WEEK 1 QUALIFIERS

The John Chapman Memorial Darts Tournament sponsored by Thwaites Brewery enters its 10^th year and to mark this occasion we are using this as one of many events to raise money for The Alzheimer’s Society of which we have already raised £400 so far.

This year will see new faces on finals night as Mark Sloan from Crosby, Maryport and Janice Wilson from Carlisle qualified in Week 1 beating Stephen Bonnett and Heather Steele in a hard fought final. They were undoubtedly the stronger pair on the night but were pushed very close on a few occasions but managed to beat all in sight.

In the first half of the double entry draw they reached the semi-final without dropping a leg until they faced Mike Reid & Norma Skelton. A great match ensued with ten 100+scores and 2x140’s as Janice took the first leg for the eventual finalists checking out on 60. Mike & Norma replied with great darts scoring tons galore and a 140 from Mike to quickly level the match. After more tons by both pairs it was Mark who checked out the final leg to win 2-1. In the first half final they faced Stephen Bonnett & Heather Steele who had beaten the reigning champions Steven Stevenson & Kerry Wilkinson 2-1 in the quarter final and then beat Darren Barnes & Susan Hodgson 2-1 in their semi-final. The final was a story of the men hitting the tons and seeing who could finish first. Unfortunately for Stephen & Heather it was their opposition who finished both legs quicker with Janice checking out the first leg and Mark the second leg to put them into the qualifying final.

The second half draw was déjà-vu for several pairs as once again Stephen & Heather faced Darren Barnes & Susan Hodgson. Although yet again the legs were close it was Stephen who checked out both legs to reach the second half final for another bite at the cherry. Déjà-vu continued as once again they faced Mark & Janice in the second half final. Mark & Janice had just beaten the reigning champions Steven & Kerry 2-0 with Janice checking out on 82 in the first leg. The tables were turned though on the eventual qualifiers as Stephen took the first leg on the dreaded double one. Janice replied with a 140 and eventually checked out on double 10 to level the match. Stephen had the last word as he made a ton and a 140 in the final leg and then checked it out on double 4 to put him and Heather into the qualifying final match.

For the third time tonight the quartet matched up and Mark & Janice continued their form as Stephens and Heathers waned slightly which was turning point of the night. With a few tons from the qualifiers and a 140 from Janice, the pair checked out one leg each to secure their place on finals night on Wednesday 22^nd October.

The highlight of the night was a 16 dart leg for Sloan & Wilson in the second half quarter final. This match had 2x180’s a 140 and 7 tons with Sloan hitting the double at the first attempt to take the leg in 16 darts after Wilson had just narrowly missed checking out on 67 for a 15 dart leg.

On the night there were a total of 55 x 100+ scores, 10 x 140’s and 2 maximums with John Madine and Janice Wilson both hitting the 180’s. Janice also had the highest checkout of the night with an 82 checkout in the second half semi-final against the reigning champions. Janice made it a hat-trick of wins as she was also the highest scorer on the night with 8 tons, 3x140’s and the 1 maximum.

WEEK 2 QUALIFIERS

The John Chapman Memorial Darts Tournament sponsored by Thwaites Brewery entered its second qualifying week and saw one the tournament's most consistent pairings qualify. The 2009 champions Bill Hoskins & Sas Bode made it through on their first attempt this year after two years of failing to qualify. They qualified every year up until their baron spell but are now back where they belong on finals night on Wednesday 22nd October.

It was a difficult night as both half finals featured four separate finalists vying for a place into the finals night play-offs. In the first half semi-final Hoskins & Bode were matched against Mike Reid & Norma Skelton who had just beaten the reigning champions 2-0 in a high scoring match. This semi-final match contained 8 tons and a 140 so the pairs were soon amongst the doubles. Hoskins checked out the first leg and Reid checked out the second leg to level the match. Reid then had a chance to check out on 119 but narrowly missed double tops. He was made to rue that miss as Bode stepped up and checked out on double 8 to put her and her partner through to the first half final.

There they faced Craig Denwood & Ann Scholey. The pair had waltzed through to the final without dropping a single leg beating John Ewen & Margaret Foster in the quarter final with Scholey checking out on 106. They then progressed to beat John Madine & Dawn Stevenson 2-0 in their semi-final completing the first leg in 18 darts. Unfortunately the high scores and checkouts ended there as they lost momentum in the final. Hoskins & Bode took full advantage winning the final 2-0 with Bode checking out the second leg on 80.

The second half draw was not so rosy for Hoskins & Bode as they were knocked out at the quarter final stage by Madine & Stevenson 2-1, with Madine just missing out on a 106 finish but completing the second leg with an 80 checkout. They faced Denwood & Scholey in the semi-final and took that match with aplomb winning 2-0 to reap revenge on an earlier defeat by their opponents in the first half draw. In the final they came up against the reigning champions Stevenson & Wilkinson who had beaten Reid & Skelton in their semi-final 2-0. A high scoring match ensued with Dawn Stevenson checkout out a 17 dart leg on double four to set the tone for a great match. Steven Stevenson checked out the second leg on double 8 to level the match. The third leg went against the grain as all four players had so many chances at doubles we were wondering when the leg would end. Eventually it was Dawn Stevenson who won the match on double two to pit them against Hoskins & Bode in the qualifying final.

The match set off at a frantic pace with all four players hitting a ton each. It was Hoskins who checked out a 17 dart leg finishing on 53 to take the first leg. The second leg also contained high scores but again the finishing evaded most players until Hoskins again checked out on double 2 to put the previous champions through to the finals night in October.

There were some great darts thrown tonight with an 18 dart leg and two 17 dart legs on show. On the night there were a total of 60 x 100+ scores, 11 x 140’s but unfortunately no maximums this week. The highest checkout went to Ann Scholey on 106. Both Craig Denwood and John Madine went close to equalling that finish. Other notable checkouts were Sas Bode (84), John Madine (80) and Mike Reid (64). The highest scorer on the night John Madine with 10x100+ scores and 4x140's.

WEEK 3 QUALIFIERS

Week 3 of The John Chapman Memorial Darts Tournament sponsored by Thwaites Brewery seen Hilary Kirkbride qualify for finals night for the third year running. After qualifying in the past two seasons with John Blaney, she managed the same feat again this year with new partner Tex Houghton.

It was tough going though as they had to play down to the final leg in all their qualifying matches except the first half final. They reached the first half final by defeating Mike Reid & Norma Skelton 2-1 in a great match that contained no fewer than 12 tons. Houghton checked out the first leg on tops. Reid then just misses double 8 for a 136 finish but, Skelton stepped up afterwards to finish the leg on double 4. Houghton then claimed the match on double 16.

In the final they faced Stephen Bonnett & Heather Steele who had beaten Craig Denwood & Ann Scholey 2-0 in their semi-final with Bonnett registering the 180 of the night in this match. In a first half final that that gave us 7 tons it was down to the finishing. This was supplied by Kirkbride who missed tops for a 120 checkout but made amends by checking out both legs on double 10 and double 20 respectively to put them through to the qualifying final.

The second half draw gave Bonnet & Steele yet another bite at the cherry as they faced Houghton & Steele in the semi-final. Bonnett was in no mood for charity this time and registered his 2^nd and 3^rd maximum of the night which made the difference between the pairs. Bonnet & Steele progressed to the second half final winning 2-1.

There they faced John Madine & Dawn Stevenson who made the final via a 2-0 victory over Mike Reid & Norma Skelton. Both legs were checked out my Madine on double 1 in a frustrating match for all four players. Madine picked up the pace in the final against Bonnet & Steele hitting the treble twenty consistently. This was Bonnett & Steele’s 5^th final in the 3 weeks so far and still couldn’t manage to get over the line as Madine & Stevenson went on to record a 2-0 victory over the pair.

This meant a qualifying final between Houghton & Kirkbride and Madine & Stevenson. Houghton & Kirkbride set off the better creating a good lead and were first to a finish. Alas, the doubles evaded them, and from over 100 points behind, Madine eventually checked out leg 1 on double 10. Houghton & Kirkbride dusted themselves down and although all four pairs were scoring consistently it Houghton who checked out the vital legs on double 16 and double 9 to him and his partner through to the finals night on October 22^nd.

There were some great darts thrown tonight with an 18 dart leg by Houghton & Kirkbride on the first half final. The highlight of the night must go to Stephen Bonnett’s 3 maximums alongside his 3 x 140’s and 10 x 100+ scores, making Bonnett the highest scorer on the night. The action from the night gave us a total of 80 x 100+ scores, 11 x 140’s and the 3 x 180’s that Bonnett managed to hit. The highest checkout went to Mike Reid with an 80 checkout.

WEEK 4 QUALIFIERS

Week 4 of The John Chapman Memorial Darts Tournament sponsored by Thwaites Brewery has John Madine & Dawn Stevenson qualify after being in their third qualifying final in a row.

The pair were outstanding throughout the night and even though they were pushed close in many games, they were to show why they have reached the qualifying final so often and deserved their place on finals night on October 22^nd.

In the first half draw the qualifiers faced Mike Reid & Norma Skelton who had just beaten new comers Ryan Barker & Sophie Pattinson 2-0. it was a quick match with all four players hitting tons with ease and Stevenson checked out the first leg on the bull. Skelton levelled the match checking out on double 5. Madine made it 2-1 with a double 16 hit and put them into the first half final. There they faced the reigning champions, Steven Stevenson & Kerry Wilkinson, who had reached the final without dropping a single leg. In the semi-final they beat Craig Denwood & Susan Hodgson 2-0 with Stevenson checking out leg one and Wilkinson checking out leg two. This final has to be one of the best I’ve seen in recent years with 4 x 140 scores and 11 tons and also contained two 18 dart legs and one 19 dart leg. Steven Stevenson struck first with a 56 checkout in an 18 dart leg to make it 1-0. He then just missed tops for a 118 checkout. He was made to rue that miss as namesake Dawn hit tops with her first dart to level the match in the 19 dart leg. The third leg was complete in 18 darts again as Madine hit double 16 to put the pair into the qualifying final.

The quartet were matched up again in the quarter final of the second half draw. It was deja-vu for the reigning champions. Madine checked out leg 1 on double 16, Steven Stevenson missed double 16 for a 112 finish but made amends later to level the match. Madine then checked out on 76 to win 2-1. In the semi-final they faced Mike Reid & Norma Skelton with Skelton checking out on 60 to take leg 1. Madine levelled the match checking out on 68. Reid was unlucky to narrowly miss the bull for a 127 but his partner Skelton stepped up to checkout the winning leg to put the pair into the second half final. They faced Stephen Bonnett & Heather Steele who had a close semi-final victory over Craig Denwood & Susan Hodgson. Denwood took that first leg on double 8, Steel checked out leg 2 and Bonnett leg 3. They were in no mood for charity though and with Bonnet hitting 3 tons and a 180 and Steele a 140 they were quickly into the qualifying final winning 2-0.

So Madine & Stevenson stepped into their 3^rd qualifying final in three weeks. The pair had been strong all night and seemed destined to win after Madine checked out leg 1 on 73. Even though Bonnett was scoring well it was not enough as both Madine & Stevenson were scoring consistently and soon made it 2-0 with Madine’s double 16 checkout.

The highlight of the night must be the two 18 dart legs and the 19 dart leg in one match in the first half final. John Madine & Stephen Bonnett both hit maximums with Bonnett now leading the 180 ranking table on 10. He managed to hit our 100^th maximum in our history last week which now stands at 103. Madine was player of the night with checkouts of 76, 73 and 60. Other notable checkouts were from Susan Hodgson (74) on the bull, Norma Skelton (60) and Dawn Stevenson’s finish also on the bull. This week seen scores of 62 x 100+ scores, 18 x 140’s and the 2 x 180’s.

WEEK 5 QUALFIERS

Week 5 of The John Chapman Memorial Darts Tournament sponsored by Thwaites Brewery sees the 2008 champions qualify at their first attempt. John Duncan & Pam Hind managed to squeeze through some tough matches on a night that was the highest scoring week since 2011.

The night started of with an 18 dart leg in the very first match of the first half draw from reigning champions Steven Stevenson & Kerry Wilkinson. They then managed to beat Stephen Bonnet & Heather Steele 2-1 overcoming Bonnett’s 3 x140 scores. In the semi-final they faced Darren & Kelly McCarron. Although their opponents scored well, the champs won 2-0 with Stevenson & Wilkinson checking out a leg each. In the first half final they were matched up against the ever present duo of Mike Reid & Norma Skelton. They had just beaten the 2008 champions Duncan & Hind in a thrilling semi-final. Tons galore were being marked on the scoreboard as Reid checked out the first leg on double 15. Hind replied quickly on double 8. Reid hit a 140 and 1 180 in the third leg to set up a great finish. The doubles eluded the pair for some time allowing Duncan & Hind to rally a comeback until Reid finally ended the leg and the match on double 4.

Unfortunately for Reid & Skelton their high scoring evaded them in the final as Stevenson checked out leg one on double 10 and Wilkinson checked out the final leg with points to spare to put them through to the qualifying final.

In the second half draw Duncan & Hind had to squeeze through three matches before reaching the semi-final against Darren Barnes & Susan Hodgson. Two quick-fire legs ensued as Duncan & Hind checked out a leg each to reach the second half final. There they faced Stephen Bonnet & Heather Steele, this being their 6^th final appearance in this years tournament alone. Bonnet & Steel had just knocked out the reigning champions Stevenson & Wilkinson 2-1 in a match containing 9 tons and 2 x 140 scores. Wilkinson put the champs 1-0 but Bonnett replied in style checking out the next two legs to face Duncan & Hind. In a scrappy first leg Hind checked out on double 2. Bonnett replied with 2 tons and a 180 to leave Steele to check out on double 4 at the first attempt. The third leg was anyone’s, but with 60 left Duncan checked out in 2 darts to put them safely through to the qualifying final against the reigning champs.

These two pairs previously met in the 2012 Final and 2013 Semi-Final with Stevenson & Wilkinson winning both. This time the Carlisle pair made amends in a highly entertaining final that boasted 11 tons, 3 x 140’s, a 180 from Hind and a 103 checkout from Duncan. It looked like going the way of the reigning champs though, as Hind missed double 16 for a 146 finish she left Wilkinson in to check out 48 on double 16 to put the Maryport pair on the edge of victory. With the high scoring continuing it was anyone’s guess as to who would finish first. Duncan answered that question with aplomb, finishing the 103 Hind left him to level the match. The third leg again was too close to call but Hind hit a 180 to reduce the pairs’ scoreline. She then had the chance to end the match but missed double 13 with all 3 darts. Wilkinson had a slim chance but good darts left Stevenson on a finish. Duncan made sure of qualification though as he hit the all important double 13 to ensure he and his partner appear on grand finals night on October 22^nd.

The scoring this week is the highest we’ve seen since 2011 with 4 maximums on record, one each from Mike Reid, Steven Stevenson, Stephen Bonnett and Pam Hind. Bonnett’s maximum now puts him clear on 11 for the tournament. The night seen 80 tons scored with 14 x 140’s and the 4 x 180’s. Duncan had the highest checkout of the night and with his 103 in the final. Other notable checkouts were Steven Stevenson (85), John Duncan (64 & 60), Craig Denwood 52 and Kerry Wilkinson (48).

WEEK 6 QUALIFIERS

Week 6 of The John Chapman Memorial Darts Tournament sponsored by Thwaites Brewery sees co-organiser Craig Denwood qualify with his partner Ann Scholey. The pair qualified in week 8 last year so made finals night slightly earlier this time around.

Due to many working commitments, this week was the lowest attendance so far but still produced the highest checkout this year too.

In the first half draw semi-final the qualifiers faced new opponents in Ryan Barker & Sophie Pattinson, who are the youngest pairing in the competition so far. The pair had played well to reach this stage and were close to a finish before Denwood checked out on 75 to take the first leg. The newcomers were lagging in the second leg until Barker pulled out the highest checkout this year as he hit treble 20, treble 16, double 4 for a 116 checkout to level the match. This spurred on all four players and with 5 tons in this leg it was Scholey who took the decisive leg to go through. In the final they faced Stephen Bonnet & Heather Steele who were now competing in their 7^th final this year alone. They had just beaten John Ewen & Margaret Foster in their semi-final 2-0 quite convincingly with Bonnett hitting a 180 in the match (his 12^th in total). The final went well as all four players hit tons and steady progress was being made. It was Denwood who struck first taking leg 1 on double 20 with his first dart. Bonnett followed on double 6 to level the match, but once again Denwood stepped up to check out on double 10 to put the pair into the qualifying final.

The two pairs met once again in the second half draw semi-final. Although the scoring and finishing was not up to the previous standard, the outcome was the same with Denwood & Scholey winning 2-1. Bonnett took the first leg and was the highest scorer of the match but the finishing eluded him and his partner from here on in and Denwood checked out the remaining two legs. The second semi-final seen Barker & Pattinson performing well again as they faced Dave & Jeanette Chapman. A scrappy first leg was checked out by Barker on double 2. A much better second leg almost culminated with a 96 checkout from Pattinson. An unorthodox finish albeit, with having hit treble 18 and double 12, she only just missed double 3 for the high finish. Barker stepped up afterwards to finish the match off going through to meet Denwood & Scholey in the final 2-0.

The youngsters wanted revenge from their previous meeting and it looked to be on the cards. Barker was scoring well and Pattinson checked out on 50 in yet another unorthodox way hitting single 20, double 10 and then double 5. They had their chances in the second leg too and will probably rue a few missed chances as Denwood finally ended the leg on double 4. With the match level the experience of the elder pair showed as the four tons amassed a comfortable lead. Not deterred, the youngsters fought well but Scholey ended the match quickly on tops to win the match 2-1.

            As Denwood & Scholey won both half finals they automatically qualify for finals night on October 22^nd. This is the first time this year that the same pair have won both finals in one night.

With fewer entrants this week, the scores were lower than normal with 31x100+ scores, 6 x 140’s and 1 x180 by Stephen Bonnett. Ryan Barker now leads the high checkout ranking with his 116 overtaking Ann Scholey’s previous 106 although this still qualifies for the highest women’s checkout. Other notable checkouts tonight were Craig Denwood (75), Ryan Barker (56) and Sophie Pattinson (50).

WEEK 7 QUALIFIERS

Week 7 of The John Chapman Memorial Darts Tournament sponsored by Thwaites Brewery sees the current champions finally qualify at their 6^th attempt. Steven Stevenson & Kerry Wilkinson made it through to the finals night on what was the lowest attendance on record making it somewhat of a dampener on the event. With only two pairs entering it meant both pairs faced each other in each half draw making the night a bit of a non-event, but never the less both pairs still wanted to win and so the first final commenced.

Stivvy & Kerry faced the only other pairing of John Ewen & Margaret Foster in both finals and in the first throw Foster was off to a good start with a 109 score but Wilkinson followed this with two tons of her own in her first two visits to the oche. She added icing to the cake with checking out the first leg on double 5 in 21 darts. The second leg was much easier for the reigning champions as a 140 from Stivvy edged them closer, Wilkinson checked out on a respectable 88 again in 21 darts.

The second final started rather sluggish with all four players failing to get onto a double within 21 darts. Eventually the scores reduced but the doubles evaded both pairs until they both had double 1 remaining. It was down to Stivvy to hit the eventual double to go 1-0 up. The second leg was of a better standard as Ewen hit to tons and Wilkinson and Stivvy hit a ton each to reach a checkout score in 15 darts. With both pairs on a potential finish it was Stivvy again who finished the night off on double 3 to reach finals night with Wilkinson and keep the pair on course to regain their title.

With only the two pairs the scoring was obviously not the usual but the two duos still managed 7 x 100+ scores and the 1 x 140 by Stivvy. Wilkinson had the highest checkout of 88.

WEEK 8 QUALIFIERS

Yes, your eyes do not deceive you. Thats is Dave & Jeanette Chapman qualifying, albeit by default. A very dissapointing night as just the previous week we had our lowest attendance only to find that record well and truly smashed this week when we were the only attendees.

At least we didnt lose a single leg all night :-)

So, not much to report really, we did have a scop to make it worth our while and we will give itour best on the night although Im sure we will notl ast long we will enjoy our night while we can.

At least we hold the record of being the first Chapman's to qualify and it being on our 10th aniversary too. Perhaps it was meant to be :-)

WEEK 9 - DUFFERS FINAL.

There was only a limited number of entrants due to the eligibility criteria, but the nonetheless one record was broken and one record was extended in tonight’s performance.

In the 1^st half draw semi-final Mike Reid & Norma Skelton faced eventual winners Bonnet & Steele. Reid checked out the first leg on double 10 in 15 darts to give us a great start to the night. Skelton almost finished the match quickly as she only just missed tops for a 106 finish. Steele stepped up to check out the leg on yet another respectable 19 dart leg. Again the third leg was quick, this time Bonnett scoring his 13^th 180 of the tournament, extending his record of most maximums, and then checking out on 53 again in 15 darts to give us one of the quickest 3 leg matches this year.

The second semi-final matched up John Ewen & Margaret Foster against Darren Barnes & Susan Hodgson. Foster struck first with hitting tops at the first attempt. The second leg gave us our next record to be broken. After a few decent throws, Barnes was left on 154. He made his first dart count hitting treble 18, then followed with treble twenty and tops to level the match and score this year’s highest checkout so far and the second highest ever checkout in the tournaments history. After that the third leg could have gone either way and as Foster missed double 8 for the match, Barnes capped off his fine display finishing on the dreaded double 1 to him and his partner through to the final.

In the final Bonnett was scoring well and hit four tons in this match. His partner Steel checked out on tops again to put the pair 1-0 to the good. Barnes scoring improved and checked out leg 2 to level the match then checks out on double 5 to himself and Susan through to the Grand Final.

The second half draw 1^st Semi-final were the same names but with different outcomes. Again Bonnet & Steele faced Barnes & Hodgson. The earlier defeat obviously spurred on the eventual winners as they won 2-0 with Bonnet hitting his second maximum of the night and checking out both legs.

The same 2-0 score-line was the outcome between Mike Reid & Norma Skelton and John Ewen & Margaret Foster. Reid & Skelton won with each of the pair checking out a leg between them to reach the second half final against Bonnet & Steele.

Reid was the highest scorer of this match but Bonnett struck first as he missed double 10 but made amends with his next dart checking out on double 5 to go 1-0 up. Bonnett then had the chance to put the game to bed as he stepped up to check out leg 2 on tops, alas his dart veered and landed in double 5 yet again. Steel did not have the chance to finish as Skelton stepped up checking out her 60 score in 2 darts. At 1-1 the match really was anyone’s. Bonnet was on for yet another maximum but his last dart fell out of the treble 20 leaving with a 120 score. His high scoring left Steel on tops and she finished off with aplomb to face Barnes & Hodgson yet again in the Grand Final.

It was Barnes and Bonnett hitting the tons and once again Bonnett hit a 120 with his third dart falling out of the treble 20 denying him chance of yet another maximum tonight. Despite Bonnett’s high scoring it was Barnes who checked out on 59 to take the first leg. The second leg was of much the same high quality. Bonnett was faced with a 119 finish and with his 3^rd dart just missed tops hitting single 20 instead. Steele finished that off though as she checked out leg 2 to level the final. The deciding leg was exciting stuff as both pairs quickly reduced their required scores to approximately 100 each. As each player were trying to check out each score it was Bonnett who eventually hit double 10 to finish the match and become our 2014 Duffers Champion along with Steele. They were much deserved winners after appearing in so many qualifying finals this year it is amazing how they did not qualify at some stage throughout the 8 qualifying weeks.

Even though entrants were limited, the scores were impressive. There were 29 x 100+ scores, 5 x 140’s and 2 x180’s. Stephen Bonnett hit both maximums to take his tournament tally to 14 which is a record. Darren Barnes now is the favourite to take the prize money for the male highest checkout with his 154 strike.