News & Reviews...
 

News & Reviews Last updated 1st June 2010.... Other darts news can be found on the following web sites. The Official Guide to Bar Darts by Dr Patrick Chaplin Patrick Chaplin is an established writer on the sport of darts. He is a regular contributor to Darts World and We love Darts magazines here in the UK and occasionally has the odd article published in Bullseye News in the United States. Patrick is probably known best as ‘Dr Darts’, a nick named given to him many years ago but now he can truly call himself Dr Dart. His dissertation on the social history of Darts in England 1900-39 was made into a book in 2009. A limited run of hard back copies were made and if you are lucky you may still be able to get you hands on one. (A paper backed version may be on the cards but as yet I haven’t heard). Although Patrick has written many books include two world champions’ autobiographies: - John Lowe and Trina Gulliver and along with John Lowe ‘The Art of Darts’. But this latest Patrick venture sees  him passing on his wisdom in his first book covering aspects of the game that you wouldn’t normally associate with Patrick; ‘The Official Guide to Bar Darts’.  Patrick isn’t a person that you will see throwing darts on the stage of the Lakeside nor indeed throwing darts for his County of Essex, England. So is this project a well structured and informative book? Well yes! Patrick isn’t a prolific one eighty scorer any more and his new book will help any aspiring darter. Unlike a just how to play dart book, Patrick ventures into aspects that are not normally covered or indeed given much thought as regards dress and preparation. The book does also cover choosing a set of darts, the grip and stance and here Patrick draw’s upon observations he has made not only from his own throwing technique but more importantly from the professionals that he has met and knows within the sport. The book isn’t designed just for those new to the sport readers or indeed just a how to do, there is something here for everyone. Games, practise, improve your game; dealing with nerves and crowd; tournament and top player profiles. As you may expect from a historian, a brief history of the sport is included and a dedicated section on women’s darts. If anything Patrick has tried to cover a lot is a small package and I am aware the initial script was in the region of 100,000 words. This however has been cut back a fair bit, but never the less this is a good book worth buying for both new and experience dart players. I think everyone will gain something from ‘The Official Bar Guide to Darts’. A comprehensive index also makes this book a good reference book when needed. The book is now available is the USA and in the UK from June 2010. Purchases can also be made online from various book sellers and Amazon. June 2010 David King The Darts Bible, How to Play and Win at Darts by David Norton & Patrick McLaughlin with Steve Brown. David, Patrick and Steve have done an excellent job with this modern darts book. It reminded me of an early readers digest format whether that was the intention or not, I am not sure but the colourful and ring binder layout make this book very tactile to read. The book as the name suggests ‘The Darts Bible’ tries to cover a lot of ground from the early history of the modern game both in the US and UK through to how to play as well as covering rules, facts and a history of tournament wins. Steve Brown, legendary US professional darter, contributes well. His advice throughout the book titled ‘Pro tips’ are an inspiration and particularly the section which I call the middle game but referred to here as the setting up, will I am sure help many a darter beginner or not review their tactical throwing. Phil Taylor 15 times world champion also lends his personal advice under the ‘Gospel according to…’ Phil’s mind set reminds us that although darts can be fun sport to be enjoyed maybe over a beer, his single mindedness approach and advice show you why he has won so many tournaments during his career. His advice along with Steve’s will make you think how you approach the sport in future. Features on dartboards, darts both steel and soft-tip, lighting and setup are valuable to the beginner. I particularly like the snippets that are dotted around sections of the book this alone makes this book different from many I have read. How to play advice and rules are covered in depth as well a glossary of the many of the sports stars profiles and achievements. If you’re are fed up of just playing 501 or cricket then I suggest you have a read of the numerous games that are featured as I am sure you will find something  here that you will want to play. If anything this book is a good reference book for both the beginner and the more serious player. There is something here for everyone but if I was to be critical in anyway, the fact based detail regarding players are repeated in different context a few times throughout the book and I wonder if the large section taken up by who won what and when was a little too large and would be better served with more technical advice from Steve and Phil. All in all a very good darts book that I would recommend to any dart player regardless of play level. The book is now available form all good book shops and internet book selling sites. Amazon June 2010 David King Trina Gulliver & Bob Anderson Exhibition. Eight time ladies world dart champion Trina Gulliver has now teamed up with former men’s world dart champion and league of legends champion’s winner Bob Anderson on the exhibition circuit. If you would like to book these two fantastic players please Click Here. Did you know Trina has been in the World final a record breaking 10 times, since the event started in 2001. Visit her new site www.trina-gulliver.com Got an iPhone or an iPod Touch? Want a cool app? Look no further Winmau and Bullseye have recently released some cool New iPhone and iPod touch apps. Winmau along with Crunchmedia have produce two great apps for scoring dart games '501' and 'Cricket'. There is no need for chalk if you have this in your pocket! Bullseye Sound Board is a great entertainment app which allows you replay 43 nostalgic 'Bullseye' phases, yes you have got it 'Innnn... One!' and yes the famous speedboat features! All apps are available from Apple iPhone App Store. The 'NEW' Bullseye Sound App is now available for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch. The Sound box is similar to the Bullseye keychain box that contains six memorable Jim Bowen and Tony Green catchphrases but with one major differences. The sound box has 41 Bullseye original catchphrases! You can choose between Jim Bowen's sayings, ‘Super Smashing Great’ or the master scorer Tony Green's ‘Innnn…. One…’ and yes the famous ‘Speedboat’ also features. This fun application is going to be a must for all ‘Bullseye fans’ and ‘You'll Like This One’, ‘Bully’s Special Prize’ it’s only 59p!   The Bullseye Sound Board is available now from the Apple iTunes store Click here   Interview with Paul Seigel aka 'Dartoid' - by George Silberzahn With kind permission I have reproduced George Silerzahn interview with the legendary Paul Seigel aka 'Dartoid' For those you who don't know George is an established dart player and author from the USA and Paul has amused us for years with his regular dart articles from around the world. To read the interview Click here Could Bully's next step be in the USA? Checkout the latest on Andrew Woods venture across the pond! Say it with flowers. 'A tribute to Brian Gamlin’ Bury Council, Lancashire competition entry into Royal Horticultural Society ‘Tatton Park’s National Flowerbed Competition’ was inspired by Brian Gamlin the man credited with the modern dartboard numbering sequence. The title of the display being ’A tribute to Brian Gamlin’   Kevin Price with the Silver Gilt award Bury Council RHS competition display ‘A tribute to Brian Gamlin’ Designed to perfection Bury Council RHS Tatton Park Flower Display The Council’s display featured a dartboard made from 2,500 Alternanthera, three darts and a segment of board containing Cineraria cirrus, silver dust, Marigold marvel gold, vanilla, bonanza orange, Begonia dragon wing red, baby wing pink, Coleus gays delight and dark chocolate. Kevin Price from Bury Council said the dartboard alone took five hours to plant. Their effort was award a Silver Gilt by the RHS.  Kevin Price from Bury Council pictured here with David King from Darts501.com Brian Gamlin is thought to have lived in Bury Lancashire during the late 19th century and at the age of 44, produced the devious dartboard numbering system into the fairgrounds we see today boasting ‘No skill required’. Drunks’ had no chance, as the odd segments were a test of sobriety, the darts game ‘round the clock’, in which players have to score with darts in a numerical order, became a great success. However, Gamlin remains to this day an enigma. Darts Historian Dr Patrick Chaplin , along with other interested historians have tried to track down birth and death records of Brian Gamlin without successes. Dr Chaplin also has written to many people with the surname of Gamlin in Bury, Lancashire and Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk in the hope of tracing ancestors of Gamlin again without success. The Bury Times newspaper featured an article on the 13th October 2005 and a further entry on the 27th October 2005 and this also drew a blank. So where did the story originate? In the newly published book ‘Darts in England 1900 – 1939: A social history Dr Chaplin records that Dave Lanning (Sky Sports darts commentator) originally revealed this ‘fact’ in 1979 from information he had culled from the Daily Mirror cuttings library during his research for his ghosted biographical work on the late Welsh darts professional Leighton Rees. The Daily Mirror published details about Gamlin from a reader in Germany after a reader responded to their article ‘Who decided the numbers on a dartboard should be so jumbled and why?’ Gamlin has gone down in history based on this response and until now hasn’t been able to traced. Gamlin was thought to be a travelling man, very possibly a showman, and thus may never be found. Indeed this story may live on without the ‘truth’ every being known. But people in Bury, Lancashire may also wish to know that, according to Dr Chaplin there are two other people who lay claim to be the inventor of the modern dart board; the first being E. Walkers, a wire worker from Leeds. However, the most likely candidate is Thomas Buckle, a wire-worker from Dewsbury, Yorkshire, who is said to have devised the board from a ‘Five board’ a twelve-segment board which he made into a more complex twenty-segment dartboard. Buckles’ board became known as the ‘Yorkshire board’ and was later adapted in the south by the addition of the treble ring to become known as the ‘London board’. Bury’s council’s flower display ‘A tribute to Brian Gamlin’ again begs the questions did this man ever exist? and does Bury have a claim to the invention of the modern dartboard numbering system?” If proof cannot be found soon that a son of Bury, Lancashire invented the modern dartboard then the credit will likely as not go to a Yorkshireman! Maybe this is the last time for someone shed more light on Gamlin! David King Dr Patrick Chaplin - 'Darts in England 1900-1939' June 09 12 Years in the making, Dr Patrick Chaplin reveals the social history of Darts in England 1900 -1939. Self funded, Patrick Chaplin researched the true social history of the sport of darts from its early origins through to the inter war years. The book is a slight revision of Patrick’s academic work used to gain his PhD in 2006. Patrick was later awarded the title of ‘Research Fellow in History’ at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), Cambridge. I have waited a long time to read this book as it truly enlightens how some of the perceived and embellished ‘truths’ came to light. The book covers in detail how the early origins dart and dartboards were manufactured in some cases on an individual local level. Early boards were made from a number of materials including wood and clay! prior the concept and introduction of the sisal, bristle board by the Nodor Company in the 1930’s. Boards also and had local variation and different numbering systems of which some still survive today. Patrick explores the social side of the sport and how the sport developed via the working and upper classes of England. Ever wondered who is credited with the modern numbering system on the dartboard or who was behind the expansion of the sport in the early years? This book tells it all from the emergence of a few entrepreneurs that made the sport accessible to the masses, to the introduction of dart leagues such as the ‘National Darts Association’, the breweries, national newspapers and individuals that took the sport to a new level. The book not only covers the importance of darts as a social sport during these years but how and why it helped to change social attitudes. Darts was not just a working class game played in pubs but also emerged as an upper class activity. During the research Patrick reveals a number of key times that changed the way we see darts today, including the introduction of darts to public houses; how it became the dominant pub game; the acceptance of the ‘Clock’ dartboard as the standard national board; the involvement of the national newspapers reporting and first regional and national competitions. Patrick relives the court case that nearly banned darts from the public house as betting on games of luck was banned in pubs. It took a demonstration at a local court to prove darts was a game of skill and the case was dismissed.  Despite this the city of Liverpool refused to allow the game to be played in public houses during the 1930’s. This was not down to betting but down to the perceived issue that it encouraged a person to drink more, which was an issue with the local authority at the time. Patrick refers to research conducted at the time demonstrating that in fact it didn’t encourage people to drink more, if anything, less. But one thing darts did do for the public house was to encourage more people to their venues. The sport of darts clearly made a significant difference during the social leisure time of the early twentieth century and it is clear from this academic work why it took so long to research. The book is written in an academic format, thus containing all references, research material, conclusion and bibliography. This said if you ever wanted to know about the true history of the sport then this book is a must. The hardback book has a limited print run of 450 copies and although it has a price of £55, it is a must for all dart fans. This book will also appeal to sports historians and social history scholars Due to this limited print run I suggest you order your copy now otherwise you may be disappointed. However Patrick is hoping the book may be published in paperback next year “In my opinion it is the most important book written about the sport of darts and is probably the best book you will ever purchase about this wonderful sport.” < David King A sample chapter and the book is available via direct order from the Manchester University press Click here. Waterston’s online shop Click here. Amazon online shop Click here. Visit the Official Dr Patrick Chaplin's website Click here. June 2009 Dartitis..... 15th December 2006 I am please to say after gaining the required evidence the OED has now entered 'DARTITIS' into the dictionary. Don't rush out to buy the latest version here is the definition.   DARTITIS (a state of nervousness which prevents a player from releasing a dart at the right moment when throwing) More about Dartitis & Dartitis views Darts is a sport - it's official... Sports England recognises darts has a sport Sport England has officially recognising darts as a sporting activity. The decision was approved at a recent Sport England Main Board meeting and paves the way for recognition from other sports councils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. More info from Sports England Read the BDO & PDC reports Do you know?... Do you know all games and rules on this site are free to download in either MS Word or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) If you need an Adobe reader you can download it for free using this link. Golden Web Awards...   Darts501.com receives recognition from the Golden Web Awards. Darts501.com was first recognised by the Golden Web Awards in 2003, it still receives reorganisation for its design and useful content.