WEST CALDER LEAGUE PLAYERS REPRESENTING THE COUNTY WERE. IAIN MCLEAN OF MCMILLAN’S. PLAYING FOR THE COUNTY (B) IAIN GOT OF TO A FLYER WITH HIS SCORING, TWENTIES WERE EASY. BUT UNFORTUNATELY DOUBLE TROUBLE COST HIM DEAR IN THE LATTER STAGES OF THIS MATCH. JOCK GIRDWOOD (COWBOY) OF THE RAILWAY HOTEL WEST CALDER. WAS ALSO PLAYING IN THE (B) TEAM. IT SAW THE FORMER COUNTY CAPTAIN PLAY AN EXCELLENT GAME IN SECURING A FINE WIN WITH THE MATCH GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE FINAL LEG 3-2 TO THE COWBOY. BIG J J WALKER A COMMERCIAL (A) TEAM PLAYER. WAS PLAYING FOR THE (A) TEAM, HE LOOKED LIKE A WINNER RECORDING AN EXCELLENT (180) BUT ONCE AGAIN HIS FINISHING POWER JUST SEEMED TO ELUDE HIM AT THE FINAL THROW, A NEW SET OF DARTS AND 4 GRAMS LIGHTER THAN HIS NORMAL 32 GRAM HEAVY WEIGHTS MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE DIFFERENCE IN THIS GAME. THE SILVER FOX HIMSELF BOB HALL FROM MCMILLAN’S IN DEANS. PLAYING FOR THE COUNTY (A) ONCE AGAIN SHOWED HIS CLASS WITH SOME SUPERB SCORING TREBLE TWENTIES SEEM SO EASY FOR THIS STALWART OF THE COUNTY SCENE AND HE OPENED THE COUNTY (A) TEAMS ACCOUNT WITH A FINE WIN I CAN HARDLY REMEMBER A MATCH RECENTLY WHEN BOB HALL HASN’T LOOKED ANYTHING BUT IMPRESSIVE. ALSO BACK IN THE COUNTY SQUAD AFTER A FIVE YEAR ABSENCE SAW JIM MITCHELL OF THE COMMERCIAL (B) TEAM SELECTED FOR THE COUNTY (A) NOT FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS IN THE EARLY STAGES IT SAW A GRITTY PERFORMANCE NOT FOR THE PURISTS BUT JIM MANAGED TO PULL THE MATCH BACK TO ALL SQUARE WITH A FINAL LEG DECIDER WHICH HE MANAGED TO WIN TO TAKE THE GAME 3-2. MISSING FROM THE COUNTY SQUAD IT SAW LADY PLAYER LYDIA BARROWMAN NOT PLAYING. I HOPE THIS IS NOT A PERMANENT FEATURE AS LYDIA HAS PROVEN HERSELF TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO BE ONE OF THE FINEST LADY PLAYERS IN SCOTLAND AND WILL BE SADLY MISSED IF SHE DECIDES NOT TO REPRESENT HER COUNTY TEAM. HOPEFULLY THIS IS JUST A SABBATICAL WHICH WILL SOON END.

SCROLL OF HONOUR 2005 2006 SEASON.

THE BIG HITTERS PAGE

SCROLL OF HONOUR 2005-2006 SEASON.

BULLS EYE AND TON PLUS GAME SHOTS.

WELL WITH THE LEAGUE NOW UNDER WAY IT SAW THE LIVINGSTON INN RECORD A 9 TO 0 WIN OVER THE NEW MURRAY TEAM THE SCORE LINE LOOKS EMPHATIC BUT FROM WHAT IM TOLD THERE WERE SOME VERY CLOSE MATCHES AND THE GAMES WENT DOWN TO THE WIRE ON MANY OCCASIONS.

IN THE K.O. CUP IT SAW THE COMMERCIAL A TEAM TAKE HOME ADVANTAGE IN GOING UP BY 3 LEGS TO 1 OVER THE RAILWAY TEAM ALSO FROM WEST CALDER UNFORTUNATELY THAT WAS THEIR LAST PLUS OF THIS MATCH WITH THE RAILWAY WINNING THE NEXT FOUR MATCHES TO WIN BY 5 GAMES TO 3.

RECORDING THE FIRST 180 OF THE NEW SEASON WAS HAROLD GIRDWOOD OF THE RAILWAY (LIFE IN THE OLD DOG YET).

ALSO PRODUCING SOME SUPERB SCORING SAW JOE DEVLIN OF THE STIRRUP STANE HAVE A SUPERB SCORING SEQUENCE OF 120/125/140/60/60/100 IN HIS K.O. CUP MATCH ON THE 26^TH OF SEPTEMBER AGAINST THE COMMERCIAL {B} AND WITH SCORING LIKE THIS HE WILL BE A HARD MAN TO CATCH THIS SEASON IF THIS FORM IS ANYTHING TO GO BY.

K.O.CUP. WITH THE RAILWAY AT HOME TO THE LIVINGSTON INN THIS WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A CRACKER OF A MATCH WITH BOTH TEAMS FIELDING EXCELLENT PLAYERS, THIS TIME ROUND IT SAW STUART TAITS TEAM FROM THE VILLAGE TAKE THE HONOURS BUT IM SURE COME THE LEAGUE FIXTURES THE RAILWAY WILL BE LOOKING TO TRY AND PUT THINGS STRAIGHT.

JOHN BRUTON THE CAPTAIN OF THE NEW COMMERCIAL {B} TEAM WILL BE TRYING TO MOULD THIS TEAM LIKE HIS LAST THREE TEAMS (THE LOCAL/PARAFFIN LAMP/LIVINGSTON INN) WHERE HE CAPTAINED THREE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS AND THREE K.O. CUP WINNING TEAMS IN FOUR YEARS. THIS SEASON MAY BE SLIGHTLY HARDER WITH A LOT OF NEW FACES AND SOME PLAYERS JOINING WHO HAVEN’T PLAYED IN LEAGUE COMPETITIONS FOR ALMOST TWENTY YEARS. TIME WILL TELL IF THE OLD MAGIC IS STILL THEY’RE WHO KNOWS.

THE DEANS TEAM OF McMILLANS LOOK ON PAPER TO BE THE STRONGEST TEAM IN THE LEAGUE AND WITH EVERY ONE OF THEIR PLAYERS TO COUNTY STANDARD AND NO PASSENGERS ON THEIR TEAM SHEET THEY MUST LOOK ODDS ON FAVOURITES TO WIN THE LEAGUE AGAIN. (MCMILLANS) WITH LAST YEARS TITLE SECURELY UNDER THEIR BELT THEY WILL NOT WANT TO RELINQUISH THE TITLE WITH OUT A FIGHT AND I BELIEVE IT WILL TAKE GREAT COMMITMENT FROM THE REST OF THE LEAGUE TO CATCH THEM.

EVERY ONE WILL BE HARD PUSHED TO COPE WITH THEM BUT YOU NEVER KNOW STRANGE RESULTS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO OCCUR ON MONDAY NIGHT DARTS.

(WE WILL SEE)

THE TAPSHOP UNDER BIG PANAMA FRANK BEGLEY COULD HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THESE YEARS EVENTUAL WINNERS.IF FRANK CAN GET THE PLAYERS WHO LIVE LOCAL IN MID -CALDER TO START PLAYING DARTS IN THE TAPSHOP IN STEAD OF IN EDINBURGH IT COULD SEE A VERY TALENTED SIDE COMING FROM THE MID CALDER MAIN STREET THIS YEAR.

ALSO BACK FROM RETIREMENT IT SEE’S THE RETURN OF TAM RITCHIE. WHO AT THE AGE OF 70 YEARS YOUNG. HAS BROUGHT HIS DARTS OUT OF RETIREMENT TO JOIN THE STIRRUP STANE B TEAM. TAM WHO WAS A STALWART OF THE PARAFFIN LAMP TEAM BACK IN THE 70/80’S AND A WINNER OF MANY CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE EDINBURGH AREA IN THE 60’S WILL. I KNOW BE TRYING TO TURN BACK THE CLOCK TO THOSE TITLE WINNING DAYS. WE WISH HIM EVERY SUCCESS. TAMS TWO SON’S ALSO PLAY DARTS GEORGE PLAYS WITH STUART TAITS LIVINGSTON INN TEAM. AND HIS OTHER SON ROBERT PLAYS FOR THE VERY SUCCESSFUL LOTHIAN COUNTY SQUAD A TRUE DARTING FAMILY.

SATURDAY THE 1st OCTOBER SAW THE COUNTY PLAY OFFS FOR THE FORMER EMBASSY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS. BOTH BOB HALL AND JIM MITCHELL WERE INVOLVED IN THIS COMPETITION. BOB HALL DEFEATED MICKEY RICE OF WHITBURN BY THREE GAMES TO ONE AND BY THREE GAMES TO TWO IN THE QUARTER FINALS FOR A TWO SETS TO NIL VICTORY. JIM WAS PLAYING WILLIE CUNNINGHAM OF SHOTTS IN THE QUARTER FINALS WHO LAST YEAR HAD WON THE LANARKSHIRE COUNTY PLAY OFFS.

JIM RECORDED TWO SETS TO NIL WIN WITH TWO THREE TO NIL WINS IN BOTH SETS. WITH BOB THE DEFENDING CHAMPION OF LAST YEAR IT SAW BOB AND JIM LOCK HORNS IN THE SEMI FINAL STAGES. JIM TOOK THE FIRST SET BY THREE GAMES TO NIL.

BUT BACK CAME BOB TAKING THE NEXT TWO LEGS IN SET TWO ONLY TO SEE JIM LEVEL THE MATCH AT TWO A PIECE BOB THEN STEPPED UP THE GEARS AND ANNEXED THE FIFTH LEG TO WIN BY THREE GAMES TO TWO. THIRD AND FINAL SET SAW BOB HAVE FOUR DARTS AT A DOUBLE IN THE FIRST LEG WHICH HE MISSED UP STEPPED JIM AND WITH A VITAL 94 CHECK OUT HE TURNED THE TIDE AND STARTING THE NEXT LEG WITH A MAXIMUM 180 IT SAW JIM GO ON TO WIN BY THREE GAMES TO NIL AND REACH THE FINAL.

WAITING FOR JIM IN THE FINAL WAS JAMIE BISHOP OF BREICH. THREE GAMES TO NIL SECURED THE FIRST SET FOR JIM WITH JAMIE SITTING ON CHECK OUTS IN EACH OF THE LEGS. SECOND SET SAW A 14 DART LEG WITH A VERY TASTY BULL DOUBLE FOURTEEN KILL FOR JIM TO GO ONE UP. THIS SAW THE WAY FOR A 132 CHECK OUT IN THE NEXT LEG VIA BULL BULL DOUBLE SIXTEEN. ONE LEG AWAY FROM QUALIFYING FOR THE PLAY OFFS IN BRIDLINGTON AND THOUGH JAMIE THROW EVERYTHING HE HAD AT JIM IT SAW A SINGLE 15 DOUBLE 16 FINISH TAKE THE SET BY THREE GAMES TO NIL. JIM MITCHELL NOW GOES TO BRIDLINGTON ON THE 20^TH OCTOBER FOR THE INTERNATIONAL PLAY OFFS REPRESENTING WEST CALDER AND DISTRICT DARTS AND WEST LOTHIAN COUNTY. JIM PLAYS FOR THE COMMERCIAL INN WEST CALDER.

MONDAY THE 3 OCT SAW A FABULOUS SCORING PERFORMANCE FROM EAST CALDER’S RAB O FLAHERTY WITH A 180 AND NO LESS THAN SIX OTHER SCORES OF A TON OR BETTER IN HIS MATCH AT THE COMMERCIAL INN WEST CALDER.

ALSO HITTING SUPERB FORM SAW BOB STEWART OF THE STIRRUP STANE RECORD AN 18 AND A 20 DART GAME WITH 4 X 100, 2X125, 1X180. SOME SHOOTING AND A SUPERB 26.36 DART AVERAGE.

JUST BEHIND BOB WAS LIVINGSTON INN PLAYER CHRIS FORSYTH WITH A 19 AND A 20 DART GAME FOR A DART AVERAGE OF25.69.

EXCELLENT STUFF THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON.

ONLY OTHER RECORDED FAST LEG SAW JIM MITCHELL RECORD A 19 DART GAME FOR THE COMMERCIAL INN.

NO LESS THAN 8 MAXIMUMS HAVE BEEN RECORDED SO FAR.

THIS IS RED HOT PLAY BY PLAYERS THROUGH OUT THE LEAGUE KEEP IT GOING AND THE 180 RECORDS COULD WELL FALL THIS YEAR.

IN THE SIN BIN IS JJ WALKER FOR WALKING OFF THE COUNTY STAGE WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE STAYED TO FINISH MARKING. AND ALSO LORNE MITCHELL WHO SHOWED VERY UNGENTLE MANLY CONDUCT IN HIS MATCH AGAINST THE MCMILLAN’S TEAM OF DEANS.

REMEMBER PEOPLE IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE. A GOOD NIGHT OUT LETS TRY AND HAVE ONE (WHAT’S THE CHANCE)

RED HOT GAMES 21 DARTS AND UNDER.

NEWS FLASH JUST IN THE STIRRUP STANE A TEAM PLAYER RECORDS YET AN OTHER 180 MAXIMUM IN THE WEST CALDER AND DISTRICT LEAGUE ON THE 10 OCTOBER.

THE PLAYERS FROM THE STIRRUP CERTAINLY SEEM TO BE MAKING THEIR INTENTIONS KNOWN THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON WELL DONE CAMERON MIGHTON.

FACTS YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT OUR LEAGUE SECRETARY FIN DRUMMOND.

1/ HE HAS SERVED THE LEAGUE FOR 28 SEASONS AND WHEN A LOT OF PUBS DID NOT WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH DARTS THIS MAN KEPT IT ALIVE THROUGH HARD WORK AND PERSEVERANCE.

2/ HE IS THE CAPTAIN OF THE VERY SUCCESSFUL MCMILLANS TEAM FROM DEANS VILLAGE.

3/ HE HAS BEEN RUNNER UP NO LESS THAN 5 TIMES IN THE 301 SINGLES.

4/ AND HE IS THE ONLY MAN SO FAR THIS SEASON TO HAVE HIT 2 X 180’S IN THE SAME MATCH IN CONSECUTIVE LEGS.

5/ AND I REALISE YOU PROBABLY ALL KNOW THIS HE IS THE OLDEST MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE. (WITH OUT A DOUBT)

OUT IN THE RAIN LAST SUNDAY SAW THE WEST LOTHIAN COUNTY SIDE AWAY TO RENFREW SHIRE IN THE COUNTIES.

ON COUNTY DUTY LAST WEEK- END IT SAW THREE REPRESENTATIVES FROM OUR MONDAY NIGHT LEAGUE ON THE LOSING SIDE.

THE WEATHER WAS WET AND MISERABLE BUT THE RECEPTION FROM THE RENFREW SHIRE COUNTY TEAM WAS NOT THEY WERE RED HOT.

BOB HALL LOSING OUT TO SCOTTISH INTERNATIONAL MARK BARRELLI 3-0 IN A CRACKING HIGH SCORING MATCH.

JIM MITCHELL LOSING 3-2 TO SCOTTISH INTERNATIONAL JOHN MURDOCK. A MATCH, WHICH INCLUDED NO LESS THAN 8 SCORES OVER 140.

AND IAIN MCLEAN WHO WAS PROMOTED TO THE COUNTY A TEAM WENT DOWN BY 3-0 BUT THIS IS GOOD EXPERIENCE AND IM SURE THE TIDE WILL TURN FOR IAIN WHO IS CERTAINLY COMMITTED TO THE DARTS SCENE IN THIS AREA.

MISSING FROM THE COUNTY LINE UP WAS JOCK GIRDWOOD FROM BLACKBURN.

ALIAS THE COWBOY HE WAS CERTAINLY MISSED, HOPE TO SEE HIM BACK SOON.

KNOCK. OUT. CUP.

VENUE THE DOO CLUB.

AS EXPECTED IT SAW THE MCMILLAN’S TEAM PLAYING A VERY STRONG LINE UP OF PLAYERS. AND IT SAW THEM STORM THROUGH TO THE FINAL OF THE K.O. CUP.

DOING A DEMOLITION JOB ON THE COMMERCIAL B TEAM BY 5-1 THE MCMILLAN’S TEAM ARE QUITE SIMPLY ON PAPER THE STRONGEST TEAM IN THE LEAGUE AND WHAT USED TO BE KNOWN AS A SELECT TEAM IN THE OLD DAYS.BUT HAVING PLAYED WITH ALMOST ALL THESE MC MILLAN’S PLAYERS MYSELF I CAN TELL YOU ALL THEY ARE REALLY A GOOD BUNCH OF GUYS WHO HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR A LONG TIME THROUGH THICK AND THIN.AND APART FROM MATT THE (SHIRT MAN) PURDIE WHOSE DRESS SENSE HAS TO BE SEEN TO BE BELIEVED.

BUT I SUPPOSE WITH OLD AGE THINGS DON’T GET ANY EASIER FOR THOSE WHO LISTEN TO RADIO 2 HE IS CERTAINLY A TOG FOR YOU YOUNGER PLAYERS HE IS A DEVOTE TERRY WOGAN FOLLOWER WITH OUT A DOUBT.

ON THE OTHER HAND HE COULD RECYCLE THEM AND POLISH THE TAXI! MEETING THEM IN THE FINAL WAS A REJUVENATED TAP SHOP TEAM WHO WERE QUITE OUTSTANDING IN THEIR SEMI FINAL VICTORY OVER THE LIVINGSTON INN 3-3 AFTER THE SINGLES AND TWO QUICK DOUBLES VICTORIES AND THEIR PLACE IN THE FINAL WAS GUARANTEED.

BIG FRANK BEGLEY HAS STARTED THE SEASON OF WELL HIS PLAYERS FROM WHAT I CAN SEE ARE OVER FLOWING WITH CONFIDENCE AND THAT IS GOOD FOR THE LEAGUE IN ITS SELF.

THE FINAL WAS MCMILLAN’S VERSUS TAP SHOP.

UNFORTUNATELY THE SCORE LINE FOR THE FINAL DOESN’T DO THE MATCHES THEM SELVES JUSTICE THE MCMILLAN’S MEN RAN OUT 5-0 WINNERS OVER THE TAP SHOP BUT WITH A TROPHY UNDER THEIR BELT I CAN SEE MORE SILVERWARE HEADING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE MID CALDER OUTFIT THIS SEASON IF THEIR SEMI FINAL IS ANYTHING TO GO BY. PLAYER OF THE NIGHT (MATT PURDIE TAXI !) MCMILLAN’S.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS FLASH.

INTERNATIONAL PLAY OFFS FOR THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. JIM MITCHELL PLAYED JUAN LOPEZ SPANISH INTERNATIONAL.

FIRST SET SAW JIM GO 2-0 UP ONLY TO SEE THE SPANIARD LEVEL AT 2-2 JIM MISSED DOUBLE SIXTEEN OF A 68 CHECKOUT AND THE SPANIARD DID NOT FIRST SET LOST.

SECOND SET SAW JAUN LOPEZ HAVE THE THROW BUT JIM MANAGED TO BREAK STRAIGHT BACK AND TAKE THE SET 3-1.

FINAL SET SAW JIM TAKE THE FIRST LEG AND SITTING ON TOPS AFTER 15 DARTS IN THE SECOND SAW NO LESS THAN SIX DARTS ALL ROUND DOUBLE TWENTY BUT NOT IN IT, JUAN THEN CHECKED OUT ON 100 TO LEVEL UP. AND HE MADE NO MISTAKE IN THE NEXT JIM LEFT HIMSELF ON DOUBLE 18 IN THE FOURTH LEG BUT NEVER GOT A SHOT FINAL SET TO THE SPANISH INTERNATIONAL.

NO COMPLAINTS THE BETTER MAN ON THE DAY WON FINAL RESULT WAS 2-3/3-1/1-3  THE ONLY CONSOLATION BEING JIM MANAGED TO HIT THE 180’S UNFORTUNATELY DOUBLES WIN GAMES NOT BIG SCORES.

ALSO GOING OUT IN THE LAKESIDE PLAY OFFS IN THE FIRST ROUND WERE GREAT NAME PLAYERS (BOBBY GEORGE) (LES FITTON) AND IN THE WORLD MASTERS FIRST ROUND IT SAW (ANDY FORDAM) JOIN THE FIRST ROUND CASUALTIES SOME TOP NAMES THEIR IS NO DOUBT THE STANDARD OF DARTS IS IMPROVING ALL OVER THE WORLD, PLAYERS FROM JAPAN, BELGIUM, GERMANY AND GIBRALTAR WERE JUST A FEW THAT I CAN MENTION.

THE JUNIOR PLAYERS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES WERE EXCEPTIONAL AND QUITE SIMPLY WORTH WATCHING THEM SELVES FOR THE CALIBRE OF DARTS THEY THROW.

I WAS PRIVILEGED TO BE STAYING IN THE SAME HOTEL AS THE GIBRALTAR INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS AND THE SENIOR PLAYERS DOWN TO THE YOUNG TEENAGERS COULD ALL PLAY AND I MEAN PLAY, THE QUESTION I HAVE. IS HOW FAR DOES OUR LEAGUE BOUNDARY STRETCH NEW SIGNINGS FOR NEXT YEAR?

24^TH OCTOBER THIS WEEK IT SAW SOME SUPERB THROWING FROM PLAYERS IN THE LEAGUE WITH BOB HALL PLAYING OUTSTANDING DARTS WHICH INCLUDED A MAGICAL 13 DART LEG FABULOUS STUFF.

ALSO HITTING THE BIG SCORES IT SAW BOTH JOHN KIRK AND BOB HALL RECORD EXCELLENT 177‘S. WELL DONE TO BOTH PLAYERS THIS PUTS THEM ONTO THE BIG HITTERS LIST.

REMEMBER SCORES OVER 171 TO 180 ALL COUNT.

JAMIE FLEMING WAS ALSO IN ON THE ACT FOR THE COMMERCIAL INN. WITH A QUALITY 18 DART LEG AS WAS JIM MITCHELL BOTH MATCHES WERE AGAINST THE MURRAY BAR OF POLBETH.

ALSO RECORDING A VERY NICE 19 DART GAME IN THE PAIRS WAS THE COMMERCIAL’S WILLIE CURRIER AND JIM MITCHELL.

31 OCT

HITTING THE BIG CHECK OUTS SAW THE POLBETH MAN ANDY BRADY RECORD A SUPERB 152 GAME SHOT IN THE LEAGUE ON MONDAY THE 31st OCTOBER ANDY PLAYS FOR THE MURRAY BAR IN POLBETH.

ALSO RECORDING HIS SECOND MAXIMUM OF THE YEAR WAS THE

MAN ON FORM FOR HIS TEAM RAB O’FLAHERTY OF THE EAST CALDER A TEAM.

AND ALSO REPORTING SOME BIG HITTING FROM THE RAILWAY IN WEST CALDER WITH ALAN WILSON RECORDING HIS SECOND MAXIMUM 180 OF THE SEASON.

AND WITH TEAM MATE GARY FINLAYSON HAVING A VERY NICE 113 FINISH IN HIS LEAGUE MATCH.

ALSO FROM THE RAILWAY IT SAW STUART RUSSELL GET ON THE TEAM SHEET WITH A VERY GOOD KILL OUT IN 17 DARTS.

THE STANDARD IS CERTAINLY HEATING UP AND IM SURE THERE IS A LOT MORE TO FOLLOW.

THE LAST WEEKEND IN OCTOBER SAW THE ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE TO THE GALLOWAY OPEN, WHICH IS USUALLY HELD IN SUNNY STRANREAR. THIS YEAR HOWEVER THERE WAS A NEW VENUE THE WHITHORN CARAVAN PARK AT BARROWHEAD. IRISH SEA NEXT STOP.

TRAVELLING DOWN SAW STEVIE AND ALISON DUNCAN ALONG WITH STUART TAIT AND JIM MITCHELL.

THE MEN’S SINGLES SAW BOTH STUART AND STEVIE TAKING EARLIER BATHS THAN THEY WOULD HAVE LIKED.

JIM HOWEVER MANAGED ONCE AGAIN TO MAKE IT THROUGH TO THE BOARD FINAL. BUT COULD NOT FIND THE FORM THAT TOOK OUT JOE MURTAGH FROM NORTHERN IRELAND 3-2 WHICH INCLUDED 110 AND 111 FINISHES.

AND ALSO SCOTTISH INTERNATIONAL GEORGE MCLEAN BY THE SAME SCORE 3-2.

IN THE SEMI-FINAL IT SAW ALAN CAVES A DUMFRIES COUNTY A TEAM PLAYER GO DOWN 3-0 TO JIM.

BUT THAT WAS IT.

BILL BESTWICK OF NOTT’S TOOK NO PRISONERS AND WITH A SUPERB 14 DART LEG IN THE FIRST GAME AND HITTING HIS THREE DOUBLES WITH THREE DARTS TOOK JIM OUT BY A SCORE LINE OF 0-3. FOURTH TIME IN SIX YEARS JIM HAS LOST IN THE BOARD FINAL WHEN WILL HE LEARN DOUBLES WIN GAMES.

IN THE MIXED PAIRS IT SAW STUART TAIT OF DEDRIDGE AND SHELLY KEARNY OF WHITBURN TAKE OUT ALISON AND STEVIE DUNCAN BY THREE GAMES TO NIL.

AND NOT MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THE MIXED TRIPLES IT SAW THE TEAM OF ALISON, JIM AND STEVIE LOSE OUT TO GEORGE MCLEAN, ANDY BOUGHY AND JEANNETTE HIGGINSON TWO INTERNATIONALS IN THAT SQUAD BY TWO LEGS TO NIL. IF JIM AND STEVIE COULD HAVE PLAYED AS WELL AS ALISON THERE JUST MIGHT HAVE BEEN A GLIMMER OF HOPE. BUT THAT’S AN OTHER STORY?

DON’T KNOW IF THERE WILL BE A WEST CALDER CONTINGENT GOING NEXT YEAR AS THE CARAVAN SITE IS WELL OF THE BEATEN TRACK AND TAKE’S ABOUT FOUR HOURS DRIVING ALONG SOME BUMPY (B) ROADS. COULD BE FURTHER A FIELD MAYBE THE ISLE OF MAN OPEN, BOB HALL GOES THERE (MUST BE GOOD)

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO WISH ALISON AND STEVIE ALONG WITH STUART ALL THE BEST FOR THEIR NEXT VENTURE THE IRISH OPEN ON THE 11/12 TH NOVEMBER. BE LUCKY!

REPORTING BACK FROM THE LEAGUE MEETING ON WED THE 2^ND NOVEMBER IT SAW A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOLDING AN OTHER EXHIBITION NIGHT IN THE DOO CLUB EAST CALDER ONCE AGAIN JAMIE HARVEY HAS BEEN SUGGESTED FOR THE EVENINGS ENTERTAINMENT. WE WILL WAIT AND SEE WHAT SORT OF RESPONSE WE CAN GET THIS YEAR BEFORE GOING AHEAD WITH THE NIGHT. THIS YEAR WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A DISCO AFTERWARDS SO THIS MIGHT HELP THE ATTENDANCE!

LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THE DELEGATES FINAL VERDICT.

ALSO IT SAW SOME PLAYERS MOVING TEAMS MAINLY THE STIRRUP TEAMS AND THE LIVINGSTON INN WERE INVOLVED.

ALSO REPORTED A BIT OF TROUBLE BREWING WITH ONE OR TWO PLAYERS NOT HAPPY WITH EACH OTHER NO NAMES MENTIONED BUT I HOPE THIS CAN ALL BE RESOLVED WITH OUT TO MUCH TROUBLE. REMEMBER THE ADRENALIN CAN RUN QUITE HIGH ON DARTS NIGHTS. BUT