Category: Darts
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Sometimes the formbook tells its own story
My late father had a saying “You never see a bookie on a bicycle”. He was speaking from experience, having helped out a local bookie, Willie Maguire, who “Ran a book” at most tracks – horse and dog – around the country. Inference being that no matter how much knowledge you might think you have…
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Predictable results achieved in unusual ways
How oft has it been said that, eventually, the cream always rises to the top. A couple of years ago, Liverpool were so far ahead of the pack in the Premiership the won the title pulling up in a manner commensurate to Honeysuckle’s demolition of the Champion Hurdle field last March. Go back a bit…
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Old hands send opponents on steep learning curve
When Navan O’Mahony’s won the Meath Senior Football Champïonship of 1997 it was considered quite a turn up. Simply as The Hoops were thought to be in a transitional period, having enjoyed a spell of utter dominance between 1987 and 1990. In fact, it wasn’t as much a thought as a reality. With the exception…
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Of jabs and arrows
At some point in the week leading up to the 1991 All Ireland SFC Final, it must have emerged that Colm O’Rourke was seriously doubtful. It’s highly umlikely anybody knew just how ill the legendary forward was. Now read on… On the Sunday evening after Down inflicted the pain that for some of us might…
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Last dance up for grabs – you can’t turn back the clock
In one of his autobiographies, Tony McCoy told a story about the Aintree National won by Red Marauder. The ground at the Liverpool venue was bottomless, with the result that when The Champ and another rider – possibly Mick Fitzgerald – were unseated from their mounts they realised they were in fact the only ones…
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Julia’s partner said “I’m bored retired, and that’s why I came back again”!
“Send In The Clowns” must be one of the saddest songs ever written. Even the tune of it is tear jerking. Mind you, there have been absolutely no clowns in the environs of the PDC World Championship, but if you put different lyrics to the same tune you could have “Tear up the script” and…
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It’s never done til it’s in the books
If you ever need evidence of the fickle nature of predicting the outcomes of sporting events, Google Gaelic football and specifically the 1982 All Ireland Football Final. Kerry, who were then rightly hailed as the greatest team the game had seen, against Offaly, a county with some classy players – indeed arguably the greatest of…
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Moments of perfection win the battle but not always the war
Ray Houghton’s goal against Italy in the Giant’s Stadium in New York was a remarkable thing. Never to be forgotten for myriad reasons. Not many would’ve had the audacity to try or capability to execute the lob essayed over Gianluca Pagluca – the best custodian on the planet at the time – which the man…
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Flowers of Scotland steal the show as Barry flies Royal flag
Willie Borland – remember the name. You’re not likely to forget it. On the night 67-year-old Paul Lim – the first man to ever hit a nine dart finish at the World Championships – bowed out of this year’s version, 32 years after that historic occasion, after a typically brave effort, the young Scot joined…
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The Magpie takes tough battle on the Chin on a good day for the Irish
First things first – God bless Sky+ and Series Link. It wasn’t realised the afternoon sessions at the PDC World Darts Championship were starting straight away. So it was a nice surprise to be able catch up on the early action at the Alexandrs Palace. Even more so what it was noticed Ireland’s Steve Lennon…