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Double Dutch Courage for Apylee

So there you are, you’ve become famous for something, perhaps even for NOT being famous, like that irrelevant blonde in last year’s Celebrity Big Brother. Anyway, you’ve made it somehow & someone rates your intelligence enough to invite you to appear on the TV panel show QI to have obscure facts thrown at you by humorous fop Stephen Fry.

The question is asked “When was the last time that England was invaded?” and you know the answer, so you hit the buzzer faster than the time it takes Jade Goody to upset one of this year’s Celeb BB housemates, and blurt out “1066!”

The bells ring, the siren sounds, lights flash, your ignorance is smugly ridiculed in front of the nation & you really wish you’d taken that offer of opening a Morrisons supermarket in Rochdale instead!

In fact, England was last invaded in 1688 in the ‘Glorious Revolution’ and it wasn’t the Normans who took over the Crown but … the Dutch. Their leader was William of Orange, who was born in The Hague & was promptly crowned William III!

Now, does all this seem rather familiar to us as darts fans? It would seem so as the Lakeside venue was long ago declared a sovereign province of Holland at this time of year. Plus, at time of writing, Niels de Ruiter is in the Semi-Finals of the Lakeside in an attempt to retain the BDO World Championship Trophy as Dutch property for the third year, and add to the recent new conquests of Barney’s PDC Title & Van Gerwen’s Masters Crown.

The Ladies Championship was no different as three of the eight contestants were from Holland, but Surrey’s Apylee Jones did her best to withstand the Dutch invasion as she faced two ‘Orange’ Ladies in her attempt to become Lakeside Ladies Champion, and a grand attempt it was too.

Apylee patriotically entered the stage on the first Sunday to the rousing Elton John number, “Made in England” but suffered a nightmare start to her tournament as Dutch number 3 seed Karin Krappen took the first set with three first dart double tops. Our Ap had created chances to win legs but didn’t take them and the Surrey contingent in the crowd were fearing the worst. However, some great consistency on the 20s saw Apylee claw her way back into the match & finally claim a Semi Final place with a very satisfying double 10.

Next opponent for Apylee was number 2 seed Francis Hoenselaar & when the Surrey player took the first set 3-1 we were all beginning to dream of a possible Final meeting with six-time World Champ Trina Gulliver (and a very rare all England Lakeside Final!). It wasn’t to be though as Francis moved up a gear and took the next six legs without reply to defeat Apylee by two sets to one.

It was a fine performance from Apylee who, unlike her opponents, had never taken part in such a high profile event as this & all her friends at Surrey are hoping that it was just the first of many appearances on the World stage for her. Well done Apylee, we’re all very proud of you.

And what about the Final? Well, Congratulations to Trina Gulliver who claimed her 7th World Title, and ensured that the Ladies’ Trophy was one piece of plunder that isn’t making the crossing to the land of tulips, windmills & odd-shaped cigarettes that make one very relaxed and strangely peckish … or so they tell me.

Past Masters

Talking of the Lakeside Championships, it has been great to see the BBC reminiscing over past legends to celebrate the 30th staging of the BDO World Championships this year. There have been some wonderful memories over the three decades and we hope that there will be more to come.

So in the style of Darts World’s regular delve into the archives, the Surrey Column would also like to offer our own piece of history with the photograph on this page of the first ever Surrey Darts Organisation committee.

It was taken soon after the forming of the BDO in 1973 & was kindly provided by Larry Brickle, who was one of the pioneers of darts in Surrey, and who is still active in the sport at a local level in Littlehampton. There are some legends of our own in this shot, which was taken at the Fishermans Arms in Croydon.

Back Row: Ted Briant (First Treasurer), Larry Brickle (First County Secretary), Bill Duddy (Winner of the News of the World 1968, Runner Up 1975). Front Row: Phil Holland (First Super League Secretary), Ken Brown (Later England player & Darts World Columnist), Dennis Nutt (First Surrey Captain) & Tommy Barrett (First Player to win the News of the World twice in succession, 1964, 1965).

The Trophy in the picture was donated to the County by Harp Lager as sponsorship to help the launch of the Organisation … Bob Potter eat your heart out!

A Diamond in the Rough

The dust has only just settled on that incredible Ladbrokes.com PDC Final which has taken up so many column inches in the national press. It was an amazing spectacle and a fitting finale to a Tournament that provided so many quality tussles.

Of course, we at Surrey were camped in front of the TV to watch Dave Askew as he showed some great form to place himself kindly in the new PDC Money List. Dave took out Martin Burchell in the first round in what could be termed a local derby with both players living under the flightpath of Gatwick Airport, and then ended the hopes of another player with links to the Surrey area, Alan Caves, in round 2. Alan Tabern was to be the Diamond’s nemesis this year but it is very encouraging to see Surrey represented so admirably at all levels of both darting codes.

Over 30 years since the formation of the Surrey Darts Organisation and the Diamond sparkled whilst Apylee shone. I think those that were instrumental in calling “Game On” to our County would be immensely proud of the exploits of those that continue to carry the Surrey flag.

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