Knockout competitions were on the agenda to close the 1999 programme for the Sheldon and District Winter League. First the second round of the Punchbowl was on offer. All seven games played were close affairs with 6-3 being the widest margin achieved. Lea Hall RBL, Iron Horse and Saltley Amateur Gardeners all won 5-4 against, in turn, Shard End Social, British Telecom and St Anne’s. Going one better were Banbury Club, Stechford Social Gables Tavern and Fordbridge Socialwho each had a 6-3 verdict over respective opponents Sheldon Heath Social Dukes, Mackadown Social, Shard End Social Flights and Shard End RBL with P.Pudge recording a 160 break for Sheldon Heath Social Dukes.
Results wise, it was a similar story in the preliminary round of the Sheldon Shield. Silver Wings, Lea Hall RBL Mixed and the Spitfire just got the 5-4 verdict over Millhouse, Hobs Meadow and Sheldon Heath Social, whose S.Fletcher chalked up an eleven darts leg. With a 6-3 scoreline Chelmsley Wood RBL and Rooster Arrows accounted for Kingshurst Labour Club and Three Horse Shoes.
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On the fixture list for the Forest of Arden Winter League was the men’s and women’s singles competitions. Amazingly in the quarter finals of the mens event the red Arrows had no fewer than four representatives. However, they were all drawn against each other. Rob South took out Alan Price and Craig Hall swept aside the challenge of Brian Allen. In the other two games Jim Gilfoyle (Silver Wings) beat R.Taylor (Hobs Meadow Mixes) and in the all Hobs Meadow encounter Wayne Mathews got the better of Mick Gorste.
The Red Arrows pair kept apart in the semi’s South maintaining his winning ways by defeating Jim Gilfoyle and to make up the final Wayne Mathews disposed of Red Arrows other candidate Craig Hall. Mathews took the first leg of the final with a tremendous 118 checkout and then promptly went on to claim the title by winning the second leg, South going down in two straight legs.
Cocks and Hens made up half of the women’s last four thanks to good play from Sylvia Hodge and Pat Hussey. Unfortunately they met their match in the semi’s where they both made their exits, Sylvia losing to Jeanette Mulholland (Red Arrows) and Pat losing to another Jeanette, this time James from Stechford Social.
The final went the full three legs distance with Jeanette Mulholland getting the vital deciding leg.
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In week eight of the Bass Breweries and Bristan Ltd sponsored Minworth Double Top League R.Baker and I.Gould both notched maximums, that was where their luck finished however, as Baker lost in three straight legs to T.Pedley and Gould went down by the odd leg to A.Stokes. Stokes had previously produced a 147 game shot in his match with R.Baker. Pedley continued his good form when in his next match he beat T.Whitehouse 2-1 and recorded a 180 in the process.
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