After 45 years, 42 of them as an official of which 31 years as Chairman, my involvement with the Lancashire County Darts comes to an end today. I have mixed emotions, as I have made many lifelong friends throughout Lancashire, with Brian & Chris Clare and the kids and now their kids, being a massive part of our lives for virtually all this time, my best man at our wedding, and godparents to our children.
However I do leave with a sour taste in my mouth after the situation at last year’s AGM, a situation which had I reflected on the day, was the straw which broke the camel’s back, compounded at the first game of the season against Cheshire, and the underhanded event which took place.

I think in the time I spent with Lancashire and the many lovely people I have met, and even more importantly the many great people who had Lancashire at the heart of everything in their lives, so many, but I have to say most of my life as a member of this great Organisation, was Bruce Boniface, sadly no longer with us, Bruce and the committee, built Lancashire up from the original 10 team super league County to the biggest in the country with over 70 teams competing. I make no apology for both of us being fervent BDO and England Darts supporters, and whilst in the early days we could have taken the county across the darts divide, I think it was the right decision, and one I would always maintain, was in the best interest of Lancashire darts, had I have to make the choice I would do exactly the same again.

In our time together we maintained a standard of production of county matches unsurpassed, our stage presentation were always of the highest quality, in fact we were the first County to introduce music and walkons, and our Lancashire Hotpots dancing on stage, I remember one county saying we are here to play darts not listen to music, but our initiative is now common place across darts worldwide, but we were the first, with Geoff Morton doing the DJ job at our venue in Morecambe.

Our internal systems again unrivaled for information available freely to the 1000+ members we have annually, special mention to my mate Malcolm Poole, whom we spent many years developing the system, and steering the computer programmers into what we see today, where anyone, can pull up players, teams, and see individual performances or team performances. Our Super league with an annual prize fund of over £14,000, again sets the standard for everyone.

Although we won many titles during this time, there is no doubting our neighbours and close rivals Yorkshire have just edged it on us, but I suppose being probably the second best county in Britain on championship wins, is not a bad legacy.

So that’s it, end of an era, and like many people throughout the BDO system, we have done this at the detriment of our family lives, but looking back 99% of it has been a pleasure, the endless hours involved in organising not just the super leagues, but county matches, the transport, accommodation, the play-offs for Winmau, Gold Cup, England National Singles, Lancashire Open sadly not currently in the calendar.

I would like to wish all the players from all the Super Leagues, the current committee who are now the custodians of this great County and lastly my friends, a successful future, time will tell if the County will continue in the vein of the previous 45 years, or chooses another path, but it will no longer be my problem, but I do hope we don’t go down the alternative route of making other events a priority, which unfortunately it is looking very much on the agenda. Super League and County darts is the most important step any player can make, if they have ambitions to further their careers 99% of all the top players, from either codes started off, by this method, it is impossible to come from pub darts into world darts, Super League and County darts, are the only sensible way forward.

Good Luck and thanks
Tommy T

Can't edit subject title. It needs another T

devosteve wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 12:38 pm Can't edit subject title. It needs another T

Allow me

Irene not get a mention?

What was this about the agm and game against Cheshire?

Ginge wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 12:40 pm Irene not get a mention?

taoge pacs?

Paddy McGinty wrote:

Ginge wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 12:40 pm Irene not get a mention?

taoge pacs?

Hic?

Ginge wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 12:56 pm

Paddy McGinty wrote:

Ginge wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 12:40 pm Irene not get a mention?

taoge pacs?

Hic?

No, not yet.

BlueSpark wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 12:44 pm What was this about the agm and game against Cheshire?

I was there all weekend including a couple of beers with TT on the Sat night. Nothing between the 2 teams at all, must have been some internal politics.

True story.

Here we go again. Chasing day has started on multiple threads.......

devosteve wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 12:36 pm Time will tell if the County will continue in the vein of the previous 45 years, or chooses another path, but it will no longer be my problem, but I do hope we don’t go down the alternative route of making other events a priority, which unfortunately it is looking very much on the agenda. Super League and County darts is the most important step any player can make, if they have ambitions to further their careers 99% of all the top players, from either codes started off, by this method, it is impossible to come from pub darts into world darts, Super League and County darts, are the only sensible way forward.

What do you think of his last point?
Surely leagues and super league will still continue. I guess county is still needed as well.

Will more and more players bypass the county system? The 99% figure must come in the future.

devosteve wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 3:03 pm

devosteve wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 12:36 pm Time will tell if the County will continue in the vein of the previous 45 years, or chooses another path, but it will no longer be my problem, but I do hope we don’t go down the alternative route of making other events a priority, which unfortunately it is looking very much on the agenda. Super League and County darts is the most important step any player can make, if they have ambitions to further their careers 99% of all the top players, from either codes started off, by this method, it is impossible to come from pub darts into world darts, Super League and County darts, are the only sensible way forward.

What do you think of his last point?
Surely leagues and super league will still continue. I guess county is still needed as well.

Will more and more players bypass the county system? The 99% figure must come in the future.

The fundamental thing is that darts has closed scoring, so players have a consistent way to gauge their performance against others.

High-level competition helps with the experience of playing under pressure, but increasingly, the PDC's lower-level tours and Q School can provide that, the JDC offers organised darts from a young age and in the age of the Internet, mobile communications and GPS, it's become easier to organise, find and travel to competition.

The County system is just one structure for providing some high-level competition. Take it away and something else would fill the time.

1205 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 4:10 pm

The County system is just one structure for providing some high-level competition. Take it away and something else would fill the time.

If the country system is to survive it need to evolve and change. Its barely changed in the 45 years it has been in existence and whilst it had been very successful the reason for its success was , at that moment in time, there was really no other regular options for players to play at a higher standard than Super League.

Now as other have pointed out there is a plethora of choices and routes for people to take if they wish to see if they have the game to be a professional.

With Des begin the highly successful futurist visionary entrepreneur that he is can he see the writing on the wall does he have a plan to evolve the BICC ? and perhaps more importantly who now outside of anyone who plays county cares about it or if it continues ?

el_ringo wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 8:18 pm

1205 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 4:10 pm

The County system is just one structure for providing some high-level competition. Take it away and something else would fill the time.

If the country system is to survive it need to evolve and change. Its barely changed in the 45 years it has been in existence and whilst it had been very successful the reason for its success was , at that moment in time, there was really no other regular options for players to play at a higher standard than Super League.

Now as other have pointed out there is a plethora of choices and routes for people to take if they wish to see if they have the game to be a professional.

With Des begin the highly successful futurist visionary entrepreneur that he is can he see the writing on the wall does he have a plan to evolve the BICC ? and perhaps more importantly who now outside of anyone who plays county cares about it or if it continues ?

Eh?

God bless you TT. A true man of darts.

el_ringo wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 8:18 pm

1205 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 21, 2019 4:10 pm

The County system is just one structure for providing some high-level competition. Take it away and something else would fill the time.

If the country system is to survive it need to evolve and change. Its barely changed in the 45 years it has been in existence and whilst it had been very successful the reason for its success was , at that moment in time, there was really no other regular options for players to play at a higher standard than Super League.

Now as other have pointed out there is a plethora of choices and routes for people to take if they wish to see if they have the game to be a professional.

With Des begin the highly successful futurist visionary entrepreneur that he is can he see the writing on the wall does he have a plan to evolve the BICC ? and perhaps more importantly who now outside of anyone who plays county cares about it or if it continues ?

''This will be the last year at Lakeside''

mshaw2 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2019 9:00 pm

''This will be the last year at Lakeside''

I think in all honesty while Mr Potter still draws breath it is never realistically going to go anywhere else just look at the palava with the Masters & Trophy sponsors and prize money etc . No one can sanely believe that anyone is ever going to trump the cash Lakeside stumps every year.