Darts - General

Darts where do I start! From the good old days with Leighton Rees and Jocky Wilson fighting it out with cigarettes and alcohol! To the modern game with flags and gorgeous models leading the darter out to theme music. Phil `The Power` Taylor coming out to I got the Power and Colin `Jaws` Lloyd comeing out to Jaws Ray `Barny` Barneveld and James "The MAchine" Wade dating the sky sports presenter Helen Chamberlain! The game has really commercialised in the last few years.

BDO split. (Britsh Darts Organisation)

The BDO was the governing body of all professional darts until early 1993 when with Lancasters Alan Warriner number One. I 16 of the top professionals were banned by the B.D.O.
It started a year earlier when Darts manufactureres, players, managers and other involved thought the game was a dying breed as it was. The TV had reduced the televised events from six or seven a year to just one, The World Championships.
Towards the end of 1992 the WDC was formed to promote the professional game and get more darts on T.V. ITV were quick to bring their events back to our screens and had six or seven events back on the TV with months and things were starting to pick up, where they were dead before. The B.D.O. didn't like this and in 1993 they banned all 16 players who had joined the W.D.C. from County darts, Super league, all B.D.O. Tournaments & Internationals. Their only was back was to back them. But they didn`t as they could see imminent success from this new format!
They even threatened to ban mor BDO players if they were found to be playing WDC players in any match even charity events!
Everyone at thw WDC stuck together except for Mike Gregory and Chris Johns who were promised the world and actually ended up with nothing.
The BDO had upset the WDC rebels so much that they ended up in court and had to pay out alot of money and all the bans were lifted except for one. The World Championships. There were 2 now and every player had to decide which one they would play in.
The WDC is now called the PDC and has all the best players!

THE 501 BOARD (pic one)

501 is the professional version of darts and is played on a circular board and the players throw three darts at a time in turn and aim to get to zero finishing on a double or the bullseye.
The board is numbered starting at the top middle moving clockwise 20,1,18,4,6,10,15,2,17,3,19,7,16,8,11,9,​12,5. Each number has a double at the top and a treble halfway between top and botton. treble 20 is worth 60, treble 1 is worth 3 and so on. Also in the centre of the board there is the bullseye worth 50pts and an outer bull worth 25.
The game is usually played with 2 players and is the best of so many games depending on the competition.
Players will throw from 7 feet 9 and a quarter inches.
The top score in three darts is 180. This is done by getting three treble twenties. and the top checkout or finish is 170 which is two treble twenties and the bullseye. I am lucky enough to boast both!
However there is another stat I cannot boast and that is a nine dart finish which is the least darts you can win a game in.
Seven treble twenties, treble nineteen, double twelve is the more common way and not many people have done this in competition!

THE DARTS (pic two)

Darts are made from brass or tungsten metal. Most people use tungsten as they get more weight for the size as tungsten is heavier. Each dart is mad up of a barrel whicj is the end of the darts and has a spike in the end to stick in the board. The middle of the dart is the stem which hold the flight in which is the other end of the dart.

THE TOP PLAYERS

PHIL THE POWER TAYLOR is the best player ever starting 2009 taking his 14th world title.
JOHN DARTH MAPLE PART is the 2008 world champion and has been around for a while. A great player but he will more than likely be handing the title back to Taylor.
RONNIE THE ROCKET BAXTER a steady player who has played world championship finals but never won any. Won the Welsh players championship in Sept 08.
PETER ONE DART MANLEY another world championship runner up losing his last one 7-0 to the power.
ERIC CRAFTY COCKNEY BRISTOW is an all time great and won six world titles in the BDO before the split and is a true legend of the game.

I love the game of darts and play every tuesday at the Tardy Gate and boast some good stats for an amateur but have nowhere near the consistancy of a pro.
All my stats are at www.alchemistdarts.googlepages.com I play as the Alchemist and play The Rebel in a two man beer league!
I would recommend the game of darts to all!
Thanks for reading!!