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Champions Prospect for Latest Gold Rush

The advantages of playing (or administering) darts are obvious. The social aspect is high on the scale, as is the feeling of being part of a team and of course, that winning feeling is especially exhilarating … I seem to recall from distant memory!

However, there are some inconveniences to be considered too. One I used to find particularly frustrating was missing all the good TV that is screened during midweek darts nights. Messing around with clunky video tapes and wrestling with the video timer was such a pain that personally, I’d given up on TV so much that the annual awards ceremonies were just a procession of unfamiliar faces presented by Jonathan Woss in a wotten wed suit whilst talking wot. That was until I discovered UK TV Gold!

What a wonderful idea. Missed your favourite episode of Blackadder? Not a problem, UK TV Gold will be showing it again tomorrow. Didn’t catch the latest series of New Tricks or Doctor Who? Never mind, UK TV are ahead of the game, they start repeating before the original film reels have cooled from their initial BBC showings.

Similarly, Walton-on-Thames seems to have developed a company of guys who enjoy repeats just as much. Did last season’s Walton Working Mens Club showing in the Champions Cup pass you by? Don’t fret my friend as they’ll be coming to a dart board near you again very soon for a repeat performance as they gained the Title of Surrey Mens Champions for the 10th time in 11 seasons.

As Championships go, this one was fairly straightforward for Tim Stedman’s side. No panning to find the rich vein of Super League Gold this year, they seemed to have filled their saddlebags at about halfway, especially after an early 12-0 drubbing of last year’s Croydon Runners-Up, the Golden Lion (Sorry to keep mentioning that lads but I like to keep the funny stuff coming in this column).

So Walton move onto the National Gold Rush in fine fettle but what are their chances? Well, I suppose it all depends on whether an air handlers strike will keep Steve Catt from his exotic holiday again this year. He was destined for Hawaii at the time of last season’s playoffs before the unfortunate Gate Gourmet dispute kept him in the country long enough to be at Slough instead … Tim Stedman is reportedly already planning phone calls to selected shop stewards to ground some planes again before this campaign!

In the Ladies, the Champions also enjoyed early success that defined their season by opening up a big lead on last year’s Title holders, Clovers. The Rebels of Epsom never relented after an early defeat for their Croydon rivals & will join Walton as Surrey’s two golden nuggets at the National deciders.

I’m sure both will acquit themselves very well in the heady team matchplay atmosphere & we wish our representatives the very best of luck. Just one question remains. Having taken a record top prize in the Surrey league of £1,000, how will Walton take the comparative pay-cut of competing for the lesser National prize? There’s Gold in them thar Surrey hills dag-nabbit!

Must Try Harder

So we know all about Walton’s Title win, but what about the rest? Here’s the Surrey Column end of season report on the Mens Super League:

Runners-Up, Ditton FC: Boo! Hiss! They’re behind you! A strong finish to the season saw the Champs of 2 years ago take the lucrative second spot but the North End Tavern newcomers reckon they’re all black-hatted baddies after refusing to play the most controversial postponement in the history of the Surrey Super League. Winners of the “Best Secretary in the League” imaginary award.

3rd Place, North End Tavern: Boo! Hiss! They’re behind you! A strong finish to the season show that this lot could be real contenders next season but Ditton FC reckon they’re all black-hatted baddies after causing the most controversial postponement in the history of the Surrey Super League. Winners of the “Worst Secretary in the League” imaginary award.

Golden Lion: Rallied well to make the payout places after a Week 2 whitewash by Walton … Darn, I mentioned it again!

Salfords: Always there or thereabouts. This year it was more thereabouts than there.

Metropole: The League’s far-flung side had a superb season now their non-county players problem has been solved. The City Slickers may have taken the money, but the Tractor Boys had a good harvest (groan)

Golden Lion A: You think Curry hurts in the morning? The Lion A Chilli is MUCH more disturbing!

Walton B: A good first season in the shadow of their A team. No Gold but plenty of steel.

St Peters: Started with a bang, fizzled a bit, faded worse than a damp firework.

Jubilee Club: Guildford’s finest made great strides. This is the furthest from bottom they’ve ever finished! They finally worked out that the secret is to sign on some good players.

Freeholders: Andy Nye said they were just pub players … yeah right!

WPAC: Nick Holman let them down badly … he kept turning up!

Princess: A disappointing season but there were good points (i.e. all Keith Williams’ games).

Esher War Memorial: A very welcome addition to the league with their superb attitude. Posh towns don’t normally provide great darts teams … Esher is no exception.

Sitting Bucks

Surrey’s Inter-County season ended on a very subdued note as they went down 24-12 in what was almost a ‘dead’ match after the heroics against Glamorgan had virtually assured our First Division survival.

The Bucks hosts found very little resistance as they strode effortlessly to a confident victory. The Ladies B found the going very tough, at one point losing 14 legs in a row, with Chris Kelly (17.68) providing the only B team success.

The Mens B fared a little better thanks to a superb atmosphere from their fellow players, but a 5-7 reverse didn’t help the cause despite a MoM display from “There’s only one” Johnny Skehan (24.64). Apylee Jones (22.00) made it 9 Ladies A wins out of 9 for the season but missed out on what would have been an incredible 9th Lady of the Match award as Chrissy Skehan (23.84) ended her superb season in Ap’s shadows on a high.

After hearing of Surrey’s security in Division 1, the lack of enthusiasm was evident on the Sunday afternoon and the Mens A, so scintillating against Glamorgan, just collapsed leaving just Roger Kitching (24.97), Carl Ramsey (24.49) & the infectiously enthusiastic Man of the Match, Spike Harris (26.91), as winners.

More Golden Opportunities?

Although the Surrey County season ended disappointingly, there’s no chance the Surrey Column will be ending on such a subdued note. And why should it when we have so much to offer?

This season has seen Surrey darts as healthy as it has been for many a year. Record sponsorship, record Super League payouts, renewed vigour in all levels of the County and, following the success last year of our two Gold Cup Winners, a more than healthy attendance at the Gold Cup Qualifiers.

Apylee Jones successfully won through for a chance to defend her Ladies singles Title but not without a fight, but Steve Lovett & Garry Bravery narrowly failed in their final match to reach the Lakeside Finals which in which they so gloriously triumphed for Surrey in the Pairs last year. Their conquerors were Ronnie Godbeer & Neil Robinson, who I’m sure will fight our cause with as much pride and vigour as our representatives so handsomely exhibited last season.

Sharon Cullip joins Apylee to contest the Ladies Pairs as they did last time out, whilst Spike Harris will no doubt continue his superb ambassadorship thus far for our County as he takes on the nation’s best.

Surrey wishes the best to all our qualifiers. Just remember when competing for that prestigious award – Gold! Always believe in your soul … or did I hear that in a song somewhere?

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