The Riley’s Snooker Bar, Solihull is one of sixteen Riley’s clubs that has been playing host to the qualifying rounds of the Darts Club Championship which carries a prize fund of £22,000.
For twelve weeks throughout June, July and August there have been Club Championship rounds to produce twelve winners who in the thirteenth week will then do battle for the title of Club Champion.
The top four players from each club will then take part in the Riley’s Darts Club Championship Final on Saturday 5th September to produce the Club GB Champion.
At the time of going to print the winners from the first six qualifiers at the Solihull club and through to the club final are Mike Green, Tony Randell, Luis Barberan, Rob Singleton, Wayne Mynard and Dean Sanders each of whom have already won £75 as a weekly winner and are in with the chance of going through to the grand finals where there will be a top prize of £1,000.
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Riley’s Solihull was also the setting for the Pub Players Darts Competition which saw Mike McFall win the final against Trevor Frost 4-1, the same scoreline by which McFall had taken out Mike Smith in the semi’s, Frost had booked his final spot with a very close 4-3 result against Marr Gallett in his last four game.
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Week four of the Sheldon and District Summer League and the top two teams in division one The Digby and Castle Vale Stadium both chalked up 6-2 wins over respective opponents Langley Hall Sports and Social Arrows and Highwood PH Flights, both teams are on four points but Castle Vale have only played two fixtures as opposed to Digby having played three.
Holy Souls and Solihull Moors are both on the same six points and level on average in division three, Souls beating Highwood KB’s 5-3 this week while Moors won 6-2 at Sheldon Dukes.
Greville Arms have lost the top spot in division five after losing 6-2 at home against Shirley RBL Misfits who take over the number one position with six points, Greville’s first defeat seeing them drop to second place.
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Stourbridge and District Monday Night League played off their singles knockout and the winner on the night was Britannia Inn representative Dave Simpson who beat team mate Craig Slater in the final.
The losing semi finalists both came from Ten Arches S.Bills and M.Rollinson.
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Top played bottom in division one of the South Birmingham League when leaders St John’s took on The Bell, the result was an emphatic 8-0 win for St John’s to put them one point ahead of Mackadown Social, but Mackadown have two games in hand.
In division two a 6-2 win at Coleshill Social has given Erdington Members Club a lead of four points over their nearest rivals St John’s Flights, however St John’s have played one game fewer than Erdington.
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Sheldon Marlborough Arrows have dropped from second to third in the Forest of Arden Summer League table after losing their home tie with second placed Journeys End 5-2. Riley’s Red Arrows continue to lead the division a 6-1 home win over Iron Horse giving them a two points advantage over Journeys End.
Crown Arrows take over pole position in division two keeping their title hopes on track with a 4-3 win over Sheldon Marlborough Flights who as a result go from joint second to third level on ten points with second placed Chelmsley Town but have played one game more.
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After a couple of weeks break The Untouchables are back on the scene in the Winmau Centre Monday Night League and back with a bang as they handed out a massive 39-9 defeat to Yam Yams.
Leaders Bully Boys had a 27-21 win over middle of the table Three Men And A Lady to increase their points tally to 735 but former leaders The Untouchables are closing in on them fast their big win reducing the arrears to just three points and a win in their game in hand would see them return to the top of the table.
Finding the three treble twenties this week were Roy Blackwell 3 (Bully Boys), James Owen 2, Gemma Jenkins (Three Men And A Lady), Daniel Knowles (Mad House), Julie Aston (Keep It In The Family), Ben Forrest 2 (Cupid Stunts) and Dave Bentley (The Untouchables).
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With fifth placed Portway having a bye this week the other six teams in the top seven of the Brierley Hill Monday Night League all won so there is no change in the top places. Eighth placed Dudley Sports ‘A’ were the highest placed losers and theirs was a surprising 6-3 home loss to Old Star who are next to bottom of the table with only five wins from their 23 games.
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Only one fixture remains outstanding in the Brierley Hill Monday Night League between Bulls Head (Netherton) and The Bridge but that will have no bearing on the league title as Miners (Wollescote) with a final 7-2 win away to Pensnett Welfare Club has seen them finish the season as champions with 36 points. So closely fought was the runners up spot that the Welfare Club’s defeat saw them lose the runners up spot and finish fourth on average behind Brickmakers Arms and Dudley Sports ‘B’ all three had a total of 30 points, Brickmakers finishing as runners up with just two legs of average to the good on Dudley Sports ‘B’.
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The Crown at Shard End was the venue hosting the charity game between the South Birmingham League and Air Ambulance representative teams, the result, which on occasions like this is secondary, was actually a 12-5 to South Birmingham.
The most important statistic was that of the tremendous amount of £365 that the evening raised for such a worthy cause.
South Birmingham’s Peter Shipley was the only player on the night to notch a maximum.
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The Greets Green Second Sunday Darts Competition proved to be yet again a huge success and taking the winners £400 prize was Tim Green who had a final win over Wayne Willis who picked up £150.
Losing semi finalists Matt Tedstone and Graham Hall each received £50 and there was £25 for Trevor Brennan, Robbie Green, Ian Jones and Joshua Richardson who all went out in the quarter finals.
Robbie Green added another £100 to his £25 as he hit the most maximums a total of NINE!!.
Stu Cleaver (Left) and Winner Tim Green
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The Winmau Centre at the Woverhampton Sports Arena was one of 20 UK venues to stage a regional final for the prestigious Worthington Champion of Champions Competition organised by Red Dragon. The West Midlands regional qualifier was played off over Saturday and Sunday and in the Saturday final Jamie Barrowman won 2-0 against Christi Maniola.
Sunday’s final was fought out between Sam Guest and Kristian Wharton, the former winning through 2-0 to set up a play off between Guest and Saturday’s winner Jamie Barrowman.
The final went the full three legs distance and could easily have gone either way but with Barrowman missing finishing doubles it was Sam Guest who got the 2-1 verdict and will now go through to represent the West Midlands in the grand finals at St David’s Hall, Cardiff on August 30th with the chance to walk away with an amazing top prize of £5,000.
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A final reminder to all players that the prestigious Coventry Open will be staged at the Bishopsgate Club, Foleshill Road, Coventry, CV1 4LF this coming Saturday and for a £10 entry fee there is a guaranteed £500 for the winner with payouts down to the last sixteen if there are 80 plus entries. There will also be a ladies event should the entries reach a minimum of 16 players.
Last registration is 12 midday with darts commencing 12.30pm.
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Pat Koyce was unable to play in the Kingstanding Double Top League this week due to having an eye operation, we all hope it goes well Pat, and because of this he was knocked off the top spot in the table Will Naylor taking over and taking his points tally to 34 from 20 games after a 3-3 draw with Brendan Lysaght in which both players hit a maximum and then he won 4-0 against Dave Harrison. Second placed Mike McFall has played 21 games and with 2×180 against Dale Savage won 4-1 and by the same margin defeated Matt Gallett to give him 33 points. Pat Koyce is third with 32 points from 18 games.
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Some great individual performances in the Hilltop Friendly Tuesday Night League this week as Mark Richards (Jolly Collier) recorded an eight darts game, Matt Walker (Sportsman) hit a 180 but unfortunately it was not enough as Ant Pitts (Jolly Collier) beat him in what was a great game.
Old Hop Pole’s Lee Fletcher had a break of 160 and then narrowly missed double twelve for what would have been a tremendous six darts game.
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Just one leg of average separate the top two teams in the Halesowen Monday Night Ladies League after second in the table Park Lane Tavern won their home tie against league leaders Spring Meadow 4-3, the two teams now have a lead of six points over third placed Black Horse who had a surprising 6-1 home defeat at the hands of The Widders team who are next to bottom of the table.
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John Buckingham is back on top of the Crown at Olton Double Top League with 39 points from 16 games, however former leader Tony Randell is just one point behind Buckingham with two games in hand and fourth placed Bob Nixon has only played 13 games and has 34 points.
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The Camp Hill League played off their Captain’s and Secretaries cups and winning the former was Matt Cooper (Cotterills Lane Club) with a final success against Scruffy Ringers Con Murphy.
The Secretaries Cup title went to Dave Carter (Holy Gulp) with Richard Hogan (Lions) runner up.
The league’s new season will get underway on the 12th August anyone wishing to enter a team should attend the league meeting at the Wagon and Horses, Digbeth at 8.00pm on Wednesday 5th August or alternatively can contact Mark Standley on 07733-397704 or contact him by e-mail at [email protected]
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The top two teams squared up to each other in the Halesowen Friday Night 501 League and it was the league leaders Members Club ‘A’ who got the 4-3 verdict at The Vine to open up a four points gap between the two teams. The defeat sees The Vine drop one place in the table to third with Chop House taking over in second place after a 5-2 home win against Ex Serviceman’s Club, Chop House are now two points to the good on The Vine but The Vine do have a game in hand and also have the better average.
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Played ten, won ten that’s the record so far for Gornal Conservative Club newcomers to the Stourbridge and District Wednesday Night League this season, their latest success was a 5-2 home win over Wombourne Cricket Club. The two Ashwood sides continue to do well the ‘A’ team with a tremendous 161 finish by Nick Fullwell had a 7-0 win against Ten Arches ‘A’ to keep them within two points of the leaders while a further two points behind their ‘B’ side won 6-1 at Netherton Cricket Club.
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EBAHA made it four straight wins in the Small Heath League when they beat next to bottom Emerald Flights 8-1, they go two points ahead of second placed Mitre who have six points but had a bye this week, Gulp Tribe in third place are also on six points from three games they won 6-3 away to Wagon and Horses.
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With Prince of Wales having a bye this week in division one of the Pip Club League Bulls Head ‘A’ (Polesworth) opened up a two points lead on them with a 7-1 win at Two Gates Club.
In division two the top three teams all finished with 8-8 draws, leaders J W Belgrave were held by fourth in the table Progressive Club, while second placed Sports Bar ‘180’ finished all square in their tie with their nearest rivals third placed Pip Club. The outcome is that J W Belgrave with 50 points still have a ten points advantage over Sports Bar ‘180’ who in turn are two ahead of both Pip Club and Globe Inn ‘A’.
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With just one fixture remaining in the Tamworth League any one of the top three teams could win the title, leaders and reigning champions Fox and Dogs on 186 points will play away to second in the table Dolphin ‘A’ who have 184 points, third placed Belgrave Club will have an away tie with Mile Oak Rovers who are in the bottom half of the table, should be a very interesting and entertaining final league night.
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No change at the top of the Rowley Monday Night League with the top five teams all registering wins and all of them big wins, leaders Crown (Old Hill) had the smallest win a 7-2 victory at Plough and Harrow, second and third placed Springfield Social Club and The Bell in turn won 8-1 against Haden Cross and Whiteheath Tavern. Fourth placed Ex Serviceman’s ’A’ handed out a 9-0 whitewash to Little Beech and their ‘B’ side who are fifth won 8-1 at Riddins Tavern.
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Chillingto Club moved off the foot of the division one table in the Wolverhampton Tuesday Night League with a 4-3 home win over Cabin, replacing them in the bottom spot is Merry Boys who lost by the same margin away to Bradmore ‘A’ .
Wednesfield FC lost the number one place after going down 4-3 at home to fourth in the table Riley’s C’ and taking over from Wednesfield FC is ECC who had a 5-2 win at Otter and Vixen.
In division two it was bad news for leaders Pheasant losing 4-3 at home against seventh placed Riley’s ‘A’, nevertheless Pheasant hold on to pole position with 28 points but they now only have a two points lead over Whitmore Reans WMC who won 4-3 at Emerald.
There were rare wins for both of the bottom two teams this week as bottom of the table Bird in Hand won 4-3 at home against Red Lion making it two wins in seventeen and next to bottom Wednesfield Legion ‘C’ for the third time in seventeen games won beating Woodfield Social Club by a massive 6-1.
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Claregate who are fourth in the Tettenhall Wednesday Night league were the only losers in the top four going down 6-1 away to Otter and Vixen who are second in the table on 34 points four adrift of leaders Riley’s ‘A’ who won 6-1 at Woodfield Social Club. Third placed Riley’s ‘B’ were also 6-1 winners against Village Inn to give them 30 points.
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The first round of the League Cup was on the agenda for the Kings Norton League and biggest winners of the round were Kings Norton RBL who handed out a 7-0 whitewash to their hosts Toby Jug Flights., Toby Jug ‘A’ had better luck than their ‘B’ side as they won 6-1 at Bulls Head.
Other teams to win through to the next round were Dingle Social, Rubery RBL and Stirchley United.
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