Darts in Great Linford
Darts in one form another has been around for at least 700 years, having been created first as a military pastime. Off-duty soldiers would, so it is said, wile away the idle hours throwing spearheads at upturned wine casks, and from this gradually developed the modern game. A civilian version of the game that became popular was known as “puff and dart”, which literally meant blowing a dart out of a pipe at a target. But playing games like this in a pub would often run afoul of licensing laws, such that in 1845, an Olney landlady was fined £2 and 17 shillings for allowing the game to be played on her premises.
The innovation of the numbered board familiar to the modern player has been attributed to a Lancashire carpenter in 1898, though there are other claimants, but even then the game could get a landlord in trouble, with a publican in Leeds finding himself in the dock in 1908. However, by the 1930s the game had become synonymous with pubs, and it is highly likely that all the pubs in Great Linford would have had a board.
Getting organised
Exactly when the earliest organised darts tournaments took place in the county of Buckinghamshire is a matter for further research, but certainly a North Bucks Darts League was in operation as early as 1929, with around a dozen teams participating, such as the Cuba in New Bradwell and the Victoria Hotel in Wolverton, though not it appears a team from Great Linford. There is no evidence in fact that a team from Great Linford ever participated, and reporting of the league is sporadic and appears to have faltered around 1935.
The earliest record of competitive play we know of featuring a team from Great Linford is provided in an account of the final for the Whiteley Darts League at Buckingham, so named after that towns Member of Parliament, Major (later Brigadier) J.P. Whiteley. The final was played there in April of 1938, but sadly did not feature representation from Great Linford. However, the match report carried in the Buckingham Advertiser and Free Press of Saturday April 9th, provides a league table for the Newport Pagnell section, in which are included teams from both a Wharf Inn and The Nags Head. Neither are particularly uncommon names for pubs, but it seems likely these were the the pubs in Great Linford.
The Whiteley league appears to have been founded circa 1938, and only ran for a number of years; a league table for 1939 shows only the Nag’s Head in the Wolverton area table, the Wharf Inn apparently not participating any further. The league itself seems to have disappeared after a final season in 1940, not unsurprisingly given the outbreak of war. Whiteley died in a plane crash in 1943, so a post war restoration of the league seems unlikely.
Though it is the Nags Head that would come to dominate the history of darts in Great Linford, the Wharf Inn makes at least one other appearance, this being as a member of the British Legion Darts League, which had been founded by the New Bradwell branch of the league in 1940. The Wharf Inn was not amongst the initial entrants to the league, but the Wolverton Express of January 24th, 1947, reports on a match played at the Wharf Inn against the Bradville B team. As the newspaper observes, “The Wharf hardly made a fight of it, only one of their team being successful, though he did hand out a tin hat.” Indeed, it appears that the Wharf Inn was languishing at the bottom of the league at this time. A tin hat occurs when a player reaches a score of zero on three darts, and would then usually draw a hat with a T on the score of the losing players after the end of the game, representing a ‘tin hat’ symbol.
In February of 1950, the Wolverton Express of the 24th, reported upon plans by the North Bucks Licensed Victuallers Association to put up a silver trophy, “for competition by the respective champions of the leagues run in their area.” This became known as the “Clarkson Cup”, after the man who donated it, Wally Clarkson of Great Woolstone. In April of 1954, the Wolverton Express reported that the champion players of their respective houses had met at the Phoenix Hall in Newport Pagnell, where Mr. Robert “Bob” Shrimpton of the Nags Head had won through against Mr. L. Tidmarsh of The Bell, Emberton. Owen Seamarks got to the quarter final in 1956, but in due course, Bob Shrimpton became the first person to lift the cup twice, when in 1961 he beat Colin Sapwell of Newport Pagnell’s the Plough. The Wolverton Express of May 12th carried the following account of the competition.
The earliest record of competitive play we know of featuring a team from Great Linford is provided in an account of the final for the Whiteley Darts League at Buckingham, so named after that towns Member of Parliament, Major (later Brigadier) J.P. Whiteley. The final was played there in April of 1938, but sadly did not feature representation from Great Linford. However, the match report carried in the Buckingham Advertiser and Free Press of Saturday April 9th, provides a league table for the Newport Pagnell section, in which are included teams from both a Wharf Inn and The Nags Head. Neither are particularly uncommon names for pubs, but it seems likely these were the the pubs in Great Linford.
The Whiteley league appears to have been founded circa 1938, and only ran for a number of years; a league table for 1939 shows only the Nag’s Head in the Wolverton area table, the Wharf Inn apparently not participating any further. The league itself seems to have disappeared after a final season in 1940, not unsurprisingly given the outbreak of war. Whiteley died in a plane crash in 1943, so a post war restoration of the league seems unlikely.
Though it is the Nags Head that would come to dominate the history of darts in Great Linford, the Wharf Inn makes at least one other appearance, this being as a member of the British Legion Darts League, which had been founded by the New Bradwell branch of the league in 1940. The Wharf Inn was not amongst the initial entrants to the league, but the Wolverton Express of January 24th, 1947, reports on a match played at the Wharf Inn against the Bradville B team. As the newspaper observes, “The Wharf hardly made a fight of it, only one of their team being successful, though he did hand out a tin hat.” Indeed, it appears that the Wharf Inn was languishing at the bottom of the league at this time. A tin hat occurs when a player reaches a score of zero on three darts, and would then usually draw a hat with a T on the score of the losing players after the end of the game, representing a ‘tin hat’ symbol.
In February of 1950, the Wolverton Express of the 24th, reported upon plans by the North Bucks Licensed Victuallers Association to put up a silver trophy, “for competition by the respective champions of the leagues run in their area.” This became known as the “Clarkson Cup”, after the man who donated it, Wally Clarkson of Great Woolstone. In April of 1954, the Wolverton Express reported that the champion players of their respective houses had met at the Phoenix Hall in Newport Pagnell, where Mr. Robert “Bob” Shrimpton of the Nags Head had won through against Mr. L. Tidmarsh of The Bell, Emberton. Owen Seamarks got to the quarter final in 1956, but in due course, Bob Shrimpton became the first person to lift the cup twice, when in 1961 he beat Colin Sapwell of Newport Pagnell’s the Plough. The Wolverton Express of May 12th carried the following account of the competition.
Eighteen "house" champions from Newport Pagnell and the surrounding district took part, one less than last year, and spectators at the Phoenix Hall saw some excellent throwing. High scores were the order of the day and in the final the Linford player raced to victory scoring 140 with three darts and then getting 96 for "out" with treble 20 and double 18.
In August of 1950 came news that the Victuallers Association were contemplating starting a darts league of their own. The Wolverton Express of the 25th reported that there was still much to be decided, but the teams were to comprise four players each, with an entrance fee of 2 shillings, 6 pence to be levied of each team. This seemed to be a successful league for many years, with the Nags Head in close contention to top the league on a number of occasions.
The Nags Head darts team
The Bull Inn were the team to beat in the 1950’s, having won the league 6 times between 1953 and 1959, with only one blip in their record in 1958, when they were beaten by the Nags Head team from Great Linford, the first time they had succeeded in winning the title, though they had got as far as the final 8 in 1957. 1959 was also a close run thing, with the Nags Head nipping at the Bull’s heels to come second.
The Wolverton Express of May 15th, 1959, gives us the names of the Nags Head players: Messrs. R. Shrimpton (Captain), R. Hayfield, P. Nichols. S. Bunn R. Dark, G. Jennings. D. Seamarks. T. Hefferon and R. Mason.
1959 was a good year for the Nags Head team, as they also won the Graham Trophy in front of a crowd of 300 at the T.A Centre at Wolverton.
The Wolverton Express of May 1st, provides the following account:
The Wolverton Express of May 15th, 1959, gives us the names of the Nags Head players: Messrs. R. Shrimpton (Captain), R. Hayfield, P. Nichols. S. Bunn R. Dark, G. Jennings. D. Seamarks. T. Hefferon and R. Mason.
1959 was a good year for the Nags Head team, as they also won the Graham Trophy in front of a crowd of 300 at the T.A Centre at Wolverton.
The Wolverton Express of May 1st, provides the following account:
In the semi-final round the Nags Head defeated the Albion, from Ampthill. and the Red Cow accounted for a local team, the Coffee Pot. Yardley Gobion. Losing semi-finalists received £1 cash.
In the final, best of three legs of 1.001 (other rounds were straight 701). the first leg went to the Nags Head when Phillip Nicholls got double four with his first dart, with the Red Cow needing 32. The second leg was evenly fought. although the Nags Head were always in front, and after Roy Mason failed to notch the double 16. the Red Cow left double top. But they never had the chance to throw for it as Bob Shrimpton. Playing a captain's part, got the double with his first dart.
The Nags Head team were Bob Shrimpton (Captain). Roy Mason, Reg Hayfield, and Phil Nicholls.
The team were not so lucky in the Haynes Cup at Sherrington, but got as far as the semi-finals, to be beaten by the Tree of Liberty from Northampton.
Meantime, there was an individual success to be reported upon. In February of 1956, Nags Head player Owen Seamarks became area champion of the News of the World Darts Tournament, when he defeated three opponents at the Bull and Butcher at Bletchley. He was next up at the quarterfinals to be held at the Corn Exchange, Bedford, on February 17th. Unfortunately, a report of this match has not come to light, but we know that he did not progress to the final.
It seems that in 1959, the Nags Head team left the Licensed Victuallers league to play in the Bradwell and District British Legion Darts League; the Wolverton Express of February 26th, 1960, carried the following match reports.
The team were not so lucky in the Haynes Cup at Sherrington, but got as far as the semi-finals, to be beaten by the Tree of Liberty from Northampton.
Meantime, there was an individual success to be reported upon. In February of 1956, Nags Head player Owen Seamarks became area champion of the News of the World Darts Tournament, when he defeated three opponents at the Bull and Butcher at Bletchley. He was next up at the quarterfinals to be held at the Corn Exchange, Bedford, on February 17th. Unfortunately, a report of this match has not come to light, but we know that he did not progress to the final.
It seems that in 1959, the Nags Head team left the Licensed Victuallers league to play in the Bradwell and District British Legion Darts League; the Wolverton Express of February 26th, 1960, carried the following match reports.
The most exciting game was between the New Inn "A" and the Nag's Head "A". The latter team made a good start, leading 7-2, but a tin-hat from A. Godfrey closed the gap to 7-5. The Nag's Head took two more legs. and it looked all over, but the New Inn won five of the last six legs to win 11-10. V. Ewins scoring the last three. P. Nicholls won three for the Nag's Head.
New Inn "B" travelled to Linford. and were overwhelmed by the Nag's Head 17-4. Tin-hats were by B. Shrimpton, 0. Seamark, A. Hall. and E. Heath. 0. Seamark also made the score of 180.
In May the same year, an all-Linford final was played at Stantonbury Social Workings Men’s Club, two teams from the Nags Head having won through from a field of 44 teams. In the final, the Nags Head “A” team comprising R. Hayfield, R. Mason, R. Shrimpton and P. Nichols triumphed over the “Simple Four”, comprising O. Seamarks, A. Seamarks, B. Seamarks and B. Tompkins.
It seems the Nags had something of a reputation for upset matches, as evidenced by the following account from the Wolverton Express of October 27th, 1961.
It seems the Nags had something of a reputation for upset matches, as evidenced by the following account from the Wolverton Express of October 27th, 1961.
The loud "neighing" from Linford informed the locals of yet another giant-killing from the Nag. This time the Bradville lost their 100 per cent record! Russ. Sharpe had a 9 dart "out" and Owen Seamarks took the required legs at last man. There was some suggestion from the Brad's skipper that the board had been "got at " - only one of his first 15 darts held in long enough to count!
The 1962 League table for the New Bradwell League places the Nags Head in a hard-fought 3rd place, having battled the Watts Arms to the end of the season. With 24 games played, the Nags Head had won 18 and lost 6, with the New Inn clinching the top of the league that year.
For now unfortunately the story must end, as readily available information is lacking, but doubtless there is more to tell of the history of darts in Great Linford. If anyone reading this account would like to add to the more recent history of darts in the village, please use the contact form.
For now unfortunately the story must end, as readily available information is lacking, but doubtless there is more to tell of the history of darts in Great Linford. If anyone reading this account would like to add to the more recent history of darts in the village, please use the contact form.