DART STORIES
Now here is a new page to the web site
but it is one page that you the reader’s have to help out with.
Quite simply do you have a story to tell?
Perhaps it is about how you came to play darts in the first place!
Or maybe a great game you played in or saw.
Could be that one of the legends of the game on the telly inspired
you.
Or you thought he's not that good I could beat him.
Well here is your chance to tell us.
So why not share your memories here!
To start us off I will tell you how I got started playing and it was not fun believe me!
Many years ago back in the dark ages way before computers and mobile phones people used to
congregate
in public house and even then most did not have televisions! So people played darts!
But that is not where it started I was
in the Royal Navy and based at H.M.S. Raleigh in Torpoint
just over the Tamar River in Plymouth.
And as a baby chef when you finished
a duty watch that was working a 12 hour shift one day and doing
the morning early shift the next 4am-8am you were given
a day off whoopee.
Any way there was this BIG Scouser chef
who was good bit older than me and he says to me one morning
fancy a game of darts Mitch.
I replied don’t
play darts.
He say’s you do now.
And here are the rules
looser mark the board well I had no chance. What end to throw was my first lesson
ah so it continued with this gigantic
Scouser every morning shift every fourth day there I was marking
the board for him and never winning a game.
But as time went by a lot of the guy’s
and girls about my own age would meet up in the N.A.F.F.I. bar
how unusual me being in place that sells drink!
And we would play darts and guess what, all those beatings I took every fourth day were paying
off!
Suddenly
amongst my own crowd I rarely got beat so all that practise was paying of, Scouse had been teaching me
a valuable lesson! well I learnt to count and that was a huge advantage over my comrades in arms
especially
as we used to play for drinks and the odd cash wager.
When I hit the big time it was all about being asked to play for the chef’s team in
a friendly against a local pub in Plymouth so excited of I trouped to the N.A.F.F. I. Shop to buy a real set of brass
and feather flighted darts of my very
own in their own classy see through plastic case with bright red feathers,weight
well light it said on the box!
And
that was it that evening in the bar I was told I was up against a league player oh boy the nerves set in
glad they had
soft loo paper in the gents as I seemed to be in there for a long time.
Well blow me down with a feather double five was hit to end the match
I had won.
And the rest is history now double five seems to be
one of my favourite doubles well
ends up on it a lot.
And
you know what I never ever beat that big Scouser Chef but I am sure glad he dragged me into his mess hall
to play darts
the dartboard was hung on the back of a wardrobe.
otherwise who knows I might have been a world champion at
something like shove halvepenny
or maybe bar skittles who knows?
Ramblings
of a demented dart player
Please forgive the spelling and the way it is worded it is just the way it came back to me! Please indulge
or forgive me. I thought I would put down a bit about my time on the dart board and some of the very best players I had the
great pleasure of knowing & toeing the ocky with!
(DONT MEAN TO BORE)
Fastest recorded games
in league match10 darts
140-140-171-bulls-eye, in open competitions it is 11 darts.
In 301 league matches from a double start it is 7
darts the best achieved.
Six darts done in money matches at 301 double start,
In Practise 3001 leg done in 89 darts
equates to 30 straight tons!
Best set of 5x1001 done in fifty throws once again equates to 50 consecutive tons!
HIGHEST FINISH
170 X 12 TIMES
Most maximum 180's in a night 15x 180
I know some people hit many more than that
but
I believe any more than 10 in one session is quite good!
BEST FINISH
Finishing on three bulls eyes in a Bathgate
Friday night league match playing for the Local Bar, against Wee Alec’s from Fauldhouse. To be truthful I hit three
bulls eye way before ever recording my first maximum 180
PERFECT FOUR DART GAME.
Playing for the Scottish C.I.U. Champions
The Craigshill Club in Livingston. We were playing in Bedlington in the North East of England it saw me playing anchor man
for the team this format of the game was 5 x 1001 legs first to three! And it was an 8 man team all in I scored a maximum
180 when my turn came round after 15 players had thrown before me. And with the match on tender hooks everyone was nervous
and the doubles were being missed it came to my turn again and I hit the double one plumb centre first dart only four darts
I throw in that leg were 60-60-60-double 1
AS I SAID THE PERFECT 4 DART GAME.
FINEST PAIRS MATCH I
EVER PLAYED IN.
Playing with my son Lorne Mitchell we qualified a very hard fought contest
In the Craigshill Social
Club. With players like Bill Lessles, Harry Clelland, Davie Nisbet, Chris Byrne, Cliff Von Doring
and many more top players
from the area we managed to win every match
by the score line of 2-1
we went on to win the
East of Scotland C.I.U. Pairs title.
BEST SINGLES COMPETITION WIN
Winning the West Lothian Super League singles title of 1983/84
no one knew who I was
then and you got it in one
they still don’t know who I am to-day!
MOST DISTRESSING TIME.
Was having the dreaded dartitis in the late 1980’s I came through it mainly due to the players who
never gave up on me they played me week in week out and month after month. And after changing my stance and my style of throwing
and my darts more times than I care to remember! One day it just came back just stood the old way and low and behold it was
back who knows where it had gone but boy was I glad it came back! How this happened we will never know but I am eternally
grateful to the players who never gave up on me,
Davie Nisbet, Malcolm Watson, Chris Byrne captain of the
C.I.U. Too them all a massive thank you.
That is one of the reasons I still play as hard and as well as I can and will never take anything for granted.
MEMORABLE MATCHES
1,000,001 Attempt from the Dolphin Hotel Weymouth in 1978 sponsored by Nodor Darts Company & Embassy
Tobacco Company.
Scottish Super League Champions 1983
Scottish Super League Runners up Gladstone’s Leith
1994
C.I.U. East Scotland Doubles Runner up (Martin Deegan) 1987
C.I.U. East Scotland Doubles Champions (Lorne
Mitchell) 1992
CI.U. Scottish Champions Craigshill Club 1990
Holding the 301 Double start Double finish titles
in Bathgate Friday night league-West Calder Monday night league-
West Lothian county super league-West Lothian Summer
league all that the same time 2009
South of Scotland Player of the Month BICC 2016
Latvia
Open Doubles Runner Up (Cameron Anderson)2017
Crete Masters Four Person Team Champions 2018
Greater
Glasgow South of Scotland Inter-Counties Champions 2019
Greater Glasgow voted Match of the season
by my team mates2019
Walter Abbott Open Singles Champion 2019
Crete Masters
Four Person Team Champions 2019
Greater Glasgow South of Scotland Inter-Counties Champions 2020
Player most respected
My Good friend Mr Bill Perry twice Swedish Open Champion Great Britain player and one of the first true money
players. Bill was also a great exhibition player and part of the Nail throwing circuit in the early 1970’s appearing
on T.V. more than 14 times the most notable being the Russell Harty show on prime time television with Mike Brown England
International and Bobby George news of the world champion. Bill passed away in 2006 I spoke to him the night before he left
us at about 6.30pm and he asked me what I was doing I said painting and decorating Bill replied should be on the practise
board that is what he would be doing! Bill Perry was 78 years young and still went to all the main darting events throughout
the United Kingdom. Darts is what he loved and not the politics that somehow seem to try and spoil this fabulous sport of
ours. Sadly he died at 10.30pm the next day BUT he was correct if you want to succeed you have to constantly put in the effort
and practise. Thank You Bill (I WILL)
Probably the best run I ever had was when the Lizzie Brice pub
used to run Monday night £40 flyers during the summer back in the day and managed 9 consecutive finals, Runner Up then
7 straight wins and then Runner up again (thanks Bob Hall for stopping my run of win’s!)
| 2020 | Black Bull out the hat doubles | Margaret Ferguson | Winners |
| 2019 | Greater Glasgow
Premier League Doubles | Kevin McInrue | Winners |
| 2019 | New Cumnock League Doubles |
Ronnie Sharp | Winners |
| 2019 | New Cumnock Champion of Champions |
Ronnie Sharp | Winners |
| 2019 | Walter Abbott Open Elgin |
Ronnie Sharp | S/F |
| 2019 | New Cumnock League, Two person Team |
Ronnie Sharp | S/F |
| 2019 | Greek Open Athens | Kevan Meritt | Last 16 |
| 2019 | Scottish Open | Graeme Morrison | Last 16 |
| 2018 | New Cumnock Blind Doubles |
Greg Crook | Runner Up |
| 2018 | Kirknewton Inn Open Doubles |
Stevie Scott | Runner up |
| 2018 | Peebles Blind Doubles | Ally Campbell | Winners |
| 2018 | Moffat Open Doubles | Gary Higgins | Q/F |
| 2017 | Latvian Men’s Open |
Gary Higgins | Semi -Final |
| 2017 | Latvian Open Doubles | Cameron Anderson | Runner up |
| 2017 | Lanark Open Doubles | Graeme Bird | Runners Up |
| 2017 | Lanark Open Doubles | Graeme Bird | Winners |
| 2017 | Lanark Open Doubles | Graeme Bird | Runners Up |
| 2017 | Fife Open Doubles | Micky Rice | Runners Up |
| 2017 | Benidorm Open Doubles | Wullie Laird | Q/F |
| 2017 | Moffat Open Doubles | Graeme Bird | R/up |
| 2016 | Bathgate 301 Double start Pairs |
Graeme Bird | Winners |
| 2016 | Cockenzie and Port Seaton Open Pairs | Colin Robertson
| S/F |
| 2016 | Stranraer Open Pairs | Tommy | R/up |
| 2016 | Lanark Open
Pairs | William Harraughty | R/up |
| 2016 | Bentswood Open Pairs | Colin Robertson | R/up |
| 2016 | Fife Open Pairs | Colin Robertson | Q/F |
| 2016 | W.C.D.D.L. Match Play Pairs |
Colin Robertson | Runners Up |
| 2015 | W.C.D.D.L. League Pairs | Martin Deegan | Winners |
| 2015 | West Lothian Mixed Doubles Summer League | Connie Bamburry | Winners |
| 2015 | Bathgate 301 Pairs | Graeme Bird | Runners Up |
| 2015 | Bathgate Hats Open Pairs |
Mick Burke | Winners |
| 2014 | W.C.D.D.L. Match Play Pairs |
Colin Robertson | Winners |
| 2014 | Berwick Pairs | Colin Robertson | Q/F |
| 2014 | W.C.D.D.L. League Pairs | Colin Robertson | Winners |
| 2014 | Lanark Open Pairs | William Harraughty | Winners |
| 2014 | Cawburn League Pairs | William Harraughty | Winners |
| 2014 | North Berwick Open Pairs |
Colin Robertson | Winners |
| 2014 | Aberlady Open Pairs | Colin Robertson | Runners Up |
| 2013 | League Record for a pairs match 100-180-177-44g.s. | Gordon Bruce
| League Record |
| 2013 | W.C.D.D.L. Match
Play Pairs | Gordon Bruce | Winners |
| 2013 | Bentswood Spring Open Pairs |
Colin Robertson | Winners |
| 2012 | W.C.D.D.L. League Pairs | Gordon Bruce | Runners Up |
| 2011 | Rileys Qualifier Open Pairs |
Lorne Mitchell | S/F |
| 2011 | W.C.D.D.L. Match Play Pairs |
Gordon Bruce | Winners |
| 2010 | West Lothian Super League Pairs |
Colin Robertson | Winners |
| 2010 | Berwick Spring Open Pairs |
Colin Robertson | Q/F |
| 2009 | W.C.D.D.L. Match Play Pairs |
Geordie Dryburgh | Winners |
| 2009 | W.C.D.D.L. League Doubles |
Geordie Dryburgh | Runners Up |
| 2009 | Scottish Pairs | Colin Robertson | Q/F |
| 2009 | Berwick Spring Open Pairs |
Colin Robertson | Q/F |
| 2009 | Berwick Winter Open Pairs |
Colin Robertson | Q/F |
| 2009 | East Houses Tam Laing Pairs |
Colin Robertson | S/F/ |
| 2008 | W.C.D.D.L. Match Play Pairs |
Geordie Dryburgh | Winners |
| 2008 | Scottish Mixed Doubles Scottish Finals | Irene McInness | Runners Up |
| 2008 | W.C.D.D.L. League Pairs | Geordie Dryburgh | Runners Up |
| 2008 | West Lothian Super League Pairs |
Craig Agnew | Runners Up |
| 2007 | Scottish Open Pairs | Lorne Mitchell | Q/F |
| 2007 | Bathgate League Pairs | Gordon Drysdale | Winners |
| 2007 | Bathgate Open Pairs | Gordon Drysdale | Winners |
| 2007 | W.C.D.D.L. Pairs | Geordie Dryburgh | Winners |
| 2005 | W.C.D.D.L. Match Play Pairs |
Rab Inglis | Winners |
| 2004 | W.C.D.D.L. League Pairs | Davie Aitken | Winners |
| 2004 | West Lothian County Pairs |
Stevie Duncan | Winners |
| 2003 | W.C.D.D.L. Match Play Pairs |
Davie Aitken | Winners |
| 2002 | Lizzie Brice Open Pairs | Malcolm Watson | Winners |
| 2002 | Bathgate League Pairs | Malcolm Watson | Runners Up |
| 2001 | W.C.D.D.L. Match Play Pairs |
Malcolm Watson | Winners |
| 2001 | W.CD.D.L. League Pairs | Malcolm Watson | Winners |
| 2000 | Bentswood Open Pairs | Davie Nisbet | Winners |
| 1999 | Shott’s League Pairs |
Malcolm Watson | Runners Up |
| 1998 | Symington Open Pairs | Davie Nisbet | Winners |
| 1998 | Biggar Jumbo Pairs | Alex Black | Winners |
| 1998 | East Edinburgh Pairs | Malcolm Watson | Winners |
| 1997 | Romano Bridge Open Pairs |
Ian Greerson | Winners |
| 1997 | W.C.D.D.L. Match Play Pairs |
Davie Nisbet | Winners |
| 1997 | Symington Open Pairs | Davie Nisbet | Winners |
| 1996 | West Linton Open Pairs | Ian Greerson | Winners |
| 1996 | W.C.D.D.L. League Pairs | Davie Nisbet | Winners |
| 1996 | Portobello League Pairs |
Malcolm Watson | Winners |
| 1995 | W.C.D.D.L. League Pairs | Davie Nisbet | Winners |
| 1993 | Portobello League | Jimmy Duffy | Runners Up |
| 1993 | West Edinburgh League | Jimmy Duffy | Winners |
| 1992 | C.I.U. East of Scotland Championships | Lorne Mitchell
| Winners |
| 1991 | Craigshill C.I.U. Club | Malcolm Watson | Winners |
| 1990 | Craigshill C.I.U Club | Malcolm Watson | Winners |
| 1989 | Livingston League | Malcolm Watson | Winners |
| 1988 | C.I.U. East of Scotland Championships | Martin Deegan | Runners Up |
| 1987 | Bathgate League
| Malcolm Watson | Winners |
| 1986 | West Lothian Super League |
Harry Clelland | Winners |
| 1983 | Livingston Summer League |
Stuart Tait | Winners |
