Bullseye for Chelmsford pub at Punch darts competition
The pub won the award following six months of fierce competition, that culminated in 32 finalists battling it out for over seven hours at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens earlier this month.
The team from the Blue Lion – one of 1,100 pubs that entered the 2014 competition – beat last year’s winners, the Avenue in Durham, to win the contest 6-1. They won £2,500 and the opportunity to play a professional darts player on stage at the PDC Grand Slam event next August in Blackpool.
The Punch Darts Classic, which is sponsored by Holsten, John Smiths, Guinness and Budweiser and facilitated by World of Darts, began in May when each pub played at home and away. The teams with the best average scores then competed in regional finals before going through to the national event in Blackpool.
'Great achievement'
Blue Lion licensee Dave Heelis said: “It’s such a great feeling to have finally won and beaten the Avenue! They have knocked us out of the competition in the final stages three years running so it’s a great achievement for the team.”
This is the fifth consecutive year that the team from The Blue Lion, made up of locals and pub regulars, have entered the Punch Darts Classic.
This year’s contest also saw the introduction of a singles competition, which was won by Nick Fullwell from the Brickmakers in Brierley Hill. Craig Anderson from the Shepherds in Houghton Le Spring came runner-up.
'Increased trade'
Punch category manager Stephen Martin said: “This has been the best national final yet with more players and supporters than ever before. A staggering one in every three Punch pubs has been involved this year and the feedback has been excellent.
“The competition, which is completely free, has been running for over a decade now and grown each year with new aspects added.
“For the six months that the competition has been running, participating Punch pubs have seen increased trade. We are always looking for ways to help our licensees grow their trade and free pub events like these are a great way to attract custom, particularly on the quieter week nights.”
