Toeing the Oche'

The Old Dart Coach reminds us that the great John Lowe was the first to do so on TV. Lowe got’er done on October 13, 1984 picking up £102,000 for the perfect game. Remember that was back in the day when a pound was worth a pound not .912 euros. That night Lowe also earned £12,000 for winning the event along with a meaningless £1,000 for a 161 high check out that didn’t come in the perfect game. So for a nights work throwing darts £115,000 which is not too Chablis. The magic set was 2-180’s, with a 141 check out of treble 17, treble 18 and double 18. Thank you very much. Lowe celebrated last month at home joined by Canadian International Big Tony and Little Sue Holyoake. Could Lowe do the nine darter today? “perhaps I should do it again 25 years on to prove it wasn’t a fluke!”.

Attact on Dinosaurs
The PDC has launched a well publicized attack on the “dinosaurs” of “amateur” darts with all the subtlety of Saturday nights hard boiled eggs and beer during Sunday service. In an open letter to the British Darts Organization Ltd. PDC Head Honcho Barry Hearne, on behalf of the PDC, offered to buy the BDO for £1,000,000 pounds plus an additional £1,000,000 pounds going to the amateur side of the sport. The PDC points out “since 1993 there have been many changes within the sport of darts…but even a neutral would have to admit that a vast majority of these changes have emanated from the PDC.” Point well taken but the BDO is not neutral. Some might even say not fair or even very bright.

In the year ending May 31, 2008 the BDO turned a profit of £16,919 from an income of £758,169. On the other hand the PDC banked about £1,000,000 and have a cash reserve of around £3,000,000. The £1,000,000 buy
out offer would be pocket change for the every growing and expanding PDC. To the surprise of no one the offer was turned down by BDO Patriarch Olly Croft. “This is nothing more than a cheap publicity stunt and had nothing to do with unifying the sport but has everything to do with inflated ego and perceived self-importance.” Strangely enough Croft wasn’t talking about himself. Still it might have been a “publicity stunt” but certainly not cheap with a £2,000,000 pound price tag. At some point the BDO “shareholders” will vote to uphold Chairman Croft’s decision while the World Dart Federations, which acts as a acolyte for the BDO, will add their two pence. This vote will have the validity of elections in North Korea, Nicaragua, Iran and Afghanistan.

While no one could argue that the BDO does a great job with youth and women’s darts they just don’t have the star power to fill hall’s with fans actually paying money to watch. Croft charges that the PDC, “is more concerned with filling arenas with ever-rowdier crowds and turning our great sport into a “show” on a par with wrestling.” That’s the sound of sour grapes as the BDO slides from mediocrity to irrelevance. The top 58 players in the PDC ranking’s made more money than the entire BDO. Rowdy fan’s paying money equates to money in players pockets along with a free pint now and again.

When the Cats Away
Phil Taylor went through Ireland like a corn through a goose. He won the Dublin Players Championship, Skybet World Grand Prix, the nonranking Irish Masters while topping it off with a whitewash 6-0 job on Paul Nicholson for the John McEvoy Gold Dart title. For those keeping track that’s 19 ranking titles on the year for Taylor. He is “The Head Cat”. Unlike Mr. Jinks, from the 1960’s cartoon Huckleberry Hound, this cat doesn’t “hate meeces to pieces !” When he’s away boy do the “meeces” play as they did recently in Holland tuning up for the European Masters in Hoofddorp.

Former Embassy Champion Steve Beaton got his first title since 2001 when he took down Wes Newton 6-1 to win the Saturday Player championship in Nuland. Beaton found himself trailing 0-1 before rolling out six straight legs for the title an £6,000 check. One could write that “Beaton Breaks His Duck.” In fact one just did. The next day former world #2 James Wade found himself down 2-0. It was a temporary situation as Wade took advantage of Brendan Dolan’s failure to hit double top to go up 3-0 to start a 6-0 run for the 6-2 win. Dolan missed a lot of doubles. Wade didn’t.

Osborne Wins Champions League
Even with “The Cat” in residence Colin Osborne claimed his first ever title by winning the “internet only” 2009 Champions League title worth £24,800. Osborne’s win came against defending champion Phil Taylor. Taylor
had taken the measure of Osborn in the final of the UK Open in June. Up 4-2 Osborne was a victim of “The Power’ who leveled it at four with a pair of 11 darters. Taylor left himself 74 to take a lead but Osborne made 142 vanish with a double 11 for the 5-4 lead. When Taylor missed the bull to score yet another level game, Osborne worked 68 down to eight which vanished with a double four. Osborne may also win the understatement of the
year award with , “It's a great feeling. It's hard enough to beat Phil anyway but always even harder in the final.”

2009 European Championship
In Chairman Crofts’ letter to the PDC he complains that, “the same people keep winning your tournaments.” Wouldn’t he love to have that “same people”, Phil Taylor, plying his trade for the BDO? In an Israeli minute. Taylor, the defending champion, is the odds on favorite to repeat at the Claus Centre in Hoofddorp. Colin Osborne would be the logical second choice and he’s in the bottom half of the draw which is headed by current world number two Raymond van Barneveld. For Osborne to reach the finals he would have to best “Barney” in the semi’s certainly not a Muggs chore. Nice payday for the 32 that qualified with a purse of £200,000. First round
loser’s get £2,500 with £50,000 going to the winner and £20,000 to the runner up. Look for Phil “The Cat” Taylor to toy with the “meeces” then make it a even 20 title’s for the year.