The Lakeside Country Club has been confirmed as the venue for this year’s BDO World Darts Championships, the organisation has announced.

The Surrey complex, which has hosted the championships for the last 33 years will continue to host January’s showpiece event at Frimley Green.

The tournament will take place between Saturday January 5 to Sunday January 13.

There was much debate as to whether the Surrey venue would host the championships after it was reported that last years event could be the last to take place at the legendary Lakeside.

However, the BDO announced this afternoon that the tournament will take place at Frimley Green with tickets going on sale on the venue’s online box office later today (30 October).

Commenting on the deal with the venue, BDO Chairman Des Jacklin said that “We are delighted that the Lakeside World Professional Darts Championships are heading back to Frimley Green.

Both the players and the fans of the sport all look forward to the event and Lakeside has provided the perfect setting for over 30 years.”

This news rounds off a good day for the BDO after announcing Quest and Eurosport as partners for the BDO World Championships and two other tournaments for the next three years, running until 2022.

The British Darts Organisation has agreed a 3-year-deal with the Discovery network for coverage of some of their major tournaments including the World Championships.

 

Eurosport have won the right to broadcast the Lakeside BDO World Darts Championship in a new 3-year contract until 2022 as well as live coverage of the BDO World Trophy and World Masters events in August and October respectively.

 

Quest, a free-to-air sister channel to Eurosport, will also broadcast the BDO World Championships, keeping with the tournament’s 42-year tradition to keep the tournament of free to view television.

 

The channel will provide live coverage of the tournament as well as a comprehensive highlights package every night of the tournament.

 

The same arrangement will be formed for the other two tournaments in this agreement.

 

Commenting on this new partnership, Simon Dowling, head of Quest and Eurosport UK said that “We’re delighted to secure world-class action for these three darts-crazy markets.

 

Darts offers unscripted drama and an incredible spectacle. We are looking forward to bringing this theatre to millions of darts fans in the UK, Netherlands and Australia.”

 

Newly installed BDO chairman Des Jacklin is thrilled with this new long term partnership.

 

“Eurosport have for many years been a great broadcast partner and supporter of the BDO. It is fantastic to see them get the opportunity to show the BDO World Professional Darts Championships in the UK for the first time and to give us a 9 event 3-year commitment to the UK, Netherlands and Australia.

 

We have been committed to securing this long-term broadcasting contract so we can focus our attentions on further improving the BDO for the players and supporters alike.”

 

Eurosport had previously broadcast the BDO World Masters and BDO World Trophy events between 2013-2015 but this is their first major TV agreement with the BDO.

 

The deal for Quest means that the channel bolsters their free-to-air sport offering after obtaining rights to broadcast Carabao Cup and EFL highlights as well as live coverage of Snooker’s Home Nations Series and BSB Superbikes.

The Football Association is to investigate comments made by Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho during Saturday’s game with Newcastle.

The Press Association reports that the United boss is to be investigated following comments believed to have been made by the Portuguese manager during their dramatic 3-2 victory against Newcastle at Old Trafford on Saturday.

At both Half Time and full time the United manager made gestures towards television cameras broadcasting the game, but is unsure at this stage what this investigation is looking at.

Post match Mourinho told reporters that there is a “manhunt” against him and that things that are going on is “his fault.”

The win saw United go up to 8th in the table and secure their first home win since the opening day.

Rekiel Pyke’s strike midway through the opening period secured Wrexham a 1-0 win over the Hawks at the Racecourse Ground.

 

Pyke struck after 30 minutes as he beat three Hawks defenders inside the penalty area before curling the ball into the bottom right hand corner, leaving ‘keeper Ben Dudzinski with no chance.

 

The Hawks rallied on and pushed forward on several occasions but found breaking down the Dragons defence a tricky task as the home side kept their 10^thclean sheet of the season.

 

The result keeps the Hawks in the bottom four.

 

Hawks boss Lee Bradbury made 2 changes from the team that lost to Solihull Moors last week. Rory Williams was forced out through injury with Brian Stock taking his place whilst Josh Huggins came in for Alfie Pavey.

 

In front of a raucous Welsh crowd, the Hawks found themselves to the debt of keeper Ben Dudzinski twice in the opening ten minutes of the game.

 

The first came within 90 seconds of the game getting underway as Luke Young floated a great ball into the path of Stuart Beavon who’s headed effort is tipped over the bar by the ex-Lowestoft man.

 

Then it was Dudzinski to the rescue 6 minutes later as Jordan Maguire-Drew cut inside on the edge of the penalty area before getting his curling effort away and with the ball looking as if it would nestle into the top right-hand corner, Dudzinski again got a strong hand to the ball to tip it onto the crossbar.

 

The Hawks grew into the game following the first quarter of an hour, enjoying long spells of possession in the process with their closest opportunity of the spell coming just before the 20 minute mark as a Josh Huggins plays a corner short to Bradley Tarbuck, who in turn launches a delightful ball into the penalty are looking to find Nicke Kabamba at the back post but two Wrexham defenders did well to block off the supply line to the Hawks number 10.

 

But half hour in and the Hawks would find themselves a goal down with what was ultimately the game deciding strike as Rekiel Pyke firstly cut inside before beating three Hawks defenders with the 21-year-old forward then curling the ball home to give the hosts the lead.

 

And with 5 minutes to go until the interval it was the never say die attitude of first Ben Dudzisnki and latterly Tyler Cordner to keep the deficit to the solitary goal as first the Hawks keeper pulls off a good point blank save before a goalmouth scramble saw the ball headed off the line by the Bournemouth loanee.

 

Then seconds later the inspired Dudzinski continued to impress in the Hawks goal with the Wrexham frontline continuing to test his resilience. On this occasion the goalscorer Pyke, looking for a brace, went one on one with the Hawks keeper before tipping the ball on the bar when the Dragons number 11 let fly.

 

HALF-TIME: Wrexham 1-0 Havant and Waterlooville

 

Wrexham would come out for the second half and keep a lions share of possession for the first ten minutes of the second period as the boisterous home crowd looked for a second.

 

But it would be the Hawks that would have the first opportunity of the second half as good build up play revolving around Brian Stock’s midfield expertise saw the ball fall into the path of Andreas Robinson who curled a ball from distance just wide of the back post.

 

A few minutes later and the hosts came forward again as Maguire-Drew, who was causing the Hawks a whole host of problems down the right, floated a teasing ball into the path of Pyke who’s backheel found itself comfortably cleared by the Hawks defence.

 

Just after the hour mark and the Hawks’ good build up play was almost rewarded as good play by Stock saw him play out the ball to Huggins, who himself played in Tarbuck and when inside the area elected to shoot but he would see his effort deflected.

 

With just over 20 minutes to play and the Hawks’ surge for an equaliser continued to gather pace as on this occasion, Huggins out wide this time picked out Andreas Robinson who himself see his effort deflected by Luke Young for the hosts.

 

5 minutes later and the Hawks again had Dudzinski to thank as he made another match saving stop with Maguire-Drew 6 yards out and the goal at his mercy, he pulls off a superb point blank save to keep the game alive.

 

With a quarter of an hour to play, the Hawks gaffer Lee Bradbury made 2 changes with Alfie Pavey and Aaron Cosgrave replacing Theo Lewis and Ibra Sekajja as we looked to press for that equalising goal.

 

Seconds after that sub and the Hawks came forward with a flourish as Tarbuck played a good long ball forward to Kabamba who’s header was saved by ‘keeper before the flag went up on the right-hand side for offside.

 

A matter of moments later Pavey looked to get his head on the end of a Harris cross after good build up play by Huggins and Cosgrave, but the keeper came rushing out, punching the ball away with a clash of heads between the two in the process.

 

With both back on their feet, the Hawks gaffer used that interval to make his final change of the game with Dan Strugnell replacing Ed Harris.

 

As the clock ticked down towards the 90, the Hawks were the side most likely to score and with 4 minutes left of normal time Stock again provider floated a delightful looking ball into Huggins who could only steer his downward header wide of the goal.

 

The final Hawks chance was perhaps the closest in which we got to bulging the back of the net with a free kick from Brian Stock midway through second half injury time was floated into the path of Kabamba, who flicked the ball on first time towards Pavey who’s outstretched but couldn’t get the vital connection to the ball which would have surely made it 1-1.

 

FULL-TIME: Wrexham 1-0 Havant and Waterlooville

 

Another Saturday where the Hawks were left to scratch their heads as to an outcome of a game but will look to build on recent performances and try and turn those into results in which they warrant.

 

After a Portsmouth Senior Cup tie with Paulsgrove on Tuesday we return to league action next Saturday at Westleigh Park as we take on Gateshead.

Hawks XI: 21 Dudzinski, 4 Stock (c), 5 Woodford, 6 Harris (Strugnell 77′), 8 Lewis (Cosgrave 75′), 10 Kabamba, 11 Tarbuck, 15 Huggins, 16 A.Robinson, 18 Sekajja (Pavey 75′), 25 Cordner

Attendance: 4,323 (40 Hawks fans)

Referee: Simon MATHER 

Man of the Match: Ben Dudzinski- Pulled off one of the best goalkeeping performances that has been seen in a Hawks shirt in recent years.

Bradley Tarbuck has signed a new deal with Havant and Waterlooville to keep him at the club until 2020.

 

The 22-year-old winger joined Havant and Waterlooville back in 2016 and proved to be a pivotal part of the Hawks’ back to back promotion winning side and will continue as part of Lee Bradbury’s National League plans until the end of next season.

 

“Tarbs” as he’s affectionately known has made 50 competitive appearances for the Hawks since joining from Dorchester Town and scored 7 goals in his past two seasons at the club.

9 Dart hero Gary Anderson has kept his triple crown hopes alive by beating Joe Cullen 19-17 in one of the greatest games in the history of the World Matchplay to progress to the semi-final of the tournament in Blackpool. A feat that Anderson described as “the worse thing” he did during the titanic encounter.

 

Cullen had missed 2 match darts to win the game in normal time with one of the darts partly down to the fact that a rogue fly invaded the stage to obscure the “Rockstars” vision on Double 9 before Gary Anderson mopped up to send the game into extra time.

 

Anderson created history in leg 4 of the match pinning the first 9 darter at the World Matchplay since Phil Taylor’s perfect leg against Michael Smith back in 2014. After hitting 2 straight 180’s Anderson finished out 141 on Double 12 to hit the 9 dart leg and cashing £45,000 in the process, the second most lucrative 9 darter in PDC history behind Taylor’s in 2002 against Chris Mason which saw him pocket £100,000.

 

But despite the perfect leg by the ‘Flying Scotsman’ Cullen came back fighting, ensuring to the bouncing Winter Gardens crowd that he wouldn’t be a mere spectator to Anderson’s brilliance.

 

For the opening exchange the game was nip and tuck, with neither player being able to stem a two leg cushion for the opening half of the match up, seemingly a theme of the game.

 

That was until leg 19 when Joe Cullen started to put on the after burners against Anderson. Firstly, he pinned a 170 checkout to put himself in front 10-9, making Anderson as sick as a fish but then ‘Ando’ would be even sicker in the Blackpool heat as with Cullen’s last dart in hand in leg 20 broke the throw on Double 18 to 11-9 in front.

 

But Anderson fought back, showing the class of the two time World Champion he is firstly going back in front 13-12 at the last break and then converting into a 14-13 lead, leaving the 2 times World Champion just two legs away from a second World Matchplay Semi-final.

 

But Cullen came back again through the barrage from Anderson, after the Flying Scotsman missed two darts at tops to go within a leg of winning the match, Cullen stepped in and in ice cool fashion splitting double 9 to go single 10, double 4 to make it 14-14 and Cullen wasn’t done either, pinning a 71 checkout to 15-14 in front to go within a leg himself of making the semi-finals before drama ensued in Blackpool.

 

Cullen had 2 darts to win the match, missing his first effort at double 18 he had to readjust to double 9 and as he released the arrow a fly became visible distracting his vision with the dart going agonisingly wide within inches of the inside of the double bed.

 

Anderson would then step in to win the leg and to send the game into extra time, more drama at the Winter Gardens.

 

And the pair would again trade legs until 17-17, where Gary Anderson’s two bounceouts in succession proved irrelevant as Cullen notched tops to draw the game within a couple of legs from sudden death.

 

But Anderson would ensure that that fate would not be required. After firstly missing the bull for a 170 checkout, he hit double 8 to finish off a 25 checkout before rounding off the match thanks in part to Cullen missing 3 darts at tops to send it to a decided leg but Anderson stepped up to hit Double 20, the target Cullen missed to take aim in the semi finals.

 

Anderson said the 9 darter was always on the cards tonight when questioned post match. “I did (fancy a 9 darter). I text my manufacturer that I’m going to hit a 9 darter with the new set he gave to me.

“I was enjoying the game but double tops was killing me. But Joe stuck in and got the finishes, he made a few mistakes on checkouts but most were in legs where I had a dart at double. But I’m happy to get over the winning line.”

 

 

And the Flying Scotsman will take on Jeffrey De Zwaan in the last four as his fairytale run at the World Matchplay continued following a 16-8 win over World Number 8 Dave Chisnall, sending the 22 year old Dutchman into the semi finals of the tournament on his debut.

 

De Zwaan, a 300/1 no hoper with the bookmakers before the start of the tournament adds Chisnall to a list of casualties which include World Number 1 Michael van Gerwen and 2 times World Champion Adrian Lewis.

 

The Black Cobra did his damage in the back end of the game against “chizzy” winning 9 of the last 10 legs, turning an even game at 7-7 into his grasp in emphatic fashion, averaging 103 in the process.

 

The early exchanges of the game turned out to be a scoring fest with both players averaging 106 as deep as 13 legs into the match.

 

Chisnall lead the game by 4 legs to 2 and it looked like the St.Helens thrower would hold the upper hand in the game having outscored the Dutchman. But De Zwaan proved to be the more consistent player in the contest, maintaining his average throughout.

 

The key moment in the match was the 15^thleg. Chisnall having missed darts at double to make it 8-7 in his favour, but De Zwaan would hold his nerve to go into the mid game interval leading.

 

Having held his throw in leg 16 of the contest, De Zwaan swung the game in his favour with a timely break with a 65 checkout taken out in 2 darts on Double top. That break, one of 8 De Zwaan hit in the encounter.

 

That would prove to be the turning point in the game as De Zwaan pulled away from the 4 time major TV finalist, going 5 clear at 12-7 courtesy of a 180 followed by the pinning of tops, taking total control of the game with a 105 average.

 

De Zwaan then went ahead 15-8, throwing for a place in the last 4 of the second biggest event on the PDC circuit  and would dually obliged when Chizzy missed bull for a 124 checkout before De Zwaan hit 56 in two darts, winning the game and looking to the heavens as he booked his place in the semis.

 

The other two quarter finals of the World Matchplay take place tomorrow night as first Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright takes on Simon Whitlock with Mensur Suljovic takes on Darren Webster, who deposed of World Champion Rob Cross to reach this stage. The matches at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens begins from 7pm.

Matt Tubbs has left Havant and Waterlooville to join Gosport Borough as Player/Assistant Manager. “Tubbsy” leaves the Hawks following a one season spell with the club having scored 12 goals from 25 appearances.

 

In his last interview with the club he spoke about the “camaraderie amongst the players” and have special praise to the coaching staff including manager Lee Bradbury for their “professionalism both on and off the field.”

 

When asked about what he enjoyed most about being a Hawk he swiftly replied with the “camaraderie amongst the players. That was brilliant. It was one of the best dressing rooms I’ve ever been in with such an honest group of lads. The majority work 9-5 in the day and then do two evening training session a week and then go on long journeys on a Saturday and I think it was that which pulled the team closer together.”

 

For Tubbs it was his 6^thpromotion as a player and his second from the Southern tier of The National League into the Premier division and says last seasons was “right up there.”

 

“I’m really glad that we got over the line. At the start of the season we thought that we would be a play-off team but again it was that team spirit which helped along the way in gaining promotion and to do it with Havant really is right up there.”

 

And with the League championship being one to many outsiders as being a surprise, I asked Matt when he believed that the Hawks could go on and win The National League South to which he jovially replied with “the 89^thminute when Jason Prior put that ball into the back of the net.”

“It was such as phenomenal season and if you wanted the ball to fall to anyone at that exact moment it would have been Jason Prior but I think Theo Lewis doesn’t get the credit he deserves to have the vision to find that one touch pass to find Jase and then the rest as they say is history.”

 

And I concluded the interview by asking Tubbsy what his stand out memory was from his time at Westleigh Park. “There’s loads, I wouldn’t say that there is just one. There’s plenty perhaps too many to reel off. Little things like Alfie Rutherford scoring and falling into the net, Henners singing on the way home and Ryan Young’s save which is one of the best I’ve ever seen but the list could go on, it was such a good season to be a Hawks player.”

 

Tubbsy donned the Hawks jersey with vigour and class, he came as a big name signing, he showed the hallmarks of a great player on the field and showed great humility off it. Despite it only lasting a season, it has been a journey, one he’ll never forget as he slowly ventures from playing to coaching.

 

Everyone associated with the Football Club would like to thank Matt for the fantastic service in which he gave this Football Club and wish him all the success as he begins his career in the coaching side of the game.

PDC World Champion Rob Cross and World Number 1 Michael van Gerwen has welcomed the call made by the Professional Darts Corporation today to allow 2 automatic qualification slots for female players for the 2019 PDC World Darts Championship at the Alexandra Palace.

The decision was made as part of a wide ranging reform of the sports showpiece event and 2 time World Champion van Gerwen was “surprised” by the decision made by the Sports governing body but welcomes the call made to expand the sport.

“I think it’s a big progression for Darts. It is a good step forward, why not? Why can’t women win?”

“I don’t like to lose to a Woman; I don’t want to lose to anyone, but why wouldn’t a woman be as good as a man?”

And the reigning World Champion Cross, who won the tournament on his debut in January, also backs the call as a sign of progression for the sport. “I think it is going to be amazing.”

“For the men the averages is much higher than what the woman are throwing but there’s no real reason why that should be the case.”

“Getting the exposure and doing things like that will bring the women’s game on and everyone will want to go and play at the Alexandra Palace.

“There’s no reason why they can’t throw those averages like the men. It will open the avenues and that is good. The game is only ever going to improve.”

The female competitors will be decided by two separate qualifiers, a UK qualifier and a Rest of the World qualifier which will be held in the build up to the tournament at London’s Alexandra Palace in December.

 

Female players will be guaranteed two places at the PDC World Darts Championship for the first time in the tournaments history after the Professional Darts Corporation announced radical changes to its flagship event with the tournament being expanded to 96 players.

The announcement of two female representatives comes after Momu Zhou became only the second female player after Anastasia Dobromyslova in 2010 to qualify for the World Cup of Darts tournament which took place in Frankfurt over the weekend. The PDC announced that two qualifiers will be held to fill in the places one UK qualifier and a Rest of the World qualifier with the winners entering the first round of the newly revamped competition.

PDC Chairman Barry Hearn told PDC.TV that it was “important to guarantee” female qualification for the first time in the tournaments 26 year history. Gayl King and Anastasia Dobromyslova are the only female players to feature at the PDC World Darts Championship. King became the first woman to compete in the tournament losing to Graeme Stoddart in the first round 3-1 in 2001. Whilst Dobromoslova played in the 2009 tournament losing out 5-3 to Dutchman Remco van Eijden in the Preliminary round of the competition.

The other key announcement is the expansion from a field of 72 to 96 meaning this years World Championship will be second biggest in size amongst the PDC majors behind the UK Open. The 32 seeds for the tournament will now gain a bye through to the second round of the competition with the top 32 players on the PDC Pro Tour order of merit who have not qualified for the tournament facing 32 players from various qualification tables and events from across the globe in the first round of the event.

Among these qualifiers will be the top 4 players on the newly established PDC Asian Tour, the top 2 players on both the PDC Development Tour Order of merit for players under 23 alongside the top 2 from the PDC Baltic order of merit alongside winners of various other qualification tables such as the PDC Challenge Tour and DPA Australian Tour.

The tournament will take place over an expanded 16 days at London’s iconic Alexandra Palace and will comprise of 28 sessions, the most in the tournaments history starting on Thursday December 13^thand running through to New Years Day’s final.

Talking to PDC.TV Chairman of the PDC Barry Hearn stated that “The William Hill World Darts Championship has become a phenomenon in worldwide sport given its incredible growth in recent years, but this announcement takes the tournament to a whole new level,”

“The World Championship has grown year-on-year in the decade since our move from the Circus Tavern to Alexandra Palace, which is the perfect home for such a prestigious event.”

“Moving to 96 players will not only reward more players from our ProTour, with 32 qualifiers joining the world’s top 32 players in securing places in the World Championship, but also gives us the opportunity to expand the international qualifiers.”

In another announcement by the PDC they also announced a record prize fund for the Sports showpiece with a £2.5 million jackpot with a first prize of £500,000 again a record for a professional darts tournament. This was announced following tournament sponsor’s William Hill’s contract extension through to 2022.

The half a million-pound first prize eclipses Rob Cross’ £400,000 for beating Phil Taylor in the red ribbon event earlier this year and this announcement also comes into line with Hearn’s promise in 2015 that the tournament would have a £500,000 first prize by 2020.

The tournament will also be the first World Championships on Sky Sports since signing a 7 year extension to their contract with the Professional Darts Corporation to screen their major televised events.

Havant and Waterlooville skipper Brian Stock has committed his future to the Hawks after signing a new 1 year deal with the club.

 

Stocky who skippered the Hawks to both of our league titles over the past two seasons stays with the Hawks despite offers coming from elsewhere which included a coaching role at Premier League AFC Bournemouth.

 

The defining reason for staying at the Hawks was due to the feel and vibe he has for donning the famous Havant jersey and it was that feeling that fended off offers from the Premier League club.

 

“Getting promoted two years on the trot you feel apart of the club and to be in the conference next year is incredible. It’s an exciting time for many fans and all at the club and it’s great to be apart of it”.

 

“It would have been an easy decision if I didn’t get a coaching role at AFC Bournemouth. It’s because I’m at the end of my playing career and coaching is what keeps me in the game but hopefully that time will come.”

 

Stocky believes the situation that the Hawks are in is similar to that in which he encountered when at Burnley after promotion to the top flight in 2014 and believes that the lads need to “keep” that close nit bond.

 

“I asked the gaffer that. And he said if we can keep the squad together we can do well. Our budgets not the highest in the league but our team spirit is, and it reminds me of when I was at Burnley and we were promoted to the premiership, no one gave us a chance and we were favourites to go down and that is like us, firstly we have to consolidate and then push on.”

 

“There’s some big teams with big budgets in this league and mistakes will be punished but we have to keep the attitude that we have had for the last two years.”

 

Everyone at the club is thrilled to have Stocky back on board for the new season as he becomes the first player in history to skipper the Hawks in the 5^thtier of English Football.