Darts Miscellany By Matt Bozeat

UK-based darts journalist Matt Bozeat has found an original approach to darts writing by producing what I believe to be the first miscellany of darts of the modern era writes Patrick Chaplin.

Concentrating mainly on fascinating facts and lists of the ‘new age’ of darts, though paying due respect to the past kings of the oche, including Lowe, Anderson, Wilson and Bristow, Matt provides an entertaining read which will appeal to all darts fans.

Encouragingly Matt also makes room for the ladies in a chapter titled ‘It’s A Woman’s Game’ although I felt that a little more space could have been given to Canadian darter Gayl King’s achievement of being the first lady darter to compete against the men in the 2001 PDC World Championship.

There are also lists a-plenty of past winners of major tournaments plus some really original material including chapters on ‘Quickest Throwers’ and ‘Flashes in the Pan’; the latter chapter, which bizarrely includes US darting legend Larry Butler, will I predict provoke some heated discussions on darts forums.

In fact reference to North American darts players (except for the aforementioned Butler, King and the ever-present John Part) are few and far between. But even so this does not prevent Darts Miscellany being of interest to darters ‘across the big pond’.

In the chapter entitled ‘Leighton Rees and the Perfect Legs’ Matt makes reference to John Lowe’s first nine-darter on TV and that John won £102,000 for that achievement and then secured an additional £12,000 for winning the tournament. What is not mentioned is that John also received £1,000 for the highest checkout, making a total payday of £115,000. But that’s just me being picky.

(If I was being really picky I could mention the six blank pages at the back of the book that might have accommodated a few more lists or the lack of a ‘Contents’ page or just wish that the font size was a little larger but I’m not that picky.)

All-in-all Darts Miscellany is a welcome addition to any darts fans bookshelf and Matt is to be congratulated on his achievement.

Darts Miscellany is published in the UK by Pitch Publishing and is available to fans in North America via Amazon.com

Patrick Chaplin

Note: This review first appeared in Bulls-Eye News (BEN), Volume XXXI, Issue 1, January/February 2011.

© 2011 Patrick Chaplin