I didn’t see him but given the size of the crowd in Manchester you can forgive the cameramen for not being able to find him if he was there.
Big day for darts with the finals of the BDO International Open taking place at Brean Sands.
And Wolfie has risen to the big occasion in magnificent style, hitting a nine darter. 
But incredibly, that kind of standard wasn’t good enough to progress to he next round, as the grand old man of darts was beaten 4-3 by the little known Ash Khayatz. The strength in depth of the BDO shown yet again.
Wolfie is playing The Grand Slam of Darts.
Great news.
http://tungstentickle.com/hankey-all-but-guarantees-lakeside-spot/
Ted Hankey has all but guaranteed his place at Lakeside for the 2016 BDO World Championship after reaching the semi-finals of the Luxembourg Open.
Coming into the final ranking tournament before the cut off for Lakeside 2016 Hankey was dead level with Sam Hewson on 161 points in 27th in the BDO world rankings.
Twenty seventh is likely to be the final qualifying spot for the World Championships, dependent on the winner of next month’s Winmau World Masters coming from the top 26 ranked players in the BDO world rankings.
Hankey’s hopes were given a major boost early on on Saturday as Hewson exited at the first round stage via a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Kenny Neyens at the Luxembourg Open, meaning that all ‘The Count’ had to do was score points to make sure of his position.
The two-time Lakeside champion successfully manoeuvred his way to the semi-finals of the tournament, where he was soundly defeated 5-0 by Thomas Junghans, who went on to win the Luxembourg Open after winning 6-3 against Mark Oosterhuis in the final.
While Hankey, who added 12 points to his BDO ranking, is not guaranteed his spot at Lakeside in January, ‘The Count’ will be looking forward to travelling to Frimley Green in a playing capacity rather than working on the media side of the event.
In the ladies singles there was more success for Deta Hedman, who defeated Aileen de Graaf 5-2 in the final – Tungsten Tickle has supported a campaign to see ‘The Dark Destroyer’ honoured with an MBE in recognition of her services to darts and outstanding charity work over the year.
Former BDO world champion Andy Fordham turned back the clock to secure a place in next month’s Singha Beer Grand Slam of Darts.
Fordham, who claimed the title in 2004, won a series of tough matches in the qualifying event in Hull and beat Neil Duff 5-4 to make it into the 32-player event, which includes 24 PDC players and eight from the BDO.
Larry Butler progressed alongside ‘The Viking’ with a 5-3 win over Scott Waites, leaving just two qualifying places remaining for the event, which will be held over nine days at the Civic Hall in Wolverhampton.
The last time that repellant fat cunt faced elite PDC opposition he nearly dropped dead on the oche. Lets hope the emergency services are on red alert when this repulsive slab of vileness waddles his way towards the big stage.
Vile sentiments but unsurprising from a pdc “fan” to wish serious ill health on one of the game’s legends.
You’ll be delighted to know that Andy unfortunately failed in his bid to qualify for the World Championship in today’s qualifying tournament in Hull.
Roscommon’s David Concannon defeated Kikenny’s Michael Meaney to advance to the final round and is just one game away from an appearance at the Home of Darts. Good luck, David.
Another man who is now just one game away from qualifying is the great John “Boy” Walton. With Ted Hankey back in the big time this year, it would be amazing to see John Boy back at Lakeside after missing out over the last few years.
Sad face smiley rating.
David Concannon will not be going to Lakeside.
The Roscommon Herald/Super Valu Sports Star of the Year 2014 has been beaten 2-0 by Scotland’s Alan Soutar.
No Irish representation at Lakeside for the second year in a row.
John “Boy” Walton has qualified for the 2016 World Darts Championship.
It was a case of old hands beating young hands, literally, as the 2001 World Champion beat Thomas Junghans in the final qualifying round to book his place on the famous stage in January.
Wolfie, The Count and John Boy back together at Lakeside for the first time since 2012. 2016 is already shaping up to be a classic renewal.
Wolfie currently taking on Duzza in the final of the Finder Darts Masters in Holland, traditionally called the Zuiderduin Masters but rebranded this year.
Duzza averaged 110 in one of his matches yesterday.
I’ll be back later with the result, which I expect to be “on the wire”.
2-2 at the moment.
Duzza averaging 102.5 with Wolfie on 99.5.
1 Like
Duzza clinched the title with a 5-2 victory and averaged well over 100.
A high, high standard in the low country of Holland.
The big one gets underway at the Lakeside tomorrow. Just looking at the line up for Day 1, Larry Butler is intriguingly making his return to competitive darts and competing in the World Championship for the first time since 1992 when he lost to Denis Priestly in the first round. He had dabbled with the exhibition circuit for a while and won their Matchplay tournament in Blackpool in 1994.
Tomorrow’s line up:
Saturday, 2 January 2016
13:00 GMT
Jim Williams (Wal) v Tony O’Shea (Eng)
Craig Caldwell (NZ) v Alan Soutar (Sco)
Darryl Fitton (Eng) v Dennis Harbour (Eng)
18:30 GMT
Larry Butler (US) v James Hurrell (Eng)
Matthew Medhurst (Ned) v Jeff Smith (Can)
Glen Durrant (Eng) v Dean Reynolds (Wal)
2 Likes
finally some real action about to begin
1 Like
Do we have an official thread for the tournament set up yet?
Another bumper weekend of BDO darts action again next weekend with the Quebec Open and the resumption of the county championship.
The Dutch Open is also just three weeks away.
A huge amount to look forward to in 2016.
Here’s the full BDO master fixtures list for the year ahead:
Jan 15 - 17
●
Quebec Open
Canada
Jan 16 - 17
●
BICC Inter-County Matches
Jan 23
●
Fleetwood Memorial Las Vegas Open
USA
Jan 23 - 24
●
Romanian Classic
Bucharest, Romania
Jan 24
●
Romanian International Darts Open
Bucharest, Romania
Jan 24
Gwynedd Open
Wellmans Sports & Social Club, Parc Bryn Cefni Industrial Estate, Llangefni LL77 7JA
Jan 29 - 31
● ●
Dutch Open
De Bonte Wever Assen
Feb 6 - 7
●
BICC Inter-County Matches
Feb 12 - 14
● ●
Scottish Open
Normandy Cosmopolitan Hotel, Renfrew, Scotland
Feb 14
Essex Open Darts Teenage Mixed Competition
Chelmsford Social Club, 55 Springfield Road, Chelmsford CM2 6JG
Feb 20
●
Syracuse Open
USA
Feb 26 - 28
BDO Players Championship
Mar 5 - 6
●
BICC Inter-County Matches
Mar 11 - 13
●
Isle of Man Classic
Mar 11 - 13
●
Isle of Man Open
Mar 12 - 13
●
Winmau Iceland Open
Mar 14 - 20
●
Torremolinos Festival of Darts
Sol Principe Hotel, Torremolinos
Mar 18 - 20
Yorkshire Classic
Mar 19
Gibraltar Open
Mar 19
● ●
HAL Masters
Evenementenhal Venray, De Voorde 30, 5807 EZ Venray, Nederland
Mar 20
● ●
HAL Open
Evenementenhal Venray, De Voorde 30, 5807 EZ Venray, Nederland
Mar 25 - 28
BDO Festival of Darts
Apr 2
●
Virginia Beach Classic
USA
Apr 2
●
White Mountain Shootout
USA
Apr 2 - 3
●
BICC Inter-County Matches
Apr 8 - 10
BDO British Internationals
Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland
Apr 9
●
Charlotte Open
USA
Apr 16 - 17
●
Bulls German Masters
Bochum, Germany
Apr 16 - 17
● ●
Bulls German Open
Bochum, Germany
Apr 23 - 24
●
BICC Inter-County Matches
Apr 29 - May 1
●
Denmark Open
Apr 29 - May 1
●
Estonian Open
May 5 - 8
The Darts Masters (TV Event) (EDO)
May 6 - 8
●
Finnish Open
May 8
BDO Delegates Meeting
Village Hotel, Dolomite Avenue, Coventry CV4 9GZ
May 12 - 15
● ●
Welsh Open
Pontins, Prestatyn, Wales
May 13 - 15
●
Bulls Muensterland Classic
May 13 - 15
●
Bulls Muensterland Trophy
May 13 - 15
Mill Rythe Spring Festival
Mill Rythe Holiday Village, Havant Road, Hayling Island PO11 0PB
May 14
●
Lithuanian Open
May 21
Wiltshire County Mens Open
The Cricklade Club, 38 High Street, Cricklade, Swindon, SN6 6AY
May 21 - 22
●
Poland Open
Hotel Dobosz, Police, Poland
May 21 - 22
●
Police Masters
Hotel Dobosz, Police, Poland
May 22
Wiltshire County Ladies Open
The Cricklade Club, 38 High Street, Cricklade, Swindon, SN6 6AY
May 27 - 30
●
BDO World Trophy
Jun 3 - 5
●
BDO International Open
Jun 3 - 5
● ●
Swiss Open
Jun 4
Scottish Youth Open
CISWO Club, Glenrothes
Jun 12
Lincolnshire Open
The Blues Club, North Street, Gainsborough DN21 2LU
Jun 18 - 19
● ●
England Open
Selsey
Jun 24 - 26
Six Nations
Jun 25 - 26
●
Austrian Open Vienna
Vienna, Austria
Jul 2
BDO Gold Cup
Lakeside Country Club, Wharf Road, Frimley Green GU16 6PT
Jul 3
Southern Inter Counties Youth
Lakeside Country Club, Wharf Road, Frimley Green GU16 6PT
Jul 13 - 17
Europe Cup Youth
Budapest, Hungary
Jul 23 - 24
Youth Festival
Wolverhampton
Jul 29 - 31
BDO Shownights Open
Aug 5 - 7
● ●
Belgium Open
Aug 6
●
USA Classic
USA
Aug 7
BDO AGM
Village Hotel, Dolomite Avenue, Coventry CV4 9GZ
Aug 12 - 14
● ●
Antwerp Open
Aug 14
Champions Cup
Aug 19 - 21
●
LDO Swedish Classic
Malmo, Sweden
Aug 19 - 21
●
Swedish Open
Malmo, Sweden
Aug 26 - 28
● ●
French Open
Aug 27
●
LDO Ladies Classic
The Blues Club, North Street, Gainsborough DN21 2LU
Sep 3 - 4
●
BICC Inter-County Matches
Sep 9 - 11
●
England Classic
Selsey
Sep 16 - 18
●
British Classic
Sep 16 - 18
●
British Open
Sep 20 - 24
Europe Cup
Zuiderduin Hotel, Engmond aan Zee
Sep 25
●
Netherlands Open
Zuiderduin Hotel, Engmond aan Zee
Oct 1 - 2
●
BICC Inter-County Matches
Oct 6 - 9
BDO World Matchplay
Oct 14 - 16
●
Latvian Open
Oct 14 - 16
●
Northern Ireland Open
Oct 15
●
Colorado Open
USA
Oct 19 - 26
●
Turkish Open
Turkey
Oct 22
●
Witch City Open
USA
Oct 29 - 30
●
BICC Inter-County Matches
Nov 3 - 6
European Matchplay (TV Event) (EDO)
Nov 10 - 13
●
Jersey Classic
Nov 10 - 13
●
Jersey Open
Nov 11 - 13
Mill Rythe Autumn Festival
Mill Rythe Holiday Village, Havant Road, Hayling Island PO11 0PB
Nov 12
●
Seacoast Open
USA
Nov 15 - 17
●
Malta Open
Nov 18 - 20
● ●
Czech Open
Nov 19 - 20
● ●
Sunparks Masters
Nov 20
BDO Delegates Meeting
Village Hotel, Dolomite Avenue, Coventry CV4 9GZ
Nov 24 - 27
●
BDO Winmau World Masters
Copper Box Arena, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 3HB
Dec 3 - 4
●
BICC Inter-County Matches
Dec 9 - 11
● ●
Finder Darts Masters
Martin Adams bounced back from his World Championship disappointment like the true champion he is to retain his Dutch Open title today.
Wolfie emerged victorious from a field of over 3,000 players to beat home favourite Danny Noppert in the final in Assen, after taking out former pdc player Kevin McDine, who has made the step up to the big time, in the semi-final.
Another great Dutch Open tournament and once again so much credit is due to Niels De Ruiter and the splendid work he’s doing in the Dutch Darts Federation.
1 Like
Terrible, terrible news for the darting family and for darts fans all around the world.
Martin Fitzmaurice, the greatest referee and MC the game has ever seen, has passed away at the age of 76.
A few minutes ago, I was still ecstatic after Liverpool’s amazing comeback victory over Borussia Dortmund.
Now, I am in tears writing this message that I hoped I would never have to write.
We have lost a giant.
Martin Fitzmaurice 1940-2016
Forever in our hearts
Let’s Play Darts
1 Like
Did he fiddle with U16’s?