{"id":5951,"date":"2022-02-08T10:52:54","date_gmt":"2022-02-08T10:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2022\/02\/column-hr327-welcome-back-geezers\/"},"modified":"2024-02-14T22:21:25","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T22:21:25","slug":"column-hr327-welcome-back-geezers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/2022\/02\/column-hr327-welcome-back-geezers\/","title":{"rendered":"Column #HR327 Welcome back, geezers!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tuesday, February 8, 2022
\n<\/strong>Column HR327<\/strong>
\nWelcome back, geezers!<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 1940,\u00a0Thomas Wolfe’s novel,\u00a0You Can\u2019t Go Home Again<\/em>, was published.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0That premise was tested twice last week in the UK. The Old Dart Coach investigates.<\/p>\n

Night one of the Premier League arrived in Cardiff, Wales,\u00a0with locals Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton.<\/p>\n

Clayton gave the home fans something to cheer about with a 6-2 skinning of Joe Cullen.\u00a0 Cullen, newly crowned Master’s champion,\u00a0got buried by Clayton – having no answer for his 103+ average.\u00a0 Cullen assisted, collecting only 2 finishes from 19 chances.<\/p>\n

Price lost\u00a0to James Wade 6-3.\u00a0 Both would like to forget it as Wade took the opening leg in 24 darts, including\u00a05 missed doubles.\u00a0\u00a0Wade also won legs in 18, 18 and 16. \u00a0Ugly.<\/p>\n

Clayton would reach the finals against Peter Wright.\u00a0 Wright had dispatched Gary Anderson 6-5 then steamrolled Clayton with a 113 average and a 6-1 win.<\/p>\n

Wolfe was half right.<\/p>\n

The first ever World Senior\u2019s Championship returned home to the Circus Tavern.\u00a0 It was a homecoming for players\u00a0Mr. John Lowe, Bob Anderson, Phil Taylor, Peter Evison, Keith Deller,\u00a0Alan Warriner-Little and Larry \u201cThe American Eagle\u201d Butler.\u00a0\u00a0They had all played in the first PDC World Championships in 1994 at the Circus.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In that inaugural event Dennis Priestly defeated Phil Taylor 6-1, winning \u00a316,000.\u00a0\u00a0This would be Priestley\u2019s second World title having defeated Eric Barstow 6-nil in 1991.\u00a0\u00a0Some time ago, when asked if he missed darts, Priestly, a man of few words, said \u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0He was a spectator when the crew reconvened.<\/p>\n

The last PDC World Championship match held at the Circus Tavern was in\u00a02007.\u00a0\u00a0Raymond van Barneveld came from 0\u20133 down in sets defeating Phil Taylor, 7\u20136 after a sudden death leg.\u00a0 Many people\u00a0<\/em>(weasel words)\u00a0consider this match to be the greatest in the history of darts.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

In this instance Thomas Wolfe was full of beans – as not only did the seniors return home, so did the crowds.\u00a0 In a shock to some (more weasel words) the\u00a0crowd actually watched the darts as they cheered on their heroes. \u00a0This, as opposed to getting stupid drunk, dressing like clowns and singing off key.<\/p>\n

Some dude on YouTube predicted that Tina Gulliver and Lisa Ashton would both do well as they were \u201ctournament fit.\u201d\u00a0 Gulliver lost 3 sets to nil, Ashton lost 3-1 and \u201cThe Queen\u201d Deta Hedman lost to \u201cOne Dart\u201d Peter Manley 3-1. To quote Sergeant Frank Drebin from\u00a0Police Squad<\/em>, \u201cHow about that Queen?\u201d<\/p>\n

Being a Colonist the Old Dart Coach was most interested in Paul Lim and Larry “The American Eagle\u201d Butler…<\/p>\n

Dave Prins would defeat Lim 3-1 in a quality match.\u00a0\u00a0The first set was won in 15, 13 and 14 darts.\u00a0\u00a0Lim would fall behind 0-2 but come\u00a0back\u00a0to gain a set (3-2).\u00a0\u00a0Lim had a chance to extend\u00a0but\u00a0Prins would nail a 15-darter for the 3-1 win.\u00a0\u00a0Prins would then advance to the round of 8 with a 3-0 Snyder of Mr. John Lowe.\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Lowe never missed a double.\u00a0 He never got to one.\u00a0 Prins would succumb to finalist Robert Thorton 3-0.<\/p>\n

Larry Butler would see some success after he took out Alan Warriner-Little\u00a03-0 in 9 legs.\u00a0 Against Keith Deller, Butler fell behind 0-1 only to move ahead 2-1 in a second set win that was ugly.\u00a0\u00a0Ugly wins count.\u00a0\u00a0Deller would level in 21, 23 and 18 darts.\u00a0\u00a0They split the first 4 legs in the race to 4 when Butter moved within one of the win in\u00a029 darts, averaging 51.83, with 15 darts needed for a double. The win would go to Butler when he built on a T80, T29 – taking out 25 with an average of 100.<\/p>\n

Butler\u2019s match against Martin Adams in the quarters started off with the \u201cAmerican Eagle\u201d soaring – taking the first set 3-0.\u00a0\u00a0In set 2 Butler was up 2-1 when the wings fell off.\u00a0\u00a0Adams put together legs of 14 and 15 to draw level.\u00a0\u00a0Adams converted the next set as Butler would get\u00a0only one shot at a double.\u00a0 Adams would prevail 3-1 with the last leg being a 12-darter worth an average of\u00a0125.5.<\/p>\n

Adams’\u00a04-2 win over Terry Jenkins led to the finals.\u00a0 He took\u00a06 of the last 9 legs.<\/p>\n

Scotland\u2019s Robert Thorton went through the field like \u201clocus through a wheat field.\u201d He got to the final with nary a lost a set going 9-0.<\/p>\n

Against Adams, Thorton opened a can of \u201cWA\u201d winning the first 12 of 15 legs for a 4-nil lead. Was Adams that bad?\u00a0 No.\u00a0\u00a0Thorton was that\u00a0good<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0After going 1-10 in legs, Adams took a leg in 10-darts.\u00a0 That was only because Thorton missed double tops.<\/p>\n

As is par for the course, everyone had an opinion of this first Senior\u2019s World Championship.\u00a0 Most were negative, which is also par.<\/p>\n

The Circus was chockablock\u00a0full.\u00a0 They came to see Phil Taylor, Mr. John Lowe and Bob Anderson.\u00a0 Of the three, Taylor had the best result beating Peter Manley 3-1.\u00a0\u00a0Taylor would lose in the quarter finals 3-0 to Kevin Painter who ended a string of 31 defeats against Taylor. Losing 31 in a row is \u201cserving revenge really cold.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Got to feel sorry for some of the past great darts players really struggling<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0There\u2019s always “sorry” when a friend or idol struggles with a double.<\/p>\n

But the thrill of seeing our friends back on the oche has little to do with scoring or\u00a0doubles.\u00a0 It\u2019s memories.\u00a0 As Sally Kelly said when seeing the group photo, \u201cMemories of the North American.\u201d<\/p>\n

No doubt some tinkering will have to be done with the format.\u00a0 The two gentlemen in the finals were still active in competitive darts, giving them an advantage.\u00a0\u00a0They alone wouldn\u2019t have filled a phone booth.<\/p>\n

Maybe change the age to 65 as todays 50 is yesterday\u2019s 35.\u00a0\u00a0A really smart tournament in the USA would add an open senior’s event as all us geezers still have the urge to at some point again be toeing the oche.<\/p>\n

Thomas Wolfe is full of it.<\/p>\n

You\u00a0can<\/em>\u00a0go home again to be welcomed with open arms.\u00a0\u00a0Maybe you are a little longer in the tooth, with a little less hair and an extra roll around the middle. We don\u2019t care.<\/p>\n

In North America you made darts fun with your playing and friendship.\u00a0 To quote\u00a0John Sebastian,\u00a0\u201cWelcome back!\u201d<\/p>\n

Look forward to your next visit.<\/p>\n

Stray thirsty my friends.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 1940,\u00a0Thomas Wolfe’s novel,\u00a0You Can\u2019t Go Home Again, was published.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0That premise was tested twice last week in the UK. The Old Dart Coach investigates.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4139,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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1940,\u00a0Thomas Wolfe's novel,\u00a0You Can\u2019t Go Home Again, was published.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0That premise was tested twice last week in the UK. The Old Dart Coach investigates.\u00a0","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":17,"user_id":4,"is_guest":0,"slug":"howie-reed","display_name":"Howie Reed","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/111howie.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/111howie.jpg"},"first_name":"Howie","last_name":"Reed","user_url":"http:\/\/www.dartoidsworld.com","job_title":"","description":"Astute, often controversial, and always humorous, the Old Dart Coach, Howie Reed (a former rodeo cowboy and advertising executive), is heralded as the Dean of Darts Chroniclers - the most prolific and widely followed writer ever about our sport. He goes back decades with the legends and knows where the skeletons are buried (just ask any of the ADO and WDF old-timers!). Here are four well-known facts about the Old Dart Coach: 1) he is a Republican, 2) he loves the ladies, 3) he can drink most anybody under the table, and 4) he throws darts as bad as Dartoid."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5951"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5951\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6198,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5951\/revisions\/6198"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5951"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=5951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}