Q/1  WHEN DID YOU FIRST START TO PLAY AND WHY.

B.H.  1950 TO PASS THE TIME BEFORE GOING TO THE PALAIS DANCE HALL.

H.G. 1963 BECAUSE I LIKED PLAYING THE GAME.

C.F. 1981 MY BIG BROTHER TAKES THE BLAME. HE WAS  ALREADY PLAYING FOR A TEAM AND THAT GOT ME GOING. HAD A GUT FEELING ABOUT THE GAME. 

Q/2 WHAT WAS THE FIRST TEAM YOU PLAYED FOR IN AN ORGANISED LEAGUE .

B.H.  XL BAR IN FOUNTAINBRIDGE .

H.G.  FIRS BAR IN POLBETH.

C.F  VICTORIA BAR LEITH WINTER LEAGUE DIVISION 2,

Q/3  WHAT STYLE OF DART DO YOU USE.

B.H.  23-24 GRAM SLIM BARREL MEDIUM STEM STANDARD SHAPE FLIGHT . TUNGSTEN DARTS

H.G  TUNGSTEN BARREL 28 GRAMS SHORT STEM STANDARD FLIGHT.

C.F.  21 GRAM WINMAU TOMAHAWKS WHICH HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED TO SUIT MY GRIP.

Q/4  WHAT IS YOUR FINEST MEMORY OF A MATCH OR COMPETITION YOU HAVE PLAYED IN.

B.H.  GETTING TO THE  FOURTH ROUND OF THE LAS VEGAS OPEN LOSING 2-1 TO ERIC BURDEN THE WELSH CAPTAIN.

H.G.  THE FINALS OF THE FOUR MAN TEAM AT STONEYBURN THE BAR CLOSED AR 10.30PM HAD TO DRINK PINTS OF WATER TILL THE MATCH FINISHED AT 2 AM.

C.F.  I HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO PLAY IN SOME GREAT COMPETITIONS. BUT I WOULD HAVE TO SAY WINNING THE MATCH-PLAY DOUBLES WITH ONE OF MY BEST MATES LORNE MITCHELL. WE HAD SAID WE WERE GOING TO DO THE BUSINESS AND DID SO DROPPING ONLY TWO LEGS ALL NIGHT. THERE WAS SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT THAT NIGHT. AND ALSO WINNING THE COUNTY SINGLES TITLE THREE MONTHS AFTER HAVING A MILD STROKE COMES CLOSE TO THAT.

Q/5  CAN YOU RECALL YOUR FIRST 180 WHEN AND WHERE.

B.H.  NO

H.G.  POLBETH LABOUR CLUB 1973.

C.F.  VICTORIA BAR LEITH 1982 A SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

Q/6  WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PROFESSIONAL DART PLAYERS PLEASE AND WHY.

B.H.  JOHN LOWE. ERIC BRISTOW. RAB SMITH. THEY ARE ALL EASY TO TALK TO.

H.G.  ERIC BRISTOW. STEADY PLAYER. JOHN LOWE NICE GUY AND STEADY PLAYER. JOCKY WILSON BECAUSE HE IS SCOTTISH.

C.F.  ERIC BRISTOW THE MAN WHO SAID WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO TO OPPONENTS AND THEN DONE IT. ALTHOUGH NOW MORE BEHIND THE SCENES AT TORNAMENTS WHEN HE GIVES ADVICE/TIPS YOU LISTEN. JOHN PART FOR HIS ATTITUDE TO THE WHOLE GAME THE FIRST OVER SEAS PLAYER TO WIN THE B.D.O  WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. AND SADLY NO LONGER WITH US LEIGHTON REE''S THE BIG DADDY OF WELSH DARTS A MAN WHO LOVED THE GAME AND THE FIRST EVER WORLD PROFESSIONAL CHAMPION.

Q/7  WHO DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN THE BEST LOCAL PLAYER PAST OR PRESENT.

B.H.  ALEC BLACK.

H.G.  DAVID AITKEN

C.F.  THERE'S A TIE HERE BOTH PLAYERS FOR THE SAME REASON THEIR NUMEROUS TITLES SPEAK FOR THEM SELVES TAKE A BOW DAVID NISBET AND JIM MITCHELL.

Q/9 DO YOU LIKE THE WAY DARTS IN YOUR AREA IS PROGRESSING OR ARE THERE ANY CHANGES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

B.H.  YES. BUT WOULD LIKE TO SEE RULES BEING RELAXED.

 H.G.  FINE THE WAY IT IS.

C.F.  PERSONALLY THE ONLY ORGANISATION I SEE DOING THE BUSINESS IN THIS AREA IS THIS LEAGUE. OTHERS COULD DO WELL TO TAKE A LEAF OUT OF ITS BOOK. ON THE COUNTY FRONT I THINK THER JUST MIGHT BE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL AFTER A FEW YEARS IN THE DARK.

Q/9  WHAT GAME STYLE WOULD YOU PREFER YOU PICK 301/501/701.

B.H.  BEST OF 5 X 501.

H.G.  DOUBLE START 301.

C.F.  BEST OF 5 SETS 5 X 501.

Q/10  DO YOU THINK THAT DARTS IS ON THE WAY BACK.

B.H.  YES.

H.G.  YES.

C.F.  I DO THINK IT IS ON THE WAY BACK ITS A PITY THAT EUROSPORTS COVERAGE OF THE OPENS RAN INTO DIFFICULTIES. THE ONLY DOWN SIDE I SEE IS THE CROWDS AT THE PREMIER LEAGUE ON SKY ARE GETTING A BIT DISRESPECTFUL TO SAY THE LEAST.

Q/11 WHAT DO YOU THINK LEAGUE ORGANISERS COMMITTEE PEOPLE CAN DO TO MAKE DARTS MORE ATTRACTIVE TO THE WIDER AUDIENCE AND PERHAPS ATTRACT YOUNGER PLAYERS.

B.H.  WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUTH CLUBS ETC BEING INVOLVED. I USED TO OFFICIATE AT THE SCOTTISH YOUTH CLUBS CHAMPIONSHIPS BUT THERE WER NEVER ANY ENTRIES FROM WEST LOTHIAN. WHEN I TOOK THE QUESTION TO THE WEST LOTHIAN COUNCIL. THE ANSWER I GOT BACK WAS THEY DID NOT HAVE A LIST OF YOUTH CLUBS OR ANY INVOLVEMENT WITH THEM!

H.G.  NOT SURE.

C.F.  HARD TO GET YOUTHS INVOLVED WITH DARTS BUT MAYBE INVOLVEMENT AT YOUTH CLUB LEVEL WOULD HELP.WHEN YOU DO GET YOUNGER PLAYERS IN THE LEAGUE TO PLAY FOR YOU DO NOT USE THEM AS STOP GAPS BUT GIVE THEM A CHANCE. ENCOURAGE THEMI HAVE TWO YOUNG PLAYERS IN MY TEAM CRAIG AGNEW AND CRAIG GILLAND THEY NEED TO BE GIVENTIME TO ENJOY THE GAME. WE NEED TO BE THERE FOR THEM!