Little Badges - Ladies and gentlemen..... Let's...Play....Darts

Hi

The virtual kettles on..... So while I let it boil i just have this to say

Firstly, I know it's not one of those trendy sports, and I know it has a low brow reaction from my friends......but I just love darts!

I have worked in loads of Advertising agencies..... and not once has an account handler suggested wining and dining clients at a darts match. Football, all the time. Most agencies I know have use of a corporate box. Rugby again, seen as an upper class sport. Formula 1 again is a popular one to take the clients to. But alas Darts less so.

But why? It has the skill of any other sport. It has the tension of any other sport, it has the speed of any other sport, and it has the unpredictability of any other sport. But why so low brow.

I was hooked as a young lad by the Eric Bristow, John lowe, keith deller era. The arenas where sponsored by cigarette companies, and the air was thick with smoke, and the smells of stale beer and cheap lager. And yet the cream always rose to the top. In any sport you have to have the outsiders, the just there to make up the numbers, and the favourites. It got to the point where the two greats Eric Bristow and John Lowe where the titans, and the final was already set before the end of the tournament. Basically you had to decide out of those two, who you were going to pick. The crafty cockney.... Skill personified, a natural swinging talent, with that cheeky glint in his eye, a quip and a friendly chip on his shoulder. A darts master. Sometimes the villain sometimes the hero. Then you had John Lowe. A serious looking man, a steely determination and skill blistering out of the ends of his fingertips. John Lowe stood tall like a Clint Eastwood character and stared down the dartboard until it relinqued to his skill. Both top players, both bubbling with skill and talent.

I always wanted to see John Lowe win. I don't Know why, maybe because that's who my dad supported. When the darts was on in our household, we would follow each match and each set of darts to it's conclusion. Mesmerised by it. The hypnotic thud thud thud of the darts hitting the board. The sing song way the caller shouts out the darts scores, and the shear joy for the player when they drop in a 180. Have you ever tried to hit a 180. For years I could never do it. The blokes on TV did it regularly. Once a match had finished I would go out into the cold garage and try and replicate it. Most times I could barely get a 20 or a single treble twenty. Just recently I have started hitting 180's more regularly but maybe over a year of playing only 24. Whereas you watch the Phil taylors, The count, the Mervyn Kings of the modern darts and they are hitting over that in one tournament.

But still over all these years I am more of a closet darts fan. I try not to be, but if you start a new job it's always Which football team do you support! My reply is none, as I find it one of the most boring over ego's sports going. The next question is what sport do you like then. I always reply honestly with Formula 1 being my top sport, but I do always add followed by darts.
Some peoples reaction shear horror, then a nervous laugh.... and then non conversation from that point on. But every so often you get someone that follows it, and you see a little light bulb go on behind their eyes as they are allowed to connect with someone else about this great sport.

And it is a great sport. Take a set of darts and try and hit 180. Then once you've achieved that memorise the out shots on the doubles and try and hit the coverted 170 out. Treble twenty, Treble twenty and Bullseye!!!!! It's difficult. To this day my highest out score is 126! I'm still a long way off.

So ladies and gentlemen..... I urge you...... Let's Play Dart's!

Well, I can hear the kettle has just finished boiling so

Milk and sugar?

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