Bdo Lives: Well Done EuroSport

Hi guys

Was thrilled to hear that the EuroSport channel has picked up televising the BDO majors for the next 3 years.

We'll now get the World Championship, World Trophy and World Masters with hopefully more to come.

This is great news and hopefully ensures the World Championship stays at Lakeside and convinces Winmau to retain sponsorship of BDO events.

Those who made this happen need to be applauded. Less than a week ago the BDO looked in real danger of potentially going under with no TV, losing Winmau and even Lakeside and now its potentially in a healthier TV position than it even was as the BBC lost interest.

This is such

It's a good day to be a BDO and darts fan!

Luke

Just nailed a personal best at 100 at 20 + 2 x 180

Hi guys

Nailed a personal best at 100 at 20 with 115 (previous best was 107 in June 2018)

Also pleased to have hit 2 x 180

Interview with the Last News Of The World Darts Championship Winner: Paul Cook

Hi Guys

I have always been fascinated by the News Of The World Championship.  For me it was actually the ‘unofficial’ World Championship and it was the longest serving darts championship having ran for over 40 years since the 1940’s.

It was the Championship that every player wanted to win and was the first and for a period the only darts championship on television.

The rules were it was a best of 3 legs only from 8ft, so you can Imagine how hard it was to win. In-fact there were so many games to play  before you reached  the final starting at Pub level that you could have 60+ matches over the course of the year.

Some of the pioneers of darts and legends won the trophy include:

Barry Twomlow

Bobby George x2

John Lowe

Eric Bristow x2

Mike Gregory x2

Stefan Lord x 2

Phil Taylor x 1

Dave Whitcombe x2

Thanks to www.dartsnutz.net forum member Richard, I have tracked down the last winner of the original News Of The World Championship Paul Cook,, who won the trophy in 1990.

The championship was resurrected in 1997 however many felt it was brought back to allow Phil Taylor the opportunity to win it, and it was abandoned in 1998 after Taylor won it.

I can’t stress enough how hard it was to win this Championship, and many Legends never managed it including

Alan Evans – who lost the final in 1972

Leighton Rees  - who lost the final in 1976

Alan Glazier – who lost the final in 1979

Dennis Priestley – who lost the final in 1989

Paul Cook, now in his 60’s and still I hear a helluva player took the time to answer some questions and it is my great pleasure to bring you it below.

Q1: You won what was considered at the time to be the last ever News Of The World champion in 1990. Memories of that incredible achievement?

PC: my memories of that day I won News Of The World was the support i got from Eric Bristow and is info on how to win News Of The World.

Q2: You seemed to disappear from darts after that, did you try to qualify for the Bdo or Pdc majors on this time? 

PC: I played in all the WDC ranking comps from 1994 to 1996 my best ranking was 27 . i played in 2 world matchplay’s at Blackpool and played in world pairs with Dennis Smith reaching quarter finals 

Q3. What darts do you, did you used to use?

PC: I have only played with 1 set of darts which i still play with now 22gm 

Q4:  You have popped up at alot of various tournaments over the years, was it ever an ambition to go pro? 

PC: no ambition to turn pro but if i could of got sponsership i may had a go

Q5: Do you still play regularly these days and if so how much do you practice? 

PC: still play 3 nights a week but i never have been a big practicer 

Q6: Did you ever get to play the likes of Jocky Wilson and Bristow and memories of those matches? 

PC: Great memories of both these great players I played Eric the week before I won News Of The World Championship in Weston supermare .  The Yorkshire board comp beating him 3-0 then a challenge math after comp for a year’s supply of beer I won that 3-0.  It was mentioned on the day of News Of The World final between us. . I played jockey a few times and was always well beaten . Still got some medals he gave me

I would just like to take the time to thank Paul for answering these questions

Luke

Well done to Adam Smith-Neale winning the 2018 Winmau World Masters

Hi guys

I just wanted to give a BIG Well Done to Adam Smith-Neale who won the oldest active tournament in darts, the Winmau World Masters.

Smith-Neale, 24 saw off the current Bdo World Champion and former Masters Champion Glen Durrant 6-4 in a great final Averaging 96.82

Smith-Neale will now enter the PDC Grandslam of darts a massively lucrative opportunity for the young man to showcase his talent to a bigger audience.

4/10/18: 180

Hi guys

180!

Abit of fun, 1000 darts at 20 plus 2 180s

Hi guys

Abit of fun, had 1000 darts at 20

I hit:

527 singles
131 triples
11 doubles
341 misses

Overall accuracy was 65.90%

Of note hit:

180 x 2
140 x 3
120 x 7
100 x 43
80 x 50
60 x 67

Not bad going, please to hit 2 x 180 with my first goes on the harrows 22g Torpedos.

Anyway abit of fun with a few cans of Fosters in hand.

Give it a go, though your arm wont thank you the next day

Luke

Random musings on dart weight

Hi guys

Some random musings with a beer in hand whilst my wife smokes my mastercard on her 40th bday girlie holiday purchase (and my darts purchases at around £20 get moaned at) 

Now I totally get the rationale behind it. Slimmer = more space in the segment/treble. Hell I've been there with the 14g Hankeys, 10g featherlights, 22g Adams, 25h MVG etc. I lived. For the sub or low 6mm dart.

The reality is that I threw a chunkier number ala 25g Ton Machine far better though it Conflicted with the logic in my head. 

Couple that with that so few pros use a chunk dart (can you name 5 current pros?)  and i felt I was cheating myself. 

Now go back 30 years and though it was likely due to the tech far more players used chunky darts:

Rees
Lazarenko
Glazier
Whitcome
Early Lowes


And whilst they ave were lower than nowadays the boards were far worse and the segments 14% smaller, so there scoring would obviously be superior now

We all have different sized hands and styles so maybe a 31g chunky would be better than a 22g skinny for some players. 

Maybe it's best to forget the aesthetics,and weight and just throw what works best after all how many players have won the WC with sub 20 darts? 

Priestley 12g
Deller 18g
Anderson 18g
Hankey 14g
Walton 18g
Bunting 12g 

Hell maybe some pros should consider it as well!

Luke