The Heartlands Sugardarts M&E Co Double Top League have completed their fixtures and the 2025 champion is Matthew Cain who from his forty-eight games, won forty-five and amassed a total of 120 points which was four more than runner-up Martin Cooper. Third placed John Burdett finished his season with 106 points and with a final 2-1 win for Steve Cain over Dylan Bloomer he managed to leap frog John Frost to take fourth place with 103 points, Frost finishing fifth with 102 points. At the other end of the table the wooden spoon goes to Charley Demery who was unable to chalk up a win in forty-eight games.
It has been a very competitive season for all twenty-five players with many surprise results along the way.
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It was cup week in the Sheldon and District Winter League, the preliminary round of their Punchbowl and all eleven games played finished with relatively close results. The biggest win was 5-2 which was achieved by Maggies, Dog Inn Nomads, Highwood, Station Inn, Mackadown Sports and Social Club and RAFA Arrows who in turn accounted for Banbury Club, Raven Flights, Raven, Lyndon Old Boys, Kingshurst Labour Club and Hunters Moon. The remaining five games all had very close 4-3 results with Yardley Ex Colts, Hollywood Social Club, Sheldon Marlborough Ridge, Brian’s Flights and Langley Pints making their way into the next round at the expense of their respective opponents Digby, CBMC-A, RAFA, Moseley Rugby Club and Shirley Misfits.
Highlights from the round came from Adam Cooksey (Banbury Club) who had a nine darts game, Paul Welch (Yardley Ex Colts) had a 127 checkout, Elliot Astley (CBMC-A) finished on 105 and Robbie Earl (Station Inn) who chalked up a ten darts game.
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Week two of the Harborne and District League and of the seventeen starters to the new season only six are able to boast a 100% win record. A 5-4 win at Northfield Darts Club was not enough for Northfield Conservative Club to hold on to pole position as they slipped to fifth place and taking over in the number one spot is Copper Fox ‘R’ who handed out a 9-0 whitewash in their home tie against Stag and Three Horseshoes to give them a two legs advantage over second placed, and local rivals, Copper Fox ‘M’ who were 8-1 winners at Bourneville. Weoley Castle WMC and Smethwick Cricket Club share third place, the former winning 7-2 at home against Crown while the latter won their home game against Lion Bar 8-1. Northfield Conservative Club are a further one leg of average adrift and sixth placed Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club are five legs short of the leaders after they won 7-2 at home over Windsor Complex.
Just the two maximums this week and they came from T.Hamilton (Copper Fox ‘R’) and K.Bedder (Copper Fox ‘M’).
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Northfield are the only unbeaten team in the Kings Norton League, in their sixth fixture they won 6-1 at home against Bourneville to give them a four points lead on second placed Greenlands who went one better with a 7-0 home win over bottom of the table Cavalier, leaving them with a game in hand on the leaders. Third placed Bourneville are six points short of Northfield but with two games in hand, there are then four teams, Perfection, Cock Inn, Bournebrook and Longbridge who have all played five games and are all on the same six points as Bourneville.
R.Needham (Dingle) recorded a 160 break as his team won 6-1 at home against Pavillions who are next to bottom of the table and like Cavalier still without a win so far.
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The South West Birmingham Clubs Winter League has got underway and after only the opening fixtures division one is already looking very competitive with Northfield Darts Club and Northfield Conservative Club ‘B’ sharing the number one position after in turn they won 5-3 over Kings Norton Ex Serviceman’s Club and Bournbrook. Perfection and Quarry Lane Club finished all-square with a 4-4 draw to share the third place.
In division two some of the new teams are still finding their feet as the first three places in the table go to long-standing teams Bartley Green FC, West Heath CEM and Northfield Conservative Club ‘A’. Bartley Green FC won 7-1 at home over newcomers Longbridge Supremes to give them a slender one leg of average lead on second placed West Heath CEM who were 6-2 winners at home against another new side Cue Club while Northfield Conservative Club ‘A’ had a 5-3 win at Longbridge Arrows leaving them one more leg of average short of the leaders.
Although there were many tons scored there was only one maximum this week and it came from L.Fowler (Northfield Darts Club).
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Round one of the Brian Goodman Cup and Ken Rust Cup were on the fixture card for the Sutton and District League this week, in the former the biggest win of the round went to Drakes Drum as they were awarded a 9-0 win over Plough and Arrows, the biggest win in games played went to Nomads @ Hollyfields who won their home tie with Minworth Bulls 8-1, Highcroft Hotdogs and Old Horns Lions were not far behind with their respective 7-2 wins over St Thomas Lions and Walmley CSC Flights. Erdington Arrows had a 5-4 win at Old Oscott Arrows. Great Barr Social, Pint Pot Flights and Rise Club all had a bye,
In the Ken Rust Cup there was another walkover as Deer’s Leap were awarded the win over Beggars Bush. St Thomas Arrows were 7-2 winners in their home fixture with Rosey Mac’s while Bishop Vesey won 6-3 at Sutton Sports. Oscott Social and Sutton Sharks bothmade their way into the next round with 5-4 wins over respective opponents Heartlands and Rosey Mac’s Bar. Misfits @ Holly Lane Sports and Social Club and Hollyfields both had a bye.
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Quarry Bank Liberal Club continued their impressive run in the Sedgley and Gornal Tuesday Night League, making it eleven straight wins when they won 6-3 at home against New Inn to keep them two points to the good on second and third placed Gornal British Legion and Netherton Sports and Social Club. Gornal British Legion had a convincing 8-1 win at Red Lion while Netherton Sports and Social Club were 7-2 winners at home over Meadow Lark.
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Week five in the John Edwards Thursday Night League saw Island Inn lose their 100% win record and their number one position in the league as they lost 6-3 at home to eighth placed Whiteheath Tavern and replaing them at the top of the table is Bostin Darts ‘B’ whose 7-2 home win George leaves them as the only team in the league not to have lost so far. On the same six points as Island Inn are Smethwick Cricket Club, Oldbury British Legion and Tividale Sports with just two legs of average separating second to fifth place.
A feast of maximums this week with no fewer than ten, Whiteheath Tavern’s M.Crumpton notching two while his team-mate K.Harrision got one. There was also one for T.Brennan (Bostin Darts ‘B’), N.Rodgers (George), K.Hopton and M.Perkins (Wonder), D.Brazznell (Club ‘99’), S.Plant (Blackheath Liberal Club) and R.Boswell (Double Tops Micro Bar).
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The Silver End Sunday Morning League played their singles knockout at eight different venues with the last two players from each venue going through to the next round. Winning their way into the last sixteen were S.Gough, B.Lewis, P. Homer, C.Massey, M.Redding, L.Beasley, J.McCormack, R.Lenton, J.Billingham, J.Brigdale, A. Mears, G.Cooper, W.Brigdale, B.Watts, C.Hart, C.Hunt.
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Leaders of the Brierley Hill Monday Night League High Acres had a crucial 6-3 win at Lamp Tavern in their latest fixture, their hosts fifth in the table with fourteen points, now four behind their opponents who have a two points lead on Dudley Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’, Raven and Bridge. The Ex Serviceman’s Club ‘A’ handed out a 9-0 whitewash to their visitors Tommy Turners to give them the best average in the league while Raven won their home tie with Rose and Crown ‘B’ 6-3 and Bridge won 5-4 at Roebuck ‘A’.
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On the agenda for the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League was the Shadow Cup final which saw current league leaders Chop House win the title with a 5-2 result over sixth placed new Inn.
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The Rowley MondayNight League staged their Top Half Doubles Knockout, the winners being B.Smith and H.Kainthal (Tividale FC) who beat M.Hall and D.Homer (Gate Hangs Well) in the final.
The Shadow League Doubles Knockout title went to T.Pike and D.Stanton (Romsley Cricket Club) with S.Attwood & J.Thomas (Rowley Bar and Grill) runners-up.
On the night six players found the three treble twenties, H.Kainthal, (Tividale FC), N.Bradley (Snooks), S.Green (Hawthorns Tavern ‘A’), M.Crumpton (Whiteheath Tavern), D.Homer (Gate Hangs Well) and I.Vincent.
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No change at the top of the Stourbridge and District Monday Night League with all of the top six teams winning. Old Liberal Club remain top of the table with fifthy-eight points after adding their latest 5-2 win at Ashwood, the win keeping them two points ahead of second and third placed Gornal British Legion and Ten Arches ‘A’, the former winning 6-1 at home against Mount Pleasant and the latter having a 7-0 clean-sweep at Bull and Bladder. Netherton Conservative Club lost their home game against Glasscutters ‘A’ 5-2 but their M.Abbott had two breaks of 160 while A.Nicholls had a similar 160 break for the away side.
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Allen’s Bar ‘A’ consolidated their number one spot in the Black Country Ladies Super League with a 3-2 win over their bottom of the table ‘D’ team. Allen’s Bar ‘C’ lost ground as they went down 4-1 to their ‘B’ side, the ‘C’ and ‘B’ now sharing the number two position, four points behind the ‘A’ side.
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Just the one rearranged fixture played in the Black Country Men’s Super League which saw sixth placed Townsend ‘A’ win 3-2 at home against Northfield Darts Club who are fourth and now only two points better off than their opponents.
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It was a disappointing week for Gemma Barrett in the West Midlands Ladies Super League as she began the night with a 3-1 defeat to Kelly Aston and then lost 3-0 to Kat McLean to leave her eleven points short of leader Jacqueline Maiden who after winning 3-1 against Kelly Aston then beat Crysta Davies-Wilcox 3-0. Reigning champion Evonne Taylor didn’t pay this week and is now lying in third place with thirty-eight points, fourteen behind Jacqueline Maiden but with four games in hand.
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With Kings Head not playing this week in the West Midlands Men’s Super League, Staffordshire Knot took full advantage to replace them at the top of the table with a 4-1 home win over Junction ‘A’, the win taking Knot’s points tally to ninety-six from twenty-five games and giving them a three points lead on the now second placed Kings Head who have a game in hand.
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With the Amblecote RBL Premier League title already under his belt Jason Lowe completed his inaugural season with a 4-3 win over his nearest rival Cayden Smith 4-3. Lowe ended the campaign with a total of 444 points, twenty-nine more than Cayden Smith who was runner-up. Reigning champion Nick Fullwell had mixed results in his last two games, winning the first against Shane Sheridan 6-1 but then losing the second 4-3 to Paul Wells to see him finish third with 397 points.
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With the three divisional title already sorted in the Gilbert’s Bar Monday Night Singles League, the runners-up spots also appear to be almost taken care of as in division one, second placed Simon Mountford is on 187 points from 30 games and third placed Chris Manoila has 178 points and has played 32 games.
In division two, Andy Mullinder is second with 209 points and third placed Malcolm Pugh is on 179 points, both players have played 31 games.
The division three fight for second place could still be on as John Bate is currently second with 177 points from 27 games but third placed Charlie Baker has 164 points and has only played 25 games.
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No change in the top five places in the singles league of the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League, Junction ‘B’ remaining to of the table with thirty-two points after winning 6-1 in the local derby with their ‘C’ team giving them a two points lead over Dog and Partridge ‘B’ who also had a 6-1 win at home over Pheasant.
A 2-1 win at Red Lion keeps Golden Lion ‘A’ top of the doubles league with twenty-six points, they have a lead of two over Junction ‘B’, Dog and Partridge ‘B’, Gilbert’s Bar ‘A’ and New Gate Inn.
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