Forncett "Arrows"

The game of darts is now an international sport with huge financial backing and the name of 19 year-old Luke "The Nuke" Littler has become known throughout the U.K. Despite the fact that for most of its history darts was a game played purely for pleasure in pubs across the country, that wasn't always the case. Darts was originally not allowed on licensed premises because it was considered to be a game of chance! In 1908 the landlord of the Adelphi Inn in Leeds was prosecuted for allowing darts to be played in his pub. When the case was brought, the landlord was supported in his defence by the best darts player in the region, William 'Bigfoot' Anakin. A dartboard was hung in the court and Anakin proved that darts was undoubtedly not a game of chance by hitting three double 20s in a row!

The sport has spawned a whole vocabulary. The oche, the line behind which the throwing player must stand, is a very British 7ft 9¼in from the face of the dartboard. The origin of the word is lost in time but my own favourite is that it is derived from the Old English word hocken which meant 'to spit'. Spitting competitions were held in the bars of English public houses, and it is suggested that the "hockey line" was originally determined by the length that a given player could spit from a position with his back to the dartboard.

It's not known when darts was first played in Forncett pubs, but there were teams at both the Chequers (The Bunk) and the Safety Valve. A South Norfolk Darts League was established in August 1950 and was sponsored by Steward and Patteson (S&P) a local Norwich brewery. The first mention that I could find in the newspapers was a reference to the Safety Valve darts club in August 1953 when the club gave a wedding gift to Leslie Searle and Doreen Leftley, whose reception was held at the Safety Valve. In December 1960 the Safety Valve and the Chequers were 1st and 3rd respectively in the local section the S&P League. In 1962 a new "independent Darts League" was founded and the Chequers was represented in the first matches.

Forncett Archive contains photographs of darts teams from both the Chequers and the Safety Valve, and both teams were very successful, as evidenced by the many cups and trophies. The Chequers won the Steward and Patteson League in 1961-62 and the Safety Valve team were the champions in 1964. The Chequers also won the Long Stratton Darts League in 1981.

Safety Valve darts team in 1964. Back Row L to R: Percy Thrower, Trevor Potter (League Singles Champion), Derek Reynolds, Lesley Searle; Front Row L to R: Unknown, Jimmy Hewell, Vic Leftley, Unknown, Bobby Leftley. (photo courtesy of Trevor Potter)

Chequers darts team, probably 1981. Back row L to R: Pip Grimmer, Alan Aldridge, Joe Moss, Brian Landsell, Reg Ludkin, John Reeve. Front row left to right: Charles Moss (Landlord), Maurice Moss, Robert Sculfor. (photo courtesy of Keith Daniels)

If any reader can identify the "unknowns" in the Safety Valve photo please let me know.