It’s beginning to look a lot like #Dartsmas. If you’ve been perusing content in this location for any length at all you’ll know the months of November and December are absolutely detested here. It’s been so for more than a decade at this stage but has been amplified to incalculable levels since da departed for the dinner table up yonder.
However, grief is a strange thing. Personally speaking, ways of compartmentalising it have been devised over the years. Coping mechanisms, as is the modern buzz phrase.
The problem with them, though, is that, while for grieving processes that have been ongoing for some time, you find ways of keeping the wheels rolling from one day to the next.
It’s the curve balls that get you. The tragedies. For that reason, there’s a cloud over Dunboyne which no remedy can rectify. For now at least. One is always wary of mentioning specifics as the intention would never be to compare one heartache to another or diminish one families grief or heartache comparative to another.
Yet for me, it is an inescapable fact that some such occurrences wallop harder than others. Undoubtedly, losing young Matthew Kennedy, Damien O’Reilly and, only in recent days, Eimear Gilligan, has knocked the stuffing out of not just me, but the entire community.
So, you’d guess that sport would be the first port of call for comfort and solace. And you’d be spot on. But with the GAA split season taking the biggest slice of the comfort food off the menu, alternatives must be sought with which to sate the hunger.
And so, in the 12th month, God created darts. The showpiece of the tungsten throwing season – the PDC World Darts Championship – headlining the seasonal sporting action. In between a cascade of horse racing and avalanche of football. However, it tends to be the draw for the darts which begins the process of even turning this here head in a remotely receptive way towards Christmas.
The current holder of the Sid Waddell Trophy, Michael Smith, will, as is tradition, begin his title defence in the last fixture of the opening night’s play. Therein, he will tackle the hitherto unknown (to me at least) Kevin Doetz or Stateside sensation Stowe Buntz who announced his arrival on the big stage with a hugely eye-catching run to the semi final of the Grand Slam Of Darts in Leicester.
World Darts Championship schedule – every match live on Sky Sports Darts
Friday December 15 (7pm)
Round One: Kevin Doets v Stowe Buntz
Round One: Cameron Menzies v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Round One: Simon Whitlock v Paolo Nebrida
Round Two: Michael Smith v Kevin Doets/Stowe Buntz
Saturday December 16
Afternoon Session (12.30pm)
Round One: Lee Evans v Sandro Eric Sosing
Round One: Connor Scutt v Krzysztof Kciuk
Round One: Jules van Dongen v Darren Penhall
Round Two: Dave Chisnall v Cameron Menzies/Rusty-Jake Rodriguez
Evening Session (7pm)
Round One: Jamie Hughes v David Cameron
Round One: Keane Barry v Reynaldo Rivera
Round One: Scott Williams v Haruki Muramatsu
Round Two: Gary Anderson v Simon Whitlock/Paolo Nebrida
Sunday December 17
Afternoon Session (12.30pm)
Round One: Ricky Evans v Simon Adams
Round One: Jim Williams v Norman Madhoo
Round One: Matt Campbell v Lourence Ilagan
Round Two: Joe Cullen v Jules van Dongen/Darren Penhall
Evening Session (7pm)
Round One: Dylan Slevin v Florian Hempe
Round One: Niels Zonneveld v Darren Webster
Round One: Jermaine Wattimena v Fallon Sherrock
Round Two: Luke Humphries v Lee Evans/Sandro Eric Sosing
Monday December 18 (7pm)
Round One: Mario Vandenbogaerde v Thibault Tricole
Round One: Gian van Veen v Man Lok Leung
Round One: Martin Lukeman v Haupai Puha
Round Two: Gerwyn Price v Connor Scutt/Krzysztof Kciuk
Tuesday December 19
Afternoon Session (12.30pm)
Round One: Ian White v Tomoya Goto
Round One: Ritchie Edhouse v Jeffrey de Graa
Round One: Keegan Brown v Boris Krcmar
Round Two: James Wade v Matt Campbell/Lourence Ilagan
Evening Session (7pm)
Round One: Steve Beaton v Wessel Nijman
Round One: Mike De Decker v Dragutin Horvat
Round One: Ricardo Pietreczko v Mikuru Suzuki
Round Two: Michael van Gerwen v Keane Barry/Reynaldo Rivera
Wednesday December 20
Afternoon Session (12:30pm)
Round One: Radek Szaganski v Marko Kantele
Round One: Steve Lennon v Owen Bates
Round One: William O’Connor v Bhav Patel
Round Two: Ross Smith v Niels Zonneveld/Darren Webster
Evening Session (7pm)
Round One: Ryan Joyce v Alex Spellman
Round One: Richard Veenstra v Ben Robb
Round One: Christian Kist v Luke Littler
Round Two: Peter Wright v Jim Williams/Norman Madhoo
Thursday December 21
Afternoon Session (12:30pm)
Round One: Mickey Mansell v Xiaochen Zong
Round One: Luke Woodhouse v Berry van Peer
Round Two: Madars Razma v Mike De Decker/Dragutin Horvat
Round Two: Rob Cross v Mario Vandenbogaerde/Thibault Tricole
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Round Two: Andrew Gilding v Christian Kist/Luke Littler
Round Two: Danny Noppert v Scott Williams/Haruki Muramatsu
Round Two: Gabriel Clemens v Gian van Veen/Man Lok Leung
Round Two: Damon Heta v Martin Lukeman/Haupai Puha
Friday December 22
Afternoon Session (12.30pm)
Round Two: Brendan Dolan v Mickey Mansell/Xiaochen Zong
Round Two: Jose de Sousa v Ritchie Edhouse/Jeffrey de Graaf
Round Two: Krzysztof Ratajski v Jamie Hughes/David Cameron
Round Two: Dirk van Duijvenbode v Keegan Brown/Boris Krcmar
Evening Session (7pm)
Round Two: Dimitri Van den Bergh v Dylan Slevin/Florian Hempel
Round Two: Martin Schindler v Jermaine Wattimena/Fallon Sherrock
Round Two: Raymond van Barneveld v Radek Szaganski/Marko Kantele
Round Two: Chris Dobey v William O’Connor/Bhav Patel
Saturday December 23
Afternoon Session (12.30pm)
Round Two: Kim Huybrechts v Richard Veenstra/Ben Robb
Round Two: Callan Rydz v Ricardo Pietreczko/Mikuru Suzuki
Round Two: Jonny Clayton v Steve Lennon/Owen Bates
Round Two: Daryl Gurney v Steve Beaton/Wessel Nijman
Evening Session (7pm)
Round Two: Ryan Searle v Ian White/Tomoya Goto
Round Two: Josh Rock v Luke Woodhouse/Berry van Peer
Round Two: Stephen Bunting v Ryan Joyce/Alex Spellman
Round Two: Nathan Aspinall v Ricky Evans/Simon Adams
Third & Fourth Round
Wednesday December 27
Afternoon Session (12.30pm)
3x Third Round
Evening Session (7pm)
3x Third Round
Thursday December 28
Afternoon Session (12.30pm)
3x Third Round
Evening Session (7pm)
3x Third Round
Friday December 29
Afternoon Session (12.30pm)
3x Third Round
Evening Session (7pm)
1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round
Saturday December 30
Afternoon Session (12.30pm)
3x Fourth Round
Evening Session (7:30pm)
3x Fourth Round
Quarter-Final
Monday January 1
Afternoon Session (12:30pm)
2x Quarter-Finals
Evening Session (7pm)
2x Quarter-Finals
Semi-Final
Tuesday January 2 (7:30pm)
Also See:
Final
Wednesday January 3 (7pm)
Leave a Reply