News of the World Darts Championship

Last updated

News of the World Championship
Notwchampionshiplogo.jpg
Founded1927
Ceased1997
Country England
Venue(s)Various venues in London
Last
champion(s)
Flag of England.svg Phil Taylor
Flag of England.svg Linda Jones
(1996–97)
Tournament format Legs

The News of the World Championship was one of the first major [1] [2] organised darts competitions, which began in 1927. It became England's first national darts competition from 1947, as the years went by it gradually became international essentially becoming the first world darts Championship and was the hardest darts tournament to win until its demise in 1990. There was also a brief revival of the event in 1996/97, but it is now discontinued. It was organised by the National Darts Association of Great Britain (NDAGB).

Contents

Before the tournament was established, darts competitions were held in various forms around England – often as friendly matches between pubs. After World War I, pub breweries began arranging darts leagues which began to sow the seeds for the establishment of a national darts competition. The tournament was noted for using an 8 ft oche rather than the regulation 7 ft 6 inches One of these competitions was held in Hythe Street, Dartford, Kent in 1927. The competition was sponsored by a local Brewery, C.N Kidd & Sons Ltd.

Origins

The tournament was first organised in the 1927/28 season thanks to the help of the staff on the News of the World newspaper and other volunteers, who helped set up the competition. William Jewiss won the 1927 darts challenge cup sponsored by News of the World and C.N Kidd & Sons brewery in Dartford.

There were around 1,000 entries in the first event, which was held in the Metropolitan area of London. The tournament then began to expand around the different counties in England. By 1938/39 there were six different regional events – London & South England, Wales, Lancashire & Cheshire, Yorkshire, the North of England and the Midland Counties. [2]

The total entrants in the competition in 1938/39 were in excess of 280,000. Enormous interest was created that year by the London and South of England championship. A record crowd of 14,534 spectators filled the Royal Agricultural Hall, London in May to witness the final between Jim Pike (representing the Windmill Club, Southwark) and Marmaduke Brecon (Jolly Sailor, Hanworth, Middlesex). Brecon ran out the winner by two games to one. The tournament continued to attract 250,000 entries during the post war years. [2]

There was, however no national champion of the event until after World War II. It was revived as a national competition in 1947/48, [2] and continued to be described as "the championship every dart player wants to win" until its demise in the 1990s. It can also be classed as the first world darts championships as it went international and players from different countries entered and even won the tournament.

In 1979, Bobby George became the only player to win the championship without losing a leg. Stefan Lord was the only player from outside the United Kingdom to win the event. [3]

Demise

The News of the World was the first nationally televised darts event as ITV broadcast the latter stages of the championship from 1972 to 1985, and again in 1987 and 1988. The 1986 event was not broadcast due to a technicians' strike.

As quickly as darts tournaments began to appear on television throughout the 1970s and into the early and mid 1980s, the bubble burst and all darts competitions except the World Championship disappeared from TV screens in 1989.

This big sudden slump in televised darts coverage meant that it came as no surprise that the News of the World Championship also ended after the 1990 event, with the last two events having been untelevised. As it happened, 1990 was also the first year that separate competitions were held for men and women.

The lack of televised darts coverage left some players frustrated by the lack of opportunity to make a living from darts, and in January 1992 they formed their own organisation to start up their own tournaments (see main article: Professional Darts Corporation, and Split in darts).

1997 revival

The News of the World Championship made a one-year reappearance in the 1996/97 season, when Sky Sports and the News of the World resurrected the competition.

In his autobiography, Phil Taylor says that his mentor, Eric Bristow always mocked him for never having won the competition and that it was the tournament that everyone wanted to win. Bristow himself recalled his father telling him: "You're not a proper world champion until you've won the News of the World". [4]

Taylor put the record straight by beating Ian White 2–0 in the final in June 1997, collecting the News of the World Big D Trophy, a cheque for £42,000 and a set of Unicorn golden darts. Following his victory, which also saw him take out the then England captain Martin Adams 2–1 in the semi-finals, Taylor was quoted as saying "I've won five world titles – but this one means everything".

However, the overall response to the competition was disappointing and the News of the World decided against running it again. The tournament remains discontinued.

Tournament winners

Men

The tournament was arranged on a regional basis from 1927 until 1939. The National Championship began in 1947–48 winners and runners-up included: [1]

YearChampionFromScore
(legs)
Runner-upFrom
1947-48 Flag of England.svg Harry LeadbetterWindle Labour Club, St Helens2-1 Flag of England.svg Tommy SmallSth Durham Steel & Iron SC, West Hartlepool
1948-49 Flag of England.svg Jackie BoyceNew Southgate SC2–1 Flag of England.svg Stan OuttenDr Johnson, Barkingside
1949-50 Flag of England.svg Dixie NewberryAlbert, Hitchin2-0 Flag of England.svg Ronnie RidleyKing Edward Hotel, Newcastle-u-Tyne
1950-51 Flag of England.svg Harry PerrymanHome Office SC, Greenford2-0 Flag of England.svg Laurie RunchmanFeathers, Felixstowe
1951-52 Flag of England.svg Tommy GibbonsIvanhoe WMC, Conisbrough2-0 Flag of England.svg Jack WallaceLow Seaton BL, Workington
1952-53 Flag of England.svg Jimmy CarrRed Lion, Dipton2-0 Flag of England.svg Ernest GreatbatchHorse Vaults Hotel, Pontefract
1953-54 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Oliver JamesEx-Servicemen’s Club, Onllwyn 2-0 Flag of England.svg Johnny BellThe Sun, Waltham Abbey
1954-55 Flag of England.svg Tom ReddingtonNew Inn, Stonebroom2-0 Flag of England.svg Johnny BellSun, Waltham Abbey
1955-56 Flag of England.svg Trevor PeacheyBlack Fox, Thurston2-0 Flag of England.svg Les CampbellBoot, Dinas
1956-57 Flag of England.svg Alwyn MullinsTraveller’s Rest, Tickhill2-0 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Len BakerCorporation Hotel, Cardiff
1957-58 Flag of England.svg Tommy GibbonsIvanhoe WMC, Conisbrough2-0 Flag of England.svg Eric MossRailway Tavern, Harleston
1958-59 Flag of England.svg Albert WelshHorden Hotel, Seaham2-1 Flag of England.svg Frank WhiteheadWhite Rose Hotel, Rossington
1959-60 Flag of England.svg Tom ReddingtonGeorge Hotel, Alfreton 2-1 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Dai JonesCambrian Hotel, Aberystwyth
1960-61 Flag of England.svg Alec AdamsonPrince of Wales, Hetton-le-Hole 2-1 Flag of England.svg Eddie BrownMagpie, Stonham
1961-62 Flag of England.svg Eddie Brown Magpie, Stonham2-0 Flag of England.svg Dennis FollettCadeleigh Arms, Cadeleigh
1962-63 Flag of England.svg Robbie RumneyWaterloo Hotel, Darlington2-0 Flag of England.svg Bill HardingGlobe Hotel, Aberdare
1963-64 Flag of England.svg Tom BarrettOdco SC, London2-0 Flag of England.svg Ray HattonFlower of the Valley Hotel, Rochdale
1964-65 Flag of England.svg Tom BarrettOdco SC, London2-1 Flag of England.svg Norman FieldingStation Inn, Swannington
1965-66 Flag of England.svg Wilf EllisBrookside WMC, Upton2-1 Flag of England.svg Ron LangleyArlington SC, Harlow
1966-67 Flag of England.svg Wally SeatonSwan Inn, Parson Drove 2-0 Flag of England.svg Brian QuartermanIvy Inn, North Littleton
1967-68 Flag of England.svg Bill DuddyRose & Thistle, Frimley Green 2-0 Flag of England.svg Gerry FeeneyUnicorn Club, Workington
1968-69 Flag of England.svg Barry Twomlow Red Lion, Chesterfield 2-0 Flag of England.svg Paul Gosling William IV, Truro
1969-70 Flag of England.svg Henry BarneyThe Pointer Inn, Newchurch 2-0 Flag of England.svg Alan CooperPlough, Filton
1970-71 Flag of England.svg Dennis Filkins Barrow, Hepburn & Gale SC, Bermondsey 2-0 Flag of England.svg Derek White The Ship Inn, Weymouth
1971-72 Flag of England.svg Brian Netherton Welcome Home Inn, Par 2-0 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Alan Evans Ferndale Hotel, Rhondda
1972-73 Flag of England.svg Ivor Hodgkinson Great Northern, Langley Mill 2-1 Flag of England.svg Ron Church Royal Alfred, Shoreditch
1973-74 Flag of England.svg Peter Chapman Bird in Hand, Henley-on-Thames 2-1 Flag of England.svg Paul Gosling Portscatho Club, Truro
1974-75 Flag of England.svg Derek White Belvedere Inn, Weymouth 2-1 Flag of England.svg Bill Duddy Frimley Green Working Mens Club, Camberley
1975-76 Flag of England.svg Bill Lennard Cotton Tree Inn, Manchester 2-0 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Leighton Rees Ynysybwl USC, Pontypridd
1976-77 Flag of England.svg Mick Norris King of Denmark, Ramsgate 2-0 Flag of England.svg Bob Crosland Blackamoor Head, Pontefract
1977-78 Flag of Sweden.svg Stefan Lord Stockholm Super Darts Club, Stockholm 2-0 Flag of England.svg John Coward White Hart BL, Sedbergh
1978-79 Flag of England.svg Bobby George King George V, Ilford 2-0 Flag of England.svg Alan Glazier George & Dragon, Wetherby
1979-80 Flag of Sweden.svg Stefan Lord Stockholm Super Darts Club, Stockholm 2-0 Flag of England.svg Dave Whitcombe Naval Club, Chatham
1980-81 Flag of England.svg John Lowe Willow Tree, Pilsley 2-0 Flag of England.svg Mick Norris Earl St Vincent, Ramsgate
1981-82 Flag of England.svg Roy Morgan Wheel o’ Worfield, Worfield 2-1 Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Jim Hughes Parcwern Country Club, Ammanford
1982-83 Flag of England.svg Eric Bristow Foaming Quart, Norton Green 2-0 Flag of England.svg Ralph Flatt Old Red House, Carlton Colville
1983-84 Flag of England.svg Eric Bristow Foaming Quart, Norton Green 2-0 Flag of England.svg Ian Robertson Bell, Marston Moretaine
1984-85 Flag of England.svg Dave Lee Ivor Arms, Pontllanfraith 2-0 Flag of England.svg Billy Dunbar Woolwich Infant, London
1985-86 Flag of England.svg Bobby George Old Maypole, Hainault 2-0 Flag of the United States.svg Rick Ney US Darting Association
1986-87 Flag of England.svg Mike Gregory Stones Cross Hotel, Midsomer Norton 2-0 Flag of England.svg Peter Evison Halcyon/Spikes, Peterborough
1987-88 Flag of England.svg Mike Gregory Stones Cross Hotel, Midsomer Norton 2-1 Flag of England.svg Kevin Spiolek Cambridge Squash Club
1988-89 Flag of England.svg Dave Whitcombe Evenhill, Littlebourne Canterbury 2-1 Flag of England.svg Dennis Priestley Horseshoe, Rotherham
1989-90 Flag of England.svg Paul Cook Gorse Hill WMC, Swindon 2-0 Flag of England.svg Steve Hudson Oakworth SC, Keighley
1996-97 Flag of England.svg Phil Taylor Cricketer’s Arms, Newcastle-under-Lyme 2-0 Flag of England.svg Ian White Dockside Inn, Runcorn

Women

YearChampionFromScore
(legs)
Runner-upFrom
1989-90 Flag of England.svg Lynne OrmondGeorge, Alford Flag of England.svg Jane StubbsRoebuck Hotel, Northwich
1996-97 Flag of England.svg Linda JonesSeven Stars, Chorley2–0 Flag of England.svg Melanie SaundersRailway Inn, Abergavenny

Multiple winners

No player has ever won the international title three times; seven players managed two wins each.

Venues

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References

  1. 1 2 Kramer, Anne (2013). "13 History of World Tournaments". The Ultimate Book of Darts: A Complete Guide to Games, Gear, Terms, and Rules. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. ISBN   9781626365261.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Nauright, John; Parrish, Charles (2012). Sports Around the World: History, Culture, and Practice. ABC-CLIO. p. 70. ISBN   9781598843002.
  3. Belton, Brian (2011). The little book of darts. Stroud. p. 75. ISBN   9780752460437.
  4. Bristow, Eric (2010). The Crafty Cockney: the Autobiography. London: Arrow. p. 143. ISBN   9780099532798.
  5. "Planet Darts | Latest News | Newsdesk | Newsdesk | Taylor Goes Back To The Future!". Pdc.tv. Retrieved 26 July 2012.

Sources