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Darts - the whole freaking lot about fat blokes flinging pointy things at sisal

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    Darts - the whole freaking lot about fat blokes flinging pointy things at sisal

    As suggested by Kevin S, decided to set one up and what a post to get started.

    It is rumoured today, and I must stress these are only rumours at the moment, that the WDF (World Darts Federation) has dismissed the BDO (British Darts Organisation) from it's list of members due to breaching rules at the World Masters (presumably the adding of false names into the draws, and completing a re-draw for the men and not women).

    In the grand scheme of things, this doesn't seem much as it doesn't effect the PDC in any way, shape or form. However, for the amateur side (for that is what the WDF and BDO represent) this is massive. The BDO World Darts Championship is effectively the WDF World Championship as the BDO pay a levy to the WDF in order to run it. In the Tomlin Order of 1995 the ruling handed down was that the PDC would recognise the WDF as the governing body for darts and the BDO as the governing body for the UK. If the BDO are not recognised by the WDF then their whole existence - aside from running the British Inter-Counties Championship (BICC) - would be futile.

    This is yet another nail in the coffin of the BDO who, after disastrous major events in Blackburn (The World Darts Trophy) and at The Circus Tavern in Essex (The World Masters), are now looking at running a World Championships at a new venue where ticket sales have stalled at 9% of capacity. The Tuesday afternoon session has sold 42 tickets!!!!

    There are rumours (that word again) that the WDF is looking to take on their own world championships by working closely with other member nations such as the NDB of the Netherlands, and they have taken on Richard Ashdown (the former head BDO referee and MC) as a consultant. What Little Richard doesn't know about darts can be jotted down on the back of a postage stamp.

    There's a lot in the air and, when I have more time, I will give a rundown of what has gone so disastrously wrong with BDO darts over the last 10 years.

    Poor Olly Croft - the founder of the BDO who passed away 2 weeks ago - would be spinning in his grave if he wasn't to be cremated next Friday.

    #2
    I used to live in Muswell Hill. Never met Olly Croft, but did meet (and practice with, in the Logie Baird) one of the Aussie guys that he used to put up in his spare room when they came to play in the World Masters/Champs. The entire BDO (world championships, County Championships,Winmau World Masters, the lot) was run from an office in what would have been his dining room, by post and telephone. This would have been about 1994, the dying days of amateurism in most sports and definitely darts.

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      #3
      Posted on a darts forum I frequent - The Stars of Darts - here is a copy of the WDF letter to its member countries:

      Last edited by Simon G; 04-12-2019, 14:56. Reason: EDIT: I'll try and get a better copy when not at work.

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        #4
        It seems like we've not had a sporting schism in a while, so chapeau to darts for giving us one.

        So, the BDO is dead, long live the EDO, WDO and SDA?

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          #5
          In more positive news our darts team play in the Cardiff and Whitchurch League Division 1 (the second tier of three) and we have started doing reports for the local newspaper and running a twitter page. It is all a bit of fun but if the BDO does go to the wall the PDC need to start doing a better job of recognising people involved in grassroots (if I can call it that _ I do anyway) darts.

          I think leagues should be able to be affiliated to the PDC and in return the registered players get priority access to tickets for the big events so its not just a total jolly boys outing for people who have zero interest in the darts or even playing. It could also led to better organised leagues and maybe a more standardised format for league darts although I appreciate the variation is part of the fun. Part of me does think there is a big window of opportunity to have team darts better promoted and watched more.

          Anyway follow our trials and tribulations via https://twitter.com/grangedarts and http://www.grangetowncardiff.co.uk/GrangeDarts.html enjoy the hyperbole!

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            #6
            If the BDO goes to the wall, not much in grassroots darts will change, in my view. The BICC will still continue in the same guise, only the EDO (England Darts), SDA (Scottish Darts Association) and WDO (Welsh Darts Organisation) will run it instead. There is strong talk of the WDF running their own tour and working in affiliation with the PDC. There was due to be a meeting today between the WDF and the NDB (Dutch Darts) with rumours circulating that they're going to host a WDF World Championship in the Netherlands - this is very early days though.

            Whilst Barry Hearn is in charge of the PDC they'll have no interest in grassroots. They've put together a Challenge Tour, but that's only 4 weekends a year with two tournaments a day. Their development tour is a joke with a 25 year old winning their Youth Championship a couple of weeks ago. Hearn is happy letting someone else take the strain of grassroots darts as it doesn't cost the PDC money and, if anything, it makes the PDC tour more desirable.

            What I'd like to see is the WDF/BDO work with the PDC. Give the BDO World Champion an automatic tour card, which they can take or turn down, and actually get rid of the division in the game. Rename the BDO World Championship from World Pro to Amateur World Championships and sell it as the lower tier of the game rather than trying to compete. I like both organisations, but I always preferred the BDO because the fans actually watched the games. You can watch the PDC events now and half the crowd have their backs to the stage.

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              #7
              Originally posted by ingoldale View Post
              In more positive news our darts team play in the Cardiff and Whitchurch League Division 1 (the second tier of three) and we have started doing reports for the local newspaper and running a twitter page. It is all a bit of fun but if the BDO does go to the wall the PDC need to start doing a better job of recognising people involved in grassroots (if I can call it that _ I do anyway) darts.

              I think leagues should be able to be affiliated to the PDC and in return the registered players get priority access to tickets for the big events so its not just a total jolly boys outing for people who have zero interest in the darts or even playing. It could also led to better organised leagues and maybe a more standardised format for league darts although I appreciate the variation is part of the fun. Part of me does think there is a big window of opportunity to have team darts better promoted and watched more.

              Anyway follow our trials and tribulations via https://twitter.com/grangedarts and http://www.grangetowncardiff.co.uk/GrangeDarts.html enjoy the hyperbole!
              Nice one ingoldale. I enjoyed the article, think I worked out which one is you.

              Threw for the first time in weeks this evening, did OK. I’ve realised if I don’t get my double quickly, I’ll be at it so long my opponent will have plenty of time to finish things off.

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                #8
                I had a 54 darter against the Russ Bray app yesterday. Both the app and I were stuck on D1 for ages. It was frustrating because before that leg I was averaging high 60s, after it I was averaging 37 or so...it also killed my scoring.

                Ingoldale - why do you call a 26 a Gaz? It's Bed and Breakfast as far as I'm concerned.

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                  #9
                  I’m really surprised that an app would be stuck on its double. I suppose that’s good, that it has some built in fallibility.

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                    #10
                    Originally posted by Simon G View Post
                    I had a 54 darter against the Russ Bray app yesterday. Both the app and I were stuck on D1 for ages. It was frustrating because before that leg I was averaging high 60s, after it I was averaging 37 or so...it also killed my scoring.

                    Ingoldale - why do you call a 26 a Gaz? It's Bed and Breakfast as far as I'm concerned.
                    When we first started the team in 2017 some of the players who joined had been taught to play by a bloke in a pub in Manchester. He was called Gaz and apparently very good at hitting 1, 20 and 5 so it stuck as a bit of an in house joke. When we all shout "GAZ!!!" when someone gets one most teams look on totally bemused which, naturally, makes it all the more amusing.

                    I too knew it as bed and breakfast before I came to Cardiff but I've noticed here most people call it "sexy darts" which I don't particularly like.

                    I have had a 3 dart average of around 50 this last year. Last week I averaged 30 but I was clinical on my doubles and scraped a win. We keep stats for each player on 3 dart averages, I like it because it is a tangible way of gauging your improvement, especially if your win column is going up too.

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by Sits View Post
                      I’m really surprised that an app would be stuck on its double. I suppose that’s good, that it has some built in fallibility.
                      Presumably they've built in an algorithm that says the app would miss 1 out of 3 times, so it missing 6 times running is one of those unlikely but far from inpossible odds things.

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                        #12


                        Here is the leg in question - the number in brackets is darts thrown. The app has it so that if you miss with one dart on a throw it only counts that one dart, hence the CPU having thrown 37 darts.

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                          #13
                          Hughes-Lerchbacher isn't the best example of great throwing under pressure but it's certainly tense.

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                            #14
                            Originally posted by Simon G View Post


                            Here is the leg in question - the number in brackets is darts thrown. The app has it so that if you miss with one dart on a throw it only counts that one dart, hence the CPU having thrown 37 darts.
                            Is there a missing link here?

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                              #15
                              In what sense?

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                                #16
                                Well done Fallon Sherrock.

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                                  #17
                                  Thread title needs a tweak after that, doesn't it?

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                                    #18
                                    Heh, was thinking the same!

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                                      #19
                                      Yes, good effort.

                                      This may be a figment of my imagination, but I'm sure I remember reading that darts was very big in Mongolia. And to expect an influx of Mongolian professionals at some point.

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                                        #20
                                        Originally posted by Stumpy Pepys View Post
                                        Yes, good effort.

                                        This may be a figment of my imagination, but I'm sure I remember reading that darts was very big in Mongolia. And to expect an influx of Mongolian professionals at some point.
                                        Darts is generally pretty big in Asia but they tend to soft tip competitions. Korea, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippenes (spelling).

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                                          #21
                                          Soft tip is definitely the bread and butter in Asia.

                                          As for Fallon last night, she was truly outstanding. Take nothing away from her, because Ted Evetts is no mug and he certainly didn't make it easy for her.

                                          I've followed Fallon for a while now (not in a crazy, stalker type way) and she appeared to drop off the radar a couple of years ago when she contracted an illness. She's always had the ability to hit big scores and it's often her doubling that let her down, as it nearly did last night. I'm delighted for her though.

                                          I don't think she should be too worried about Mensur in the next round either, although the additional publicity (being on Good Morning Britain this morning for example) may be a bit of a hindrance.

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                                            #22
                                            I know everyone was full of booze and wanted to see history made, but Evetts didn't deserve the booing he got, he's just another young player trying to make his way, and he was certainly gracious in defeat.

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                                              #23
                                              Welcome to the standard PDC darts crowd.

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                                                #24
                                                I don't understand how darts is a big spectator sport. The darts are small as are the sections of the target they're trying to hit. How can anyone see what is going on from that far away?

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                                                  #25
                                                  In terms of seeing the darts hit home they have to rely on the screens. The main appeal is the atmosphere I think; the arenas basically turn into huge pubs.

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