Unicorn - Arron Monk Chosen For England - Glen Dawkins: uniBlog

In the week that Colin Lloyd the world’s former number one spent two nights playing darts in Andover, The Unicorn Darts Youth Academy is delighted to announce that Arron Monk has been selected to represent the England Youth Team in next months European Championships in Folkestone.
Unicorn - Arron Monk Chosen For England - Glen Dawkins: uniBlog

REMINISCING ABOUT THE REEBOK - Sid Waddell - uniBlog

Phew!!! I am sitting in my Pudsey garden in 78 degrees of balmy heat just shaking my head in wonder at the great darts fest we had at Bolton.

Keeping tabs on 170 plus darters was difficult and doing 26 hours of live telly was invigorating but it was hour by hour a pure gas.

Looking through my tatty water-spotted notes, here’s what jumps out off the pages…
Unicorn - REMINISCING ABOUT THE REEBOK - Sid Waddell - uniBlog

FUN AND FLAIR AT BOLTON Sid Waddell uniBlog

I’ll start with a joke…

Have you heard the one about the undertaker, the karaoke DJ and the bloke who packs David Beckham’s toiletries?

Punch line: They all reckon they can beat Barney, Taylor, Lloyd, Mason and Wade and Co and win the UK Open at Bolton. They are Nigel Heydon, alias Deadly of Leamington Spa, Disco Ian Walters of Manchester and Fragrant Dave Ladley of Scunthorpe. And therein lies the appeal of this weekend’s Open – the FA Cup of darts, where the minnows meet the sharks.

Since its inception in 2003 the Open has produced some remarkable darts. Phil Taylor did a nine-darter in 2004 and 2005. Adrian Lewis and Chris Mason, both currently in cracking form, had a belter of a match a couple of year’s back in which 19 180s were thrown. Last year bullet-headed Barrie Bates of Wales crushed his way to the final against Barney.

Unicorn - FUN AND FLAIR AT BOLTON Sid Waddell uniBlog

Unicorn - Stuart Pyke uniBlog

It is the hardest market in the world to crack – whether it be business, sport or entertainment but darts is giving it a real go on the other side of ‘The Pond”.

The PDC US Open has been terrific and Barry Hearn remains absolutely determined that he will crack darts in America. Several big tournaments could be set to hit the USA in the coming years and as a sport, darts continues to grow.

Team Unicorn’s Ray Carver, John Kuczynski, Brad Wethington, Jim Widmayer, Roger Carter, Darrin Young and the rest continue to lead the way but there is no doubt that standards are improving all the time.

Unicorn - Sid Waddell - uniBlog: ONWARD AND UPWARD

Once upon a time darts was played in a corner of a pub with a top whack audience of two dozen and the chuckers sometimes had to ask if the missile was in the right bed. Spectator sport? Don’t make me smile. For the past three months we have had upwards of 5000 punters riveted on ‘pomp darts’, as in ‘pomp rock’, played in massive arenas for the Premier Darts League and big audiences every Thursday night on Sky. Why are the modern masses hooked? In no particular order, here are a few reasons. Unicorn - Sid Waddell - uniBlog: ONWARD AND UPWARD

Unicorn: NOSTALGIA TIME AT CARDIFF Sid Waddell uniBlog

The Premier League swept into Cardiff last week and I was swept through with great memories.

I recalled, happily, for several Welsh newspapers the great days of Alan Evans and Leighton Rees, the two men who really put darts on the map in the late 1970s and early 80s. Their flamboyance, character and skill at the Indoor League and on other telly darts grabbed the public imagination. So I was delighted to get a warm letter from Alan’s daughter Claire and her husband Mark thanking me for keeping his name alive. Take it from me, if there had been a Premier League in 1980 Evans and Rees would have been in it – along with Brissy and Lobo. Who do you reckon would have been the other four?
Unicorn: NOSTALGIA TIME AT CARDIFF Sid Waddell uniBlog

Unicorn uniBlog - SCOT NOSH AND BRILLIANT BLACKPOOL - Sid Waddell

It has been a few days of pure nostalgia for the Geordie Lip. I have waxed lyrical in the land of Sir Walter Scott and Country and Western in the old stomping ground of George Formby.

Last Wednesday saw me striding along Princes Street in Edinburgh thinking up Celtic witticisms and breathing in pure air from the hills round Lammermuir. I was getting ready to MC a bonding night for investing customers of a big German bank. The lads and lasses played darts on eight boards, supped steadily and were coached by Bob Anderson and Peter Manley. Above us twinkled delicate bratiches, and one could well imagine Robert Lewis Stevenson himself dancing a gavotte on the elegant boards of the Assembly Rooms.
Unicorn uniBlog - SCOT NOSH AND BRILLIANT BLACKPOOL - Sid Waddell

RAISING THE BAR

How much bigger and better will it get?

The darts revolution shows no sign of slowing down and if I was a better man (which I am!) I reckon the Barry Hearn bandwagon will just keep on rolling.

The standard set by the eight players in the Premier League in Aberdeen was simply sensational and if my information is correct, the PDC is set to keep on growing and growing, as darts continues to reach new heights.

In 2007, there will be 50 days of ‘live’ darts on Sky Sports……it seems the Grand Slam of Darts in November will be screened on terrestrial television and the PDC expansion around the darting world continues to flourish with every passing year.
Stuart Pyke uniBlog - RAISING THE BAR

Unicorn - This weekend Irina went off to the Finnish Open

This weekend Irina went off to the Finnish Open. After about 13 hours travelling to get there on Friday she entered the blind draw couples.
She was drawn to play with a guy from Tilburg in Holland called Rob Tielman. Every round they drew an all male team, but this didnt prevent them from going all the way and winning the final.
Unicorn - This weekend Irina went off to the Finnish Open

Unicorn - uniBlog - Gordon Shumway

Gordon Shumway
uniBlog

Seems like Michael Rosenauer is unstopable at the moment. The team "Unicorn Global" member won the first ranking tournament of the new founded GDC(German darts Corporation) last saturday. Rosenauer defeated Jyhan Artut in the final 3-2(2-1, 2-1, 0-2, 0-2, 2-1) and booked his ticket for the first GDC Pro ranking tournament at the end of march.
Unicorn - uniBlog - Gordon Shumway

Unicorn - Sid Waddell: uniBlog

TOON LOONEYS
21/02/2007
I must admit that I am trembling with anticipation at the prospect of ‘playing’ the Metro Arena in Newcastle with the Holsten Premier Darts League. I last commentated in the Toon in the summer of 1994 at the Samson Classic and the fan mania – all waving bottle and banners – was led by my 80 year old mum Martha! What will 4000-plus darts-daft Geordies do this Thursday? There’ll be Grog on the Tyne all right. Unicorn - Sid Waddell: uniBlog

Unicorn: uniBlog - Michael Rosenauer won the "WDF Dortmund Open 2007

by Gordon Shumway
20/02/2007 Last Saturday team "Unicorn Global" member Michael Rosenauer won the WDF World ranking tournament in Dortmund. After his "Dortmund Open" victory in 2006 he now defended his title. On his way to the final he defeated players like Mikel van Maastrig from Holland. In the semi-final he won against Geert de Vos with 2-1(1-2, 2-1, 2-1) before he played against Germany´s no. 2 Marko Puls in the final. At the end of the day Michael won 3-1(0-2, 2-1, 2-0, 2-1), which was his 3rd WDF ranking tournament win since he joined team Unicorn.

Unicorn: uniBlog - The Primitive Darter - Karl M. Hartman

19/02/2007 In an effort to become a better darter I have come full circle and now find myself back at the beginning.

For the past two years I have practiced and studied everything I could about throwing darts. I have watched videos and observed the techniques of others. I have asked all questions and listened to the answers. I have attacked the sport logically and technically in an effort to improve.
Unicorn: uniBlog - The Primitive Darter - Karl M. Hartman

Unicorn - uniBlog updates

Karl M. Hartman - 10/02/2007 I got the impression in reading over my posts, that there was a lot of negativity regarding darts either here in Korea or between my ears and so I decided to say something positive about the darts scene in Korea.

Before I do that I will say two things. I finally received my $900.00 from Medalist Darts Korea. I won the tournament on the 18th of December and I received my prize money January 27th. I had to find out where the main office to Medalist in Korea was and begin sending E-mails. Someone must have contacted the local rep because he contacted me soon after that and I received my money. So far, Petro has not received his prize money; however, he has not pursued it as aggressively as I have to my knowledge.

Glen Dawkins - 8/02/2007

Having addressed the issues of format, exposure, expense, time and travel and seeing the standards rising steadily, we were still faced with unearthing young potential. Many youngsters had now slipped comfortably into Pool and those who were playing amongst themselves weren’t getting much better because of the Catch-22 scenario of “couldn’t get into a team because they weren’t good enough and weren’t good enough because they couldn’t get into a team”, the crucial next step on the ladder. Many teams won’t accommodate youngsters because they want ready made success and there are many pubs who will not allow under 18’s.

BARNEY BLOSSOMS - POWER PLODS
Sid Waddell - 07/02/2007

Big fan of Phil Taylor that I am, careful analysis last week at Plymouth makes me doubt that he is primed for the Premier League title.


Irina's first year with Unicorn
John Armstrong - 05/02/2007

It`s been almost exactly one year now since Irina was offered a Team Global contract with Unicorn. So just how has her first year been?

Unicorn - uniBlog updates

Unicorn - John Armstrong: uniBlog 05/02/2007

It`s been almost exactly one year now since Irina was offered a Team Global contract with Unicorn. So just how has her first year been?

A few ups and downs, but that`s darts anyway isn`t it.

Overall though a very good year. Moving up more than 100 places in the WDF rankings, the next update should show her in the top 20 for the first time.
Unicorn - John Armstrong: uniBlog 05/02/2007

Unicorn - uniBlog: Karl M. Hartman

Well, on December 18th I won a soft-tip medalist tournament for $500. This was one of those tournaments that participants needed to qualify for to enter. I went out to the hosting pub one evening prior to the tournament and shot about 5 games. I paid 3000 won for each game, not counting the coin drop. My friend Petro was shooting with me. After the 5 games I was told that my scores were high enough for first place. Well, that seemed like a reasonable place to quit. Petro shot a few more and secured second-place. Neither of us thought of competing with each other, as our goal was to enter the upcoming tournament. So December 18th rolled around and we were off to the tournament. The tournament was a blind draw format where lower level players were paired with higher-level players.
Unicorn - uniBlog

uniBlog: Edward Lowy - Out Of The Mouth Of Babes!

11/01/2007

12 year old, verging on teenage, stroppy proto-adolescent males I’m talking about here, rather than soothing words from drop-dead gorgeous A list celebs!

What a night of Darts at The Dorchester on January 9th – within milliseconds am greeted by Unicorn’s very own WebGeek who wishes me Happy New Year, slops champagne over me and – quite rightly - gives me a thorough dressing-down for not being a more regular uniBlogger.

Unicorn - Links

uniBlog: John Lowe

Posted by 08/01/2007 17:00:00 Its not very nice if you do not have any, it can cause massive problems if you have plenty and do not know how to use it, and in the world of sport it creates jealousy, divisions, and derision's. We have been witness to this so early in the new year, in our own sport of darts we have a public outburst by one of the worlds top players: Chris Mason, his gripe: Phil the Power Taylor has bought a Bentley automobile, Chris reasons; Taylor should not be running about in a Bentley, he is a dart player, at the same time he says: I have a nine year old car, he goes on to say that Taylor is patronising, well that is just an excuse for his first comment.



Unicorn - Links

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Sid Waddell: uniBlog - CAN DARTS EVER BE SEXY?

Sid Waddell
uniBlog
03/01/2007
Thus the headline in the debate section of today’s Guardian. And I sigh heavily into my Lemsip as I wrestle with the Purfleet lurgi affecting my chest and nose. After thirty years trying to expound the niceties of a working class sport that boasts character and skill, I wonder why the media can’t wake up? We don’t need fripperies – Beckham hair, Pieterson kitsch or Henry va-va-voom to sell darts. The Barney/Taylor match was a classic sporting contest between a bloke who used to push letters and a bloke who used to work a lathe. Hughie Gallacher and Bill Wright were not SEXY. They were privileged to play football for a living. So were Trueman and Boycs in cricket. Sport does not need the glam that packages rock and movies.
Sid Waddell: uniBlog - CAN DARTS EVER BE SEXY?

David Allen: uniBlog - My Portakabin Christmas

David Allen
uniBlog
03/01/2007

Not many people get to say they spent the Christmas and New Year period in a portakabin in Purfleet and that they enjoyed - nay, loved - it...but I had a ball for almost every minute of the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.

11 days of brilliant darts, mad comments from Sid Waddell and his fellow Sky Sports commentators, Dutch TV and journalists and a dislocated shoulder which has probably ended my hopes of ever appearing on stage alongside Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld etc.
David Allen: uniBlog - My Portakabin Christmas