Новости Unicorn

Fast, furious and frenzied….temperatures topping 100 degrees inside the arena, shocks galore, Barney and Taylor and sky-high beer prices! What a weekend at The Reebok where heroes were made and some new stars were born.

We witnessed 149 matches across eight boards and the tournament of the underdog lived up to its billing! Not one player from the top 16 in the world, made it through to the semi-finals….the FA Cup of darts it certainly was!

The crowd were mad for it! Every session sold out and queues round the stadium three hours before each day’s play got under way. We saw Batman, Superman, a group all in Orange – cheering for Barney – women dressed as fairies and even a man dressed as a woman wearing a corset!

But I have to say some of the prices for food and drink were way over the top. A pint was nearly £4…£3 for a hot-dog and nearly a quid for a packet of crisps – but it didn’t seem to put the punters off – with thousands and thousands of the sponsor’s product supped over the three days! It’s thirsty work watching darts – especially in that heat – and the darts fans certainly didn’t disappoint on the beer consumption!

It really is a great event. This was the 4th year and long may it continue because we discover new talent, see new faces and upsets aplenty!

London postie Gary Noonan…..Lee Topper, who works for the Emergency Response Unit on the London Underground, Robbie ‘Kong’ Green – the Scouser with the smile, who made it through to the quarter-finals. Old Stoddy – Graeme Stoddart – and Keith Deller enjoying themselves back on the big stage.

That is exactly what this three days of darting drama is all about. The minnows get their big chance and boy, did they take it!

The World’s best were blown away by the so-called lesser lights, time and time again. Barrie Bates – world no.32 – was the highest ranked player left in at the semi-finals. The Welshman was in dreamland but it seemed to me that he was just happy reaching his first ever major final. He will admit that the big stage nerves got to him – but a cheque for £15,000 will keep him smiling for a few months!

And what about the grand old man from County Down?! I’m sure he won’t mind me saying that…but wasn’t Mr Magoo a total star?! 65-year-old John Magowan – defying the years and showing immense stamina in that heat….the grandfather of four with an incredible run to the semi-finals….and it was no fluke!

Magowan accounted for Unicorn’s Kevin Painter and Adrian Lewis, then ended Robbie Green’s run, before bowing out to Barney.

Two breathtaking matches – going all the way to the deciding leg, as Lewis beat Mardle and Barney turned off ‘The Power’…both classics in their own way. Phil Taylor will still be angry, I’m sure, because the one man he didn’t want to lose to was Barneveld. Taylor has dominated the darts world for so long…he now knows that he has a major rival!

Taylor v Barneveld is going to keep us all gripped for many years to come and expect the World No.1 from Stoke to rise to the challenge. Barneveld has to qualify for both the Las Vegas Desert Classic and the World Matchplay. On Friday night, the Dutch maestro will join 140 others, hoping to claim one of four places for Blackpool. He looked absolutely shattered after his victory in Bolton but when I spoke to him after the final, he admitted he should have made the switch to the PDC earlier!

Roll on next June and the next FA Cup of darts. I talked about madness and mayhem earlier…well, it was like that in the commentary box! We have to keep across all the action and be ready to switch to another board at five seconds notice…but all great fun, which is what the Reebok weekend is surely all about.

Taylor is now officially the World No.1 again….his victory over fellow Unicorn star Colin Lloyd, means he now heads the rankings by just one point.

Peter Manley keeps hold of 4th spot, despite his disappointing performance against Roland Scholten at the weekend. Kevin Painter stays at number 7 but Unicorn Contender Adrian Lewis suffered double disappointment. He needed to secure a better result in the UK Open than Terry Jenkins, to clinch 12th spot and automatic qualification for the Las Vegas Desert Classic. Both players were knocked out in the 5th round, so Lewis stays in 13th in the world rankings – just three points behind Jenkins – and he will have to qualify for Vegas.

Of the other Unicorn stars, John Part has slipped down to 16th, James Wade is 18th, Bob Anderson 24th and Michael Barnard 44th, despite his good run at Bolton. Raymond Van Barneveld has leapt 23 places to 68th after his victory. Barney is also now in the top 10 in the PDC Order of Merit, after collecting the £30,000 winner’s cheque….remember from 2007, the world rankings switch to a money list.

But it really was a Bolton bonanza…..watch out for Taylor’s response over the next two months!