2012-09-01

West Midlands kick off their 2012 – 2013 season in division one of the Riley’s BDO Inter County Championships with a home fixture against Hampshire, obviously not an easy game as Hampshire together with Cambridgeshire were the two teams relegated from the premier division last season. Nevertheless, West Midlands will be looking for a good result and also doing their utmost for a better season than last where for the majority of the campaign they were fighting against relegation themselves and only survived by a margin of ten points above London, who finished next to bottom team Bedfordshire.
So a new season new hopes and those hopes rest firmly on the shoulders of the players and officials. The county’s executive committee this season will be made up of Robert MacDougall (Chairman), Stephen Gittus (Secretary) and Rod Harvey (Treasurer and Vice Chairman).
The Committee will consist of Paul Dicken (Assistant Secretary), John Jones (Players Representative), Vic Lloyd (Men’s Team Manager), Paul Dicken (Women’s Team Manager) plus Paul Simmons (Stage Manager).
Signed players for the men are, Martin Angell, Gavin Baker, Louis Burley, Danny Coyle, Glen Cullen, Matthew Dennant, Matthew Dicken, Andrew Forrester, Nicholas Fulwell, Vivian Gould, Lance Hackett, Ian Hartland, Ryan Herrington, Jamie Hughes, Adam Johnson, Ian Jones, Jake Jones, Kevin Jones, Jason Kesterton, Simon Meredith, John Mycock, Barry-John Paget, Griegg Parkes, John Platt, Richard Platt, Neil Pointen, Paul Price, Mark Rollinson, Avtar Singh, Christopher Stanley, Ian Stanton, Dean Stewart, Doug Thompson, Mark Watkiss, Peter Wyse.
The ladies squad is, Lisa Astbury, Gemma Barret, Tammy Chance, Jenna Couch, Jackie Crew, Kim Fellows, Natalie Harrison, Claire Hobbs, Katherine Jenkins, Doreen Kaye, Jacqueline Maiden, Lisa Maiden, Samantha Maiden (Kaye), Stacey Perkins, Gemma Poole, Sarah Robbins, Jacqueline Simmons, Shellbie Simmons, Diane Tolley, Heather Wright.
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The very popular and long running Sheldon and District Winter League staged their presentation night at the Crown Social Club, Shard End, Birmingham and on the night Warwickshire county player Nigel Heydon put on an exhibition in which he took on eleven players. Playing 701 up Nigel not only took on but beat all eleven players.
Presentations went to divisional winners Crown at Olton (Premier Division), New Firs Flights (Division One), Ridgemere Social (Division Two) and Shirley RBL Flights (Division Three). In the same order the runners up were Saltley Amateur Gardeners, Pavilions and Castle Vale Residents Association, while the shadow league titles went to Riley’s, Holy Souls and Forget-Me-Not who tied for the division one title, Glebe Community Association and Crown Arrows.
The four divisional League Cups were won by Saltley Amateur Gardeners (Crown at Olton runners up), New Firs Flights (Forget-Me-Not runners up), Castle Vale Residents Association (Custard House runners up) and Langley Hall Sports and Social (George ‘V’ runners up).
The Punch Bowl Trophy was won by Riley’s with a final win over Saltley Amateur Gardeners while the Sheldon Shield title went to Forget-Me-Not with Shirley RBL Misfits the losing finalists. Yardley Arms won the M & B Cup after defeating Iron Horse in the final.
Taking the singles title was Tony Randell (Saltley Amateur Gardeners) who defeated John Sidwell (Crown at Olton) in the final, Sheldon Dukes duo Simon Edwards and Lee Molyneux won the doubles, Tony Randell and Tom White (Saltley Amateur Gardeners) the losing finalists.
Clarke Horsley (George ‘V’) and Dave Carter (Ridgemere Sports and Social) were the last two in the Jubilee Trophy with the former getting the title.
Finally the Presidents Trophy was won by Pete Yardley from Ridgmere Sports and Social.
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Nigel Heydon has also been in the limelight in a couple of Midland competitions, first the Bedworth Grand Slam of Darts, staged at Jacks Entertainment Club, Bedworth in which he collected the top prize of £300 after beating fellow Warwickshire team mate Trevor Frost in the final, Trevor picking up £100.
Third place went to Alan Carte and fourth Paul Kingard , each of them receiving £45.
Nigel followed his Bedworth win by winning the Rugby Open, at the AEC Club, Rugby and in the process adding another £120 to the coffers. On this occasion after winning his last four match 5-0 against Luke Kennedy Nigel went on to beat Rob Singleton 6-2 in the final. Singleton had won his semi final game against Chris Doughty 5-4.
Losing quarter finalists were Mark Carter, Simon Power, Tom Cave and Mark Westgarth.
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The Rowley League staged their Rowley Summer Open at the Springfield Social Club, the event attracting lots of local talent plus top names such as Mark Hylton. The final was a contest between Mike Marshall and Ryan Tipper, with the former clinching the title and top prize of £200. Tipper received £100 and there was £50 for each of the losing semi finalists, Neil Smith and Jason Lowe.
The highest finish of the competition was a maximum 170 which was achieved by Tom Lewis who was described by league secretary Alan Jones as “Not being old enough to be out on his own”, well done Tom, an up and coming star no doubt.
The league’s next knockout, The Rowley Autumn Open will be played on Saturday 15th September.
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Congratulations to Russell Dingley, chairman of the Rowley Monday Night League and his wife Sarah, who gave birth to a baby boy, Reece Thomas at 05.16am on 15th July at Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley. Reece weighed in at 7lbs 2oz and has a brother Keiran and sister Abigail.
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The Warley League have been busy with knockouts, first the Mixed Doubles in which K.Hopton and K.Atkiss clinched the title with a final success against Z.White and B.Gillies.
In the last four play off Hopton and Atkiss beat V.Wootton and M.Tedstone, while G.Tether and B.Neale went out to White and Gillies.
The league also played off their Trebles Knockout and taking the honours were the Cricketers Ian team, comprising of I.Hebberts, P.Evans, R.Swindell and K.Baker. Runners up were Bell ‘A’ representative side M.Tibbetts, T.Brenan, B.Gillies and A.Lynch.
Losing semi finalists were, Cricketers Deano (M.James, E.Price, D.Fletcher, A.Forrester) and Brandhall Labour Club (Mick Ferney, Matt Ferney, Dan Ferney).
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Continuing on the local scene no fewer than 48 players turned out for the Small Heath Winter League’s Presentation Night and Knockout. In the first of the semi finals Neil Parsonage (Emerald Club) turned out to be the winner on finishing doubles against Paul Brown (Custard House), while in the second last four play off Mitre’s Mark Kane was the better player on the night against Ray Gibbons from Cobs Bar.
The final saw the opening two legs shared and the deciding leg could easily have gone either way but in the end it was Neil Parsonage who found the all important double to take the title.
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The Camp Hill League staged their doubles competition at the Langley Hall Sports and Social Club and taking the honours with a final win over Arturus Bogucianskas and Glynn Thomas from the Custard House were their team mates Ian McLean and Tom White.
Losing semi finalists were D.Taylor and Richard Cuff snr (Forgers) and Eddie Martin and John Young (Devils Club).
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The Five-a-Side Trophy in the Oldbury Sunday Morning League went to the Smethwick Labour Club representative team of M.Tibbetts, D.Melvin, A.Powell, A.Beagrie, A.Bagley, P.Powell, K.Baker and B.Melvin, who defeated P.Clack, M.Collins, K.Hopton, J.Bland, A.Bagley and W.Kernohan from the Ivy Bush ‘B’.
The league officials gave thanks to the Legion Club who worked hard to make the club habitable after suffering severe flooding just prior to the finals night.
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The final of the Richard Winslow Shield in the Sutton and District Summer League was a battle of the Sutton’s. Division one leaders Sutton Sports took on and beat local rivals Sutton Park Hotel 6-3.
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Rick Barberan and Double Start Darts staged the first Riley’s Castle Vale Invitational Round Robin at the Birmingham club and it proved to be very successful. Winning the inaugural event was rising Birmingham star Mike “The Real Machine” McFall who had a 6-3 win in the final against Kirk “The Karate Kid” Shepherd, runner up in the 2008 final of the PDC World Championship to John Part.
McFall, winner of group two won his semi final against group one runner up Tony Comerford 5-3, while Shepherd, who was runner up in group two beat group one winner Adam Gallet 5-1.
Due to the success of the competition another one is planned for October.
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