This year's first ever Holsten National Pub Darts competition attracted more than 10,000 players, with nearly £10,000 up for grabs.Garth Williams soaks up the atmosphere at the recent big finals day
It's been a marathon, but the world of darts at last has a new set of champions - the winners of the Holsten National Pub Darts competition.
Sixty-four teams of six players a side, each with an entourage of supporters, gathered at the Drayton Manor Theme Park, near Tamworth in Staffordshire, and, over the course of seven hours of near-continuous play, sorted out the pecking order in pub darts in England and Wales.
In the immortal words of the legendary darts commentator Sid Waddell, the arrows were flying thicker than at the Battle of Crécy, as side-by-side matches were thrashed out over 16 boards of play....you are playing for your pub and your friends - and they expect us to win.Andy "Rocky" Jenkins
Pre-tournament favourites - with two international players with rankings inside the top 20 - were the men from the Railway at Cosham, in Hampshire.
After a convincing first-round victory, their star players - James "009" Wade, ranked 11 in the world, and Andy "Rocky" Jenkins, ranked 12 - were delighted but surprisingly apprehensive about the task in hand.
"We're more used to the atmosphere at professional tournaments," explained team captain Jenkins. "Here though, you are playing for your pub and your friends - and they expect us to win. We clearly want to win, but it's more for them."
Wade agreed. "It's very nerve racking," he admitted. "I'd rather lose a professional singles match than I would lose here today. We want to win for the guys in the team. It's a great competition, though. It brings back lots of memories. It's how it all started for us."
That was also how Jenkins felt.
"A competition like this brings you back to your roots. It reminds you of where you came from - and there are some great pub players out there; some really rock-solid ones. But we are here to win - we don't want to let the lads down."
And they certainly didn't let them down, helping the side to reach the grand final. That though, was a step too far - and they were beaten convincingly, five legs to two, by the irrepressible team from the Coach & Horses at Crook, Co Durham.
And the pride in that achievement was clearly evident when the jubilant team collected their trophy and £2,000 winners' cheque from Carlsberg marketing director Darran Britton.
Afterwards an equally-happy Britton had this to say: "We are delighted with the outcome of the first Holsten National Pub Darts competition. With more than 1,800 teams entering we helped to create approximately 3,000 extra occasions to visit pubs and clubs in order to play the early rounds.
"The six regional finals, which took place in customer venues nationwide, meant that we were able to provide great days out for the teams involved, as well as significant incremental business for those customers.
"The national final at Drayton Manor Park was a fantastic event and our congratulations go out to all teams who qualified, in particular the Coach & Horses who played a fantastic grand final.
"The first year of the competition has proved a huge success and has been enjoyed by on-trade drinkers and customers alike."
Facts 'n' stats
Event: Holsten National Pub Darts competitionNumber of teams: more than 1,800Number of players: nearly 11,000Number of pre-finals matches: circa 3,000Number of regional finals: sixNumber of teams in grand finals: 64Prize for first round losers: £50Prize for second round losers: £100Prize for third round losers: £125Prize for losing quarter-finalists: £250Prize for losing semi-finalists: £500Prize for runners-up: £1,000Prize for winners: £2,000Total prize money awarded: £9,200