Thursday October 4th away to the "Billet" Colney Heath

The red glow that greeted us could almost have been mistaken for the deep red of the setting sun across the African savannah and the local wild life reminiscent of a heard of wilderbeast as they gathered around the local watering hole to quench their thirst before the long night set in.  But this was no Kenyan safari , this was the Crooked Billet, Colney Heath, one of St. Albans furthest outposts. The red glow was no setting sun but instead a shrine of membeobilia dedicated to the once great Arsenal and the wilderbeast, the dart players that supped their Ale  as the sun's heat became a distant memory. Football programmes denoting past sucesses adorned every wall from Bob Wilson and the epic Double winning team of '71 to the invincibles of 03-04 but recent times have been barren and indeed  It has been many years now since the trophy cabinet at the emirates was furnished with any silverware and judging by the performance of the Billet last night they look set fair to emulate the trophy less years of the once mighty "Gooners". They may have won (albeit 5-4) but in years gone by, before the league decided it would  slice open the underbelly of the "little teams", the "unfashionable" ones and then reach inside  pulling free their intestines and leaving their soul to bleed dry, this would have been a well earned draw and probably the most that could be expected. For those who are not blessed with superstar county players that are only too happy to corral themselves in the top three to four teams all clamouring to add yet another "ornate pot" to the already overcrowded mantelpiece that overflows with the very best re-cycled plastic that money can buy, the ability to skilfully play as a player and orchestrate the draw as captain earned themselves a sense of worth and the thought, even if it was for the briefest moment that they too were superstars if only for one night have now had this cruelly stripped from them. One must surely then question the very wisdom of those who voted to increase the format to six singles thus preventing the draw and in the process exorcising the most fundamental of sporting results, for who can declare Benn Vs Eubanks 2 a "waste of time" and who asked for their money back as there was no "winner" on the night as the two fighters fought and slugged their way to what is probably the most famous draw in British sporting history ( barring the 1877 boat race)  .  So i digressed, anyway, Awash with superstars the Billet struggled against a not only underpar Rose and Crown but also a depleted one that lacked the nouse and experience of the inspirational Tony Scott and the sharp wit and quick tounge of the "Director" and they could have easily been embarrassed but for the inaccuracy of "the dude" who luckily missed by a country mile when sacrificing his own throat!!  A strong start saw the Billet ease in to a 1-0 lead as the brothers Grimm were no match for Nick Webbley and co. But Mullins and "the dude" restored parity for the Rose paving the way for Skipper Alan Turner and Dave Nobel to hopefully send them into a 2-1 lead. Alas this was not going to be the case and despite taking the first leg the Billet sailed into the singles one point to the good, all "Big Ron" could do was watch from the sidelines. It was now make or break. The first single was going to be pivotal, lose this and a two leg deficit was going to be virtually insurmountable, the Rose needed a mountaineer, they needed their very own Sir Edmund Hilary....what they got instead was Neil Crosby. So 3-1 down now and with Sherpa Tenzing nowhere to be seen John Goode adorned his crampons and quickly climbed in to a one leg lead and with momentum behind him now he reached the summit hauling the Rose & Crown up with him. 3-2 was soon to become 4-2 however as Kevin was unable to follow in John's footsteps. "Big Ron" who patiently waited all night finally got his chance and he didn't disappoint as he pulled one back for the St. Michaels outfit. Two down, one to play Mullins on next, surely 4-3? A nervy start saw Mullins fail to register a double early on and in so doing conceding the first leg but this proved to be nothing more than a blip as Mullins secured the next two legs (albeit not with his usual confident manner) to draw the sides level and leave the decider to Ian. Facing Derek Ralph Ian succumbed fairly quickly in the first but grew in confidence in the second and had the beating of his taller opponent but unfortunately for the Rose couldn't hit that all important double and the Billet claimed the game at half past eleven five games to four.

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Thursday September 20th 2012

Controversy rules as the 2012-13 St. Albans district Darts league season kicked off last Thursday for the Rose & Crown. Drawn away to the White Lion “b” for the first week of the campaign the Rose had the bare minimum of six players (or seven if you include the self-styled “Director of Darts”) needed now that the league had voted on a new format of 3 doubles and 6 singles. Club secretary John Goode however had other ideas and was insistent that the format was amended to only include 5 singles thus enabling the draw. This did not go down well with the home team and set the scene for the remainder of the evening with the home team’s skipper feeling particularly disgruntled. Discussion followed debate and the situation was given hope of avoiding the decent into a mockery when John gave in and called “Foggy”. Two minutes later “Foggy” confirmed what everyone else in the pub already knew and that six singles were to be played.   The Rose quickly raced into a 3-0 lead, I say quickly, each going the full three legs with the home side wasting opportunities to reverse the score. They didn’t have to wait long however before chalking up their first legs of the season as they took the spoils of the first two singles. By this stage the clock was ticking and it was gone 11 o’clock and concerns were raised as to the format greatly lengthening the evening, concerns that were well founded as the last Dart rattled in to double eight securing a 7-2 victory and two points for the visitors at 23:50.

Thursday September 27th 2012

With the weather on the turn and the chilly evenings starting to take effect winter league darts made a welcome return to the Rose & Crown last night. The car park was still a squeeze and took John a couple of goes to fit his car snugly in its place, helped largely by the rear sensors and the guidance of “DD”. As we turned out of the car park and onto the street the sun was in its last throes casting the centuries old tavern in its warm glow. The smokers as if caught in time were still huddled around the door as they had been since the smoking ban was introduced some four or five years earlier. Inside the fires still burned, their warmth only interrupted as the unwary patrons upon their exit left the door agape. To all intense and purposes it was a typical scene that was being played out at all manner of village pubs up and down the country. But something was different, something had changed. It was five minutes to eight and not a dart player in sight. Where once you would expect “Ming” to be scrapping for yet another fifty pence piece over a game of tactics with possibly eight or nine fellow dart players, there was only silence. Where once Neil would whine like a baby and throw his darts to floor as if toys from a pram lamenting that “stupid game”, the floor was bare. Where once these finely “tuned athletes” strained every sinew hurling their precisely engineered barrels of wolfram at the board hoping and praying at all costs it wouldn’t be a brush and cost them a pound, the board was just pierced by stark white light from the ceiling mounted spots above. It’s now five minutes past eight and the darts players are in attendance all lining up meaninglessly awaiting their turn to thrust the cold wolfram into the Stark new board. Once the atmosphere here would crackle with electricity as “Scotty” picked the teams that would do battle and we can still hear the phrase “I’ll play with Tom” echo around the once nicotine stained walls even today. But this is 2012 and “Scotty” is not here, at least not yet and nor is the spark that would once ignite the fire for that early evening competition. This is where the true darts were played. Tactics. We may have taken points from the “Inn on the Green” we may have heroically gone to London Road with just six players and come back victorious, we may have even beaten the Crooked Billet into submission but this nothing to winning 50p off Scotty but instead now each takes their turn not even registering as they strike the board.   The visitors are here now, Townsend Tennis and bowls club, familiar foes and bristling with a mix of youth and experience but lacking their talisman Barry Curran a semi nomadic team that have made their way around St. Albans before settling down.   It’s leg ‘n’ leg in the first and the tension now is starting to rise Kevin wants 21 but leaves Ian 3. Townsend fluff their lines and Ian bags the first game.   Paul and Neil up next and before we know what’s happening Townsend are a leg to the good. A good solid start in the second leg aided by the oppositions inability to start and they claw it back to leg ‘n’ leg. Again the tension can be felt all around the room and all that can be heard is “DD” chattering inanely. Third leg and it’s nip ‘n’ tuck all the way down then one, double one and the Rose are two nil up.   Dave and Skip take to the board but don’t have enough to contain the opposition and its 2-1   The singles start and “Big Ron” gets the Rose off to a flyer, but wait where is the third tray of sandwiches without “Scotty” here the whole place is in turmoil not only can no one keep “DD” but the third tray of sandwiches has gone missing. Hurry back Tony.   So at 3-1 and the missing sandwiches now making their appearance can Neil the “Dude” Crosby extend the lead. After losing the first leg Neil hits straight back clinching a tension filled second leg but old demons come back to haunt him and he surrenders the initiative and Townsend pull it back to 3-2 Ian and John then fall short and the Rose find themselves 3-4 down. Paul squares the match at 4-4 and in times gone by would have earned them a valuable point but the new format mean a sixth singles and Kevin finds himself no match for his youthful counterpart and Townsend take the spoils.  

Challenge Cup 2nd Round Away to Waverley Club 11.12.08

With sickness kicking in once more for the unfortunate Rose & Crown the account of tonight's match has kindly been written by John Goode.

Mercifully Badger showed up which just made 8 players.
Myself, David Noble, DD and Scotty went directly to Waverley as the last two had just got back from Heathrow after their Portugese golfing break, and David had collected them from the airport (at 1730!).
Although I recognised most of the Waverley players, I don't know their names, so this report will be a bit lacking in that respect!
Our first pair were the "tactical" DD and Alan Turner. Unfortunately DD's head was still somewhere between Lisbon and Heathrow, and they lost in straight legs, admittedly to reasonably good players. One down.
Next was myself and Wavy Davy. I wasn't as good as I should have been, and David wasn't as good as I should have been either. We lost 2:1. Two down.
Third pair was Scotty and Kevin. After a shaky start, losing the first leg, (with Kev struggling as he'd left his darts at home) he borrowed a lighter set (mine!) and things improved. They managed to win 2:1. Waverley 2, R & C 1.
Finally, The Dude and Badger. They won in straight legs (I think) with the Badger doing some great finishing. That man is proving a great asset to us! So, after a dodgy start it was 2 - 2 after the doubles.
In the singles we started with Kevin, who was back on form with my spare set of darts. He won 2:0 I think, with a final flourish (if that's the word)... requiring 55, he went for 15 and got 2; then went for 17 and got 3, leaving 50! There was a pause while we all offered a silent prayer, then BOSH, a bullseye! Wav 2, R & C 3.
Next, The Dude, who won, despite moaning that he was playing rubbish! Wav 2, R & C 4.
Finally, I went on and managed to win the first leg despite my opponent beng on 40 before I got a double start (Singles were 301).I lost the second leg, but managed to win the third. That made it Wav 2, R & C 5, and as it was gone 11pm we called it a night.

Sandridge Rovers (away 04.12.08)

It was another week of despair for The Rose & Crown as they crashed to yet another humiliating defeat, this time 5-3 at the hands of struggling Sandridge Rovers.

Having lost 6-2 in their previous two encounters and being continually plagued by injury and illness, the sparkle that was all so evident after brilliant performances against The Crooked Billet and The Inn on The Green was no where to be seen. The impetus had gone and along with it the confidence and the enthusiasm, replaced by a nervousness and edginess that would have a stadium full of Arsenal supporters salivating at the prospect of humiliating yet another unfortunate underachiever. But Sandridge Football Club was no place for jeering supporters. The harrowing sound of whistles and boos sent down to greet such individuals could not be heard on this cold (for some people) winters night. Instead the only audible sound to greet the players of The Rose & Crown was the eerie silence that trailed in the wake of a certain Grim Reaper as he scythed his way through the team.
This was the evening the lid was firmly nailed down on a plain and simple wooden casket that contained not that of the lifeless body of the Rose & Crown dart team or indeed the shiny tungsten barrels that they plied their trade with, This was the evening the notion of darts, the mere idea of darts, the pure thought of darts died for the Rose and Crown and there in lieth it’s soul.

For this we offer a small prayer.

Our Father who art made of tungsten,
Taylor be thy name.
Thy dart team come,
And victories won,
In St.Albans as well as in Harpenden
Give us this day our full team of eight.
And forgive us our missed doubles,
As we forgive those who miss doubles against us!
And lead us not into the second division,
But deliver us from relegation.
For thine is the dartboard, “The Power” and the oche.
For ever and ever. Amen

Townsend Bowls Club (away) 28.11.08

After a weeks rest from the Hurley burly of the league, the Rose and Crown resumed their campaign with a tough encounter away to Townsend Tennis and Bowls club. The visitors have in recent times enjoyed some success against the former league champions, but the early season promise that saw the Rose & Crown competing for top slot has disappeared under a blanket of illness and injury. This perhaps was about as weak a performance as the visitors have produced in recent years and against a side that had to concede a game for not having the required amount of players, leaving unbeaten pairing John Goode and Paul Mullins on the sidelines.
The visitors looked a shadow of what they were early on in the season and the home side were quick to capitalize and were the much happier side having gone into the singles at two apiece, despite having to concede the final encounter. But this was only the start of the Rose and Crowns problems. Neil "The Dude" Crosby was woefully out of sorts as was "veteran" Tony Scott and each went down meekly both unable to recapture some of that early season promise. Paul Mullins so often this season able to produce the darts when in mattered fell short having had three darts to try and keep the visitors in the encounter and when Kevin Woods too succumbed the visitor's misery was complete.

A black day for The Rose Crown.