The age-old game of darts continues to boost trade, as Phil Mellows reports.
It began one rainy day in the middle ages when some anonymous genius brought the archery contest indoors and threw crossbow darts at the end of a beer barrel. Hundreds of years later darts is still with us and going strong. The recent Publican Market Report survey showed most pubs have a dartboard and four in 10 take the game seriously enough to run a team.
In short, despite the growing competition from electronic distractions, darts continues to make a valuable contribution to the life - and the trade - of many community pubs. In fact, it could be playing an increasingly important role in bringing in customers on quiet week nights.
It also continues to attract sponsorship that further fuels the British pub-goers' enthusiasm for the "arrers".
The country's largest sponsored pub darts event, now in its fourth year, is the annual Bodds501, which offers pub players a prize pot of £15,000 - plus another £20,000 for the first team to hit the elusive nine dart finish.
Open to Boddingtons stockists across the north of England, the 2005 tournament, which climaxed in May, attracted more than 1,000 teams. They were whittled down to 64 for the final and it was a social club, rather than a pub, which eventually took home the £3,000 first prize.
Kevin Fitzpatrick, licensee of Manchester's St Kertigerns Centre, keeps a framed copy of the winning cheque on the bar. But darts has brought much more than glory to the club.
Kevin put the team together only a couple of years ago in a bid to build trade. It now has 21 members and plays every Tuesday and Thursday and also holds Sunday afternoon sessions which can attract up to 60 people. There is also a women's darts team which plays on Monday nights.
"It has really boosted my trade. If I didn't have darts I might as well close the bar during the week," he admits, "People don't come out for a beer as regularly as they did in the past."
Success on the dartboard has been reflected behind the bar. "During the Bodds501 sales of Boddingtons went up significantly," says Kevin. "It was a good seller for us anyway but this has certainly helped to build sales. During the qualifying rounds, the games used to attract a lot of people and darts fans tend to be beer drinkers."
Inbev UK, which runs the Bodds501, agrees that having an active darts team will encourage more people to visit a pub, especially on match nights. Participating outlets in past years have enjoyed a net volume increase of 17 per cent during the tournament.
"Not only can you increase numbers through the door but when matches are going on customers have a good reason to stay and licensees can see the action on the oche reflected in increased bar takings," says Kevin Ward, on-trade brand manager for Boddingtons. "That's clear from research following last year's tournament - 96 per cent of the pubs that entered said they gained new customers as a direct result while 89 per cent said it had 'given customers a reason to stay longer'.
"The beauty of darts is that you can choose to stage matches when it is convenient for your business," he continues. "You can opt for traditionally quiet trading days when you can cope with more people coming through your doors. Outlets can also vary the type of matches held to reflect their customer profile, for example women's matches or a mixed team event."
To make the night a success, pubs should make the most of advertising space both inside and out to ensure regulars know what's happening and to encourage new customers to come in, advises Kevin. Organised tournaments, such as Bodds501, provide promotional material to help drive this sort of awareness, he adds.
Defending the title
St Kertigerns will soon begin its defence of the title and faces an even stiffer test as this year 1,200 outlets have already entered teams. The special closing date for Publican readers is September 16, so there's still a chance to get your teams registered.
First round matches will be played from October, followed by five further rounds culminating in the final in April or early May. Boddingtons brewer Inbev helps licensees create awareness around the event with point-of-sale material distributed to every participating outlet.
Pubs wanting to enter should contact the organiser, The World of Darts, on 0191 297 0987, and tell them you read about the extended deadline in The Publican. For more information you can go to the website - www.bodds501.co.uk.
Keep your oche up to scratch
The dartboard can be one of the prime assets of a pub - and not just when there are matches planned - so it pays to make the most of it through a regular maintenance programme which, according to Inbev, will encourage more people to use it on a regular basis.
A well-defined darts area and raised oche will show your commitment to the game, lift its profile among regulars and encourage more to play.
InBev's tips:
- Make sure there is enough room for a scoreboard next to the board and that the surrounding area has plenty of space for people to play safely
- Ensure there is sufficient lighting above the board - preferably spotlights, but high wattage light bulbs are fine
- Where possible, site the board away from busy parts of the pub
- Use dry wipe scoreboards because they are easier to use and cleaner than chalkboards
- Always have the dartboard available to play on and encourage both regular and occasional players to use it
- Have a good set of darts visibly available behind the bar for your occasional players.
Did you know?
The "oche" - the line which a player stands behind - is a comparatively recent arrival to the sport having been introduced by the British Darts Organisation in the mid-1970s. The word is believed to be derived from Old Flemish meaning a "notch" or "nick".
Getting arty with the pool table
This summer's Market Report survey in The Publican revealed a trade for which traditional pub games continue to be very important. Darts is played in 52 per cent of pubs, three quarters of which run teams. And the relatively modern game of pool is not far behind. Forty-five per cent of pubs have tables and 65 per cent of those have teams.
What's more, pub pool continues to evolve. The US-style pool halls installed by high street venues, for instance, have moved the game upmarket and attracted a broader range of players, including women.
Green baize is out, shifting pool ever further away from the stuffiness of snooker and billiards. Cloths are increasingly bright and colourful, enhancing the image of the game, giving licensees the opportunity to give a twist to their operation, and suppliers the opportunity to promote their products literally under the noses of customers.
The logos of drinks brands such as Red Bull and Budweiser are now appearing on tables in association with brand-specific events or to support marketing campaigns.
UK-based Milliken Woollen Speciality Products is the preferred cloth supplier for official English Pool Association events and is also one of the leaders in pool table design.
Its ArtScape concept uses digital technology to print pin-sharp images onto cloth and its catalogue offers a choice of 77 designs under abstract, animal print, food, industrial, nature, shapes, urban and water themes, all photo-realistic images co-ordinated across the bed and cushion rails.
Table owners can also have a