October 13th 2016 away v White Swan (Dirty Duck)

Almost 2 years to the day of the last post on this blog when the Rose & Crown went down by the width of a wire to New Greens it's time to revisit this most local of village dart teams. 2014 was indeed a very different place both on the political landscape and the darting landscape. I say this as the Rose & Crown were gently meandering their way through the second division of the once prestigious St. Albans dart league and arguably the Conservative party had sunk to the second division of politics by needing the help of a man who the public said "He's nice and better than the other lot".Of course that was the nations first ever televised political debate and the man in question was of course Nick Clegg and at the time he along with the Conservative Party sat in coalition together The Rose & Crown went on to lose that night two years ago in a hotly contested match but gained promotion back to division one nonetheless. The aforementioned man however, went on to suffer heavy defeat in the election (May 2015) but in so doing he catapulted the Conservative party back to the top table but that table came at price and that price was ultimately his job not mention his political career but also "Brexit",or as t was known in its initial conception "a referendum". The aforementioned gentleman had now long since departed the corridors of power leaving it in the capable hands of the Conservatives Party "Production Company" who presented over the next couple of years what can only be described as a "Punch and Judy" show played out to an audience of expense claiming MP's, I digress, re Theresa may as Punch in our production, David Cameron as Judy and George Osborne as the Crocodile because he certainly stole all the sausages. Oh how politicians behave. If any further proof is needed you only need to look at the most powerful nation on earth, armed to the hilt with nuclear weapons that would wipe out most if not all of humanity. They start a craze that sweeps the nation where they all dress up as clowns and try to frighten everyone....believe me they don't have to dress up as a clown they are about to elect one as president, lets face it all Hilary needs is the bright red lips and a red nose and we know Trump can juggle his balls don't we? So as we see the world has changed. The very way we live our lives now is quite different and the Rose & Crown Dart team is no exception. Following on from promotion they endured a torrid season back in the 1st division finishing 9th with just three wins all season but post "Brexit" has brought on a new dawn and with only one defeat this season so far they are already close to matching last seasons points tally. Tonight they earned a point in a game that ebbed and flowed but in all honesty was always likely to end in a draw. The opponents tonight were the White Swan but as many would know them "The Dirty Duck". Gone are the days of spit and sawdust in this town centre hostelry, the stale smell of local drunks who in all honesty had probably cut out the middle man and urinated on the tatty old at stools that they were seemingly glued to were now all but a memory too, replaced by the aromatic smell of scented candles and trendy fruit based beverages. The dark dingy surroundings replaced with bright neon lights that make the glasses glow that are stored in chillers and now soft mood lighting illuminates the luxurious seating areas. The beer too has changed, where once pints of brown and bitter and light and mild were complimented by old tobacco tins and spittoons there are now very trendy micro breweries offering craft ales a plenty with gourmet pork scratchings that originate from the Gloucester Old Spot they even manage to have a champion pint of Guinness but I have to say at £4.40 a pint I want it to be a double Olympic Champion that also makes a bacon roll in the morning! It has to be said that the "Dirty Duck" has undergone a transformation in recent years of epic proportions. The Rose & Crown dart team to has changed albeit not so epically but it is a change none the less. The faces maybe are somewhat older and a little more worn than a couple of years ago which goes without saying but the will to want to succeed which was missing for so much of last season seems to have returned in abundance and is no more evident than in the Rose and Crown's newest recruit Rupert, who despite having a torrid time in recent weeks epitomises the desire and will to win of the St Michaels outfit. Other things have changed too, there is a new skipper, Dave Noble and it was the skipper who lead by example last night and got the visitors off to a flying start. Rupert continued his torrid start with stalwart Tony Scott as the usual solid pairing went down 2-1. Paul Mullins and John Goode restored the lead with a hard fought encounter that produced an abundance of tonne pluses from both pairings. The home side rallied and went ahead reeling off the first two singles before Mullins levelled for the visitors. Ron Deamer could not find his form of yester year and was lacking that spark that could have turned this encounter in favour of the visitors. So it was down to the skipper to secure the point and send the Rose and Crown to 4th n the 1st division for the first time in a few years. Oh how things have changed.

October 10th Away New Greens

A contradiction right there.....where? What? Well Look at the title entry.....New Greens.....what's new? Well very little in all honesty. 

New Greens Club, was once a proud and prosperous institution that took no nonsense from anyone, an institution that embodied everything there was about the working man for after all this was a proper working mans club, where the working man went to forget about his woes after his hard day in the field and could saver that moment of elation when he could purse his lips and sip at a nice cold pint of his choosing.

Oh how things have changed, or not as the case maybe, for this evening was a top of the table clash in the local St Albans Darts league (as yet unsponsored) division 2 between the aforementioned establishment and their more (lets just say a polite way of describing the relationship between the two sides would be) salubrious opponents. All that's new these days sadly are some of the faces in the dart team for the cold reality is that this is an institution that is stuck firmly in the 20th century, they may have a Twitter and Facebook account that is cutting edge 21st century but the decor fixtures and fittings remain firmly planted in a time when the likes of Wham and Duran Duran would vie for top spot in the charts. 

The dart team is a Phoenix from flames though, dropping out of the league a couple of years ago they have reinvented themselves and in their first season were runners up in Division 4 when perhaps if it wasn't for their own misdemeanours would surely have gone on and won it.

Nevertheless they gained promotion to division two and along with it a fresh face or two mingled in with the odd wiser head giving themselves every chance of redressing the mistakes of last season.

Tonight though they are playing the Rose and Crown, an experienced team who find themselves in the second division for the first time in half a century according to team stalwart Tony Scott. It's been turbulent times for the Rose and Crown in recent years, losing key players at vital times and along with new faces coming and going it was difficult for them to find that winning formula that's needed if you are going to survive in the top flight. So they find themselves in Division two and unbeaten to boot and confidence seems high within the ageing band of brothers.

The evenings darts certainly lived up to the top of the table billing and in truth in parts would not have been out of place in the top division. Eventually New Greens coming out on top 5-3 but the Rose and Crown pushed them all the way. 180's a plenty and remembering singles are 301 double start that's some going and but for the width of a wire, In Big Rons case the wrong side of it, the result could have been entirely different as that was the home teams last throw of the dice. The Rose and Crown had wrung every last drop out of their more youthful opponents (Mickey Norris aside) and had Big  Rons arrow been 2mm higher Tony Scott would surely have earned a point for the visitors who had nothing left to give.

January 31st away Townswnd Bowls

After only their second league victory of the season hopes were high that the Rose & Crown could now drive on and secure their place in the top flight for next season. Perhaps they could take heart that they finally ended a run of thirteen straight pairs defeats and a losing sequence that started against tonight’s opponents back in late September. Back then the Rose went down 5-4 in a nip n tuck encounter that went to the wire (literally) just losing out in the final game of a long evening.

Hopefully the worst of the winter weather was behind us now and the Kitchen at tonight’s opponents, Townsend Bowls Club had taken heed that Tesco’s burgers contained quantities of horsemeat not to mention the detritus that makes up the rest of your burger and chips. Not that I’m suggesting that Townsend Bowls club would harbour such gourmet cuisine in the first place, in fact if memory serves me correctly there is usually a vast array of sandwiches with all manner of different fillings consisting of egg, egg and yes you guessed it egg. It’s fair to say that it has never been the most salubrious of establishments although it seems to have tried to reinvent itself recently by moving the dartboard and with it the oche but let’s face it the oche generally moves of its volition anyway. I suspect though the reason for the move was not that to remove it from underneath the giant television that belts out the theme tune to all manner of programmes that no one is remotely interested in but in fact I suspect the truth of the matter behind the move was its close proximity to the members lounge.

By half past nine just as the waft of the egg sandwiches was getting under the noses of all present this match, in truth was over, The Rose & Crown had once again surrendered all 3 pairs matches and were tasked with an all too familiar uphill struggle, one that they found yet again insurmountable. The visitors may have only lost by the odd leg yet again, going down 5-4 but the hosts didn’t have to play their hand and cantered to victory, Big Ron really the only shining light for the visitors hinted at a comeback in the first singles of the night but the revival was short lived and the hosts reeled of the next couple to secure the match and with it perhaps the fate of the St. Michaels outfit.

January 17th 2013 Home V White Lion

With the country gripped by fear of what could possibly by complete whiteout, the Rose & Crown were taking on the White Lion and hoping to avoid another whitewash as befell them the previous week when they went down at home 9-0 to the Inn on The Green. Souls were searched and memories checked in a bid to try and recall the last time they had received such a hammering. The stalwarts of the team all just shook their heads unable to think of such an occasion but most likely their grey matter was unable to recall events more than 6 months prior, in fact when quizzed most could not remember what they had for tea that evening never mind a result against the flights in 1996. And so it came to pass that never before had The Rose & Crown lost by such a margin.
The run of straight pairs defeats now extended to a record thirteen however and was most certainly undisputable, as is a run of 7 league defeats stretching back to September 27th.
So with the unwanted stats stacking up the very real possibility of relegation to the second tier of St. Albans darts the Rose were going to have to try and turn their season around somehow. This they did and they did it in style, The Brothers Grimm (Kevin and Ian) finally chalking up a pairs victory not only ending a miserable run but unwittingly in the process giving the home side a 1 leg lead. This was quickly followed up and before the Rose knew what was happening the unthinkable had happened and they had raced away into a three leg lead. Neil Crosby was an early casualty in the singles and must now surely be contemplating a life off of the oche and closer to the chalkboard. But this was just a minor setback and when Ian went on to secure the victory the relief could be seen coursing through Skipper Alan Turner’s veins after masterminding an if not memorable victory but certainly one of the most important.
And so the Rose kick off the second half of the season with a victory, only their second victory of the season but this is the time now to build on that success and try to gain the momentum needed to push away from the foot of the table. It’s not all been doom and gloom as some would have you believe for the most part the Rose & Crown have given a good account of themselves and but for a fair wind and a bit of good fortune could have had more points on the board but as the great Syd Wardell said “They’re just like long John Silver, unlucky and short of a leg.

January 3rd 2013 away v Crooked Billet

So with Christmas and the New Year celebrations well and truly behind them, seemingly washed away by the heavy rains that swept in across the Atlantic for what seemed like an eternity the Rose & Crown resumed their faltering season with the distraction of a 1st round cup tie away to the Crooked Billet.
For those of you that are not aware, the Crooked Billet lies in the village of Colney Heath, one of St. Albans furthest outposts that until recent times was only accessible by horse and cart and in extreme weather only by the river Colne (if you had a suitable inflatable device) so you never know what awaits you. The half time spread could sometimes consist of carrot and Celery Sticks, the odd pickled onion and even an ear or two of corn. None the less this was a chance for the Rose & Crown to put the troubles of 2012 behind them and lay down a marker for the rest of the season.
With Skipper Alan Turner struck down by illness along with the Director of Darts and the whereabouts of Neil "the dude" Crosby unknown it seemed the troubles of last year were not banished as one hoped. But with Dave Noble making his own transport arrangements as did Big Ron, club secretary John Goode was hopeful that a full team of six would be available and with that along with the reappearance of the Dude it was decided that we would set sail for Colney Heath.
Stand in skipper Paul Mullins pulled no punches selecting the pairs and indeed the first single. Sending Brothers Grimm off first followed by John and Neil then Paul and Big Ron.
The Rose & Crown were aiming (I use the term loosely) to secure their first pairs victory since November 22nd, an unprecedented run of some seven consecutive straight pairs defeats. First up The Brothers Grimm but Wally has been in great form of late and saw off the challenge with ease to give the home side the advantage. Next up Neil and John who faired no better, 2-0 the home side. Mulls and Big Ron next up hoping to turn the tide and perhaps would of done so had Mulls nailed the double 8 in the second leg, 3-0 the home side. So, ten straight pairs defeats for the Rose & Crown, there are no records kept but I suspect that this is one albeit an unwanted one and with the Blackberry Jacks up next (formerly Inn on The Green) its difficult to see where the next one is in fact coming from.
So if the Visitors were going to get anything out of this match they would have to do it the hard way. So when Dave Noble defeated Ashley Ralph in a thrilling first singles I think for the first time in a few weeks there was a slight flicker of belief that they could earn something out of this game even of this was self respect and it wasn't doused even when the dude came back empty handed for even the Dude showed some fight and spirit going down 2-1 to Derek Ralph and perhaps could consider himself unlucky not to come away with the spoils. Mulls chalked another one on the board for the visitors with a straight forward 2-0 victory which was followed by Ian Oakman who ran out the victor in yet another thriller to reduce the home sides advantage to just one leg. The belief now was coursing thoughh the veins of the visitors who were producing by far the most noise of the two teams.
So with two to play it was a choice of Kev or an out of sorts Big Ron. Stand in Skipper Mulls opted for Kev opting to save Big Ron to face Wally. But despite a brave performance from Kev it was not to be and the Rose & Crowns unlikely comeback was over.
Far from being down hearted the visitors should go away heads held high, for it would have been easy to throw in the towel at 3-0 but spurred on by Dave Noble who got them off the mark the visitors seemed to grow in confidence and began to fight for every leg that was on offer. If the same fight can be carried forward surely they will avoid the fate in the league that currently awaits them.

December 20th away vs Bricketwood

In the last game of the year in what has been both a disjointed season and a bitterly disappointing season for the Rose & Crown it was the last chance to redeem themselves of some very lack lustre performances to date. Tonight the St. Michaels outfit were away to Bricketwood Social Club and would surely be looking to put behind them last week’s most miserable performance against the Arrows of Sandridge. Hopes were high as Ian partnering Dave Noble in the first doubles pair weighed in with a maximum but it was not enough as the pair went down in 2 straight legs. Hopes were still high as Kevin and Big Ron went up next in what was an evenly matched tie and with the it being leg and leg hopes soared as Kev hit the Rose's second maximum of the night which left Ron needed 67, he gave himself every chance but couldn't nail the double 8 and when Kev missed double 4 the writing was well and truly on the wall for The Rose as yet again they were facing an uphill struggle which was compounded when the evergreen John Goode and his partner Mulls lost 2 straight legs to leave the visitors trailing 3-0. So 3-0 down the Rose needed to show some fight and for a while it looked maybe like they could but when Ian lost the third leg of the first singles to leave the Rose trailing 4-0 all hope was surely eradicated. Mulls provided a bit of respite as he pulled one back in straight legs but the revival was short lived as Big Ron couldn’t clinch the 3rd leg meaning the Rose & Crown had no way back now. 5-1 quickly became 6, then 7 before finally the Rose & Crown went down to their heaviest defeat of the season so far by 8-1.

December 6th Home V Sandridge

Temperatures plumbed the depths this week with the mercury dropping to as low as -5c but this was nothing compared to the depths that the Rose & Crown dart team plumbed tonight.
Facing Sandridge Football club this was the day the Rose and Crown died. So without further ado.

In Affectionate Remembrance
of
The Rose and Crown Darts,
which died at St. Michaels
on
6th DECEMBER 2012
Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing
friends and acquaintances
R.I.P.
N.B.—The body will be cremated and the
ashes taken to Sandridge.