tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49918187898890200452011-11-28T00:57:34.479ZAndy's blog about Rock'n'Roll, Doctor Who, Darts, Life, Pot Noodles and Doodles.Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comBlogger971100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-73839254218264599412011-10-20T15:27:00.000+01:002011-10-20T15:27:06.631+01:00

OCTOSQUEEZE HELP If you've had trouble with your Oct-o-squeeze in the Lemax Spooky Town range here's how we sorted our problem out. A common problem is that if you turn it off and on again too quickly Octosqueeze doesn't go into its correct shut down mode and appears to be broken. In other words you can turn it on and off and it lights up and sounds come on, but the ride doesn't move and the

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-43468309740762193182010-12-06T11:53:00.002Z2010-12-06T12:00:20.843Z

Aiden return to the UK with a fast and furious assault in London. Seattle band Aiden returned to the UK this November/December and were confronted with logistical nightmares for their trek across England and Scotland due to the early freezing conditions. However as William Control said in a post on Twitter. "We didn't fly 5000 miles to cancel shows." So Aiden made it up,down and across the UK

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-67525682277530134622010-11-11T11:36:00.002Z2010-11-11T11:42:22.276Z

Razzle, dazzle ... let's get frazzled ... The Grand Slam of Darts is back. The GSOD has long been a fan favourite as it puts all of the champions and finalists of major competitions for the past two years into one tournament, so far won solely by Phil Taylor. Apart from his recent minor blip, Phil Taylor has won pretty much everything over the past year, so the field is populated with more

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-62071746109015543292010-11-08T15:45:00.000Z2010-11-08T15:45:38.234Z

I haven't posted much lately. Been very busy in my career and could take a discernable path one way or the other within the next few weeks. If it goes one way, then I could look to develop my online presence massively. I've dabbled in the past with stuff (see profile) but never had the opportunity to do things professionally. If thing go the other way, I still won't have much time. So what's

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-53932297163699901592010-08-20T14:37:00.001+01:002010-08-20T14:38:54.571+01:00

So how did this lowly worm form and turn to the dark side?Well it all began for me when I was 9 years old. I have always been in love with music. Not as a musician but as a listener and a dancer and whatever else comes with the territory.By the time I was 9 I owned quite a few albums from the reasonably cool Sweet 'Fanny Adams', Alex Harvey's 'SAHB stories', Eddie & The Hot Rods 'Teenage

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-5261901882532906122010-07-07T10:12:00.002+01:002010-07-07T12:25:19.838+01:00

Well look I've got pedigree in some things by now. That comes with experience.Not talking about Darts or Doctor Who this time but music... and loud rock music at that.I think you have to have a slightly off kilter youth to truly get rock'n'roll and it helps if you've lived the life for a while as well. Underneath my (these days) smartly dressed and professional exterior beats the heart of a long

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-33083702189020780842010-06-07T14:12:00.001+01:002010-06-07T14:13:49.990+01:00

And Phil Taylor's done it again. Not only winning the UK Open Finals over the weekend (broadcast on Sky Sports) but setting a new world record for the highest average ever in a televised darts match. A spectacular 118.3 average during his 9-0 win over Kevin Painter.What was disappointing with the tournament was how his opponents caved in while playing him. With the exception of Simon Whitlock and

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-1971803555966342762010-05-26T09:27:00.001+01:002010-05-26T09:30:02.893+01:00

There are short stories by the million around these days. Horror short stories by the squillion.But, in 1967 when the Eighth Book of Pan Horror Stories was published, the power to shock was still there. Lurking within this magnificent tome of the classic series is one of those gentleman's room tales where the narrator is telling a story to a third party.I first read 'The Tsantsa' when I was a

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-7671463420547256912010-05-18T12:58:00.005+01:002010-05-18T13:06:49.063+01:00

For me the first time I came across 'Let The Right One In' was in the magnificent Aiden song from their intense last album 'Knives'.I knew that there was a film with the same title and naively thought Aiden must have got the gig to write the soundtrack song.Should have known that Aiden wouldn't have been so lucky.No one has ever really been quite sure how to take Aiden. Admittedly in the past I

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-5017517139002402132010-05-13T10:36:00.002+01:002010-05-13T10:56:31.233+01:00

It all started for me back in the spring of 1983. Music had always been my life up until that point (I was 16) and I had gone from being a kiddie glam rocker into a cool 10 year old punk. As punk died off and I unsatisfactorily dabbled with post punk Oi! and general pop, I was looking for a new spiritual home.Heavy Rock seemed like it could tick most of the boxes for me, but I never forgot my

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-3201045089626081142010-05-11T13:18:00.003+01:002010-05-11T13:30:31.647+01:00

It is still too emotive to talk about what happened with Superstars of Darts - the website I created and ran for over 6 years, but the lies, deception and abuse could make a book all of their own. Some I considered friends of sorts proved to be anything but .... so let's not go there. I am well of out of it and glad to put my involvement in the world of Darts behind me. The story may come out one

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-62249306560756064202010-01-31T09:28:00.002Z2010-01-31T09:57:27.603Z

September 2007 : Things couldn't get better for Gary Anderson. He had just convincingly beaten Phil Taylor in the final of the World Darts Trophy in front of a sizeable TV audience in Holland and also watching were a few thousand Brits hunched over their computer monitors looking at a live stream of the final.Having won the Internatilnal Darts League in Holland earlier that year, Gary completed

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-48347252845886093212010-01-22T10:29:00.003Z2010-01-22T10:31:35.842Z

It's that time of year again. The Lakeside and Ally Pally are over and while we're waiting for competitive events to spark up again all the talk is around switchers between the respective organisations. Will they, won't they, who cares etc.At this early stage it's possibly worthwhile focussing on a couple of players who have definitely confirmed that they are joining the PDC in 2010.Firstly,

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-4245502107769424882009-12-17T10:25:00.002Z2009-12-17T10:32:10.241Z

From Nikkiboy,Which have you found the harder to adjust to, throwing the dart because of the difference in the size of your arms since you lost all that weight or adjusting to playing without alcohol?It's a mixture of both really. Probably my size more than anything has been the most difficult to adjust with. But of course alcohol gives you confidence, so trying to build up the confidence without

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-75650728529334238142009-12-04T11:28:00.003Z2009-12-04T11:40:19.942Z

Not been blogging too much lately, lack of time, lack of inspiration etc. but will try to rectify that with some 'off the top of my head' pieces if they go down well.Tomorrow night sees the inaugural Jocky Wilson Cup and some 2,500 tickets have been sold for the event which pitches an English duo against Scottish counterparts, North of the Border. We all know that of course and that James Wade

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-33429946618663113322009-11-17T13:12:00.001Z2009-11-17T13:13:51.635Z

Well love or loathe the Ted Hankey 'character', he has certainly caught the darts headlines this week, perhaps more so than at any other time in his career.Whether it's the national newspapers or Stephen Fry with his 1 million followers on Twitter - everyone is talking about 'The Count'.People who've never or who have rarely ever watched darts before are talking about and tuning in to watch Ted's

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-67591901623140087382009-10-21T11:09:00.002+01:002009-10-21T11:16:08.765+01:00

Well the news has hit the streets and big news it is too. Barry Hearn has launched a very public bid to buy out and take over the BDO. In an article published in The Sun newspaper Hearn has offered £1 million for the BDO with a further promised £1 million investment into Youth, Ladies and County Darts.The letter and offer has been sent to the BDO Board and reportedly all 66 member counties.I

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-47089643425001002672009-10-01T15:28:00.001+01:002009-10-01T15:30:26.545+01:00

Q&A WITH SUPERSTARS OF DARTS FORUM MEMBERSIntroduction :Sid Waddell has been there, seen it, done it and got the T-shirt when it comes to Darts. His career in the sport began in the early 1970's with the Indoor League show which featured the first 'Superstars of Darts' alongside masters of shove ha'penny, skittles and other noble pastimes. I remember being fascinated by the show watching it on

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-2160123875422998612009-09-17T15:07:00.002+01:002009-09-17T15:09:24.120+01:00

Six months ago, when this blog was in it's infancy I wrote a short piece about that bastion in Darts history, the humble beer mat.At the time, I mourned the loss of a terrific website that was around a few years ago run by an American chap that featured an excellent graphical display of dozens of darts related beer mats. I intimated that after some email contact, he was encouraged to start his

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-59486839042707363822009-09-11T09:23:00.003+01:002009-09-11T09:30:10.720+01:00

Jamie Caven may have surprised a few this year with his success on the PDC circuit, but those of us who follow the pro tour and the players form closely perhaps knew that Jabba always had the potential to break through and show his true ability.With some good TV performances under his belt now, the Darts road to glory is looking good for Jamie Caven as he becomes a regular participant in TV

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-45271694586287878092009-08-08T18:10:00.012+01:002009-08-11T22:21:31.884+01:00

When you look at Darts history, John Part has a couple of firsts that no one can ever take away from him. The first Non-British World Champion, and the first player to win World Titles at three different venues. A legend of the game already, and highly thought of by many fans John Part is an unmistakable figure, often playing in all black, with the "Part Snarl", and his famous Star Wars themed

Hotspurnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-29681314846310338612009-07-14T11:29:00.002+01:002009-07-14T11:32:33.912+01:00

Louis Blundell is making a name for himself on the PDC pro tour. Incidents at one of the Player's Championship events earlier this year in Wigan saw his name hit the Darts gossip columns due to some argy bargy with other players and reportedly a bit of an arrogant streak. Reports from those who've met Blundell on the floor though, say you couldn't meet a more engaging chap. So will the real

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-25104100736820972172009-07-06T13:30:00.002+01:002009-07-06T13:44:17.018+01:00

First, let's get the pleasantries out of the way. Phil Taylor had another fantastic tournament in Las Vegas and was well worth his 8th ranked TV title in a row. Only a faltering in the non-ranked giant of the Premier League has spoiled Taylor's recent run of triumphs.And Raymond van Barneveld had a terrific Las Vegas Desert Classic too. For the most part, he looked happy, relaxed and he threw

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-28159924974245333102009-07-03T19:09:00.009+01:002009-07-03T20:21:51.971+01:00

There are many magic moments in sport. Straight away springing to mind are things such as Bannisters sub four minute mile, the Pele Kick, Ricky Villa's FA Cup winning goal, the fosbury flop, Bolt's world record 100 metres, and us darts fans would probably recall nine darters. I may not have witnessed all of them but these are significant moments set in the annals of sport.Last night at the Las

Hotspurnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-81863271760107715882009-06-24T23:36:00.015+01:002009-06-25T23:52:41.088+01:00

Yorkshire's Scott Waites made his first real impression at the top end of the BDO by claiming the prestigious Dutch Open title in 2007. Since then armed with his 23gm Red Dragon Penetrator Darts he has gone from strength to strength picking up several other notable titles, and playing in a very memorable 'Epic' World Masters final where he was narrowly defeated by Martin Adams. On our TV screens

Hotspurnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-54166594584014842452009-06-24T14:22:00.002+01:002009-06-24T14:28:56.112+01:00

'The Pieman' Andy Smith is definitely worthy of inclusion in our Unsung Heroes series.More than a few were surprised by his pro tour victory at the weekend in Germany where he beat Colin Lloyd in the last leg decider of Saturday's final, but they shouldn't have been.Some were probably also surprised by the fact he hit a perfect 9 dart game. They shouldn't have been.Smith has a fine pedigree and

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-2452836793025761942009-06-17T09:10:00.007+01:002009-06-17T09:17:46.548+01:00

Aside from Phil Taylor, the chap making most of the waves in world Darts at the moment is 'The Wizard' Colin Osborne.Despite his previous success at the UK Open, prior to the tournament some were saying on our forum that Osborne couldn't cut it on TV. Well Osborne proved them wrong and how, by reaching the final of the prestigious event and of course he led Phil Taylor in the early stages and

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-28872887441118866272009-06-14T00:01:00.006+01:002009-08-04T17:56:49.506+01:00

David Alan Evans would have been sixty years old today.He was born into a Ferndale pub in the Rhonnda Valley in June 1949 and threw his first darts as a child in the mid-fifties.A promising footballing career was ended by rheumatic fever in his teens and so he turned his attention to darts.Early signs of his pedigree were evident as he reached the Welsh CIU Singles final and hit the winning

Kendo Nagasakinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-43408320656618924092009-06-09T13:19:00.002+01:002009-06-09T13:29:04.923+01:00

Superstars of Darts Forum member Slymaster has compiled an incredible list of all live televised darts matches where the winning player has hit over a 105 average from recent years.It's an amazing list and is dominated by Phil Taylor as you might expect.Over to Slymaster's excellent stats compilation :Phil Taylor 116,01 PL 2009 vs John Part, 11 legsPhil Taylor 115,62 UK Open 2009 vs Mark

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-69444563457551845442009-06-08T11:30:00.000+01:002009-06-08T11:31:39.798+01:00

Well another UK Open is behind us and I agree with legendary commentator Dave Lanning - I think it was the best one yet.Phil Taylor's presence loomed large throughout the tournament and two 115+ averages show why. The draw was kind to Taylor and once the quarter finals were decided, it was hard to see who could really have a pop at 'The Power'.Ronnie Baxter probably put up the best fight, albeit

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-20851209922028169282009-06-06T10:52:00.000+01:002009-06-06T10:53:53.965+01:00

24 hours is a long time in Darts.In yesterday’s blog Wayne Mardle and Paul Nicholson were the all conquering heroes from the opening night of the UK Open. One day later they are both out of the tournament. Mardle at the hands of Mark Walsh and we’ll come back to Nicholson in a little while.Last night was all about the return of ‘One Dart’ Peter Manley. He fought through a tough match against

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-13958127833749607812009-06-05T12:59:00.000+01:002009-06-05T13:01:51.836+01:00

Well, everyone has been talking about Gary Anderson for months and months on the forum and up stepped Paul Nicholson last night to spoil the party. It's been six long months since we've seen Nicholson on our screens and I guess enough time to perhaps forget what a great character and fantastic player he is.With his 'dapper' waistcoat and tie look, Nicholson fired in an 11 darter to open against

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-52393403266488917132009-06-01T16:08:00.004+01:002009-06-01T16:16:26.308+01:00

You know what?It's great that a couple of people have stood up to the blinkered and bloody minded over the last few days.I'm talking here specifically about the Finnish national darts team for the WDF World Cup and also the Hampshire Darts Organisation who ran the Hampshire Open at the weekend.The Finnish Darts Organisation have sought permission for 2 of their top darts players who happen to be

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-89800474613921915862009-05-31T14:16:00.009+01:002009-06-01T08:15:03.818+01:00

Simon Whitlock is one of the most recognisable players in the game today thanks in part to his fantastic beard and hair, but also due to his great game play. At times Whitlock's darts can be spellbinding to watch, racking up a World Championship Final appearance, a memorable defeat of Phil Taylor in the 2006 International Darts League Quarter Finals and a match of real quality against the same

Hotspurnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-27229259195068185862009-05-29T22:45:00.010+01:002009-05-30T19:12:05.491+01:00

If ever there was a player born ten to fifteen years too early then I think it has to be Bill Lennard.William Henry Lennard was born in Manchester in June 1934, started playing in the early fifties and his enormous talent eventually enabled him to leave behind a £37 a week lorry driver's job and become a professional player.Bill was a prolific exhibition player, and did many for the armed forces

Kendo Nagasakinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-53924780081780468472009-05-26T14:14:00.002+01:002009-05-26T14:19:44.222+01:00

I am sure James Wade is walking around this morning with a great big smile on his face. His absolute delight at being crowned the 2009 Premier League Darts Champion was clearly evident last night at Wembley Arena and hopefully all thoughts of packing up and walking away from Darts at 30 are banished from his mind for the time being.Incredibly, Wade has won his fourth major PDC title without

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-23490611061526088272009-05-24T19:36:00.013+01:002009-05-24T21:47:51.466+01:00

Joe Hitchock was born in North London in early 1915, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War.For almost a quarter of a century after the Second World War the former toolmaker had a professional contract with the Watneys Brewery, the first for a darts player and performed many exhibitions with both his darts and nails. He plied his trade in these exhibitions but also led the St Dunstan's

Kendo Nagasakinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-57937956061360733942009-05-21T10:35:00.000+01:002009-05-21T10:36:56.461+01:00

When was your first time?And yes, of course I'm talking about Darts!Do you remember the first Pro tournament you ever watched or the first time Darts caught your eye on television?For me, it's not actually that clear. I remember watching Eric Bristow on Thames TV (ITV for the youngsters!) in or around 1977 and that was just before the first time I picked up a dart with anything like real interest

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-36032106476601222992009-05-14T19:40:00.009+01:002009-05-15T09:05:07.152+01:00

Phil Taylor has undoubtedly been the man to beat for many years, and nowadays Raymond van Barneveld and James Wade join him as part of an established big three - but not so long ago another man was winning major titles and sitting at number one in the Order of Merit. That man is "Jaws" Colin Lloyd.A few years ago at Alexandra Palace I can point to a bit of history in an event which is becoming

Hotspurnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-19340112696135172522009-05-13T09:44:00.007+01:002009-05-13T09:57:56.508+01:00

Forum member CARLING has a place carved out in Superstars of Darts history for his many entertaining postings over the years. Who can forget the Bombay TV videos, some of the creative posts about the BDO and of course the tale of the very expensive Chinese takeaway last year. Rumour has it that a certain troublesome Yorkshire based forum member called 'siduj' is known to him as well!Anyway,

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-78038645630306325292009-05-10T10:55:00.002+01:002009-05-10T11:08:36.400+01:00

Well here we are again, just one event from the Blue Square UK Open finals at the Reebok Stadium.Over 150 starters toe the line at Newport this afternoon and the magic of the event ensures almost anyone not already certain of a trip could come through at the last minute.Around a year ago, Brendan Dolan would have been sat looking at his breakfast in a hotel room contemplating whether he would be

Kendo Nagasakinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-69144501941291085662009-05-08T11:09:00.000+01:002009-05-08T11:16:11.675+01:00

Well, there is only one person the Superstars of Darts forum members are talking about this morning and it ain't Phil Taylor!Gary Anderson arrived on the PDC big stage last night with a jaw dropping performance against three time World Champion John Part, averaging 107.40 in his 7-4 victory."Immense", "Superb", "Fantastic" , "Great Player" and "Hail! Hail! Gary Anderson!" are just some of the

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-15304666039284184402009-05-07T10:05:00.001+01:002009-05-07T10:07:04.456+01:00

Another Premier League Darts season draws to a close tonight in Cardiff and whatever happens, the results from tonight will deliver a tasty finals night at Wembley on May 25th. We've never really had a classic Premier League final, perhaps this is to be the year.14 weeks is a long time. The Daffs in my garden were barely poking through the soil at the start of the league and now of course they

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-7933047191788077172009-05-01T13:09:00.002+01:002009-05-01T13:12:04.445+01:00

Dennis Priestley confirmed last night that he will retire from Darts in about a year's time. Being interviewed on stage by Andy Goldstein on Sky Sports, Priestley was consistent with what he has said in the past, that being he won't play on past 60 years of age.Goldstein seemed sceptical, but Priestley has always been adamant about this and I'm sure his recent battle with very serious illness has

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-87091570724793300232009-04-29T20:15:00.006+01:002009-04-29T21:08:34.567+01:00

Something has really struck me in recent times, well over the last couple of years now really and that is the lack of credit given to James Wade.Major titles aren't just given away. Any player that has either a PDC or BDO major title to his name has achieved something quite special, and really is in a select group. James Wade has three of these titles to his name, and with the likes of Phil

Hotspurnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-32754145659978811172009-04-29T10:18:00.001+01:002009-04-29T10:19:34.673+01:00

Alex may seem like a strange choice to some, but despite some adversity and at times some terrible darts, on his day Alex can be better than the best (as Phil Taylor will grudgingly verify after Roy beat him in on the pro tour in 2007).He has also been in or around the top 32 for most of his career which is no mean achievement in itself. Many other players have fallen by the wayside during the

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-44658440560988686062009-04-27T14:35:00.001+01:002009-04-27T14:42:03.835+01:00

I did an odd Darts Curio blog about a month or so ago, and promised it would be the first in an irregular series. I had fully planned what the follow up blog was to be about and today was going to be the day that I put it all together.About five years ago I wrote a piece for Darts World Magazine (I was a columnist for a while about all things t'internet) regarding a fascinating website that

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-42403688832572424442009-04-23T11:35:00.001+01:002009-04-23T11:42:13.967+01:00

Well it has been an absolutely mad 24 hours, rumours and counter rumours, tantrums and tiaras, fair and not fair, to be or not to be - and all because Wayne Mardle has had to withdraw from the Premier League due to his recent illness.First and foremost, thoughts must be with Wayne Mardle who has been through a rough few weeks with Mumps, an illness which can be serious when caught as an adult.

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-25780255310911041542009-04-21T11:14:00.009+01:002009-04-21T12:10:13.380+01:00

In Darts, the Wild Card seems to be very much an unused way of filling the qualification places in tournaments. In the past as highlighted in Andy's earlier blog the top 32 would be the main basis for qualification, but in recent times with the extra quality coming in to the PDC a real move has been made to fit the best players in to tournaments straight away by way of the Players Championship

Hotspurnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-37876056724435554192009-04-21T09:53:00.002+01:002009-04-21T09:55:00.259+01:00

Does the top 32 player ranking list have any real significance in the world of Professional Darts any more? Just about, I think.A year or two ago the top 32 list (or a big part of it) was used to establish the participants in most of the televised major tournaments (top 32 World Championship, top 28 World Matchplay, top 24 World Grand Prix), but things have changed over the past year or so.It is

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-3731547215681020672009-04-18T20:09:00.010+01:002009-04-19T23:24:13.412+01:00

This is the conclusion of the Question and Answer session that I recently had with Referee, MC and spotter Richard Ashdown.Richard has an interesting few months coming up with a number of exhibitions and tournaments in his diary. At the end of this Q&A you will find a few of his Diary Dates, so if you want to get along to say hello and see the man in action you can!Q8. Sydney - Where do you see

Hotspurnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-31098264047888212562009-04-18T12:58:00.006+01:002009-04-18T15:52:21.642+01:00

I have a good friend who really got behind Barney when he switched codes a few years back and went on that amazing run which culminated with his World Championship win against Phil Taylor at the Circus Tavern. We are both in our mid-twenties and have followed the PDC pretty much from day one. This obviously means that we have seen the almost complete domination by Phil Taylor in the PDC.As in any

Hotspurnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-34573088670069839002009-04-16T18:06:00.012+01:002009-04-16T23:52:45.899+01:00

This week I've been lucky enough to have a chat with the multi-talented Richard Ashdown, A.K.A "Little Richard". Richard is a very well liked member of the forum but there is a hell of a lot more to him.Richard is very busy on the darts circuit, as MC, referee and spotter (for both the BBC and SBS6). He began as both a referee and spotter in 2002 before developing to become an MC as well at many

Hotspurnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-23073284608981893162009-04-15T09:51:00.000+01:002009-04-15T09:52:40.038+01:00

Time for a general round up of hot topics and other items on the burner :Apparently it was confirmed at the weekend's event at Taunton to players that this year's Las Vegas Desert Classic is likely to be the last. Unless another broadcaster steps in it seems unlikely the PDC team will visit Vegas again and as stated in the last newsletter, this is a big setback for Professional Darts in

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-37893982005085409832009-04-13T13:07:00.002+01:002009-04-13T17:19:10.517+01:00

Two regional finals remain in the Blue Square UK Open, Derby next Sunday, and Newport in a couple of weeks time.At the moment it looks like £500 could be the cut off to qualify, £1000 the mark to be exempt until the second round, and £2000 the figure needed to come in at the third round stage and guarantee at least a £1000 share of the £200000 prize fund at Bolton.The players sat on £400 still

Kendo Nagasakinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-70360684047277144912009-04-08T15:08:00.003+01:002009-04-08T16:03:36.935+01:00

In recent months we have seen some of the biggest players in the BDO move to the PDC. It seems a recurring theme to see the Masters Champion move, and Thornton did not disappoint after the 2008 UK Open, following the likes of van Gerwen, King, van Barneveld and Dudbridge to the PDC. We have also seen arguably the two crown jewels of the BDO Mark Webster and Gary Anderson make the switch, and

Hotspurnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-42352084959312499062009-04-08T12:00:00.000+01:002009-04-08T12:02:06.100+01:00

Wayne Jones is absolutely another of Darts unsung heroes. Much like last month's star of this column Denis Ovens, Jones is renowned for his form on the PDC pro tour and 2009 finds him in very good shape indeed.Hailing from Wolverhampton, Jones began his darts career in the late 1980s first coming to prominence reaching the British Open final in 1990 and then by reaching the World Masters final in

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-33921041349203665432009-04-06T11:32:00.000+01:002009-04-06T11:33:20.591+01:00

Who knows what motivates Phil Taylor?Another double pro tour victory in Holland at the weekend has Taylor is seemingly unstoppable form. Yes he may lose the odd match occasionally but his win rate both on and off tv is absolutely phenomenal.No coverage of course today in any of the British papers (aside from the sports only ones) about Taylor's incredible dominance of the sport and the fact that

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-20624358107691765702009-04-03T20:26:00.002+01:002009-04-03T20:33:27.761+01:00

Much has been said lately about the interest or sometimes lack of it in the growth of the sport in North America and Western Europe. Is it time to look further afield into new markets that have no long darts tradition instead? Why should it be so difficult to gain a foothold in North America? Is it the abundance of soft tip darts or is there maybe a bigger image problem than that faced in the

Kendo Nagasakinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-16631233359184165992009-04-03T15:11:00.002+01:002009-04-03T15:16:15.200+01:00

Well I for one was captivated by last night's Premier League. The darts were entertaining as usual, but - boy what a crowd!I must admit the apparent anti English sentiment was an earful to behold, but I guess (hope) it was reasonably good natured and just a bit of fun.The crowds and locations are what make the Premier League.And yet still some Darts fans moan on about how awful the crowds are and

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-54517590007788183382009-04-02T11:01:00.003+01:002009-04-02T11:13:37.932+01:00

I never thought my local darts league would be a good place to pick up Premier League gossip and indeed, some that looks like it could have some foundation. We play out of a league not a million miles away from where James Wade was born and raised, and indeed many remember tussles on the oche with the World number 2 in his formative years.Anyway, the gossip was all round the league last night and

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-8311032221829368502009-04-01T20:50:00.007+01:002009-06-04T15:36:54.057+01:00

This week thanks to forum member Dragos, I was fortunate enough to have a few of my questions answered by Spanish Darts player, Carlos Rodriguez.I first saw Carlos in action back in 2008 at the Brentwood Pro Tour events. Before then Carlos was only a name I had seen by reading through PDC results, so it was great to have the opportunity to watch him play at close quarters. On that occasion Carlos

Hotspurnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-73053479943471480272009-04-01T13:09:00.002+01:002009-04-01T13:15:47.360+01:00

Before anyone asks, this is not a late April Fool's joke!One of my other passions is the 'silver ball'. Not the simulated, yet still rather fun Pinball games you can get for PCs and games consoles, but the 'Real McCoy'.The big, old heavy monsters that are proper Pinball Machines. Many hours of a wasted youth and adulthood have been spent whacking steel balls around on these creative masterpieces

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-29190042820528990092009-03-30T20:20:00.003+01:002009-04-13T13:17:03.178+01:00

With just over half the regional finals in the Blue Square UK Open complete and just under half of the Players Championships that will determine the qualifiers for the Stan James World Matchplay complete it’s probably worth a good look at the movers and shakers in each. The Blue Square UK Open final admits the top 96 earning players at the end of the eight regional finals as long as they have

Kendo Nagasakinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-29067638060047962382009-03-30T14:59:00.000+01:002009-03-30T15:00:17.631+01:00

Could 2009 be remembered as the year of the Darts Golden Oldie?I hope the players concerned will forgive me in referring to them as such, but who knows what inspires these players to raise their game once again chasing further success on the oche. I am sure the record breaking money available in World Darts these days is a contributing factor, but the hunger for success and love of the sport of

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-21862290274399314632009-03-28T21:02:00.009Z2009-03-28T22:10:13.032Z

I was looking over the list of players at Coventry this weekend and it struck me how many different nations are now represented.There's obviously England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, then there's the Dutch, the Americans, a Canadian (or two), the Swede Par Riihonen, a Gibraltarian (Parody), an Australian representative and a good looking Russian as well. The list only grows if you look back over

Hotspurnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-73406651796090560872009-03-27T20:57:00.002Z2009-03-27T21:12:38.180Z

Does women’s darts at the top level have a rosy future? Can a professional tour for the very best ever be sustained? I think it could be more than a pipe dream but it has to be up to the top players and their management teams to make it so. Most women's sports suffer from a lack of coverage when compared to men’s. Few women's sporting events stand alone from the men's and darts is no

Kendo Nagasakinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-64047223355638462202009-03-27T13:17:00.001Z2009-03-27T13:19:59.428Z

Well the news is out.Tony Eccles 'The Viper' has won the Superstars of Darts Forum Member Sponsorship. After a week of frantic voting, the field of 20 or so eligible players was whittled down to a final four and then Eccles won the sponsorship in a final voting round.Eccles took the decision to join the PDC just under two years ago and during that time he has battled his way into the PDC top 32.

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-38109400396375646702009-03-26T14:44:00.001Z2009-03-26T14:45:43.546Z

It's been a good day today and it's sure to get even better as the battle of the darts giants takes place at the Birmingham NIA tonight.Yes, James Wade perhaps has established himself clearly as the world number 2 now, but there is still one titanic battle that makes the world of darts stand still and draw breath in anticipation.TAYLOR V BARNEVELDThe battles and meetings may not be as rare as

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-89316213158946082022009-03-25T21:12:00.003Z2009-03-25T21:26:58.117Z

Much has been written in the last few months about Anastasia Dobromyslova joining the PDC Pro Tour.Plenty of doubters aligned themselves in the ‘She will struggle to win a leg …’ camp and seemed to be eagerly waiting for a heavy defeat so that they could trot out the ‘told you so!’ line while sticking the proverbial boot in.Well after a handful of creditable wins over some well-known and in-form

Kendo Nagasakinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-78506536543674396562009-03-25T11:38:00.002Z2009-03-25T11:39:14.073Z

Time for the irregular update from behind the scenes of SoD.The Player Sponsor idea continues to move at a pace. As I type this the voting from round one is near completion and it seems our shortlist will be down to a dozen or so players straight away. I've agreed to write a short schpiel for the sponsor members about each player, so I'd better not spend too long doing this.Hopefully the

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-28396195567996892752009-03-24T13:52:00.003Z2009-03-24T13:55:07.160Z

I think it is fair to say that 2008 won't go down in the history of Michael van Gerwen's career as being his most memorable year.His form on the tour and on TV was scratchy to say the least. Odd flashes of the brilliance that won him the World Masters in 2006 and took him to the semi-finals of the World Darts Trophy were just that, odd .. and all too often we came to see and expect nothing

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-24509466197418215362009-03-23T21:41:00.003Z2009-03-23T22:15:57.168Z

Over the past year in the PDC it has really struck me just how hard tournaments have become to call. Maybe a year or two ago, you could look at sections of a PDC tournament and pick players who would advance - but now you really can't, with the exception of Phil Taylor that is!We have seen top players struggle to retain their high standing. Roland Scholten, Peter Manley, Colin Lloyd, Ronnie

Hotspurnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-45731825146624172682009-03-23T10:26:00.003Z2009-03-23T10:28:07.048Z

He's there or thereabouts in almost every PDC pro tour tournament and he's been a familiar face on TV screens for longer than most, but more often than not Denis Ovens seems to slip under the radar.Yes his TV tournament success record may be nothing to write home about (he has never progressed beyond a major tv quarter final) but he's also never been out of the top 24 rankings in the PDC and

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-925109200955357052009-03-22T09:54:00.000Z2009-03-22T09:55:38.851Z

I had an enjoyable day at the Players Championship event in Brentwood on Saturday. Seeing Professional Darts competed so fiercly by the world’s top players over a single day is what it is all about.The organisation of the event was superb as usual. Never a raised voice or a panic, the Pro Tour events run like a well oiled machine.There is never a moment of respite at these events. It took me two

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-50716384294116014862009-03-20T10:33:00.003Z2009-03-20T10:35:29.809Z

So if the Premier League night in Brighton didn't quite generate the excitement of some other PL nights, it is still world class darts on the TV each and every Thursday. Terry Jenkins probably shone through the best last night as Mervyn King completely caved in midway through their match.Most of the talk today is about the Blonde walk on girl who seemed like she'd had one too many sherberts

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-88224850293629530302009-03-19T11:30:00.000Z2009-03-19T11:32:00.077Z

As the Premier League roadshow hits the cosmopolitan seaside resort of Brighton tonight, the success of the series continues to defy expectations.There were some concerns early in this year's Premier League that viewer numbers had dropped off a little from last year, but in the just released BARB final figures for the 5th March, the PL records its 3rd highest average number of viewers - ever!Just

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-43700575458643418742009-03-18T15:43:00.001Z2009-03-18T15:45:38.652Z

Not I'm not going off on a long walk through the woods (I wish) but just putting down my daily dose of what is and isn't happening in the world of Superstars of Darts.Our sponsorship idea continues to gather apace. We now have over £3,000 paid up from people all across the globe and the darts world. Fantastic news and this year's chosen player is really going to benefit. The Player Sponsor Member

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-90078688660384891292009-03-17T09:27:00.002Z2009-03-17T09:28:13.110Z

This morning's stream of consciousness is about the man who is becoming the great enigma of our game - James Wade.I was quite shocked to read in the excellent new 'We Love Darts' magazine, in an interview with James Wade, he states that he definitely won't be a professional darts player for 20 years and that he could walk away from the game as young as 30!He goes on to say that he doesn't have

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-26752215699306594432009-03-16T09:57:00.001Z2009-03-16T10:00:00.567Z

Louis Blundell who hails from Shevington in Lancashire has been making waves on the PDC tour circuit for some time now.Having taken a number of big name scalps on the tour in 2008, a few in the know tipped him for big things in 2009.This all came good in Saturday’s Players Championship event in Wigan, where Blundell reached the semi-finals, where ultimately he was squeezed out 6 legs to 5 by

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-71474763675899595312009-03-15T10:39:00.002Z2009-03-15T10:51:47.677Z

There is never a dull day in the darts world and just sat at the PC and lost an hour or so assimilating all the news and gossip from the last 24 hours.Firstly, Dennis Priestley continues to defy all the laws of darts logic by winning yesterday's pro tour event in Wigan. Priestley beat Colin Lloyd 6-1 in the final and this win was on the back of two final appearances last weekend in Scotland.

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-40729708867518165722009-03-14T15:40:00.002Z2009-03-14T15:50:33.313Z

As I type this our forum members have pointed out some terrific results yet again for Kevin Painter in today's Players Championship event in Wigan. Painter kicked off his day today beating Mike Roberts 6-0 and he followed that with a 6-0 win over Jason Clark. As Darts fans know Clark is a great player, although he was hampered by shoulder problems over the past year. Painter also acheived

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-17892104232953961202009-03-13T18:37:00.002Z2009-03-13T18:45:09.446Z

Busy day today, so a late blog.For me the highlight of last night's Premier League was finally seeing some great form from 'The Matador' Jelle Klaasen. To be honest, he hasn't played that badly in previous weeks, it has all been down to poor finishing. Well in last night's encounter, after another shaky start, Klaasen put together a run of play as good as any of the other player's we've seen. Yes

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-21430112142741663362009-03-12T14:50:00.003Z2009-03-12T15:00:57.179Z

I think one thing is for certain at tonight's Premier League in Manchester. It is probably fair to say that in the backstage area Phil Taylor and Mervyn King won't be swapping recipes while enjoying a pre-match jam sandwich. The two are kept apart this week, but King is first on as he seeks to keep up his unbeaten run against Raymond van Barneveld. The pace of the game will probably suit both

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-59886381037171041902009-03-11T18:53:00.005Z2009-03-11T19:01:23.314Z

High drama (LOL) this afternoon after it was confirmed on the PDPA website that Simon Whitlock had joined the organisation, thereby confirming him as a PDC player for the future.This information has of course been speculated for some time and last week good sources revealed he would be confirmed as a PDC player within the week.However within an hour or so the story was removed from the PDPA

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-14494462758097382512009-03-11T14:35:00.001Z2009-03-11T14:35:52.121Z

Most of my free time over the past 24 hours has been spent on our 'sponsor a player' initiative. As members pay, their status at SoD changes and they are highlighted in purple. I've also set up a new sub forum for members and compiled a list of players who may be eligible for the sponsorship consideration. Oh and I've contacted a few other players as well. And there was me a few weeks ago saying

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-56422988086365281982009-03-10T13:36:00.000Z2009-03-10T13:37:09.043Z

The Sponsor a Player scheme championed by Superstars of Darts forum members is going great guns.The 88 who put their name forward are being asked to pay their money this week. Each of the paid up members is now given a special member status at Superstars. Their names will appear in purple across the forum and their title is 'Player Sponsor Member'.There is also a new sub forum for the members of

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-90570142932615720142009-03-10T09:59:00.001Z2009-03-10T10:02:33.373Z

Only a few days after the announcement had been made about a 'League of Legends' series for 2009 on Setanta, follows a second announcement that Setanta have now cancelled the series.I think this is more to do with Setanta's financial situation than any reflection on the Darts event itself, but they are not the only broadcaster facing a tough time of it at the moment. TV stations are disappearing

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-43357795530778616412009-03-09T14:00:00.000Z2009-03-09T14:01:24.144Z

Ahh well, someone must read this blog.Despite the best efforts of London Underground to thwart me, I shall now be able to attend the Brentwood Players' Championship event on Saturday week after all.I am really looking forward to going. Not just to renew old acquaintances but also to check out some of the new PDC players in action.It's been a fascinating few months on the PDC tour and the

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-23132240512910582632009-03-09T09:30:00.002Z2009-03-09T09:32:53.127Z

All eyes were on Gary Anderson this weekend as he made his PDC debut in the two pro tour events in Scotland. He admitted in a press article the week before that perhaps he should have thought harder about making his debut on home soil. Anderson gave a good account of himself on Saturday, going out in the last 16 of the Player's Championship to eventual winner Robert Thornton.Sunday wasn't as

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-83420948547952153942009-03-08T10:13:00.001Z2009-03-08T10:19:23.124Z

I can understand why people get upset when their posts are edited or removed from the forum, but sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and get on with it.I have said before that we won’t always get it right, but I still think most of the time we do. On rare occasions a seemingly innocuous comment can be removed from the forum and on the other hand what someone may consider a rude comment

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-8109941155990378992009-03-07T13:48:00.009Z2009-03-07T14:16:45.856Z

When Anastasia Dobromyslova declared she was joining the PDC circuit towards the end of last year, many people were quick to pipe up and say that not only would she never make any progress, but that she would never ever win a game on the pro tour circuit.Well, she quietened the critics on her debut pro tour tournament winning two matches.And now after a few weeks away from the tour she has just

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-78513933849494221362009-03-06T13:27:00.002Z2009-03-06T13:36:43.032Z

Third and possibly last blog update of the day...I said I'd keep people updated with SoD progress on here, so here goes :Questions from forum members for the Phil Taylor interview have now been shortlisted and mailed off. It was a really tough job selecting just 20 questions to send through to 'The Power'. Thanks to everyone for the questions and please don't be too annoyed if your question

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-29606584728787516582009-03-06T12:05:00.002Z2009-03-06T12:08:52.538Z

It's all in a letter.This week the Darts Federation of Australia have announced that it has developed an "Australian Grand Prix" of darts by awarding BDO invitational points to seven of their events. Also the DFA will fund the flight to allow the 'winner' to participate in the World Masters and Lakeside World Pro playoffs.This is all well and good so far.However, for some years now the DPA have

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-92060645634494439252009-03-06T09:45:00.003Z2009-03-06T10:00:09.139Z

Well, the talk of the Premier League is all about Mervyn King and Phil Taylor this morning and the supposed 'incident'. Whatever the rights or wrongs behind it (and I'll get to that in a minute), it's this kind of needle and banter that makes Darts such an interesting sport to watch. It's a bit like boxers scrapping at press conferences before a big match, but with darts players it's not staged.

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-40473906775061040812009-03-05T15:49:00.000Z2009-03-05T15:57:58.417Z

Not one single person out of our 250 or so entrants to our prediction competition for the Premier League at Superstars of Darts, gives Wayne Mardle an earthly tonight. No one has even predicted a draw .. all 250 of you have gone for a Barneveld win. Judging by the success of our predictors so far I am surprised that no one tactically plumped for Mardle or at least a draw. If Wayne does do the

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991818789889020045.post-41879768419200914392009-03-05T15:30:00.000Z2009-03-05T15:32:34.281Z

Hello and welcome to the Superstars of Darts blog. For those of you who can't get enough about darts and our fantastic forum, you will hopefully find an insight on here as to what is going on behind the scenes.For example - when interviews will happen, what may go in the next newsletter, comments on what is happening on the forum etc etc etcOh and if you've found this blog before you've found our

Andy Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159823764686363806noreply@blogger.com