Column #689 I miss you, Howie

Monday, June 9, 2025
Column 689
I miss you, Howie

There are voices in this game that have echoed longer than most of us have stood at the oche.

Howie Reed – known to many of you as The Old Dart Coach – was one of them.

For decades, Howie chronicled the world of darts with a wit that could slice steel, a passion that never dimmed, and a love for the game and its characters that ran deep. He was more than a writer. He was a storyteller, a historian, a critic, and a cheerleader. Over more than 1,000 columns, he brought the darts world to life – often irreverently, sometimes controversially, but always honestly.

He was my friend.

We sparred and laughed. We shared stories and swapped insults. We watched the game we love twist and evolve and, through it all, kept writing it down. He never stopped caring. And he never stopped signing off with the words: “Stay thirsty, my friends.”

That was Howie – always urging us to thirst for more: for knowledge, for camaraderie, for good drink and better darts.

As many of you know, I have ended every one of my columns for 30 years with “From the Field.” It’s been my way of grounding the stories I tell – from Bangkok bars to Vegas showdowns to dirt roads in the middle of nowhere – with the dust and grit of lived experience.

But today, I retire that sign-off.

In honor of Howie Reed, and his unmatched contribution to our sport, I am adopting his. It is a small gesture, but one that feels right. It is a way to carry forward a voice now silent but never forgotten.

So this one’s for you, Coach.

And to all of you who’ve read our words over the years, thank you for being part of this journey.

Stay thirsty, my friends.
Dartoid