A Look Back In Time - 1st September 2007
The Brook Meadow Individual League began their new campaign with a new format, no longer the best of three legs but now the best of four, giving player the opportunity to earn a draw should they fail to win. Reigning champion Trevor Frost got the new season off to a good start by recording two 3-1 wins over Jason Evans and Jake Smith. However, after completing week five’s fixtures it is Ross Macken who leads the field on 46 points from ten games. Frost is lying in second place just three points adrift but he does have two games in hand which could net him a possible twelve points. Newcomer to the league Matthew Gallett is third with 40 points after playing ten games.
Another league who are about to change their format are the Small Heath League. In the new campaign which is about to get underway in September they will extend their season by each team playing each other four times, twice at home and twice away.
Back to the current season which as seen the Mitre, for the second successive season complete their fixture card and remained undefeated. Two fourteen match seasons with a maximum 28 points. They have bettered last season’s result insomuch as they have finished with 99 legs for and 27 against compared with the previous season’s 97 for and 29 against, a truly tremendous feat. Mitre could not have written the script for the perfect ending for the season as they completed their programme with a 9-0 home win over the Victoria to give them a massive eight points advantage over their rivals.
Custard House with a 5-4 away win over Wagon and Horse finished a runners up with Victoria 301 Club level on the same 20 points but with an inferior average.
The league have been engaged with the play off of their Delegates and Ladies Knockouts. Winning the Delegates Knockout was Neil Parsonage from the Emerald Club. Neil beat Victoria 301 Club’s Paddy O’Sullivan in the final. Losing semi finalists were Ian McLean (Custard House) and John McCaffrey (Potcheen Still).
On the mark in the Ladies Knockout was Jean Forde (Potcheen Still) who clinched the crown with a final verdict over Mitre’s Nicky Ali. Going out in the last four were Ann O’Sullivan (Victoria Flights) and Tina Rowley (Mitre).
The mixed doubles knockout was staged at the Emerald Club and saw Jean and Arthur Forde take the honours. In the final the Forde’s defeated Helen Davis and Andy Cooper. Losing semi finalists were Ann Wall / Brendan Lysaght and June Wallace / Dave Jones.
Making their exit in the quarter finals were Sally Hudson / Neil Parsonage, Amanda Cooper / Matthew Cooper, Sue Knowles / Ernie Rice and Kelly Walton / Paul Hartland.
The singles and doubles knockout finals were again played at the Emerald Club and it was the hosts Neil Parsonage who added the singles title to his Delegates success with a final win over Micky Nunn, who represented the Mitre. Parsonage then made it a fantastic treble when he teamed up with Daniel Dodd to clinch the doubles trophy. Runners up in the doubles were Micky Nunn (again) and Terry Walton.
The Sheldon and District Summer league have been engaged with the play off for round one of their Mrs F.Richman Trophy. Biggest winners of the round were group one’s Saltley Amateur Gardeners who beat group four’s Old Bill and Bull 7-0. Not far behind were Brook Meadow (group one) and Shirley RBL (group three) who in turn defeated RAFA (group two) and Shard End RBL ’A’ (group three).
Other surprise results were, Sheldon Dukes (group 2) beat Shard End RBL ’B’ (group 1), Small Heath Amateur Gardeners (group 6) beat Golden Acres (group 5) and group four’s Farringdon Social took out Sheldon Social from group five.
A total of 175 took part in the recent Midlands Open staged at Canley Sports and Social Club, Coventry. The final was a battle of the Andy’s, a contest between Andy Smith and Andy Hamilton. Smith took a 2-0 lead before Hamilton stepped up the gas and produced winning legs of 14, 15, 15, 14 and a final winning leg of 13 darts to clinch the top prize of £1000.
Losing semi finalists were Warwickshire’s Tom Aldridge and Worcestershire’s Tony Randall.
Saturday’s Coventry Open attracted a total of 155 entrants was won by local Warwickshire player Kevin Dowling. Kevin wrapped up the title with a final 5-4 victory over Staffordshire’s Andy Beardmore. Kevin’s winning legs were 17, 18, 18, 21 and 26 darts.
In the semi finals Dowling beat Ricky Frisby 4-1 and Beardmore had a close 4-3 success against Nigel Heydon.
Finally Friday 22nd June was a very special day for my wife Sheila and myself as we became grandparents for the first time. We, together with our daughter Claire, would like to offer our congratulations to our son Clive and daughter in law Joanne on the birth of their gorgeous daughter Olivia Grace, who weighed in at 6lbs 14ozs. We wish her a very happy and healthy future.
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