Новости Unicorn

After ten years of self-funded, intensive, part-time postgraduate research, Patrick has been awarded a PhD by the Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge – the title of his dissertation being ‘DARTS IN ENGLAND 1900-1939 – A SOCIAL HISTORY’.

Patrick’s unique thesis focuses mainly on the period 1918 to 1939 and reveals the forces that transformed the humble traditional English pub game of darts into a social phenomenon during the interwar years, forces that laid the foundations for the international sport that we all recognise today.

Patrick said, “After ten years intensive research, I am thrilled to have gained my doctorate and made a significant contribution to the study of interwar popular culture.” Patrick’s work has been described as ‘among the eminent works of pioneering scholarship in the academic history of twentieth-century leisure and sport.’ Patrick added, “I also chuffed to bits that I have begun to establish the true heritage of the sport of darts.”

Patrick added, “My study of darts began as a hobby but developed into an obsession. Eventually I knew that I could make a positive contribution to the study of English popular culture by researching the social history of darts. I approached the Anglia Ruskin University with my outline plan. This, thankfully, was accepted, and I then embarked on my journey towards a PhD.”
In the past, Patrick has been described as ‘eccentric’ by one national newspaper, ‘an arrers nut’ by another and ‘Doctor Darts’ by others. Indeed, when he began his studies, he was featured on local and national TV and radio and in local and national newspapers, most of who felt that his subject was, to say the least, a little ‘quirky’. Patrick even made Page 3 of a certain national tabloid!

All such publicity spurred Patrick on and though the going has been extremely tough over the past few years, his journey is now at an end – at least as far as the social history of darts is concerned up to 1939.

“There’s still much more to be done,” said Patrick. “My examiners recommended that my thesis be published, so I’ve approached a few academic publishers. I have also been asked to write a guide to darts by a publishing company in New York and am planning to write a ‘People’s History of Darts’, the first full history of the sport.”

Patrick – now the real ‘Doctor Darts’ – works as a freelance writer and lives in Maldon, Essex with his wife Maureen and their cat Angel. His TV appearances include being the ‘mysterious Doctor Darts’ on BBC TV coverage of the Lakeside World Darts Championships and his writing credits include being co-author of three-time world darts champion John Lowe’s autobiography, Old Stoneface published by John Blake in 2005.

Everyone at Unicorn Darts sends warmest congratuations to Patrick on this magnificent achievement.