ARRRRE YOU READY? LET'S! WATCH! DARTS! (The BDO World Darts thread, 2007 edition)

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Ugh. Not gonna be on this much till after Monday, but anyway, yr story so far:

Jelle's out, whitewashed by Co Stompe of all people. Adams dismissed Tony O'shea in similar fashion, Mervyn King did the same to Paul Gibbs and Ted Hankey also got through clean against Mario Robbe. First seed to fall, i'faith, was Vincent van der Voort, out 3-1 against Davy Richardson.

Yer draw:

MEN'S FIRST ROUND

Co Stompe (Ned, 16) 3-0 Jelle Klaasen (Ned)
Vincent van der Voort (Ned, 9) 1-3 Davy Richardson (Eng)
Martin Adams (Eng, 1) 3-0 Tony O'Shea (Eng)
Ted Hankey (Eng, 8) 3-0 Mario Robbe (Ned)
Mike Veitch (Sco, 12) v Goran Klemme (Swe)
Mervyn King (Eng, 5) 3-0 Paul Gibbs (Eng)
Shaun Greatbach (Eng, 13) v Paul Hogan (Eng)
Tony Eccles (Eng, 4) v Mark Webster (Wal)
Paul Hanvidge (Sco, 15) v Martin Phillips (Wal)
Gary Anderson (Sco, 2) v Albertino Essers (Ned)
Martin Atkins (Eng, 10) v Garry Fenn (Eng)
Darryl Fitton (Eng, 7) v Phil Nixon (Eng)
Niels De Ruiter (Ned, 11) v Brian Woods (Eng)
Simon Whitlock (Aus, 6) v Andy Fordham (Eng)
John Walton (Eng, 14) v Brian Sorensen (Den)
Michael van Gerwen (Ned, 3) v Gary Robson (Eng)

WOMEN'S FIRST ROUND

Anastasia Dobromyslova (Rus, 4) v Carina Ekberg (Swe)
Trina Gulliver (Eng, 1) v Carla Molema (Ned)
Karin Krappen (Ned, 3) v Apylee Jones (Eng)
Francis Hoenselaar (Ned, 2) v Carol Forwood (Aus)

Only game I've seen so far was Adams-O'Shea. Adams looked pretty handy, but he usually does in the early stages; this said, with Barney gone, the BDO is lacking its sole intimidating figure in the draw. Could this be the year he goes all the way? The smart money - actually, most of the money, apparently - is on 17-year-old Michael van Gerwen to take the crown, though. I'm not quite so sure - the draw looks about as open as it's ever done, and picking a favourite at this stage seems a fool's errand.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Saturday, 6 January 2007 21:07 (eighteen years ago)

Michael van Gerwen v Gary Robson is a pretty entertaining match. Van Gerwen contrived to get a three-dart score of 3 at one point (sadly, when I was in the other room getting a cup of coffee), but he's somewhat improved since then. This, apart from some women's match that I watched a bit of while under the influence of alcohol and can remember nothing about, is the first match I've seen.

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 7 January 2007 18:26 (eighteen years ago)

Karin Krappen (Ned, 3) v Apylee Jones (Eng)

saw this, pleasantly surprised by the quality. darts probably has a smaller skill discrepancy between the sexes than most sports.

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Sunday, 7 January 2007 18:29 (eighteen years ago)

Worst. Finishing. Ever!

(Mighty Mike out)

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 7 January 2007 18:57 (eighteen years ago)

I'm still buzzing from the PDC final last week. Can that thread on the sandbox be moved over here?

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Sunday, 7 January 2007 19:01 (eighteen years ago)

Yep, we're having lots of upsets for a first round, but rather than making it feel like it could be anybody's tournament, it just seems to be clearing the way for Wolfie to sail through. Still a few more fun games to come though. Whitlock/Fordham might be interesting, although the viking is likely to crumble. And I've got high hopes for Davy Richardson (with his two broken ribs!) against Ted Hankey in the second round...

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 7 January 2007 20:54 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, I'm hoping for wide-open due to level of upsets in first round, but I doubt this will be sustained throughout the tournament.

Kerr, sandbox threads can't be taken over here. It's not going anywhere though, you can go back and read it whenever you like.

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 7 January 2007 21:01 (eighteen years ago)

Co Stompe really is one of the great names of contemporary sport. His throwing action is also weirdly compelling...

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Sunday, 7 January 2007 21:37 (eighteen years ago)

Updated draw:

MEN'S FIRST ROUND

Co Stompe (Ned, 16) 3-0 Jelle Klaasen (Ned)
Martin Adams (Eng, 1) 3-0 Tony O'Shea (Eng)
Vincent van der Voort (Ned, 9) 1-3 Davy Richardson (Eng)
Ted Hankey (Eng, 8) 3-0 Mario Robbe (Ned)
Mike Veitch (Sco, 12) 3-0 Goran Klemme (Swe)
Mervyn King (Eng, 5) 3-0 Paul Gibbs (Eng)
Shaun Greatbach (Eng, 13) 3-1 Paul Hogan (Eng)
Tony Eccles (Eng, 4) 3-0 Mark Webster (Wal)
Paul Hanvidge (Sco, 15) v Martin Phillips (Wal)
Gary Anderson (Sco, 2) 2-3 Albertino Essers (Ned)
Martin Atkins (Eng, 10) 3-0 Garry Fenn (Eng)
Darryl Fitton (Eng, 7) 1-3 Phil Nixon (Eng)
Niels De Ruiter (Ned, 11) v Brian Woods (Eng)
Simon Whitlock (Aus, 6) v Andy Fordham (Eng)
John Walton (Eng, 14) v Brian Sorensen (Den)
Michael van Gerwen (Ned, 3) 2-3 Gary Robson (Eng)

WOMEN'S FIRST ROUND

Anastasia Dobromyslova (Rus, 4) 2-0 Carina Ekberg (Swe)
Trina Gulliver (Eng, 1) 2-0 Carla Molema (Ned)
Karin Krappen (Ned, 3) 1-2 Apylee Jones (Eng)
Francis Hoenselaar (Ned, 2) 2-1 Carol Forwood (Aus)

This really is looking like the year of the nearly men, isn't it? Also, with Fitton and van Gerwen gone, the winner looks incredibly likely to be coming out of the top half of the draw, though goodness knows who it'll be...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 7 January 2007 23:08 (eighteen years ago)

Andy Fordham withdraws on health grounds. Oh man. Hope he's better soon. Whitlock goes through by default, anyhow, and John Boy Walton's through 3-2.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Monday, 8 January 2007 20:07 (eighteen years ago)

Hanvidge got by Phillips 3-2, De Ruiter beat Woods 3-0, and so those new draws in full:

MEN'S SECOND ROUND

Co Stompe (Ned, 16) - Martin Adams (Eng, 1)
Davy Richardson (Eng) - Ted Hankey (Eng, 8)
Mike Veitch (Sco, 12) - Mervyn King (Eng, 5)
Shaun Greatbach (Eng, 13) - Tony Eccles (Eng, 4)
Paul Hanvidge (Sco, 15) - Albertino Essers (Ned)
Martin Atkins (Eng, 10) - Phil Nixon (Eng)
Niels De Ruiter (Ned, 11) - Simon Whitlock (Aus, 6)
John Walton (Eng, 14) - Gary Robson (Eng)

WOMEN'S SEMI-FINALS

Anastasia Dobromyslova (Rus, 4) - Trina Gulliver (Eng, 1)
Apylee Jones (Eng) - Francisca Hoenselaar (Ned, 2)

Betfred are the official bookies of the tournament, and are currently offering 12/1 on Ted Hankey to win the whole thing, which seems like quite ridiculous value - his route will be tricky, going (as it does) through Adams and King, but he's done it before, and, with the field this open, he's got to believe there's every chance he'll do it again.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Monday, 8 January 2007 22:05 (eighteen years ago)

are there any good sites to read up on darts for Americans like me who are fascinated by darts

― VALLEY OF BLIZZARDZ (Mr.Que), Monday, 8 January 2007 22:24 (eighteen years ago)

I'd say http://www.dartswdf.com has the best online coverage of the BDO tournament that I've found thus far, in that it's regularly updated and has match reports. The Lakeside official site gives you results And That's It, and the BDO site itself is so hideously designed as to be almost un-navigable. On the PDC side, the official site is www.planetdarts.tv, and it seems to do the job quite nicely.

Anyway - two rounds down, three to go, and the quarters look like this:

Martin Adams (Eng, 1) - Ted Hankey (Eng, 8)
Mervyn King (Eng, 5) - Tony Eccles (Eng, 4)
Paul Hanvidge (Sco, 15) - Phil Nixon (Eng)
Niels De Ruiter (Ned, 11) - Gary Robson (Eng)

I managed to catch the closing minutes of Whitlock-De Ruiter, and it looked an utter thriller - the eight legs preciding the final one all went against the throw, Whitlock has developed this incredibly terrifying teeth-gritting grimace everytime he throws, not to mention the fact he seems practically square-on to the board - he's really quite compelling viewing and, til he lost, was my favourite thrower still in the competition. This said, De Ruiter seems a nice enough chap, and has this rather odd stance that makes him look like he's Fosbury-flopping.

Other things I noticed about the coverage: 1) it might just be my girlfriend's telly, which is quite small, but the Beeb scoreboard is TINY! I have to be inches away from the screen to have any chance of reading it, which really isn't at all ideal; 2) from the two matches I've seen so far, they appear to be insisting on swiftly knocking together a montage of highlights from the game, playing 'Poison Arrow' under it, then playing it immediately after the match. This actually manages to be even worse in practice than in theory.

Anyway - the quarters. Adams vs. Hankey will either be the best match of the tournament so far or terrible, depending upon whether Ted's got his game on or not. If he hasn't, Adams will probably walk it. I honestly can't remember if I've ever seen Tony Eccles play or not - I was confusing him for Tony West earlier in the tournament, till I saw his face - but, as with most people, I'm rather hoping he can do a job on King, who got his first accusation of gamesmanship in the previous round against Mike Veitch.

Bottom half is where it gets really interesting - Hanvidge-Nixon really looks to be a 50-50, in that Hanvidge is a steady but unspectacular type, and Nixon's on the run of his life - a 50-year-old making his Lakeside debut, and he's taken out seeds Darryl Fitton and Martin Atkins on the way, though apparently the finishing from both himself and Atkins in their match was rather wayward. Then there's De Ruiter vs. Robson - De Ruiter's had to scrap hard to get by Whitlock, and Robson's arguably been one of the form players thus far, having disposed of pre-tournament favourite Michael van Gerwen and 2001 champion John Walton already. One of these four will be in the final, but which one is anyone's guess.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Thursday, 11 January 2007 15:20 (eighteen years ago)

Watched a bit of darts yesterday. I'm not usually interested, but I loved the Prince of Thieves style following-the-darts shots (some kind of motion tracking camera?).

― chap (chap), Thursday, 11 January 2007 15:27 (eighteen years ago)

I'm enjoying this a lot. Shame the BBC2 coverage usually ends when the match is about to reach its climax.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42438000/jpg/_42438725_tedhankey416.jpg

― David V (grammy), Thursday, 11 January 2007 19:55 (eighteen years ago)

this Tony Eccles fella's not bad!

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Thursday, 11 January 2007 20:08 (eighteen years ago)

Adams won then. That was bollocks the beeb cutting it off in the 8th set (particularly to show some Gaelic pish that no-one fucking watches). Hankey must have hit a dozen 180s and still lost.

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 20:12 (eighteen years ago)

Eccles misses three darts at double-8 for 4-0. He's so gonna lose now.

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Thursday, 11 January 2007 20:37 (eighteen years ago)

Merv on a charge.

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 20:38 (eighteen years ago)

It's worth mentioning that King has nailed an out-shot with his last dart and Eccles facing a very simple finish a quite unbelievable number of times recently.

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Thursday, 11 January 2007 20:45 (eighteen years ago)

King still not scoring well enough but he's burying the doubles while Eccles looks fragile (he just took 3 darts at 16s while I typed that).

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 20:51 (eighteen years ago)

My computer link is obviously on some sort of delay then, because that only just happened.

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Thursday, 11 January 2007 20:53 (eighteen years ago)

Hehe, I cursed King, he just missed with 3 at double top.

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 20:53 (eighteen years ago)

You're ruining the surprise!

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Thursday, 11 January 2007 20:54 (eighteen years ago)

So I can spoilerise your game?

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 20:54 (eighteen years ago)

haha xpost

I'll stop now.

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 20:54 (eighteen years ago)

Merv breaks back!

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 20:55 (eighteen years ago)

This thread really needs Kerr. As do I, in fact, because he needs to re-send me that new Jesu album!

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Thursday, 11 January 2007 20:58 (eighteen years ago)

Eccles misses three darts at double-8 for 4-0. He's so gonna lose now.

Yup. 4-3 down.

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 21:01 (eighteen years ago)

Merv busts on 5 - that's about my standard!

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 21:03 (eighteen years ago)

Sore one for Merv. Might give Eccles a wee boost as his game's being falling apart for the last 2 sets.

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 21:04 (eighteen years ago)

HANG ON, I still have the original link to that Jesu album! YAY! KERR, IT'S OKAY!

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Thursday, 11 January 2007 21:04 (eighteen years ago)

Eccles hits inside the double 5 and fucks up a clear leg. Then Merv steps up with a 180 to kick off the next leg. Then Eccles bangs in a 180. All hangs on this leg I think.

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 21:07 (eighteen years ago)

2-1 King. Eccles throwing to stay in it now.

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 21:08 (eighteen years ago)

2-2 Eccles needs to break the throw now or he's out.

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 21:10 (eighteen years ago)

110 for teh match... misses!

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 21:12 (eighteen years ago)

4-4!

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 21:12 (eighteen years ago)

Game on!

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 21:12 (eighteen years ago)

All King this set, despite missing doubles. He never looks like a guy who believes he can win the title but he's shown some character in this match. Might nick a 3-0 here...

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 21:20 (eighteen years ago)

King misses 3 at double 12 for the match and Eccles saves it with his last dart! Great stuff.

King buries 180 with the darts at 2-1 up!

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 21:21 (eighteen years ago)

98 shot out! King wins it.

Great match.

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 21:22 (eighteen years ago)

Eccles will be dreaming about those misses at double 8 tonight.

― onimo (onimo), Thursday, 11 January 2007 21:22 (eighteen years ago)

Hankey the Wankey. Not that I'd say that to his face.

― David V (grammy), Thursday, 11 January 2007 21:54 (eighteen years ago)

I would, he aint all that.

Hankey's only 38. That doesn't seem right.

― onimo (onimo), Friday, 12 January 2007 00:33 (eighteen years ago)

Oh, and for the fourth year running, the women's final will be Trina Gulliver against Francisca Hoenselaar. Which probably means that, for the fourth year running, Trina Gulliver will win the final 2-0. Ah well.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Friday, 12 January 2007 01:35 (eighteen years ago)

I often wonder to myself whether, given the cpportunity, I'd marry Trina Gulliver. I can never quite decide.

― JimD (JimD), Friday, 12 January 2007 09:07 (eighteen years ago)

Too hatchet-faced, surely? She looks like she could get nasty.

The lovely Anastasia who she beat in the semi is more like it.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Friday, 12 January 2007 09:38 (eighteen years ago)

See the aggro with King last night? I thought he was going to chin Ray Stubbs last night. Apparently, there had been reports he was off the to the PDC, and he said he was close to walking out on the tournament (which would have made it look even truer, and so a stupid plan). Stubbs asked him, and he said he'd given a statement to Robert Holmes, the BDO PR man (I'd love to know his link with Olly Croft, but that's another story...). Stubbs asked him a straight question - are you going, yes or no? King got all aggro and said 'look, I've made amy statement, and that's that' and started waggling his finger, saying he didn't need this kind of crap, and he might not bother playing the semi.

There was aggro in his 2nd round match, where I think he complained about the height of the Board (echoes of his shennanigans a few years back) and seems a deeply unpopular man.

He is the new Colin Monk AFAIK.

― The Boyler (The Boyler), Friday, 12 January 2007 10:24 (eighteen years ago)

I think I am in love with Anastasia Dobromyslova.

― New Mark H (New MarkH), Friday, 12 January 2007 10:26 (eighteen years ago)

She's mine Hester, hands off my Russian princess!

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Friday, 12 January 2007 10:33 (eighteen years ago)

I hated Colin Monk, but only because of that weird open mouth thing he did every time he threw a dart, kind of like that annoying Gordon Brown mouth thing.

― onimo (onimo), Friday, 12 January 2007 10:41 (eighteen years ago)

mervyn king is the single most annoying darts player in either competition, he's just... GAH! can't even make it into words...

i can't believe hankey's only 38, that means he was only 32 when he won the title...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Friday, 12 January 2007 11:20 (eighteen years ago)

You're shitting me!

― The Boyler (The Boyler), Friday, 12 January 2007 11:56 (eighteen years ago)

Hankey was not born. He was created.

Mike Veitch accused King of gamesmanship in the second round, yeah. If I remember rightly, he threatened to quit after the whole shenanigans with Rick Hofstra in 2004 (I think), where he demanded the oche be re-measured during the match. This did not make him many friends with the Dutch, as that year's thread will probably show if I can find it...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Friday, 12 January 2007 13:17 (eighteen years ago)

wiki, it sa:

Edward "Ted" Hankey (born February 20, 1968) is an English darts player who won the BDO World Championship in 2000. His nickname is The Count.

blimey...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Friday, 12 January 2007 13:29 (eighteen years ago)

Ted "Urgent" Hankey

― mark s (mark s), Friday, 12 January 2007 13:35 (eighteen years ago)

hands off my Russian princess!

And every day, the gap between the tennis threads and the darts threads gets smaller and smaller...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Friday, 12 January 2007 15:02 (eighteen years ago)

Ted Hankey the Dart Playing Poo.

― New Mark H (New MarkH), Friday, 12 January 2007 15:05 (eighteen years ago)

Int Darts fantastic? It's just attack, atttack, attack. No timewasting with defence. A lot of rhythm for fat men. No offence Hankey.

― David V (grammy), Friday, 12 January 2007 15:13 (eighteen years ago)

Video of Mervyn King being annoyed. I think the most irritating thing about him is the fact that his nickname is 'The King'. That's not your nickname, it's your surname.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Friday, 12 January 2007 15:28 (eighteen years ago)

Ha, that merv video is great! He's a vile little shit, isn't he? Also great on the beeb website is the clip of those two blokeys from the kaiser chiefs getting inteviewed by ray stubbs before playing a leg against bobby george.

Ray: So, the lakeside stage! How does it feel throwing up here?
Random chief: Throwing up here? I feel like throwing up here!

Only just saw the hankey/wolfie match, and that final leg was a proper nailbiter, despite the fact I already knew the result. Neither of them were exactly on fire though, which doesn't bode well for the semi...king could easily beat wolfie up. Unless he does drop out.

― JimD (JimD), Friday, 12 January 2007 16:59 (eighteen years ago)

Trina takes her 7th title, 2-1 in the end. Apparently much closer than it usually is.

And your men's semis -

Martin Adams (Eng, 1) - Mervyn King (Eng, 5)
Phil Nixon (Eng) - Niels De Ruiter (Ned, 11)

The first one you could probably have predicted, but the second? Phil Nixon won 5-4 in the end, having been 4-1 up with six darts for the match. Beeb says he came through three qualifying tournaments - local, national and international - to get this far. On the one hand, I'm quite miffed I've not seen much of this tournament; on the other, I'm bloody glad I've not had to hear those facts related to me endlessly by Tony Green. Niels De Ruiter also got through 5-4, though his match was apparently even tighter - you'd reckon it'd be the Dutch lad in the final, but do either of these two really stand a chance against whoever comes out of the other match?

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Friday, 12 January 2007 23:48 (eighteen years ago)

Saw both matches yesterday - De Ruiter was very up and down, some of his legs were amazing, but there were a good few where he was looking very wobbly. Phil Nixon is a HERO, seems like a very nice man, and it'd be lovely if he could make it to the final. If he plays as well as he did in his first four legs yesterday, I think he can get past De Ruiter. But his nerves seem to trouble him, so we'll have to wait and see.

Not entirely conviced that one of these two couldn't go all the way. But at this point I'd be quite happy to see any of the semi finalists win, except for King.

And yes, the womens' final was MUCH closer than usual, Francis even had match darts at one point, but spooned it up. Maybe next year...

― JimD (JimD), Saturday, 13 January 2007 13:20 (eighteen years ago)

(oh hold on, I was wrong about hoenselaar's match darts, I must be getting confused).

― JimD (JimD), Saturday, 13 January 2007 13:22 (eighteen years ago)

Where you don't wanna be: 3 sets up on Mervyn King. Adams is collapsing here. EIGHT out-shots to hold his throw and he misses every single one just now.

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Saturday, 13 January 2007 16:21 (eighteen years ago)

...but he holds out! Adams now ten-thousand to one on to be champion (or whatever).

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Saturday, 13 January 2007 16:38 (eighteen years ago)

omg Nixon is OWNING

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Saturday, 13 January 2007 17:11 (eighteen years ago)

Nixon needs to hold his throw for 4-0 and fails.

As I've said before, he's SO gonna lose now.

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Saturday, 13 January 2007 17:23 (eighteen years ago)

...OR he's gonna start nailing consecutive 180s. What do I know?

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Saturday, 13 January 2007 17:26 (eighteen years ago)

bloody hell, 5-2 up and he misses SIX throws for the match!

He really is SO gonna lose now!

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Saturday, 13 January 2007 18:10 (eighteen years ago)

HE'S NOW MISSED EIGHT!!

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Saturday, 13 January 2007 18:20 (eighteen years ago)

BUT HE'S WON!!! WITH A 121 CHECKOUT!!!

wow!

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Saturday, 13 January 2007 18:29 (eighteen years ago)

That was pretty good!

― Luke Slater (Alan Bean), Saturday, 13 January 2007 18:36 (eighteen years ago)

What time is the final on?

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 14:35 (eighteen years ago)

1800

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 14:41 (eighteen years ago)

Ace, ta. Missed both matches yesterday, really happy that Nixy got through though! Fingers crossed he keeps his form tonight.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 14:56 (eighteen years ago)

Well, it's very early days, but they're both looking VERY comfortable, maybe just a few more loose darts coming from nixon so far. Wolfie's wife has had her make-up done specially for her by the BBC make-up lady!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:25 (eighteen years ago)

This, at the present time, is not exactly looking like a thriller. Adams is 2-0 ahead in sets, and he's just taken the first leg of the third. He is looking to be under very little pressure at present. Taking his time, doing very little wrong.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:33 (eighteen years ago)

Can't see this lasting that long...

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:35 (eighteen years ago)

Yep, phil's going downhill rapidly. Boo.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:38 (eighteen years ago)

I feel a bit guilty too, I'd be 100% behine wolfie if he was playing anyone else, but because he's up against such a heroic underdog, I'd quite like to see him get beaten tonight.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:39 (eighteen years ago)

And there's 3-0. Phil Nixon, it is fair to say, really ain't looking like a big game player at the moment. Adams is playing steady darts, nothing more, but Nixon really is not at the races at all - he's not had a sniff of a realistic finish in ages, he's struggling to get in the trebles... this could be quite sad, really, cos it's very hard to see where Phil's gonna pull anything from.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:41 (eighteen years ago)

And 4-0. Same ol', same ol'.

Phil's looking good in the first leg of #5, though...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:44 (eighteen years ago)

Ohh, two 180s in this leg, maybe that's where phil's going to start stepping it up. That's his 33rd and 34th of the tournament, I think.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:46 (eighteen years ago)

Incidentally, Tony Green's World Of Politics: (upon spotting a man in a Richard Nixon mask) "And the Floodgates have opened for Martin now..."

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:46 (eighteen years ago)

q: do the bbc give 3 darts average stats like sky?

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:46 (eighteen years ago)

Sharon Adams appears to have adopted the 'Go Ricki!' dance. Oh dear.

A: They do, yeah. Just now, f'r instance.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:51 (eighteen years ago)

yep, on screen now! (xp)

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:51 (eighteen years ago)

what are the averages then?

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:51 (eighteen years ago)

Um, I can't remember...

Ach, painful to see nixon throw that one away with three missed doubles.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:53 (eighteen years ago)

5-0. This is starting to have the air of Red Rum beating Crisp, except Martin Adams isn't really much like Red Rum, and Crisp spent most of that Grand National in the lead.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:53 (eighteen years ago)

Last time they showed the averages, Adams was on 95.21, Nixon on 85.21.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:54 (eighteen years ago)

Incidentally, the Wikipedia entry for the Championship is here, featuring all the winners and runners-up in championship history and their averages.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:57 (eighteen years ago)

I like the way Martin Adams is already up as the 2007 winner...

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 18:59 (eighteen years ago)

Jesus Phil, finish it!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:01 (eighteen years ago)

BAH.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:01 (eighteen years ago)

Yep, this is pretty humiliating now. Wolfie's playing worse darts than I've seen from him all tournament and he's still battering nixon.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:06 (eighteen years ago)

6-0. The third leg of that last set was purgatory. Both players blew a raft of finishes, Phil had six darts at 4, Adams had six at 40, completely missing the first three... argh. Phil's every other thought appears to be "Fuck's sake..." This really is becoming rather upsetting.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:09 (eighteen years ago)

Gwen Stefani's 'What You Waiting For?' welcomes the players back onstage. Wonder what she thinks of that...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:12 (eighteen years ago)

Phil's first dart after the interval lands in the 1.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:12 (eighteen years ago)

And Adams hits a 180.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:13 (eighteen years ago)

Tony Green's World of Names: incorrectly calls BBC 'spotter' Richard Ashdown (the feller who calculates finishes and directs the camera accordingly) as "Richard Ashcroft". He then corrects himself, and says "The other feller's a rugby player."

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:15 (eighteen years ago)

S'all over, innit?

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:15 (eighteen years ago)

"Sharon's usually crying"

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:16 (eighteen years ago)

Phil gets a leg against the darts!

Then opens the next with a 40, Adams responds with 180. Buggeh.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:18 (eighteen years ago)

"When [Phil] smiles, he's like Jockey Wilson"!!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:19 (eighteen years ago)

Adams one leg away now.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:20 (eighteen years ago)

Phil's not only buggering up his throwing, he's started getting his sums wrong too. Ouch.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:21 (eighteen years ago)

2-2 this Leg, come on Nixon!

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:23 (eighteen years ago)

He's saved it! Ah come on lad, you could make the best comeback ever here. Perhaps.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:23 (eighteen years ago)

HAHA Get in!

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:25 (eighteen years ago)

YES!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:25 (eighteen years ago)

GERTCHAAAAAAAA!!!! And there's 6-1, as out of bloody NOWHERE Nixon suddenly hits form again, and Adams has practically got the yips!

It can't happen... can it?

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:25 (eighteen years ago)

It's a bit late to hit your stride...

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:26 (eighteen years ago)

He looked like he might just have FINALLY settled down with those last few darts. And he's hitting more 180s! Come on!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:26 (eighteen years ago)

And he breaks!!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:27 (eighteen years ago)

"That's the grimace... of a wolf. No teeth showing..."

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:28 (eighteen years ago)

2 up in this leg!!! Haha!!!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:30 (eighteen years ago)

er, I mean set.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:30 (eighteen years ago)

2-1, come on Nixon...

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:31 (eighteen years ago)

That was a lovely 161 out for wolfie though.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:32 (eighteen years ago)

"It's bouncy castles at the back, babies being thrown up and down..."

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:33 (eighteen years ago)

He makes it 6-2!

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:33 (eighteen years ago)

Woohoo!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:34 (eighteen years ago)

6-2! Nixon is, all of a sudden, finishing like a fucking demon - for the first time, Adams has pressure on him. Nixon's not really turning the screw just yet, though, he's still not consistent, but Adams is showing signs of wobbles...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:34 (eighteen years ago)

Wolfie's darts since he went 2-1 up in the 7th have been awful - the proximity of the title has badly affected him. Jana Novotna?

― The Boyler (The Boyler), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:35 (eighteen years ago)

Juliette Ferrington's talking to Sharon Adams, and admirably avoids making her cry.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:36 (eighteen years ago)

Great arras from Nixon since the break.

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:38 (eighteen years ago)

HAHA! 6-3!

Surely not?

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:40 (eighteen years ago)

Beautiful!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:40 (eighteen years ago)

6-3! Nixon has pulled out a finishing display, the likes of which I'm starting to wonder if I've ever seen before. He may not be swimming in trebles, but when he's getting at doubles he is eating them for breakfast. Suddenly, Adams is the man who has to put the pressure on...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:41 (eighteen years ago)

SHARONWATCH: "Her head's going down..."

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:45 (eighteen years ago)

Adams one leg away, again...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:46 (eighteen years ago)

uh-oh.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:47 (eighteen years ago)

2-2! Adams with throw, though...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:48 (eighteen years ago)

Saved! And woflie hits a 60!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:48 (eighteen years ago)

butt darts

― am0n (am0n), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:49 (eighteen years ago)

SHARONWATCH: "Sharon's gone to sleep!"

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:49 (eighteen years ago)

Sharon looking like shit.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:49 (eighteen years ago)

Aw, and the wolf pisses another lovely chance away! PHIL'S STILL HITTING THEM!

"LOOK AT SHARON!"

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:51 (eighteen years ago)

6 FUCKING 4!

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:51 (eighteen years ago)

6-4 UN-BELIEVABLE!

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:51 (eighteen years ago)

"Suzanne standing, Sharon weeping!"

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:51 (eighteen years ago)

I mean... I'm fucking quivering now! Last time I hyperventilated this badly I needed pills... Christ..

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:51 (eighteen years ago)

How do they fit 1,200 people in that room?? Must be much bigger than it looks.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:56 (eighteen years ago)

In the past minute, Tony Green has forgotten what set it is three times.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:58 (eighteen years ago)

And Adams one leg away for the fourth time, with throw...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:58 (eighteen years ago)

Stay on him Phil!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 19:58 (eighteen years ago)

That's got to be it.

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:00 (eighteen years ago)

Sharong's holding a gopher. But Phil's let the wolf in the door!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:00 (eighteen years ago)

Keeping the wolf from the sheep.

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:01 (eighteen years ago)

SAVED AGAIN! Incredible!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:01 (eighteen years ago)

And Adams is fucked by double 8! Nixon takes double ten! 2-2! FUUUUCK!

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:01 (eighteen years ago)

Wolfie's nowhere in this leg, Phil's ripping it up!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:02 (eighteen years ago)

DEAR ME!

6-5!

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:02 (eighteen years ago)

6-5! Adams has COLLAPSED. Suddenly, you have to wonder who exactly is the big-game player here...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:03 (eighteen years ago)

And somebody appears to be getting a right bollocking from Sharon!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:03 (eighteen years ago)

Tony Green: "I can't sit down!"

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:05 (eighteen years ago)

Tony: "I can't sit down!"

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:06 (eighteen years ago)

haha, xp!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:06 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.albanyinstitute.org/collections/objects/images/bottle.jpg

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:07 (eighteen years ago)

Sharon is now looking like the equivalent of fans leaving early to beat the traffic.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:08 (eighteen years ago)

Tony Green seems to be turning into Frankie Howerd!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:08 (eighteen years ago)

Incidentally, how perfect is John Part's accent right now? He sounds like he's constantly on the verge of proclaiming himself too old for this shit.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:10 (eighteen years ago)

6-6!!!!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:10 (eighteen years ago)

SIX-ALL!

I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN MY FUCKING LIFE!

BEST!

MATCH!

EVER!!!

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:10 (eighteen years ago)

SHARONWATCH: "Sharon has left the hall. Sharon. Has left. The hall."

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:11 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.orgs.ttu.edu/techjugglingclub/images/Stage%20Balls.jpg

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:11 (eighteen years ago)

Nixon with the arrers!

This is better than Istanbul! And this time, I'm not resintalling OSX.

― The Boyler (The Boyler), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:12 (eighteen years ago)

Wolfie's looking good here though....

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:14 (eighteen years ago)

Right Phil, come on, this is it.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:15 (eighteen years ago)

Where's Sharon?

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:16 (eighteen years ago)

Sharon's back!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:16 (eighteen years ago)

Sharon's hugging Juliette Ferrington...

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:16 (eighteen years ago)

Adams does it, not without worry...

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:17 (eighteen years ago)

Jesus FUCKING Christ, that was unbelievable!

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:17 (eighteen years ago)

"Sharon, you're crying with joy now!"

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:18 (eighteen years ago)

And Wolfie's done it. Ah man. OK, perhaps not greatest ever - Adams did great to pull himself together in the final reckoning, though.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:18 (eighteen years ago)

I was ill today and missed most of this :(

― Brigadier Lethbridge-Pfunkboy (Kerr), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:19 (eighteen years ago)

And to crown a tournament epitomised by some fucking awful incidental music, here's "We Are The Champions".

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:20 (eighteen years ago)

There are people in the crowd wearing dartboard hats!

― C J (C J), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:21 (eighteen years ago)

Oh Phil. You complete and utter hero.

With that beard, how is John Boy Walton not a geography teacher?

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:23 (eighteen years ago)

Sharon: "Why does he do this to me every single time?"

Stubbsy: "Martin, why do you do this to her every single time?"

Ray, give up doing Final Score. This is your home.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:27 (eighteen years ago)

Dear BBC please to find pointy-thing related music other than 'Poison Arrow' kthxbye

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:29 (eighteen years ago)

Hope we see more of Phil....I can imagine him vanishing back into obscurity again now, but he deserves better than that.

― JimD (JimD), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:29 (eighteen years ago)

That was an awesomely mental final.

It's amazing how quickly the pressure switches onto someone after such a fightback. Dixon got to 6-6 and his game just died.

A wee bit of me thinks Adams doesn't deserve it after missing something like 7 doubles for the title but he played a blinding last set.

― onimo (onimo), Sunday, 14 January 2007 20:30 (eighteen years ago)

OMG! For the first 6 sets Phil = the WORST FINALIST IN ANY SPORT EVER! I swear he would have struggled to win a set in my local. But then....he SO deserved to win. I thought Adams was fairly hideously triumphant in the interview after. Probably just relief...

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Sunday, 14 January 2007 21:35 (eighteen years ago)

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1989854,00.html

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 14 January 2007 22:14 (eighteen years ago)

Adams is a bit shit at the winning graciously thing, certainly.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Sunday, 14 January 2007 22:51 (eighteen years ago)

I was watching this in our college JCR and about 4 or 5 of us (myself included) were actually leaping out of our chairs when Nixon hit his out-shots. It helped that I only started watching it when he was 6-0 down. Oh my goodness me. I mean, I woke up, stuck the snooker on and watched a 147 break, then later I absent-mindedly wander into our TV room and witness what nearly is the greatest comeback ever. It's been an astonishing day for televised sport!

― You've Got Scourage On Your Breath (Haberdager), Monday, 15 January 2007 01:02 (eighteen years ago)

You missed a shockingly crap first six sets Jagger.

― Alan Bean (Alan Bean), Monday, 15 January 2007 01:25 (eighteen years ago)

"Dear BBC please to find pointy-thing related music other than 'Poison Arrow' kthxbye"

Dear WBS

comms re prom music noted ?prefer leapy lee 'little arrows' if not maybe like suggest sthng else cheers BBC

(Hey Will - any chance of dropping into the Aus Open thread any time?)

― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Monday, 15 January 2007 04:09 (eighteen years ago)

Jelle Klaasen is the new Chimbonda. Sort of.

(Fred - aye, possibly. My nights are a bit busier nowadays, but I don't doubt I'll stop in soon enough)

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Monday, 15 January 2007 22:13 (eighteen years ago)

i think i read that phil gets an automatic entry in next year's competition proper having got to the final...

...bloody great match though (the fact that my mother lives about 5 miles from ferryhill made me want him to win a little more i think (although ferryhill is a godawful sh!thole))

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 12:46 (eighteen years ago)

Not only do the quarter finalists all get automatic entry into next year's finals, but I think they're legally obliged to turn up as well - I don't know the details, it was just something I picked up from a post-tournament Merv King interview, but they were saying that he can't leave and go to the pdc yet because his contract says he has to play in next years bdo finals. I think the interview is still watchable on the bbc sport site, if anyone wants to check it - I might have misremembered it.

Sounds strange though. And if it's true, it must be either a new thing (or an easily get-out-of-able thing), since it didn't seem to stop barney last year.

― ledge (ledge), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 22:21 (eighteen years ago)

(that wasn't ledge, it was me. He needs to remember to log out if he wants to keep his name off the darts threads!)

― JimD (JimD), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 22:24 (eighteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

Mervyn King goes up the road.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Tuesday, 6 February 2007 22:04 (eighteen years ago)

seventeen years pass...

unbelievable start to the final for littler

― nxd, Friday, 3 January 2025 20:54 (nine months ago)

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