The start of the New Year saw no change in the top three places in the Premier League of the Sheldon and District Winter League as leaders Langley Arrows won 6-3 at home against Banbury Club, second placed Sheldon Marlborough Arrows, with a maximum from their Neil Parsonage, won their home tie with Langley Flights 5-4 and third in the table Sheldon Dukes, who also had a home game, beat Yardley Ex Colts 7-2. Langley Arrows made it eight unbeaten games and have a perfect total of sixteen points while Sheldon Marlborough Arrows are four points short of the leaders with a game in hand. Third placed Sheldon Dukes are a further two points adrift on ten points, they also have a game in hand on the top team.
Other notable achievements from the premier league came from Bobby Nixon (Langley Arrows) who had a 116 finish and Alan Mayell (Raven Arrows) who checked out in nine darts.
In division one leaders Brian’s Flights had a somewhat close 5-4 home win over Bell Inn who are just two places off the foot of the table while second placed Trident Spears were another team to have a surprisingly close win as they won by the same 5-4 margin away to next to bottom of the division Shirley Misfits to keep them within two points of the leaders with twelve points. Willclare Sports and Social were formerly third in the division but a 6-3 defeat at Kingshurst Labour Club has seen them drop to fourth place on ten points, the same number as their victors who with a superior average replace them in the number three spot. Both Kingshurst and Willclare have played one game more than the top two teams.
Top individual performances for division one came from Kingshurst Labour Club’s Ben Proctor who checked out on 110 and his team mate Rick Richard who recorded an eight darts game.
Division two produced a sort of top of the table clash between leaders Hornet and fourth placed Castle Bromwich WMC. With Castle Bromwich having home board advantage the close 5-4 result went in their favour to see them move up the table two places to second on the same ten points as new leaders Sheldon Marlborough Ridge who won 6-3 at Lyndon Old Boys, Ridge moving up one place to top the table while Lyndon drop one place to fourth. Former leaders Hornet are now third on the same eight points as Lyndon Old Boys but with the better average.
———————————
Game number six in the Singles Division of the South West Birmingham Clubs League saw leaders Longbridge United take their unbeaten run to six games with a 5-3 home win over fifth in the league Northfield Conservative Club ‘B’. The win sees Longbridge extend their lead at the top to three points as Northfield Town lost their second place after being held to a 4-4 draw away to fourth in the table West Heath CEM, Northfield drop to third place while West Heath remain fourth. Taking over in the number two spot is Bournbrook whose 6-3 win at Perfection puts them on the same nine points as Northfield Town but they have a three legs of average lead on them, West Heath CEM have eight points.
In the pre-match doubles division the results had no effect on the table whatsoever as leaders West Heath CEM and Longbridge United are both on sixty-eight points with West Heath just in pole position. After the top two there is a gap of eight points to third in the table Northfield Town who in turn have a ten point’s advantage over fourth placed Stirchley United.
———————————
There was just the one rearranged division two league fixture played in the Sutton and District Summer League which saw Rosey Mac’s win 5-4 at home against Sutton Sharks. The result had no bearing on the main league table however it did have an effect on the Shadow League positions as the win for Rosey Mac’s saw them replace their local rivals Rosey Mac’s Bar at the top of the table and take the title with eight points, two more than Rosey Mac’s Bar who finished as runners-up.
In addition the one league fixture the league staged their Doubles Knockout which saw N.Smallwood and M.Wild lift the winner’s silverware with a final 3-1 victory over P.Locke and D.Parsons. In the semi-finals Smallwood and Wild won 2-1 against K.Green and J.Meredith while Locke and Parsons accounted for D.G.Bond and K.Hewings with a similar 2-1 result.
———————————
The top two teams in the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League squared up to each other in the first fixtures of 2024 and leaders Old Liberal Club won their home tie with second placed Gate Hangs Well ‘B’ 6-1 to keep them not only top of the table but at the same time extend their winning run to five games while their opponents drop three places to fifth on eight points, two off the top. Taking over in second place is the only other undefeated team in the league Bird in Hand who handed out a 7-0 whitewash to their hosts, next to bottom of the league Glasscutters ‘B’. Keeping in touch with the leading duo are Netherton Conservative Club ‘B’, Five Ways and Gate Hangs Well ‘B’, all of whom are just two points behind the top two. The Conservative Club ‘B’ won 4-3 at home against Seven Stars and Five Ways won 5-2 at Gate Hangs Well ‘A’.
———————————
The only change in the top six places in the Netherton Thursday Night League in week eight was the swap around of Plough and Harrow and Hill and Cakemore Ex Serviceman’s Club with the former dropping to sixth and the latter moving up to fifth after Plough and Harrow lost 5-4 at home to league leaders Bulls Head and Hill and Cakemore won 8-1 at home against Netherton Sports and Social Club. Bulls Head’s win gives them sixteen points from nine games with second placed Townsend Social Club two points behind them after having a bye this week and now have a game in hand. Reigning champions and currently third in the league Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ won 7-2 away to Spring Meadow Social, the Ex Serviceman’s ‘A’ are the only team in the league not to have lost so far and although four points adrift of the leaders they have three games in hand. There were 180’s for both J.Colley and P.Tonks for Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ as well as maximums for J.Bland (Netherton Sports and Social Club), M.Archer (Old Liberal Club), H.Williams (Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘B’) and S.Tipper (Bulls Head).
———————————
The Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League have been involved in their mini-leagues, the John Walters Cup and John Walters Trophy. In the latest round of fixtures White Horse had a 6-3 win at Baggeridge to put them top of the table in the John Walters Cup with four points from three games with second placed Netherton Sports and Social Club hot on their heels as their similar 6-3 win over Gornal Labour Club makes it two wins in as many games and puts them level on points with White Horse with a game in hand.
Britannia top the John Walters Trophy table, their latest 7-2 home win against Jolly Crispin making it three consecutive wins and gives them a two point’s lead over Red Cow and The Cabin. Red Cow have only played two games and won both, the latest of which was 6-3 against New Inn.
———————————
Leaders and already acclaimed champions of the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League Old Liberal Club ‘A’ had a bye in what is the penultimate week of fixtures, they remain top of the table with fifty-four points and with one more game to play have a lead of six over second placed Hollybush who completed their fixture card with a 5-2 home win over Kings Head. Although currently second Hollybush could lose out on the runners-up spot if third placed Bird in Hand ‘E’ win their final game as they trail by just two points and have a far superior average than Hollybush.
———————————
The current position in the Black Country Men’s Super League is that Pensnett Liberal Club after beating Whiteheath Tavern 3-2 lead the field with ninety-two points from twenty-six games but they lead by just one single point over Gilbert’s Bar ‘B’ who actually lost their most recent game, an away fixture against Quarry Bank Liberal Club 4-1, the Liberal Club are some four places and seven points behind them. Although Whiteheath Tavern lost to the leaders they are placed third and only two points off the top, and with the same ninety points as Whiteheath is fourth in the league Allen’s Bar ‘C’ who also lost 4-1 in their away game against Townsend ‘A’.
———————————
With the majority of teams having completed their fixture card in the West Midlands Men’s Super League Dog and Partridge are champions with a total of 208 points from thirty-six games, Kings Head ‘A; finish as runners-up, they have nine points fewer than Dog and Partridge on 199 points.
———————————
There must have been a New Year hangover in the Amblecote RBL Premier League as only a handful of games were played in week six with none of the top six players taking part. As a result there has been a change at the top of the table with Dan Nicholls adding a 7-0 win over Jack Pritchard before losing 4-3 to Shane Sheridan and then rounding off his evening with a 6-1 success over Gavin Smith to take him from seventh to top of the table with sixty-two points from eleven games. Being as former leader Nick Fullwell didn’t play he drops to second place with fifty-nine points from twelve games with Reece Colley who was previously second now third on fifty-four points from ten games.
———————————
The Amblecote Royal British Legion staged a couple of knockouts over the Christmas period, the singles knockout producing a tantalising final with Reece Colley just getting the 6-5 edge on Kieron Bridgwater to claim the top prize. Losing semi-finalists were Josh Pickett and Ryan O’Connor.
The doubles knockout title and top prize money went to Richard Hosey and Thomas Garfield who had another close 6-5 win over Gavin Smith and Kieron Bridgwater in the final. Losing out in the last four were Dan Nicholls and Ryan O’Connor plus Ben Johnson and Rob Thompson.
———————————
Gilbert’s Bar, Willenhall was the setting for two knockouts over the Christmas period first the Gilberts Christmas Doubles Knockout which saw Nick Fullwell and Reece Colley win the final 5-3 against Ryan O’Connor and Dan Nicholls to collect the winners top prize of £200 with O’Connor and Nicholls receiving £100. In the semi-finals Fullwell and Colley took out Owen Maiden and Richard Platt with a 4-1 result while O’Connor and Nicholls beat Mitch Pickett and Rob Pierce 4-2, the two losing semi-finalists picking up £60 each.
In the second knockout, the Gilbert’s Bar Christmas Singles Knockout sixty-four players did battle for the first prize of £400 and at the end of the day taking home that amount was Owen Maiden who won the final against Ian Jones 6-1 with Jones collecting £200. In the last four games Owen Maiden beat Matt Coleman 5-3 and Ian Jones won by the same 5-3 margin against Nick Fullwell, the losing semi-finalists received £75. There was £20 for each of the players who went out in the quarter-finals Shane Price, Dan Nicholls, Ben Johnson and Ryan O’Connor.
———————————