BRIGG DARTS FANS WILL BE GOING FOR THE BULL THIS WEEK

Brigg Blog recently suggested that a town centre pub was looking at re-introducing darts tournaments in 2022.
Those who like to line up on the oche do not have to wait much longer, as the Black Bull, on Wrawby Street, has now agreed a date for the first.
There will be a knockout darts tournament as this ideally-named pub on Thursday (January 27) from 7.30pm.
A £2 entry fee applies and those wishing to take part need to register using Facebook Messenger on the Black Bull's page.
The Black Bull, established in 1820, is now a sports bar.
Many of us have played darts at this pub down the decades, including the era when its internal layout differed considerably from how it is today.
Seven years ago we commented in a post: "Darts is very popular on Saturday nights in the Bull - a timeless feature of British pub life."
Many darts tournaments have been enjoyed on licensed premises in Brigg - some involving famous professionals like Dennis Priestley and Rod Harrington (at Brigg Town Football Club's Hawthorns and Brigg & District Servicemen's Club); others have been organised as part of social nights by groups for their members (such as Brigg Town Cricket Club at the Ancholme Inn),
Various knockouts have also come courtesy of local games leagues.
A quick dip into Brigg Blog's archive demonstrates the popularity of darts in 1986/1987.
The Brigg & District Games League's darts section had 17 teams.
Those from Brigg were: Black Bull, Dying Gladiator, Britannia, Ancholme A & B, Brigg Servicemen's Club and Raffles (Exchange Club).
Brigg Sugar, playing home fixtures at the factory's Social Club in Scawby Brook, also had two sides, as did Broughton's Dog & Rat, while Broughton Workingmen's Club and the Red Lion had one apiece. Hibaldstow WMC entered two darts teams.
The Royal Oak pub at North Kelsey also competed in the Brigg League in 1986/87, when the competition included dominoes and fives & threes. All three sports were combined to produce an overall championship table for the season.
We think that Brigg & District League fixtures were then being played on Thursday nights.
On Mondays there were fixtures in the major Scunthorpe & District Clubs' Association League, in which Brigg Servicemen's took part in 1986/87. It involved darts, whist, cribbage, fives & threes and dominoes.
The Queen's Arms, on Wrawby Street, Brigg, also played in the Brigg League for some seasons in the 1980s.
This could be a testing venue for darts players as the board in the small bar was located next the sliding entry/exit door. If someone came in or left, the league game had to pause!

In 2011 we went along to the Hawthorns clubhouse to take some pictures of a Night with Dennis Priestley, at the Brigg Town organiser's request, and were pleasantly surprised to be given a game against one of the most famous players in world darts history. Our style of throwing was very slow, in line with our bowling at cricket. Therefore, we can claim that ours was the longest game Dennis had that evening, though we were still only halfway to 501 when he landed the winning double!

PICTURED: Top left - Patrick Kenny and Stan Mosey taking part in a Brigg Town Cricket Club knockout darts tournament at the Ancholme Inn, Grammar School Road, in February 1998, as part of a quiz night; top right - former world darts champion Dennis 'The Menace' Priestley (in his familiar shirt) with Kenny Bowers during a darts night at Brigg Town FC's Hawthorns venue in 2011 when Dennis, from South Yorkshire, came to play a number of locals in quick succession, including Kenny.