News of the World Darts Championship

The News of the World Championship was one of the first major [1][2] organised darts competitions, which began in 1927. It became England's first national darts competition from 1947, as the years went by it gradually became international essentially becoming the first world darts Championship until its demise in 1990. There was also a brief revival of the event in 1996/97, but it is now discontinued. It was known to be the championship every dart player wanted to win. It was organised by the National Darts Association of Great Britain ( NDAGB )

News of the World Championship
Tournament information
VenueVarious (see here)
LocationLondon
CountryEngland
Established1927
FormatLegs
Final Year1997
Final champion(s)
Phil Taylor
Linda Jones

Before the tournament was established, darts competitions were held in various forms around England – often as friendly matches between pubs. After World War I, pub breweries began arranging darts leagues which began to sow the seeds for the establishment of a national darts competition. The tournament was noted for using an 8ft oche rather than the regulation 7 ft 9 ¼ inches. One of these competitions was held in Hythe Street, Dartford, Kent in 1927. The competition was sponsored by a local Brewery, C.N Kidd & Sons Ltd.

Origins

The tournament was first organised in the 1927/28 season thanks to the help of the staff on the News of the World newspaper and other volunteers, who helped set up the competition. William Jewiss won the 1927 darts challenge cup sponsored by News of the World and C.N Kidd & Sons brewery in Dartford.

There were around 1,000 entries in the first event, which was held in the Metropolitan area of London. The tournament then began to expand around the different counties in England. By 1938/39 there were six different regional events – London & South England, Wales, Lancashire & Cheshire, Yorkshire, the North of England and the Midland Counties. [2]

The total entrants in the competition in 1938/39 were in excess of 280,000. Enormous interest was created that year by the London and South of England championship. A record crowd of 14,534 spectators filled the Royal Agricultural Hall, London in May to witness the final between Jim Pike (representing the Windmill Club, Southwark) and Marmaduke Brecon (Jolly Sailor, Hanworth, Middlesex). Brecon ran out the winner by two games to one. The tournament continued to attract 250,000 entries during the post war years [2].

There was, however no national champion of the event until after World War II. It was revived as a national competition in 1947/48, [2] and continued to be described as ‘the championship every dart player wants to win’ until its demise in the 1990s. It can also be classed as the first world darts championships as it went international and players from different countries entered and even won the tournament. Bobby George is the only player to win the championship without dropping one single leg in its 75 year run

Demise

The News of the World was the first nationally televised darts event as ITV broadcast the latter stages of the championship from 1972 to 1985, and again in 1987 and 1988. The 1986 event wasn't broadcast due to a technicians' strike.

As quickly as darts tournaments began to appear on television throughout the 1970s and into the early and mid 1980s, the bubble burst and all darts competitions except the World Championship disappeared from TV screens in 1989.

This big sudden slump in televised darts coverage meant that it came as no surprise that the News of the World Championship also ended after the 1990 event, with the last two events having been untelevised. As it happened, 1990 was also the first year that separate competitions were held for men and women.

The lack of televised darts coverage left some players frustrated by the lack of opportunity to make a living from darts, and in January 1992 they formed their own organisation to start up their own tournaments (see main article: Professional Darts Corporation, and Split in darts).

Brief revival

The News of the World Championship made a one-year reappearance in the 1996/97 season, when Sky Sports and the News of the World resurrected the competition.

In his autobiography, Phil Taylor says that his mentor, Eric Bristow always mocked him for never having won the competition and that it was the tournament that everyone wanted to win.

Taylor put the record straight by beating Ian White 2–0 in the final in June 1997, collecting the News of the World Big D Trophy, a cheque for £42,000 and a set of Unicorn golden darts. Following his victory, which also saw him take out the then England captain Martin Adams 2–1 in the semi finals, Taylor was quoted as saying "I've won five world titles – but this one means everything".

However, the overall response to the competition was disappointing and the News of the World decided against running it again. The tournament remains discontinued.

Tournament winners

Men

The tournament was arranged on a regional basis from 1927 until 1939. The National Championship began in 1947–48 winners and runners-up included: [3]

Year Champion From Score
(legs)		 Runner-up From
1947-48 Harry Leadbetter Windle Labour Club, St Helens 2-1 Tommy Small Sth Durham Steel & Iron SC, West Hartlepool
1948-49 Jackie Boyce New Southgate SC 2–1 Stan Outten Dr Johnson, Barkingside
1949-50 Dixie Newberry Albert, Hitchin 2-0 Ronnie Ridley King Edward Hotel, Newcastle-u-Tyne
1950-51 Harry Perryman Home Office SC, Greenford 2-0 Laurie Runchman Feathers, Felixstowe
1951-52 Tommy Gibbons Ivanhoe WMC, Conisbrough 2-0 Jack Wallace Low Seaton BL, Workington
1952-53 Jimmy Carr Red Lion, Dipton 2-0 Ernest Greatbatch Horse Vaults Hotel, Pontefract
1953-54 Oliver James Ex-Servicemen’s Club, Onllwyn 2-0 Johnny Bell The Sun, Waltham Abbey
1954-55 Tom Reddington New Inn, Stonebroom 2-0 Johnny Bell Sun, Waltham Abbey
1955-56 Trevor Peachey Black Fox, Thurston 2-0 Les Campbell Boot, Dinas
1956-57 Alwyn Mullins Traveller’s Rest, Tickhill 2-0 Len Baker Corporation Hotel, Cardiff
1957-58 Tommy Gibbons Ivanhoe WMC, Conisbrough 2-0 Eric Moss Railway Tavern, Harleston
1958-59 Albert Welsh Horden Hotel, Seaham 2-1 Frank Whitehead White Rose Hotel, Rossington
1959-60 Tom Reddington George Hotel, Alfreton 2-1 Dai Jones Cambrian Hotel, Aberystwyth
1960-61 Alec Adamson Prince of Wales, Hetton-le-Hole 2-1 Eddie Brown Magpie, Stonham
1961-62 Eddie Brown Magpie, Stonham 2-0 Dennis Follett Cadeleigh Arms, Cadeleigh
1962-63 Robbie Rumney Waterloo Hotel, Darlington 2-0 Bill Harding Globe Hotel, Aberdare
1963-64 Tom Barrett Odco SC, London 2-0 Ray Hatton Flower of the Valley Hotel, Rochdale
1964-65 Tom Barrett Odco SC, London 2-1 Norman Fielding Station Inn, Swannington
1965-66 Wilf Ellis Brookside WMC, Upton 2-1 Ron Langley Arlington SC, Harlow
1966-67 Wally Seaton Swan Inn, Parson Drove 2-0 Brian Quarterman Ivy Inn, North Littleton
1967-68 Bill Duddy Rose & Thistle, Frimley Green 2-0 Gerry Feeney Unicorn Club, Workington
1968-69 Barry Twomlow Red Lion, Chesterfield 2-0 Paul Gosling William IV, Truro
1969-70 Henry Barney The Pointer Inn, Newchurch 2-0 Alan Cooper Plough, Filton
1970-71 Dennis Filkins Barrow, Hepburn & Gale SC, Bermondsey 2-0 Derek White The Ship Inn, Weymouth
1971-72 Brian Netherton Welcome Home Inn, Par 2-0 Alan Evans Ferndale Hotel, Rhondda
1972-73 Ivor Hodgkinson Great Northern, Langley Mill 2-1 Ron Church Royal Alfred, Shoreditch
1973-74 Peter Chapman Bird in Hand, Henley-on-Thames 2-1 Paul Gosling Portscatho Club, Truro
1974-75 Derek White Belvedere Inn, Weymouth 2-1 Bill Duddy Frimley Green Working Mens Club, Camberley
1975-76 Bill Lennard Cotton Tree Inn, Manchester 2-0 Leighton Rees Ynysybwl USC, Pontypridd
1976-77 Mick Norris King of Denmark, Ramsgate 2-0 Bob Crosland Blackamoor Head, Pontefract
1977-78 Stefan Lord Stockholm Super Darts Club, Stockholm 2-0 John Coward White Hart BL, Sedbergh
1978-79 Bobby George King George V, Ilford 2-0 Alan Glazier George & Dragon, Wetherby
1979-80 Stefan Lord Stockholm Super Darts Club, Stockholm 2-0 Dave Whitcombe Naval Club, Chatham
1980-81 John Lowe Willow Tree, Pilsley 2-0 Mick Norris Earl St Vincent, Ramsgate
1981-82 Roy Morgan Wheel o’ Worfield, Worfield 2-1 Jim Hughes Parcwern Country Club, Ammanford
1982-83 Eric Bristow Foaming Quart, Norton Green 2-0 Ralph Flatt Old Red House, Carlton Colville
1983-84 Eric Bristow Foaming Quart, Norton Green 2-0 Ian Robertson Bell, Marston Moretaine
1984-85 Dave Lee Ivor Arms, Pontllanfraith 2-0 Billy Dunbar Woolwich Infant, London
1985-86 Bobby George Old Maypole, Hainault 2-0 Rick Ney US Darting Association
1986-87 Mike Gregory Stones Cross Hotel, Midsomer Norton 2-0 Peter Evison Halcyon/Spikes, Peterborough
1987-88 Mike Gregory Stones Cross Hotel, Midsomer Norton 2-1 Kevin Spiolek Cambridge Squash Club
1988-89 Dave Whitcombe Evenhill, Littlebourne Canterbury 2-1 Dennis Priestley Horseshoe, Rotherham
1989-90 Paul Cook Gorse Hill WMC, Swindon 2-0 Steve Hudson Oakworth SC, Keighley
1996-97 Phil Taylor Cricketer’s Arms, Newcastle-under-Lyme 2-0 Ian White Dockside Inn, Runcorn

Women
Year Champion From Score
(legs)		 Runner-up From
1989-90 Lynne Ormond George, Alford Jane Stubbs Roebuck Hotel, Northwich
1996-97 Linda Jones Seven Stars, Chorley 2–0 Melanie Saunders Railway Inn, Abergavenny


Multiple winners

No player has ever won the international title three times, seven players managed two wins each.

  • Tommy Gibbons (1951–52, 1957–58)
  • Tom Reddington (1954–55, 1959–60)
  • Tom Barrett (1963–64, 1964–65)
  • Stefan Lord (1977–78, 1979–80)
  • Eric Bristow (1982–83, 1983–84)
  • Bobby George (1978–79, 1985–86)
  • Mike Gregory (1986–87, 1987–88)

Venues
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References
  1. Kramer, Anne (2013). "13 History of World Tournaments". The Ultimate Book of Darts: A Complete Guide to Games, Gear, Terms, and Rules. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. ISBN 9781626365261.
  2. Nauright, John; Parrish, Charles (2012). Sports Around the World: History, Culture, and Practice. ABC-CLIO. p. 70. ISBN 9781598843002.
  3. Kramer, Anne (2013). "13 History of World Tournaments". The Ultimate Book of Darts: A Complete Guide to Games, Gear, Terms, and Rules. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. ISBN 9781626365261.
  4. "Planet Darts | Latest News | Newsdesk | Newsdesk | Taylor Goes Back To The Future!". Pdc.tv. Retrieved 2012-07-26.

Sources
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