Useless Darting News

[knvb]

The PDC world rankings


POSITION PREVIOUS PLAYERS NAME COUNTRY TOTAL POINTS
1 1 Phil Taylor England 263
2 2 John Part Canada 227
3 3 Ronnie Baxter England 190
4 4 Alan Warriner England 188
5 5 Roland Scholten Holland 185
6 6 Peter Manley England 175
7 9 Colin Lloyd England 169
8 7 Dennis Smith England 168
9 8 Denis Ovens England 168
10 11 Andy Jenkins England 154
11 15 Richie Burnett Wales 140
12 12 Dave Askew England 140
13 10 John Lowe England 140
14 13 Kevin Painter England 137
15 14 Jamie Harvey Scotland 135
16 16 Peter Evison England 126
17 17 Chris Mason England 123
18 18 Keith Deller England 115
19 19 Steve Beaton England 115
20 20 Rod Harrington England 110
21 21 Dennis Priestley England 108
22 22 Les Fitton England 102
23 23 Cliff Lazarenko England 97
24 24 Alex Roy England 96
25 26 Steve Brown USA 91
26 25 Mark Holden 89
27 27 Paul Williams England 86
28 28 Wayne Mardle England 83
29 30 Bob Anderson England 75
30 28 Mick Manning England 74
31 31 Reg Harding England 65
32 33 Shayne Burgess England 61
33 32 Lee Palfreyman England 59
34 35 Lionel Sams 57
35 36 Simon Whatley 54
36 35 Mark Walsh 53
37 37 Graeme Stoddart England 48
38 40 Les Hodkinson England 45
39 38 Paul Lim USA 43
40 43 Alan Reynolds 42
41 39 Paul Whitworth 41
42 44 John Ferrell England 39
43 41 Martin Adams England 39
44 42 Sean Palfrey 38
45 49 Alan Caves 37
46 47 Nigel Justice England 36
47 48 Ken Thomas 33
48 45 Ray Carver 33
49 46 Keith Wetton 32
50 53 Bob Crawley 31

[knvb]

First Name: Phil Taylor

Date of Birth: 13 August 1960
Place of Birth: Stoke-on-Trent
Now Lives: Newcastle-under-Lyme
Nickname: The Power
Height: 5 8
Type of Dart Used: Unicorn 24gm Nickel Tungsten
Sponsors: Unicorn

Achievements: 'Discovered' by Eric Bristow, Phil Taylor is the most staggeringly successful darts player of his generation. Indeed Taylor has now established himself as the Greatest Darts Player of all Time.
Worryingly for his opponents the drive to win that has seen him become a ten-times world champion shows no sign of diminishing.

The Power has dominated the sport since the mid-nineties and went for nearly two years unbeaten in a live televised match between 1999-2001.

When Kevin Painter broke that run in October 2001, Taylor's critics were quick to suggest he has lost his 'powers' but that was far from the truth. He stormed the field at the 2002 Skol Championships to prove (if proof were needed!) that he is a true sporting phenomenon.

Now ten times world champion, Taylor has set his sights on an astonishing thirteen titles, because it's his lucky number and because like all extraordinary sportsman his philosophy revolves around being a winner.

Hit the elusive perfect 9 dart finish at this year's Stan James World Matchplay during his quarter final encounter with Chris Mason.

In doing so he became the first man in eleven years to do so on TV, the first ever on live satellite broadcast, picked up a cool £100,000 in prize money and sent the crowd at the Winter Gardens into hysteria.


PDC World Champion 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002

PDC World Matchplay Championship 1995 & 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002

PDC World Grand Prix Champion 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002.


Embassy World Champion 1990 & 1992.

World Master 1990.

European Cup Singles Champion 1992.

News of the World Champion 1997.

2001: Winner Quebec Open, Winner Nally Golden Harvest North American Cup

2002: Winner JP Sports Pro Singles, Winner Montreal Open, Winner Nally Golden Harvest North American Cup, Winner Las Vegas Desert Classic, Winner Hasseroder Welsh Regional Final

Now this is a finely tuned athlete.

[knvb]

First Name: John Part

Date of Birth: 29 June 1966
Place of Birth: Toronto, Canada
Now Lives: Oshawa, Canada
Nickname: Darth Maple Quality.
Height: 6
Type of Dart Used: John Part 25grm

Achievements: 1992,4,5,7,8 Power Point Open Champion
1993: World Cup Pairs Champion,
1994: Embassy World Champion, Windy City Open Champion
1995: Canadian Open Champion, Cleveland Extravaganza Champion
1996: Klondike Open Champion, Klondike Open Champion
1997: Cleveland Extravaganza Champion
1998: Klondike Open Champion
1999: Quebec.
2000: Quarter-finals World Grand Prix
2001: Runner-up Skol World Championships; Winner Blueberry Hill Open; Winner Canadian Men's National Singles; Winner Canadian Open; QF World Matchplay; QF World Grand Prix
2002:QF Skol World Championships; Ireland's Open Classic Champion; Stan James World Matchplay runner-up; Paddy Power World Grand Prix runner-up


One of Canada's all-time great players right up there with the legendary Bob Sinnaeve. However, John has been World Champion, unlike Bob, so maybe he edges it.

Firmly established in the professional elite and top 8 Rankings. Is enjoying an excellent 2001 having made the Skol final and regaining both his Canadian titles. Expect more great things from John

[knvb]

I can see why Captain gave OD his name.

First Name: Peter Manley

Date of Birth: 03 July 1962
Place of Birth: Cheam, Surrey
Now Lives: Cumbria
Nickname: One Dart
Height: 5 8
Type of Dart Used: Copper Tungsten 21 gms

Spitting image.

[the power]

the most staggeringly successful darts player of his generation

Its all in the name

[knvb]

Some of the better nicknames I found.

Darth Maple (the best by far)
Tripod
Jaws
Storky
Diamond Dave
Big Cliff
Limestone Cowboy
Bulldog
Scouce (guess where he lives )
Singapore Slinger
Shark
Chopper
Smiffy ( )

[knvb]

Friday 27th December 2002

1.00pm Steve Brown v. David Platt ( Rnd 1 )
2.30pm Reg Harding v. Mark Robinson ( Rnd 1 )
4.00pm Mark Holden v. Dave Smith ( Rnd 1 )

Break

7.00pm Paul Williams v. Simon Whitlock ( Rnd 1 )
8.30pm Shayne Burgess v. Arjan Moen ( Rnd 1 )
10.00pm Wayne Mardle v. Ray Carver ( Rnd 1 )

The first round results have not been posted yet. Stay tuned, as I'm sure you're sitting on the edge of your seat

Saturday 28th December 2002

1.00pm Bob Anderson v. Al Hedman ( Rnd 1 )
2.30pm Mick Manning v. Lee Palfreyman ( Rnd 1 )
4.00pm Jamie Harvey v. Holden/Smith ( Rnd 2 )

Break

7.00pm Peter Evison v. Mardle/Carver ( Rnd 2 )
8.30pm Phil Taylor v. Brown/Platt ( Rnd 2 )
10.00pm Dennis Smith v. Dennis Priestley ( Rnd 2 )

Sunday 29th December 2002
1.00pm Denis Ovens v. Alex Roy ( Rnd 2 )
2.30pm John Part v. Cliff Lazarenko ( Rnd 2 )
4.00pm Alan Warriner v. Rod Harrington ( Rnd 2 )

Break

7.00pm John Lowe v. Les Fitton ( Rnd 2 )
8.30pm Roland Scholten v. Burgess/Moen ( Rnd 2 )
10.00pm Dave Askew v. Steve Beaton ( Rnd 2 )

Monday 30th December 2002
1.00pm Colin Lloyd v. Anderson/Hedman ( Rnd 2 )
2.30pm Ronnie Baxter v. Manning/Palfreyman ( Rnd 2 )
4.00pm Kevin Painter v. Harding/Robinson ( Rnd 2 )

Break

7.00pm Andy Jenkins v. Chris Mason (Rnd 2 )
8.30pm Peter Manley v. Williams/Whitlock ( Rnd 2 )
10.00pm Richie Burnett v. Keith Deller (Rnd 2 )

Tuesday 31st December 2002

Dark - No Play


Wednesday 1st January 2003

5.00pm Smith/Priestley v. Ovens/Roy ( Rnd 3 )

6.30pm Warriner/Harrington v. Lowe/Fitton ( Rnd 3 )
8.00pm Taylor/Brown/Platt v. Evison/Mardle/Carver ( Rnd 3 )
9.30pm Scholten/Burgess/Moen v. Askew/Beaton ( Rnd 3 )

Thursday 2nd January 2003

1.00pm Part/Lazarenko v. Harvey/Holden/Smith ( Rnd 3 )
2.45pm Lloyd/Anderson/Hedman v. Jenkins/Mason ( Rnd 3 )

Break

7.00pm Manley/Williams/Whitlock v. Burnett/Deller ( Rnd 3 )
8.45pm Baxter/Manning/Palfreyman v. Painter/Harding/Robinson ( Rnd 3 )

Friday 3rd January 2003

1.00pm Part/Laz/Harv/Hold/Smith v. Lloyd/And/Hed/Jenks/Mas ( ¼ Final )
3.00pm Manl/Will/Whit/Burn/Deller v. Baxt/Man/Pal/Paint/Hard/Rob ( ¼ Final )

Break

7.00pm Schol/Burg/Moen/Ask/Beat v. Warr/Harr/Lowe/Fitt ( ¼ Final )
9.00pm Tay/Brown/Platt/Ev/Mard/Carv v. Smith/Priest/Ovens/Roy ( ¼ Final )

Friday 4th January 2003

7.00pm TBC v. TBC ( ½ Final )
9.00pm TBC v. ( ½ Final )

Saturday 5th January 2003

7.00pm v. ( Final )


Playing Format

First Round - Best of 7 sets, 5 legs per set
Second Round Matches - Best of 7 sets, 5 legs per set
Third Round Matches - Best of 9 sets, 5 legs per set
Quarter Finals - Best of 9 sets, 5 legs per set
Semi - Finals - Best of 11 sets, 5 legs per set
Final - Best of 13 sets, 5 legs per set

[Captain Shamrock]

John Part, a Canadian, defeated NINE time world-champion, Phil "The Power" Taylor in a cracker of a final. He won 7 - 6. Before you know it, "The Power" will be playing against the likes of Tilly Tompkins, Double In, and Scud. BTW, Double In, when do we become 'official'?

[knvb]

Anyone hear Canadian John Part beat the worlds #1 Phil 'The Putz' Taylor today to win the Ladbrokes World Championship? Netted me a cool $27 doing so with a $3.00 pre tourney bet.

[knvb]

Did you see the match? I'm wondering if they are going to replay it.

We become "official" when the rest of the D.C.S. send me their names and addresses and such.

[One Dart]

I saw that on Headline Sports today, at least Canada won something today. What exactly does it mean though that we are a part of the BCDA? Do we have to meet on a more regular basis? Do we have to provide standings? What's the deal.

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Canada's John Part admitted he was almost reduced to tears after clinching a memorable 7-6 win over Phil Taylor in the final of the Ladbrokes.com World Championship.
The world number two has endured some heavy defeats at the hands of the Stoke sensation over the years. He slumped to a 7-0 loss in the 2001 final and also finished runner-up to the sport's greatest-ever performer at the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix last year.

However, he produced the best display of his career to end Taylor's eight-year unbeaten run at Purfleet's Circus Tavern.

"I was almost in tears on the stage at the end. I really had to fight it," said Part afterwards.

"It was a relief because it's the fourth world final I've played him in, the second World Championship. The last time I was here two years ago I was pretty much disgraced.

"I've changed my attitude a little bit I think and I was helped by the experience of the last couple of finals. Winning was something that needed to be done for me."

Despite being pegged back after twice holding a three-set lead in the match, Part always felt he would get his chance to clinch a famous win.

"I knew that if I was within a set of victory the match was there for the taking.

"I've played a lot of darts and I knew inside of me that it would turn my way again, and it did.

"Momentum only lasts so long and he had so much to do that I knew I would get my chance to run with the ball again. And I ran with it.

"Eventually it did click back in for me. It got scary but I stayed there."

Taylor was humble in defeat and praised his opponent, saying: "He played superb. The difference was he hit his doubles and I didn't.

"It's not very often that I get beaten, but I got beaten in style. He's played well all week but my average was down a lot.

"I don't really know what to say - I'm flabbergasted. It's not happened to me for a long, long time.

"I'm gutted that I lost but it is not the end of my career, that's for sure."

I need a dart shirt.

[Captain Shamrock]

Double In,

I listened to the last couple of legs. I don't know when the might show it but it usually takes a couple of months at least.



Tilly

[Fastshow]

Purfleet's Circus Tavern

You'll be overwhelmed to hear that the venue for your man's victory was, for all intents and purposes, in Beanbag's back garden, behind his shed.

The Circus Tavern costs a fiver to get in and between nine and ten the men are herded into a massive room in which another fiver gets you a 'personal' dance with a bird out of the Sunday Sport. During this one hour window the birds are in another room receiving much the same treatment from fellas in states of partial, if not complete, undress. Classy.

At 10:00 the proverbial gates are opened and both sexes are unleashed upon one another. Drinks of any variety cost £1.00 and, at 11:30, you can stop dancing and go and have a buffet, something included in the fiver entrance fee.

Oh, and you can get a full servicing for £20.00 off a Sunday Sport bird.

So I hear, I've never been of course.

[the power]

Canadian darts player lived out of suitcase en route to world title

NEIL DAVIDSON
Canadian Press


Wednesday, January 08, 2003

CREDIT: (CP Archive/AP/Mark Lees, PA)

Canada's John Part prepares to throw in this recent file photo. (CP Archive/AP/Mark Lees, PA)

ADVERTISEMENT


(CP) - It started with a no-frills mini darts board from Canadian Tire. Then the Part family upgraded to a more upscale model complete with cabinet.

Today, Canadian John Part has moved from the living room to the darts penthouse. He is champion of the darts world, toppling perennial world No. 1 Phil (The Power) Taylor 7-6 in a weekend final in Purfleet, England, described by the Times of London as "beyond doubt the greatest match in the game's long and sometimes checkered history." The greatest match. And a win over the game's greatest player.

For Part, who also won another version of the world title in 1994, this victory is extra special because of whom he beat.

Taylor is a darts icon. Going into this year's event, he was unbeaten in eight years at the Professional Darts Corporation world championship.

Other players have complained of Taylor hogging the spotlight. Certainly he casts a huge shadow, albeit a little smaller now that he has lost 42 pounds - prompting famed Sky TV darts commentator Sid Waddell to speculate that the weight loss had affected his balance at the ochre.

But thick or thin, Taylor is a winner. And up until Sunday, he had the Canadian's number. And everybody else's.

"As far as percentage of tournaments he plays in and wins, he's got a better record than Tiger Woods," Part said from England. "Maybe better than Michael Schumacher the last few years in the F1 circuit.

"It's that kind of dominance he's had in the game. It's been almost a decade run. He's probably done everything there is to do in the game. And he's also maintained the highest averages of any player ever.

"There's just not much else to say. It must be hard to set goals if you're Phil Taylor."

The Power has a new goal now - to take his crown back from the Canadian.

The 36-year-old from Oshawa, Ont., may be a world champion, but he is also a single nomad who plies his sport out of a suitcase.

He flies home to Canada on a regular basis. If nothing else, it helps him see family and friends and follow his beloved New York Jets.

"It's a direct flight over. You get used to it," he said of the London-Toronto commute.

Part does not have a home base in Britain, although his 50,000-pound ($125,750 Cdn) paycheque from the weekend may help change that. He stays with friends or hotels provided during tournaments.

The man known on the darts circuit as Darth Maple says he's never been too sure where to settle.

"It's all over the place," he explained. "I'm never in the same place."

The number of tournaments continues to grow in Britain, with other stops in Europe and North America.

His next challenge is an eight-player invitational "somewhere in Holland" later this month.

Televised tournaments are the majors of the sport, with Sky TV airing such events as the weekend Ladbrokes.com World Championship.

Some fuelled by a ****tail or two, fans treat the darts players like boxers as they walk through the audience to the stage, accompanied by well-dressed security.

"They all want to shake and slap and clap. It's a real show," Part said.

Part does not have an agent. He makes his own arrangements, relying on friends as needed.

It's a solitary life.

"But I don't mind it too much, I get around a bit and see the world," he said. "I wouldn't trade it, let's put it that way.

"When I was a teenager, early 20s and didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, I just knew I didn't want to be in a nine-to-five cog kind of position, hoping for a promotion for the rest of my life."

Part has accomplished that.

"It's solitary in a sense that you do need to be a strong individual, you need to be able to get by on your own. But on the other hand I know people everywhere. I have a lot of friends. So it's not lonely."

His father says the family love affair with darts started one Sunday afternoon during a slow time in the sports calendar. CBC showed a British darts tournament - Jocky Wilson was taking on Big Cliff Lazarenko, he recalled - and Richard Part was enthralled.

"I think that probably was the catalyst," he said. "For Christmas, I bought one of those dart boards, the cabinet, and then I bought (John) a book All About Darts. And that was the little package I put together."

The darts board was put in the living room, next to the big TV.

"We kind of lived competing at something - table hockey, darts whatever," Richard Part said.

That was Christmas 1987.

"It really wasn't just for him. It was for us," Part Sr. continued. "To tell you the truth, by that time he had finally beaten me at table hockey and taken away my little Stanley Cup so I need something else to go to, because I was getting my butt kicked."

John, who was also taken by darts on TV, practised and practised and practised.

His parents rented a nearby cottage that summer. John stayed at home with Richard returning each day to look after his cats.

"Every time I came in he was at the dart board. It didn't matter when I came in during the day, or how many times a day. I imagine he just stayed glued to that board the entire summer."

The hard work paid off.

"I got good at home," said John Part. "Then I got good enough that I wanted to play against people and see how good I was."

So around 1989, he starting hitting pubs trying to find a game.

"Then I found some leagues and stuff, eventually got into some smaller tournaments and snowballed."

"That's what I think is so impressive about this," said his father. "He did this 100 per cent on his own, up to and including today. No pep talks, no coaches, no managers and no agent and no father telling him how to do it."

Part says the sport is addictive.

"It's so satisfying and it's so much fun. It's invigorating."

It also isn't easy. Practice is essential.

But Part says that kind of preparation is all to do about building mental confidence in a game that he reckons is 90 per cent mental - "convincing yourself you're ready to play."

Like most players, Part had taken his lumps from Taylor. In the 2001 world championship final, the world No. 2 was blanked 7-0 by Taylor.

He refused to give up.

In the Stan James Matchplay Championship last summer, the two met again. Part led the match 16-14 in legs before losing 18-16.

"As many times as I had to lose to get a win, I'd just keep coming back. I wasn't going to go away, I guess was my philosophy."

Part still practises regularly. An experienced pro could survive a week away from the board, "but a month would definitely be bad," he says.

As for equipment, he has used the same set of darts each tournament for six or seven years.

Despite the big win, there are not impulse purchases planned.

"I'd like to catch up on some RSPs really," he said with a chuckle. "Some of that money might come in handy for a flat or for a car, or whatever I might need here."

Richard Part, the epitome of a proud father, tracks his son via the Internet - the Sky TV coverage is available over the Internet. For him, it's like following baseball. Scorecard in hand, he listens to the thump of the darts hitting the board, the reactions of the fans and then figures out the score.

In darts, players start at 501 and deduct their score from that total as they try to get to zero - three darts at a time.

John always was good at math, his dad says.

Darts too.

[cerebral smallsy]

...I've never been of course

serviced?

of course.

[Captain Shamrock]

Other players have complained of Taylor hogging the spotlight. Certainly he casts a huge shadow, albeit a little smaller now that he has lost 42 pounds - prompting famed Sky TV darts commentator Sid Waddell to speculate that the weight loss had affected his balance at the ochre.

That's it, I'm going to put on 42 pounds and I should be able to improve my balance enough to beat those fcukers in Tsawwassen.


Tilly Dumpty

[knvb]

Speaking of 42 extra pounds...


Peter Manley added to his UK Open series victory in Scotland with a win at the Laurel UK Open North East Regional Final.
‘One Dart’ bounced back instantly from an early exit at the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship with a straight sets win over Wayne Jones in the final at The Sherwood pub, Frechville, Sheffield.

Manley, who picked up £4,000 at the Daily Star Scottish Regional Final in September is now assured of a place in the UK Open Grand Final at the end of May, having played the best darts of the weekend.

The Cumbrian darter had little trouble on his way to the last eight where World Championship quarter finalist Dennis Smith gave him a something of a challenge, before Manley came to the fore winning 5-3.

In the other quarter finals Kevin Painter showed no mercy in his 5-0 demolition of Wayne Mardle, while rising star James Wade narrowly beat Colin Lloyd 5-4 and Wayne Jones had to battle past Richie Burnett by the same margin.

Jones’s experience told in the semi finalist against youngster Wade and the Paddy Power World Grand Prix qualifier booked his spot in the Final with a 2 sets to 0 win.

Peter Manley had more of a challenge in his semi final against Kevin Painter. Manley won the first set 3-1, but was immediately pegged back 3 legs to 0 in the second set. Undeterred One Dart showed his class in the deciding set to begin his march to victory.

The final result was never really in doubt as Manley rolled over his Midland’s opponent 3-1, 3-1 for a two set triumph.

[knvb]

Tilly we still in? Dart Vader and I are saving our empties...

ENTER THE DESERT CLASSIC II

Entries are now being taken on both sides of the Atlantic for this year's Las Vegas Desert Classic at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino Resort.
The PDC returns to the city of Las Vegas for a second year, ready to put on a show bigger and better than the inaugural event in 2002.

Any and all darts players are eligible to enter the tournament which carries a superb prize fund of $120,000 with first prizes of $22,000 and $4,000 going to the Men's and Women’s Champions respectively.

All players will have four clear chances to reach the stage finals and join the PDC World Ranked Top 8 live on Sky Sports.

The field of players for the Men's televised stage has been increased to twenty-four in 2003 providing even more chances for participants to make it through to the main event.

Two days of qualifiers will take place on 1st & 2nd July, with four going through from each Men's event and one from each Ladies to the latter stages.

An additional day of TV has been added which is sure to make the tournament all the more thrilling, and with a round-robin format in the first round there are certain to be some surprise results.

From Thursday 3rd July all Men's matches will be screened live by Sky and as last year the Ladies Final will also be shown.

Entry fees are all inclusive and guarantee every player four chances to qualify plus Men's and Ladies cricket competitions.

Entry:

Men: £95 or $150
Ladies: £30 or $50

Entry deadline is 20th June 2003. Absolutely no entries will be taken after this date.

Players can enter by a number of different methods.

[bravedart]

Entry deadline is 20th June 2003. Absolutely no entries will be taken after this date.

Still think you'll make it?