appearance.<br />
Competition is fi erce, but the reasoning<br />
behind the switch is clear. The PDC circuit<br />
offers £5million in prize money each year,<br />
‘But with the PDC<br />
wel<strong>com</strong>ing new<br />
arrivals with open<br />
arms and offering<br />
an inviting starting<br />
block, why do some<br />
players decide to<br />
stay put?’<br />
with more televised events than ever<br />
maximising <strong>com</strong>mercial opportunities and<br />
offering players the chance to make a name<br />
for themselves on a worldwide scale.<br />
No doubt the latest movers would have<br />
been buoyed by the success stories of Dave<br />
Chisnall and John Henderson, who made<br />
the switch last year and have held their own<br />
on the tour since.<br />
Chizzy’s progress was evident at Ally<br />
Pally, where he hit the headlines by<br />
32 33<br />
NEWS<br />
thrashing Phil Taylor 4-1, proving a lot can<br />
be achieved in the space of a year.<br />
The move may have backfi red had<br />
they not won through Q School last year,<br />
however their quality shone through as each<br />
successfully earned a tour card.<br />
The same went for this year’s movers,<br />
who all proved their calibre by winning<br />
through a fi eld of more than 200 players in<br />
Barnsley to earn a spot on the PDC tour.<br />
Had they not progressed however, they<br />
may have been forced to return to the BDO<br />
with their tails between their legs.<br />
The PDC put their cards on the table<br />
this year by offering the four Lakeside Semi-<br />
Finalists a two-year Tour Card, enabling<br />
them to <strong>com</strong>pete on the tour but meaning<br />
they would have to jump the BDO ship in<br />
order to do so.<br />
But with the PDC wel<strong>com</strong>ing new arrivals<br />
with open arms and offering an inviting<br />
starting block, why do some players decide<br />
to stay put?
FEATURE | movErS AND ShAKErS<br />
Once again despite strong rumours, Tony O’Shea<br />
decided to stay with the BDO, but could things have<br />
turned out differently had he not reached the Lakeside<br />
final?<br />
‘Silverback’ appears to thrive at<br />
the Grand Slam each year, with his<br />
walk-on making him an instant<br />
hit with PDC crowds.<br />
Representing England<br />
however ranks highly<br />
in the Stockport<br />
thrower’s priorities<br />
and his high demand<br />
for exhibitions as<br />
well as consistency<br />
in ranking events<br />
allows him to stay at<br />
the top of the BDO<br />
pecking order as<br />
opposed to starting<br />
from scratch in the<br />
PDC, uncertain of<br />
regular limelight.<br />
Three-time BDO<br />
World Champion Martin<br />
Adams has quashed rumours<br />
of a move to the PDC on<br />
numerous occasions over the<br />
years.<br />
Despite <strong>com</strong>peting in several PDC events<br />
under the Tomlin Order in 2000/2001, Wolfie has since<br />
pledged his allegiance to the British <strong>Darts</strong> Organisation,<br />
even turning down a place in the lucrative Grand Slam<br />
of <strong>Darts</strong> which offered him a chance to showcase his<br />
ability in the invitational event alongside the cream<br />
of the crop from both codes.<br />
Following his induction to the BDO Board of<br />
Directors back in August, Adams has remained a<br />
stalwart of the organisation and has proved wrong<br />
the doubters who felt that being a director and player<br />
may be a conflict of interest.<br />
On the flip side of the coin, Tony Eccles was the<br />
sole transfer back to his BDO roots after terminating his<br />
PDPA membership.<br />
The former BDO number one expressed<br />
his disillusion with the PDC tour and<br />
eventually struggled to cover the<br />
costs of playing on the circuit,<br />
an issue that has affected a<br />
number of amateur players<br />
aiming to make a name<br />
for themselves with the<br />
PDC.<br />
The move looked<br />
to have paid off for<br />
‘The Viper’ as he<br />
made an immediate<br />
impact in winning<br />
the Scottish Open in<br />
February.<br />
More emphasis<br />
was placed on Q<br />
School this year, as<br />
players who failed<br />
to earn a Tour Card<br />
(associate members) see<br />
their total prize money<br />
reverted back to zero,<br />
regardless of their earnings over<br />
the past two years.<br />
Victims to this included former Desert<br />
Classic champion Peter Manley, Spanish World Cup star<br />
Carlos Rodriguez and Republic of Ireland international<br />
Mick McGowan, who are all forced to start all over<br />
again despite their past glory.<br />
It seems that the only way a player can now fully<br />
prove himself is by achieving at the top level which<br />
looks increasingly to be with the Professional <strong>Darts</strong><br />
Corporation.<br />
Over the <strong>com</strong>ing issues we will be discussing this<br />
in more detail with interviews across both Associations<br />
and finding out the pros and cons of both.•<br />
—<br />
‘It SeemS that the only Way a Player Can noW<br />
fully Prove hImSelf IS By aChIevIng at the toP<br />
level WhICh looKS InCreaSIngly to Be WIth the<br />
ProfeSSIonal DartS CorPoratIon.’<br />
—<br />
34<br />
35<br />
NEWS<br />
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DARTSZONE<br />
DARTSZONE<br />
EDINBURGH DUO CROWNED BEST<br />
AMATEUR DARTS DOUBLES TEAM<br />
June saw the fi nal of the Harrows <strong>Darts</strong> UK Doubles Tournament at Rileys<br />
Bolton, and it was Darren Tiffney and Ryan Murray from Edinburgh who<br />
came away champions, winning £2,500 and the title of best amateur darts<br />
doubles team in the UK.<br />
John Bowles and Andy Boulton<br />
bagged themselves £4,000 prize<br />
money each in the <strong>com</strong>petition!<br />
WELL DONE TO<br />
THE RILEYS 32!<br />
We introduced this <strong>com</strong>petition to give the<br />
amateur darts player the chance to play<br />
in one of the biggest darts <strong>com</strong>petitions<br />
around. There’s a prize fund of £200,000<br />
so it’s a great opportunity for the qualifi ers<br />
and a chance for them to be seen in front<br />
of millions of viewers on live TV.” Rileys<br />
Chief Executive Maurice Kelly<br />
Thanks to Rileys, 32<br />
amateur darts players got<br />
the chance to <strong>com</strong>pete in<br />
this major tournament. 10<br />
of these made it through<br />
and won £18,000 prize<br />
money between them!<br />
15-TIMES WORLD CHAMPION THE POWER<br />
BEATEN……BY RILEYS MICKEY MAC!<br />
September saw the second leg of the Phil Taylor roadshow at Rileys<br />
Colchester, and one Rileys regular will be dining out on tales of the<br />
evening for a long time to <strong>com</strong>e. Mickey, who plays for Colchester Rileys<br />
superleague, managed to beat The Power in the one-leg <strong>com</strong>petition. Phil<br />
took it all in great humour, congratulating Mickey before going on to beat the<br />
rest of the challengers.<br />
RILEYS JAMES HUBBARD THROUGH TO<br />
THE FINAL OF THE 2011 PDC WORLD<br />
YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP<br />
Nineteen year old Rileys member James Hubbard has made it through to the<br />
fi nal of the 2011 PDC World Youth Championship. He will play Michael van<br />
Gerwen in the fi nal at the O2 Arena in London on May 17th 2012. The PDC<br />
World Youth Championship offers £30,000 in prize money plus an invitation<br />
to <strong>com</strong>pete in November’s Grand Slam of <strong>Darts</strong> 2011, where James went out<br />
to Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor.<br />
SPORTS BAR POOL BAR SNOOKER DARTS www.rileys.co.uk<br />
36<br />
37<br />
36 37<br />
DARTSZONE<br />
DARTSZONE<br />
ENTER THE ‘FA CUP OF DARTS’<br />
AND YOU COULD BE A GIANT KILLER<br />
Chance to take on Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor in the UK Open<br />
The ‘FA Cup of <strong>Darts</strong>’ is on the<br />
horizon and you could be a giant<br />
killer.<br />
The UK Open is the only PDC<br />
tournament where amateur players<br />
<strong>com</strong>pete against top professionals,<br />
including 15-time World Champion<br />
Phil Taylor.<br />
Rileys, the largest pool, snooker<br />
and darts operator in the UK, have<br />
32 places up for grabs for the UK<br />
Open at Bolton Wanderers’ Reebok<br />
Stadium, June 7-10th.<br />
Rileys will hold one-off knockout<br />
tournaments at 32 of their clubs<br />
nationwide to fi nd 32 winners.<br />
The 32 winners will also receive<br />
£100 of Rileys Vouchers and a<br />
personalised shirt to play in, when<br />
they attend the tournament in June.<br />
Rileys <strong>Darts</strong> Ambassador Phil ‘The<br />
Power’ Taylor said: “I would love to<br />
see some new talent get through to<br />
the fi nal rounds.<br />
“There’s nothing better than a spot of<br />
giant killing. It happens in football’s<br />
FA Cup – so why not in darts? Rileys<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> Zones are spacious, modern<br />
and professional – a perfect venue to<br />
practice and then qualify for the UK<br />
Open.”<br />
The fi nals for UK Open, televised<br />
live on Sky Sports, take place at<br />
Bolton Wanderers FC’s Reebok<br />
Stadium from Thursday June 7 to<br />
Sunday June 10, with a prize fund of<br />
£200,000.<br />
Last year, Rileys amateurs claimed<br />
a total of £18,000 in prize money<br />
including two quarter fi nalists<br />
To enter the UK Open qualifi ers<br />
apply online at www.rileys.co.uk/<br />
tournaments by the April the 13th at<br />
12noon or visit your local Rileys and<br />
register for the chance to take on the<br />
big boys!<br />
SPORTS BAR POOL BAR SNOOKER DARTS www.rileys.co.uk
DARTSZONE<br />
DESIgN A SHIRT FOR<br />
‘THE POWER’<br />
WIN!<br />
38 39<br />
COmPETITION<br />
...ThE chANcE To DESIgN<br />
A DArTS ShIrT For ThE<br />
15 TImES WorLD chAmpIoN<br />
PHIL ‘THE POWER’ TAYLOR<br />
PHIL TAYLOR IS RECOGNISED AS THE<br />
GREATEST PLAYER EVER TO GRACE THE OCHE<br />
15 Times a world champion, Phil has won everything there is<br />
to in the game. One thing Phil doesn’t do is forget the fans<br />
who have followed him for over 20 years.<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong> has teamed up with ‘The Power’ to offer one reader<br />
and darts fan a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity. We are offering<br />
you the chance to design a shirt for Phil to wear at an event, you<br />
will meet the great man, and once he’s fi nished we will have the<br />
shirt signed and framed for you.<br />
All you have to do is email a design and image of the shirt to:<br />
philtaylor@insidedarts.co.uk<br />
PHIL WILL CHOOSE THE WINNER PERSONALLY
DIARY OF A PLAYER | coLIN ‘JAWS’ LLoYD<br />
First and foremost be careful when <strong>com</strong>ing down<br />
the stairs everyone! More on that later, but fi rst<br />
here’s a snippet of how I fi rst got involved in darts.<br />
SHARK’S TALE<br />
You could say I slipped into the professional game by<br />
accident. I fi rst got into darts through my family. They<br />
played quite a lot and one day when I came home from<br />
school there was a dartboard up. I started playing on it,<br />
put the practice in and gradually got and better<br />
and better.<br />
I played for Essex for a while<br />
at youth and senior level and I<br />
registered to play in the Essex<br />
Open one year. I fi nished runnerup,<br />
but my break came two<br />
weeks later when I decided<br />
to enter the Eastbourne darts<br />
festival.<br />
I started to be<strong>com</strong>e bored<br />
with the game but still seemed<br />
to be playing well. I went to the<br />
John Smiths International Open,<br />
which was ranked by the PDC,<br />
and won it beating John Part, Rod<br />
Harrington and Peter Manley along the<br />
way.<br />
From that point I had a fresh hunger for the<br />
game and never looked back. I played in few more<br />
tournaments that year and qualifi ed for the 1999 World<br />
Matchplay.<br />
I decided to leave the BDO county setup to ply my<br />
trade on the PDC circuit and I’ve not done too bad out<br />
of it.<br />
I’ve had the Jaws nickname since I was a kid. I used<br />
to have two distinctive fangs and I got called it all the<br />
time. The nickname has stuck and I’ve used it ever since!<br />
40<br />
‘THAT’S THE WAY TO DO IT’<br />
I’ve had a fairly quiet few months since the Worlds.<br />
It’s been nice to chill out and catch up with family and<br />
friends again. Sometimes constantly travelling can put a<br />
strain on your relationships and it’s diffi cult.<br />
We went to see my girlfriend Carol’s family<br />
in Ireland and my sponsor over there. I<br />
also did an exhibition with Adie Lewis,<br />
Paul Nicholson, Dennis Priestley,<br />
Peter Manley and Wes Newton<br />
which was a good laugh.<br />
My start to the year on the<br />
Pro Tour hasn’t been great, but<br />
it’s early days and there are<br />
events every few weeks so you<br />
can’t dwell on bad results too<br />
much.<br />
I’ve been putting in the hours<br />
on the practice board with a good<br />
friend of mine Bobby George recently.<br />
He lives just behind me and I’ve been<br />
practicing at his house to keep my arm<br />
ticking.<br />
Bobby is still playing good darts and is really popular<br />
on the exhibition circuit. His son Richie is not a bad<br />
player either and has just started out on the BDO circuit.<br />
BLACKPOOL CALLINg<br />
I’ve got a few exhibitions and charity nights <strong>com</strong>ing up<br />
which I look forward to but my focus is still on trying to<br />
reach the big TV events.<br />
The Matchplay in Blackpool in July is always a special<br />
tournament for me. I won it in 2005 but that seems many<br />
moons ago now and I hope I can do well there again.<br />
I’m also looking forward<br />
to the new four-day European<br />
tour events this year. It’ll be<br />
interesting to see how they go<br />
along.<br />
Every tournament is<br />
important and you’ve got to<br />
go there with the right attitude<br />
and focus on your game.<br />
OUT AND ABOUT<br />
I’ve been keeping an eye on<br />
the Premier League so far, it’s<br />
been a great start. I’d love<br />
to have another crack at it, I<br />
had some good times during<br />
the fi rst few seasons but it’s<br />
tough going and not the be all<br />
and end all for me. Kevin and<br />
Andy were written off before a<br />
dart was thrown but they’ve settled in really well and<br />
deserve to be involved.<br />
Away from the oche, I was invited to a sports<br />
dinner in London with former Ireland Rugby captain<br />
Keith Wood which was really enjoyable. It’s nice to<br />
hear how another professional sportsman has gone<br />
about his trade and achieved success for his country.<br />
41<br />
I’m also due to take part in Colchester United’s ‘A<br />
Question of Sport’ along with some other local<br />
sports personalities.<br />
I keep a close eye on Colchester United who are<br />
my local team. I try to get to as many games as I can<br />
but it’s diffi cult when you’re away most weekends.<br />
Carol and I are friends with the <strong>com</strong>mercial director<br />
at the club and he always makes us feel very<br />
wel<strong>com</strong>e at the Community Stadium.<br />
ONE STEP AT A TImE<br />
You may be wondering why I mentioned the stairs in<br />
the opening line?<br />
I’ve been getting stick from my girlfriend and<br />
on Twitter (@ColinJawsLloyd) for an accident I had<br />
recently. I slipped down the stairs at home from the<br />
top to the bottom on my backside. I was in agony<br />
with a bad coccyx for a few weeks but thankfully I’ve<br />
recovered and it hasn’t affected my darts!<br />
March is an important month for me with two<br />
Players Championships in Reading <strong>com</strong>ing up and<br />
UK Open qualifi ers in Barnsley a fortnight later.<br />
I don’t put any pressure on myself anymore<br />
though; I try my best in every event, hopefully get<br />
good results and move on to the next one – exciting<br />
times ahead!<br />
See you next month. Be lucky!<br />
NEWS
FEATURE | SoFT TIp DArTS<br />
SIZE<br />
MATTER?<br />
No, this isn’t one of those annoying advertisements<br />
for viagra, ‘Soft Tips’ are a modern high-tech<br />
version of the game of darts. With state-of-the-art<br />
technology, out of the box thinking and of course<br />
huge amounts of money, the game’s growth has<br />
been exponential over the last couple of years.<br />
If you don’t own a set of soft tip darts already<br />
I guarantee by this time next year you will.<br />
—<br />
By Scott mackenzie<br />
THE gROWTH<br />
The game started from very humble beginnings,<br />
soft tip darts and boards were fi rst made in the<br />
1970’s for children. Due to the safety factor of<br />
plastic points (<strong>com</strong>e to think of it do you know<br />
anyone that’s been seriously hurt by a steel tip<br />
dart?), and perhaps that ‘stigma’ of originally<br />
being a toy has stuck with soft tip darts ever since,<br />
until now.<br />
In the 1980’s, the growth of the soft tip game<br />
was mainly centred in the US with <strong>com</strong>panies like<br />
Arachnid and Medalist convincing American pub<br />
and club owners that they could tease extra cash<br />
out of their customers by replacing regular dart<br />
boards for coin operated soft tip machines. These<br />
machines took off as they had the benefi t of being<br />
user friendly and a variety of different games to<br />
play like 901, ‘half-it’ and cricket. People also liked<br />
the fact that you didn’t need to chalk, as machines<br />
automatically scored for you, a plus for those<br />
mathematically challenged, or just a little lazy!<br />
By the late 90’s with soft tip associations<br />
springing up like the National <strong>Darts</strong> Association,<br />
well run leagues, increased marketing and with local<br />
and international tournaments with big cash prizes<br />
(especially Arachnid’s ‘Bullshooter’ <strong>com</strong>petitions)<br />
the popularity of the game exploded, not only in<br />
America but in Europe and Asia.<br />
It has recently gone supernova, there are now<br />
millions of players world-wide, making soft tip the<br />
most played form of darts anywhere in the world.<br />
The game is so popular in Japan, where there are<br />
nearly 1 million regular soft tip darters, there are<br />
now several full time professional Japanese players<br />
earning well over £50K a year, playing just soft<br />
tip darts. Many are local superstars, like: Morihiro<br />
Hashimoto, Mitsumasa Hoshino and<br />
Haruki Muramatsu.<br />
SIZE DIFFERENCE<br />
Apart from the obvious difference<br />
in the point of the dart, soft tip<br />
darts have plastic points instead of<br />
metal points, probably the biggest<br />
difference between the games is the<br />
noise and soft tips are played on<br />
an electronic machine with a plastic<br />
perforated board and a large fl at<br />
screen monitor to show the scores.<br />
With modern technology prevalent<br />
in the machines players can have<br />
their own photos as background<br />
themes, fl ashing lights and music –<br />
its DISCO DARTS.<br />
The weight of the dart is also<br />
very important. With soft tip darts<br />
the heaviest weight allowed is 20g,<br />
in some <strong>com</strong>petitions the maximum<br />
weight can be 18g, as heavier<br />
darts potentially can damage the<br />
electronics within the machine as<br />
well as increasing wear and tear of<br />
the plastic board.<br />
A close up of a soft tip dart board<br />
‘Some other differences that<br />
many people aren’t aware of include<br />
the throwing distance, in soft tips<br />
it is a little longer, 8 feet <strong>com</strong>pared<br />
with 7 feet 9 and a quarter inches<br />
for steel tip. So does size matter,<br />
you may ask? Well, I remember<br />
Bobby George once saying after<br />
playing on the bigger 8 feet oche,<br />
“Go ask your wife if three more<br />
inches make a difference”!<br />
The size of the target sections<br />
such as the treble and double are<br />
also a little wider. The bullseye is<br />
much bigger, so players generally<br />
throw at the bull for scoring rather<br />
than triple 20. Scoring a ‘hat trick’<br />
which is 3 darts at the bullseye<br />
scores 150 points, no matter where<br />
on the bull you hit (as usually the<br />
outer and inner bull count the same<br />
in soft tips, of course due to the<br />
functionality of the machines this<br />
can be changed).<br />
Another important difference are<br />
bounce-outs. In steel tip if you are<br />
unlucky enough to have a bounceout<br />
the dart doesn’t count, but in<br />
soft tips as long as the machine<br />
registers the score - it counts.<br />
THE TECHNOLOgY<br />
The best part of the technology<br />
that most machines now have is<br />
that via a personalized card inserted<br />
or scanned by the machine, all<br />
play data is recorded which can<br />
be accessed via <strong>com</strong>puter. Points<br />
per dart, three dart averages,<br />
cricket averages, high scores, win /<br />
loss ratio actually only scratch the<br />
surface with what the machines<br />
can do, as they are connected via<br />
the internet it means that not only<br />
can you play players in different<br />
bars and pubs locally but you can<br />
play them internationally. I can<br />
be playing in Hong Kong versus<br />
someone in Japan or USA – and<br />
with the internal and external<br />
cameras on the machine you can<br />
watch people throwing (and this<br />
function handily negates cheating).<br />
The <strong>Darts</strong>live machine – check out<br />
the size of the speakers!<br />
All data is recorded, such as ’01<br />
average, cricket average etc. via<br />
a card that is inserted into the<br />
machine.<br />
42 43<br />
SoFT TIp DArTS | FEATURE<br />
Comments can also be<br />
programmed-in which get<br />
displayed on the screen during the<br />
match – the 2011 “Soft Tip World<br />
Champion” Paul Lim has “That’s<br />
Muscle Memory” <strong>com</strong>e up every<br />
time he hits a hat trick. I have a very<br />
sexist saying <strong>com</strong>e up if I hit “three<br />
in a bed”.<br />
personalised background screens, music,<br />
and graphics can be selected by players, making<br />
hitting “3-in-a-bed” much more fun. ©<strong>Darts</strong>live<br />
There are many soft-tip<br />
manufacturers now but it seems the<br />
current leader in the technology are<br />
Japanese <strong>com</strong>pany <strong>Darts</strong>live (whose<br />
parent <strong>com</strong>pany are software<br />
giant Sega). Korean manufacturer<br />
Phoenix, are also in the running,<br />
they also have stylish, colourful<br />
machines.<br />
phoenix machines<br />
Another manufacturer, a<br />
<strong>com</strong>pany from Croatia, called<br />
Cyberdine, whose machines look<br />
a little dated, are very popular<br />
particularly in Eastern Europe<br />
and China. The International Dart<br />
Federation (IDF) uses Cyberdine<br />
Con’t p44
FEATURE | SoFT TIp DArTS<br />
Above: IDF World cup of <strong>Darts</strong> 2011, Shanghai, using<br />
cyberdine. Below: mayumi ouchi from Japan beats<br />
Anastasia Dobromyslova from russia in the women’s 501,<br />
November last year. ©IDF<br />
machines for their <strong>Darts</strong> World Cup<br />
<strong>com</strong>petitions.<br />
SHOW mE THE mONEY<br />
The amount of prize money is one<br />
of the reasons why the game has<br />
grown so quickly. The money is<br />
exceptionally high due to one of the<br />
biggest differences between steel<br />
tip and soft tip darts, with soft tip<br />
you ‘pay to play’.<br />
This is perhaps the reason it<br />
hasn’t yet taken off in the UK as<br />
there are so many free steel tip<br />
boards to play on in pubs and clubs<br />
around the country. To play a game<br />
in Japan costs ¥100 (just under £1)<br />
medalist Asia International Bangkok,<br />
Thailand (Feb 2012)<br />
www.medalistworld.<strong>com</strong><br />
ADA 8th Tour<br />
Hong Kong, China (March 2012)<br />
www.asiadarts.<strong>com</strong><br />
Bullshooter XXvII<br />
Illinois, USA (May 2012)<br />
www.bullshooter.<strong>com</strong><br />
medalist World Championships<br />
Las Vegas, USA (July 2012)<br />
www.medalistworld.<strong>com</strong><br />
in Hong Kong it is HK$5 a game,<br />
which is about 50 pence. It may<br />
not sound like much but a busy<br />
bar with only 4 or 5 machines can<br />
generate thousands of pounds each<br />
month. This enables the machine<br />
manufacturers and distributors to<br />
generate a lot of in<strong>com</strong>e, and gladly<br />
they are recycling this back to the<br />
players via big money <strong>com</strong>petitions.<br />
SOFT TIP WORLD<br />
CHAmPIONSHIPS<br />
The biggest soft tip <strong>com</strong>petition<br />
currently is called ‘The World’<br />
championship which is in its<br />
2nd year. Last year’s event was<br />
won by Paul Lim who took home<br />
HK$1 million (about £80K), the<br />
<strong>com</strong>petition is run by <strong>Darts</strong>live and<br />
has a purse of more than £300K.<br />
Only the PDC steel tip World<br />
Championship has bigger prize<br />
money. But <strong>Darts</strong>live are aiming to<br />
eventually have a prize of US$1M<br />
for the winner which will make it the<br />
biggest darts <strong>com</strong>petition anywhere<br />
in the world – outright. If this<br />
doesn’t prove that the soft tip game<br />
is no longer second tier to steel tip<br />
I don’t know what will.<br />
Steve Ngu, CEO of <strong>Darts</strong>live<br />
International agrees, “people fi nd<br />
soft tip darts, and especially our<br />
i<strong>Darts</strong> bars, more entertaining than<br />
playing regular darts, we are<br />
D-Crown<br />
Tokyo, Japan (Feb-Dec 2012)<br />
www.d-crown.<strong>com</strong><br />
Super <strong>Darts</strong><br />
Japan (TBA)<br />
http://superdarts.dartslive.jp/<br />
index_pc.php<br />
mJ / medalist Japan Tournament<br />
Japan (Nov 2012)<br />
Perfect Tournament<br />
Japan (TBA)<br />
Burn Championship<br />
Japan (TBA)<br />
really an entertainment <strong>com</strong>pany<br />
and therefore we are attracting<br />
a whole new younger crowd to<br />
darts, people that never thought of<br />
playing darts before – soft tip darts<br />
are revolutionary, in Asia soft tip has<br />
already taken over.”<br />
paul Lim, (4th from left) picking up the winner’s trophy<br />
and cheque for hK$1m about £80,000 in Dec 2011, hong Kong.<br />
John part (far right), came in joint 5th. ©<strong>Darts</strong>live<br />
Steve Ngu (pictured, centre)<br />
CEO of <strong>Darts</strong>live International, is<br />
greatly infl uencing the growth of<br />
soft tip worldwide, may offer a prize<br />
of US$1M for this year’s winner.<br />
You can fi nd out more and keep<br />
up-to-date with the 2012 <strong>Darts</strong>live<br />
Soft-tip World Championships at<br />
the below website. Qualifi ers/stages<br />
will start in March this year with<br />
some to be held in the US as well as<br />
Hong Kong.•<br />
www.darts-theworld.<strong>com</strong>/en/index.html<br />
OTHER mAJOR SOFT-TIP TOURNAmENTS TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS YEAR INCLUDE:<br />
44<br />
IDF <strong>Darts</strong> World Cup<br />
Shanghai, China (Nov 2012)<br />
2012 <strong>Darts</strong>live Soft-tip World<br />
Championships<br />
Hong Kong (Dec 2012)<br />
general links:<br />
www.leagueleader.net/bullshooter/<br />
http://medalistgames.<strong>com</strong>/<br />
www.ndadarts.<strong>com</strong>/<br />
www.dartslive.<strong>com</strong>/<br />
www.gs.phoenixdart.<strong>com</strong>/<br />
www.cyberdine.hr/<br />
www.idfdarts.org/<br />
45<br />
NEWS
REgULARS | rEFErEE rUSS<br />
Russ:<br />
he calls<br />
it as he<br />
sees it<br />
Every month, Referee Russ Bray writes for<br />
<strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong> magazine and lets you the the reader<br />
into his own world, but not all of it!<br />
I believe that you have to be in the<br />
right place at the right time and that’s<br />
certainly proved the case for me.<br />
My career as a referee began at a<br />
Hertfordshire county match many years ago.<br />
The referee didn’t turn up at one of our<br />
home games; I knew my numbers so I went<br />
up on stage and called a few matches.<br />
When I walked off a guy came up to me<br />
and said how well I did. I played a bit of<br />
darts myself, but with me not being quite<br />
good enough to turn pro, I turned my<br />
attention to refereeing and started calling<br />
for the county.<br />
I was approached by the PDC who<br />
asked me was I interested in be<strong>com</strong>ing a<br />
full time referee, so in July 1996 I headed<br />
to the World Matchplay in Blackpool on the<br />
Sunday, refereed three games and the rest<br />
is history. I’m now in my 16th year of being<br />
a darts referee and I adore my job.<br />
ON THE ROAD<br />
I’m very lucky that I get to see a lot of the<br />
world through darts. I love travelling and<br />
can sleep on a washing line so long haul<br />
journeys don’t bother me!<br />
It’s been a hectic few months; I’ve<br />
already been to Tenerife, Benidorm and<br />
Hamburg and I’ll be clocking up the miles<br />
to cover the southern venues of Premier<br />
League.<br />
For me, the Premier League is probably<br />
second only to the World Championships.<br />
It’s an invitational event and it’s really<br />
<strong>com</strong>petitive. I’ve got a ringside seat to the<br />
best games in the world involving the best<br />
players in front of huge crowds and a party<br />
atmosphere which is brilliant. We’ve already<br />
seen a nine darter and it’s impossible to<br />
predict who could win it this year.<br />
DRIvINg AmBITION<br />
Golf is a big passion of mine. Offi cially<br />
my handicap is 14; unoffi cially it’s probably<br />
about 10. I’ve just been sponsored by<br />
TaylorMade-Adidas which is a great<br />
sponsorship for me. I had a cracking day<br />
down at Wentworth where I got a full<br />
fi tting to decide which clubs were best<br />
suited to me.<br />
I also visited TaylorMade HQ in<br />
Basingstoke and they made me a <strong>com</strong>plete<br />
set of golf clubs from the driver right<br />
through to the putter. Adidas kitted me<br />
out with a full clothing range so I look the<br />
part too!<br />
There’s a lot of <strong>com</strong>petition on the<br />
course between me and a few former<br />
players. I play with John Lowe, Eric Bristow<br />
and Keith Deller and they’re as <strong>com</strong>petitive<br />
as they used to be on the oche!<br />
Wayne Mardle sometimes gets involved<br />
when we’re over in Ireland for the Grand<br />
Prix and Rod Harrington is another very<br />
good player but he hasn’t hit a golf ball<br />
for a long while.<br />
HORSEPLAY<br />
Another love away from the oche is horses.<br />
I live on a farm now and we have two horses<br />
in stables. My wife rides them and looks<br />
after them mainly but I help out whenever<br />
I can. One of our ponies came seventh in<br />
Horse of the Year last year against a lot of<br />
good <strong>com</strong>petitors.<br />
BURSLEm BATTLE<br />
It looks as though Taylor and Lewis are<br />
going to be the ones to catch this year.<br />
They both set their stall out at the World<br />
Cup and in the early part of the Premier<br />
League.<br />
On the basis of what we’ve seen so far<br />
it could be that we’re in for one of the best<br />
years since the PDC formed.<br />
The great thing is you’ve got a big<br />
clutch of players that can do an awful lot of<br />
damage. It’s not just one person as it was<br />
ten years ago.<br />
Adrian Lewis is a marvellous champion<br />
but we’ve got so many big tournaments<br />
<strong>com</strong>ing up and I can’t see him winning a<br />
Grand Slam of all the majors. They’ll be<br />
three of four winners of the majors although<br />
Taylor’s <strong>com</strong>ing good again and you can<br />
never write him off.<br />
46 47<br />
rEFErEE rUSS | REgULARS<br />
Watch out for Wes Newton and Justin<br />
Pipe. These two are smashing at winning<br />
Players Championships; it’s just a matter of<br />
time before they really start to <strong>com</strong>e good<br />
on TV.<br />
The Youth tour is also great for the<br />
game. You’ve got the likes of Joe Cullen,<br />
Devon Petersen and Arron Monk. They<br />
are just a few of the fantastic youngsters<br />
<strong>com</strong>ing through, look out for these in the<br />
future because they’re going to do some<br />
damage.<br />
AND FINALLY…<br />
I was thrilled to see Unicorn extend their<br />
partnership with the PDC. They’ve backed<br />
me and the PDC for many years, we’ve<br />
shared some great times and long may that<br />
continue. I’ve travelled around the world<br />
with them for the last seven years and<br />
they’re a fantastic <strong>com</strong>pany to be involved<br />
with. I’m in the process of setting up a new<br />
website at the moment so look out for that<br />
<strong>com</strong>ing soon.<br />
See you next month.<br />
And don’t forget<br />
you can fi nd me on<br />
Twitter: @Russ180
PROFILE | ErIcA WILD<br />
WALK ON THE<br />
WILD<br />
S I D E<br />
Stunning model erica Wild has been<br />
adding glamour to the game of darts for<br />
over a decade. She told <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong> all<br />
about life as a walk-on girl.<br />
What do you think of your job as a<br />
walk-on girl?<br />
It is, by a country mile, the best job<br />
I’ve ever done and will probably<br />
ever do. Nothing <strong>com</strong>pares to that<br />
adrenaline surge you feel. I can only<br />
imagine how rock stars feel.<br />
How did you get the job?<br />
It was shortly after Miss Blackpool,<br />
I remember it like it was yesterday,<br />
October 1999. The agency that<br />
ran the <strong>com</strong>petition wanted me<br />
to attend a casting. I had to walk<br />
up and down in various cocktail<br />
dresses and have a few pictures<br />
taken. About a week later I got the<br />
call that I’d been successful and<br />
then I was on my way to the World<br />
Championships in Purfl eet. My<br />
walk-on partner for that week was<br />
Joanne Birchall, who is still a very<br />
close friend.<br />
How did you feel before your fi rst<br />
walk-on?<br />
I was sure I was going to do<br />
something wrong. Looking back<br />
I defi nitely did too much over<br />
thinking but I was petrifi ed. I was<br />
convinced I was going to fall over.<br />
Back then when I fi rst started we<br />
had to carry fl ags and they weren’t<br />
small. The ceiling in the Circus<br />
Tavern was so low as well, so all I<br />
kept thinking was don’t look down<br />
but don’t look up and don’t trip.<br />
The feeling after is worth it though,<br />
it’s the best.<br />
Can you describe a typical night’s<br />
work?<br />
We arrive at about 3 or 4 pm and<br />
go straight into the dressing room,<br />
to put rollers in our hair (so glam).<br />
Then we go and eat with all the<br />
crew on the catering bus (yes,<br />
still in rollers). Then back into our<br />
dressing room where we have our<br />
makeup done, and then before you<br />
know it its 6.50pm and we have to<br />
be changed and ready to go. In<br />
between it’s usually a case of outfi t<br />
change, re apply any makeup and<br />
48<br />
—<br />
‘nothIng ComPareS to that<br />
aDrenalIne Surge you<br />
feel. I Can only ImagIne<br />
hoW roCK StarS feel.’<br />
—<br />
then chat and watch the match in<br />
our room.<br />
How does it differ to your other work?<br />
Quite a bit actually, not everything<br />
I do is quite so glam. No other job<br />
I’ve done has felt anything like it<br />
feels when you’re on that stage, in<br />
front of what can sometimes be ten<br />
thousand people.<br />
Who is your favourite player?<br />
That’s really tough. I have spent<br />
a fair bit of time with most of them<br />
but I have great banter with James<br />
Wade and I have a soft spot for<br />
Simon Whitlock too.<br />
Thanks for your time Erica.<br />
www.unicorn-darts.<strong>com</strong><br />
www.facebook.<strong>com</strong>/unicorndarts<br />
@Unicorn<strong>Darts</strong><br />
Team Unicorn<br />
http://www.unicorn-darts.<strong>com</strong>/team/<br />
49<br />
Eclipse Pro Dartboard<br />
http://www.unicorn-darts.<strong>com</strong>/range/dartboards-bristle/<br />
eclipse-pro-dartboard.aspx<br />
NEWS<br />
Sigma<br />
http://www.unicorn-darts.<strong>com</strong>/range/<br />
darts-sigma.aspx
NEWS<br />
THE FUTURE’S<br />
BRIgHT, THE<br />
FUTURE’S PDPA<br />
»<br />
50<br />
15<br />
times World<br />
Champion Phil<br />
Taylor has<br />
be<strong>com</strong>e the<br />
pillar of our<br />
sport, his unbelievable drive to be<br />
the best has continued to push all<br />
players to work harder to have any<br />
chance of survival. Apart from the<br />
titles won, he was recently voted<br />
Runner-Up in the BBC Sports<br />
Personality Awards. The PDPA are<br />
very proud to have members of this<br />
class, and other players who have<br />
recently lifted trophies include,<br />
Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson,<br />
James Wade, Kevin Painter, and<br />
also 5 times World Champion<br />
Raymond Van Barnaveld.<br />
With the introduction of the PDC<br />
Pro Tour in 2011, we now have 128<br />
Full Pro Tour Card holders each year<br />
who are guaranteed to play or<br />
qualify in every ranking tournament.<br />
Also introduced in 2011 was the<br />
PDC Qualifying School giving every<br />
dart player in the country the<br />
chance to earn a PDC Tour Card.<br />
The school was played in January<br />
2012 over 4 days and guaranteed<br />
The Professional <strong>Darts</strong> Players Association “PDPA” was<br />
initially formed in 1980. We are the only recognised Players<br />
Association by the Professional <strong>Darts</strong> Corporation “PDC”.<br />
Our members have every chance of fulfi lling their dream on<br />
the tour with prize money exceeding £5million.<br />
a minimum of 16 players a place<br />
on the lucrative PDC Tour.<br />
The PDPA are pleased<br />
to be working alongside the<br />
PDC in taking the sport to<br />
unbelievable heights, we have<br />
contributed £100,000 to the<br />
Players Championship’s each year.<br />
The PDC introduced a successful<br />
youth tour in 2011 and with this the<br />
PDPA are now contributing £20,000<br />
to help boost and continue the<br />
growth of the sport in this area and<br />
to work closely with PDC Director<br />
Mr Rod Harrington.<br />
It is very important to our<br />
association that we have strict<br />
guidelines, regulations and rules:<br />
we are pleased to be governed by<br />
the <strong>Darts</strong> Regulation Authority<br />
“DRA”. The PDPA also contribute<br />
£10,000 a year which is ring-fenced<br />
for drug testing.<br />
The PDPA works with a<br />
Chairman Mr Peter Manley, CEO Mr<br />
Alan Warriner-Little and a full board<br />
of Director’s. The board consists of<br />
Mr Andrew Scott, Mr David Pomfret<br />
and Mr Jacques Nieuwlaat. Our<br />
offi ces are located in Carlisle.<br />
51<br />
INSIDE ThE pDpA | FEATURE<br />
We have sourced many benefi ts<br />
for our members who receive<br />
Free Travel Insurance, Free Public<br />
Indemnity Insurance and many<br />
discounts from our partners Holiday<br />
Extra’s, MWA Car Insurance, RAC,<br />
Caxtonfx, Stena Line, Premier Inn<br />
and Booking.<strong>com</strong>. The PDPA also<br />
have a Benevolent Fund in place<br />
and we have also supported many<br />
charities.<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> fans can also be<strong>com</strong>e<br />
involved through the PDPA’s<br />
Fanzone, which is run by Andrew<br />
Devonshire and can be found within<br />
the PDPA website. Supporters and<br />
followers can enter <strong>com</strong>petitions<br />
with prizes often donated by the<br />
players themselves. Improve your<br />
game with the PDPA Practice<br />
Routines, interact on the forum<br />
and so much more.<br />
The PDPA, Unit 34, Carlisle<br />
Enterprise Centre, James Street,<br />
Carlisle, Cumbria, CA25BB, UK<br />
Email: info@pdpa.co.uk<br />
Website: www.pdpa.co.uk<br />
@Twitter – PDPA_darts<br />
Facebook – Pdpa.<strong>Darts</strong>
NEWS | coUNTrYWIDE<br />
—<br />
Every month we will be darting around the<br />
British Isles bringing you the inside news<br />
from grass roots darts to <strong>com</strong>petition<br />
news / results and all the county updates<br />
from all corners of the uk. There will be<br />
links to all the association websites in the<br />
uk so you can check out what’s happening<br />
in your area.<br />
—<br />
Also each month, our <strong>Inside</strong> Profi le will<br />
focus on a dart player from one of the<br />
associations from within the uk, giving us<br />
an insight into a player who travels up and<br />
down the country throughout the week in<br />
his / her quest to be the best they can.<br />
This month, Kevin Thomas, page 54 »<br />
—<br />
Andrew Devonshire’s<br />
—<br />
DARTINg<br />
AROUND<br />
—<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> News from around<br />
the British Isles<br />
ENgLAND DARTS ORgANISATION<br />
www.englanddarts.co.uk<br />
The England <strong>Darts</strong> Organisation was<br />
formed in 2007 with its principal objective<br />
to increase fi nances and awareness in order<br />
to enable the teams representing England<br />
to travel the world to <strong>com</strong>pete.<br />
Tommy Thompson was elected Chairman<br />
of the organisation and remains in that<br />
position. Its membership is made up of the<br />
43 English Counties who <strong>com</strong>pete annually<br />
in the British Inter-Counties <strong>Darts</strong><br />
Championships.<br />
England <strong>Darts</strong> Organisation hosts various<br />
events including the Six Nations Cup which<br />
is taking place as we go to press featuring<br />
England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Northern<br />
Ireland and The Netherlands. Details here<br />
next month.<br />
WELSH DARTS ORgANISATION<br />
www.welshdarts.org<br />
The Welsh <strong>Darts</strong> Organisation looks after<br />
all the Welsh Counties that <strong>com</strong>pete in the<br />
British Inter-Counties <strong>Darts</strong> Championships.<br />
Malcolm Hawkins is Chairman of the<br />
organisation and also Welsh Team Manager.<br />
Wales has a strong history in the darts world<br />
and we all know the late great Leighton Rees<br />
became the fi rst ever World Professional<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> Champion.<br />
The country is a hot-bed for many local<br />
<strong>com</strong>petitions with many carrying Welsh<br />
Ranking points that are always well attended<br />
and attract the best players from across the<br />
UK, news of these <strong>com</strong>petitions will be<br />
appearing here every month.<br />
IRISH NATIONAL DARTS ORgANISATION<br />
www.dartsinireland.<strong>com</strong><br />
The Irish National <strong>Darts</strong> Organisation<br />
runs darts in the Republic of Ireland.<br />
The I.N.D.O organises the Irish Inter-<br />
Counties Championships for Men,<br />
Women and Youth dart players, there are<br />
26 Counties affi liated to the organisation.<br />
National ranked <strong>com</strong>petitions are run by<br />
the I.N.D.O and County organisations<br />
throughout the year with ranking points<br />
awarded. The National squads of players<br />
are selected from these ranking lists for<br />
International matches.<br />
Info and details of <strong>Darts</strong> in Ireland<br />
will will appear appear here here with with a <strong>com</strong>prehensive<br />
<strong>com</strong>prehensive<br />
INSIDE view.<br />
SEND YOUR NEWS<br />
52 53<br />
THE SCOTTISH DARTS ASSOCIATION<br />
www.scottishdarts.<strong>com</strong><br />
The Scottish <strong>Darts</strong> Association runs and<br />
promotes all aspects of darts throughout<br />
Scotland. Len Mutch is the association<br />
Chairman.<br />
The British Inter-Counties <strong>Darts</strong><br />
Championships in Scotland is split into two<br />
sections; Scotland North and Scotland South,<br />
East Stirlingshire are currently top the<br />
Scotland North table while East Renfrewshire<br />
are ruling the South.<br />
The Scottish Open is one of the biggest<br />
events on the darts calendar and attracts<br />
players from all over the UK looking to land<br />
the coveted title; the Fife Open and Berwick<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> Weekend are other well established and<br />
followed events. <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong> will keep you up<br />
to date with what’s hot in Scottish <strong>Darts</strong>.<br />
NORTHERN IRELAND DARTS ORgANISATION<br />
www.northernirelanddarts.<strong>com</strong><br />
coUNTrYWIDE | NEWS<br />
The Northern Ireland <strong>Darts</strong> Organisation<br />
looks after darts all over Northern Ireland,<br />
from their Inter-Area series and district<br />
leagues right through to the Northern<br />
Ireland Individual events and local<br />
<strong>com</strong>petitions.<br />
The popularity of darts in Northern Ireland<br />
is so that they regularly attract the worlds<br />
greatest dart players on the exhibition<br />
scene, details of these events and others<br />
will be followed here monthly.<br />
Each month we will run a selection of news from around the UK and<br />
Ireland, so please feel free to send me details.<br />
Country, county and individual news, at <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong> we wel<strong>com</strong>e all and<br />
will do what we can to feature all concerned in one way or another.<br />
Please email Andrew at: andrew.insidedarts@gmail.<strong>com</strong>
PLAYER PROFILE | KEvIN ThomAS<br />
EAch moNTh INSIDE DArTS WILL<br />
INTErvIEW A pLAYEr Who mIghT<br />
NoT BE KNoWN oUTSIDE oF ThE<br />
AmATEUr gAmE<br />
NAmE: KEvIN ThomAS<br />
AgE: 31<br />
PLACE OF BIRTH:<br />
SWANSEA, SoUTh WALES<br />
YEARS PLAYINg DARTS: 17 YEArS<br />
<strong>com</strong>pETITIvELY<br />
COUNTY SIDE: gLAmorgAN coUNTY<br />
‘A’ SIDE<br />
—<br />
OTHER DART TEAmS YOU PLAY FOR:<br />
Wales World cup / Six Nations /<br />
British International Teams (22<br />
caps). Swansea’s mens ‘A’ Super<br />
League Team (In The glamorgan<br />
men’s Super League), The old<br />
glais (Swansea Singles Super<br />
League & Swansea & District<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> League), The St Joseph’s ‘A’<br />
Team (Swansea clubs League).<br />
HOW mANY NIgHTS A WEEK ARE<br />
YOU PLAYINg DARTS: on average<br />
I’m out playing three to four<br />
nights every week.<br />
HOW DID YOU gET INTO DARTS:<br />
Followed in my fathers footsteps.<br />
BEST mOmENT IN DARTS: making<br />
my television debut at the 2012<br />
Winmau World masters on ESpN<br />
WORST mOmENT IN DARTS:<br />
probably the same moment as I<br />
felt as if I let myself down on the<br />
big stage and let the nerves get<br />
to me when I had a great chance<br />
to prove myself.<br />
BEST CHECKOUT: I’ve achieved<br />
the maximum checkout of 170 in<br />
<strong>com</strong>petition play.<br />
FAvOURITE PLAYER: martin Adams<br />
& Tony o’Shea.<br />
WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO CHANgE<br />
DARTS AT gRASS ROOTS LEvEL:<br />
make sure every league player<br />
(male or female) throws from<br />
the proper throwing distance<br />
of 7’9 ¼ at all times. There’s far<br />
too many players playing world<br />
wide that throw from different<br />
distances when only one counts.<br />
WHAT IS YOUR BIggEST<br />
ACHIEvEmENT IN DARTS TO<br />
DATE: I’ve won countless welsh<br />
ranking tournaments and they all<br />
rank up there as quite special.<br />
Qualifying for the 2012 Winmau<br />
World masters and getting<br />
through the play-offs to reach<br />
the tv stages was quite special<br />
also, but it has to be being<br />
picked for my beloved wales and<br />
representing them in the World<br />
cup / Six Nations cup / British<br />
Internationals & celtic cups.<br />
Kevin is a prolific winner of tournaments in Wales<br />
and represented his <strong>com</strong>pany. He wants to move<br />
up to the next level, to do that he needs sponsorship.<br />
If you feel you can help, contact me at:<br />
andrew.insidedarts@gmail.<strong>com</strong> and they’ll be passed<br />
onto Kevin.<br />
54<br />
55<br />
NEWS
REgULARS | DocTor DArTS DocTor DArTS | REgULARS<br />
An appointment with...<br />
‘The only<br />
newspapers to<br />
maintain any<br />
lengthy momentum<br />
in recording<br />
darts have been<br />
The People and<br />
the late News of<br />
the World.’<br />
Pre-empting your answers I think<br />
that most darts fans would<br />
guess that it appeared in the<br />
early years of the seventies at<br />
the very beginning of the major ‘boom’<br />
in darts. Many did appear during the 70s<br />
and 80s and today only one survives from<br />
that era. But to trace the very fi rst darts<br />
magazine, or more correctly, the fi rst<br />
darts newspaper, we have to travel back<br />
in time seventy-fi ve years to the fi rst darts<br />
‘boom’ in the late 1930s.<br />
This early ‘boom’ in darts was lost to<br />
history before I started my research into<br />
our favourite sport and details can be found<br />
in my book <strong>Darts</strong> in History 1900–1939: A<br />
social history.<br />
In short, in the 1920s the brewers and<br />
publicans introduced darts into their pubs<br />
in a bid to (a) improve the image of the<br />
trade (b) distract customers from the mere<br />
business of drinking and (c) act as a counterattraction<br />
to <strong>com</strong>bat the rapid rise of<br />
alternative attractions including the theatre,<br />
dance halls, greyhound-racing, speedway<br />
and other spectator sports.<br />
The fi rst formally organised inter-pub darts<br />
league was introduced by the Barclay,<br />
Perkins brewery in London in 1924.<br />
By 1936 the game had be<strong>com</strong>e so<br />
popular in the south not only with the pubgoing<br />
working classes but also with the<br />
middle and upper classes, that the very<br />
fi rst book entirely devoted to darts, called<br />
inspiringly ‘<strong>Darts</strong>’, was written by itinerant<br />
What seems to<br />
be the problem?<br />
I’m just<br />
board, doc.<br />
With the launch of <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong>, the world’s<br />
newest darts magazine, I thought I would begin<br />
this, Dr. <strong>Darts</strong>’ fi rst offering to the readership, by<br />
asking a question, ‘In what decade did the fi rst<br />
regular publication (magazine or newspaper)<br />
totally devoted to darts appear?’<br />
author and darts fanatic Rupert Croft-Cooke<br />
to meet the demand for the rules on how to<br />
play. (See image, right)<br />
In 1937 the publication <strong>Darts</strong> Weekly<br />
News was launched but almost from the<br />
start, even though Croft-Cooke was a major<br />
contributor, struggled to fi nd suffi cient<br />
darts-related stories to fi ll its pages. For<br />
this reason the newspaper was soon retitled<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> and Sports Weekly News and<br />
later still it became the <strong>Darts</strong> and Sports<br />
Review. Despite these changes the<br />
newspaper folded in 1939 owing Croft-<br />
Cooke money. (I know how he feels. I had<br />
the same experience last year. Trust me.<br />
I’m a doctor.)<br />
However, due to darts being so underrecorded<br />
by the press during that and<br />
subsequent periods, the legacy of <strong>Darts</strong><br />
Weekly News cannot be underestimated.<br />
It provided some continuity in darts<br />
reporting albeit over a few months.<br />
The only newspapers to maintain any<br />
lengthy momentum in recording darts have<br />
been The People and the late News of the<br />
World and the vast majority of that was in<br />
relation to their own team and individual<br />
darts <strong>com</strong>petitions.<br />
So much has changed in publishing<br />
and reporting in the intervening seven and<br />
a half decades. <strong>Darts</strong> Weekly News reached<br />
only a handful of subscribers whereas<br />
the potential reach of <strong>Inside</strong> <strong>Darts</strong> is<br />
inestimable. I am so proud to be a part of it.<br />
The cover of Croft-Cooke’s book<br />
which was published<br />
in London by Geoffrey Bles in<br />
December 1936.<br />
56 57<br />
‘With more and more events<br />
scheduled, focus increasing on<br />
youth darts and viewer numbers<br />
on satellite TV increasing,<br />
clearly the PDC are doing<br />
something right and doing it<br />
very well.’<br />
Happy 20th Anniversary<br />
It seems incredible to me that 2012<br />
marks twenty years since the World<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> Council (WDC) (later of course the<br />
Professional <strong>Darts</strong> Corporation (PDC)) began<br />
to be put together by Dick Allix, Tommy<br />
Cox and Marcus Robertson. In an article<br />
published in the USA in 2010, Dick Allix<br />
recalled how in 1992 representatives of the<br />
British <strong>Darts</strong> Organisation (BDO) had been<br />
‘invited to be part of the [new] organisation’<br />
and ‘to play a pivotal role even’. Discussions<br />
over, the BDO, in Allix’s words, then ‘walked<br />
away from the monumental success of the<br />
PDC, couldn’t see it or rather prayed it<br />
would not succeed.’ (The image shows Dick<br />
(left) with Tommy Cox at the 1993 Embassy<br />
World Championship. Note that the latter is<br />
wearing the ‘controversial’ WDC badge.)<br />
Twenty years on and the success of the<br />
PDC is undeniable although the style is<br />
not necessarily to the liking of many<br />
traditionalists. With more and more events<br />
scheduled, focus increasing on youth<br />
darts and viewer numbers on satellite<br />
TV increasing, clearly the PDC are doing<br />
something right and doing it very well.<br />
With the fi rst anniversary of the ‘reborn’<br />
BDO in a few months’ time it will be<br />
interesting to see, once they’ve properly<br />
settled in, what fresh and exciting ideas<br />
are forth<strong>com</strong>ing from the new Board to<br />
not only improve on what they do best,<br />
represent the grass roots of the sport, but<br />
also to secure coverage of premier BDO<br />
darts events on terrestrial TV and preserve<br />
the future of the original World Professional<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> Championship.<br />
As regards the latter, I sincerely hope<br />
it’s not too late.<br />
‘Dr. <strong>Darts</strong>’<br />
www.patrickchaplin.<strong>com</strong>
NEWS<br />
2012 Collection<br />
Dean<br />
Winstanley<br />
New<br />
Dart Points<br />
New<br />
Highlander<br />
<strong>Darts</strong><br />
New<br />
WinCool<br />
<strong>Darts</strong> Shirt<br />
New<br />
Diamond Plus<br />
Dartboard<br />
New<br />
Slimline<br />
Aluminium<br />
Case<br />
New<br />
Gift Sets<br />
Broadside<br />
<strong>Darts</strong><br />
New<br />
New<br />
Laser Oche<br />
New<br />
New Flights<br />
New<br />
Winmau Dartboard Company Ltd., South Road, Bridgend Industrial Estate, Bridgend, CF31 3PT, UK<br />
winmau.<strong>com</strong> e-mail: info@winmau.<strong>com</strong> Tel +44 (0) 1656 767042 Fax +44 (0) 1656 650468<br />
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