Alan's News page:

27th dec 09 world championships round 2

v mark dudbridge. lost this game 4-3, not sure how as all my stats were better 50x100+, 30x140+,  11x180s. my finishing stats over 100 where 141, 140, 120, 118. but as i always say, you kinda get what you deserve! i put myself in a position to win this match after being 3-1 down got to 3-3, and unfortunately missed 3 match darts at double top. to be fair to mark he played better than i have seen him for awhile and i always seem to have hard close games with him.

20th dec 09 world championships round 1

played a very good ken macneil, won a very close contest 3-2, had a 90ave, it was very nervy and just getting through was the order of the day. ken has got to feel a little unlucky as he played great darts and is one i think we may see more of in the future.

4th oct players champs dublin

1st game played great v ken dobson won 6-1, then very close game v dennis ovens, dennis missed a couple of chances and i stepped in, won 6-5, next mark walsh, mark didnt play like i know he can and i won 6-2, then quarter final v james wade, i should really have won this game 6-2 or 6-3 but thats why james is such a hard player to beat, i missed a 9 darter in this match missing d12, i hit d6 with my next and a 10 darter, i went on to win this game 6-5, semi final v phil taylor and although i was feeling confident i just didnt play like i had all day, i went on to lose 6-1. phil won the tournament.

3rd oct players champs dublin

played great all day just didnt get the luck, 1st game v wayne atwood won 6-4, then lost a close game with mark dudbridge 6-5 this really was a case of who won the bull won the match. unfortunately for me mark won the bull!

23rd aug us open

1st rnd v david fatum won 6-4, 2nd rnd v matt clark won 6-4 very close game this and high quality. last 16 v jamie caven won 6-5 edged a really close game here that could of gone either way. quarter final v terry jenkins won 6-0, i played really well here but terry didnt play as well as i know he can. semi final v dennis priestley, lost 6-2 score doesnt reflect the match, it was a close game but dennis finished everything! and also ran out a worthy winner.

22nd aug atlanta players champ

bad day at the office here i am afraid! won my 1st round v bryan de hoog 6-5 then lost a close game 6-4 to john part, he took out 3 ton plus finishes including a 150.

16th aug canadian players champ

1st rnd v doug boehm won 6-2, 2nd rnd v ray carver won 6-0 played really well here, last 16 v roland scholten lost 6-1 the wheels came off! coudnt buy a double and that was really the only difference, but roland hit his when he needed to and deserved the match.

23rd july 09 stan james world matchplay 2nd rnd

v ronnie "the rocket" baxter, lost this game 16-14, was very dissapointed with my performance early on, but did show some "fighting" qualities. at 8-4 down, i won 8 of the next 10 legs to go 12-10 up and 1 leg away from victory, ronnie just seemed to hit his double with his last dart to stay in the match, but to be fair i had done this to him also. i had some good finishes under pressure, like 107 and 150, but alas, not to be.

22nd july 09 stan james world matchplay 1st rnd

v andy "the pieman" smith won 10-5 had a great game here v andy, knew it would be tough as our games always are. started slowly but when i "caught fire" they went great, and to be fair andy didnt do much wrong. i had finishes of 150, 126, 111, 101 and a 99 average.

1st july las vegas desert classic 1st rnd

didnt feel comfortable on stage for this 1, played wes newton and although i had a better average than wes, he took full advantage by hitting doubles and i didnt, he won 6-3.

30th june las vegas players champs

played great all day, 1st game v stuart holden won 6-3, then paul lim brilliant game this, i had to play top darts to win 6-3, board final v jelle klaasen, at 5-1 down won the next 5 legs to win 6-5, had 2x 12darters at 5-4 down to win. last 16 v paul knighton won 6-1 it was alot closer than the scoreline suggests, quarter final v phil taylor at 3-0 down won the next 4 legs to go 4-3 up, then everytime i was on a double phil checked out! thats why the man is so good. all in all great days play for me and it took phil to knock me out.

20th/21st june 09 2x players champs dinslaken, germany

saturday, played well 1st game v dennis smith won 6-2 board final v matt clark won 6-2. last 16 v joe cullen, lost 6-4 joe played brilliant and had a great run, at 5-4 he did a 12 darter to win the match.

sunday, again i played well, just didnt get the rub of the green. 1st game v hannes schnier won 6-4, board final v wayne mardle won 6-4 great game this as wayne is one of the toughest guys to beat, but i finished well. last 16 v andy hamilton, i started great hit 4x180s in the 1st 3 legs, went 4-2 up, 1 bad miss on 86 i think cost me, andy played top darts and at 5-5 he did a 12 darter finishing on 130 t20 t20 d5. the good thing is i am playing good darts so take good form into las vegas.

13th/14th june 09 2x players championships barnsley

saturday played well, 1st rnd v nick fulwell won 6-3. 2nd rnd v rick lowther won 6-4 board final v martyn turner won 6-1, last 16 v steve beaton lost 6-5 all on last leg i missed a bull outshot for 130 to win the match.

sunday again played well, 1st rnd v richard foster won 6-4 2nd rnd v mark webster, great game here, my finishing was key to this game won 6-3, board final v kevin mcdine, won 6-3 again very close game. last 16 v gary anderson, lost 6-2 closer than the scoreline suggests, but still deserved to lose, hit to many 100s.

5th 6th 7th june 09 uk open reebok stadium

3rd rnd v denis ovens won 9-3 denis didnt play as well as he could and i just took advantage. 4th rnd v kevin mcdine this was a very tight close game and i just edged kevin 9-7. 5th rnd v wes newton, this turned into a top game 1 minute i thought i had it the next not! i took out crucial finishes of 170 120 161, and with the match at 8-7 for me i missed a 101 on double 12 for a 9-7 win, but wes checked, and at 8-8 and with wes leaving double 16 i checked out on 156 treble 20 treble 20 double 18 to win an incredible game. unfortunately i didnt take that form into sundays quarter final v kevin painter and although i have a very good record against kevin i lost 10-8, i think maybe saturdays play took a bit out of me. but fair play to kevin he did a job and deserved to win.

10th may 09 newport uk open

1st rnd v ken dobson won 6-3 2nd rnd v kevin painter won 6-3 had some great outshots in this game with kevin handily placed ie a 160. board final v terry jenkins won 6-2 terry didnt play as well as he can and i took advantage. last 16 v colin osborne won 6-4 always gonna be a toughie this as colin is on fire at the minute, won this game on a bull checkout. quarter final v peter manley won 6-2 again my finishing was great here. semi final v colin lloyd won 6-4 i always have tough game v colin and this was no different. final v jamie caven throwing for bull to start we hit 5 on the trot! jamie won the throw and went 2-0 up, i then went 4-2 up and at 5-3 up had 84 left for the title, i missed bull, then jamie finished, at 5-4 my darts i went off 180 and jamie followed with 140 140 140 then finished 81, great darts with me on a double! deciding leg, jamies darts, with me on 121, jamie 196 he hit a 140, i then went 20 t17 missed bull! he then checked out. can only rue my chances but to be fair jamie was a worthy winner and when he got his chance took it well.

9th may 09 newport players champ

1st rnd v ian mcfarlane won 6-1 2nd rnd v adrain gray won 6-2 board final v jelle klaasen lost 6-1 me out of sorts but jelle playing brilliant hitting 6x180s in 3 legs!

12th april 09 taunton uk open

1st rnd v dennis zijderhand won 6-1, i had a 100% checkout rate in this game, 2nd rnd v mark walsh won 6-5 what a game this was, nothing in it i missed 3 darts at 24 to win 6-4 but mark was clinical in his finishing so at 5-5 i got 1st chance and thats all that was between us. board final v vincent van der voort lost 6-5 another top match feel very unlucky to have lost this match but you kinda get what you deserve! at 5-5 with vincents darts i managed to get a shot at 84 for the match and wired the bull! vincent had just hit a 180 at the right time and it was crucial. all in all got a lot of confidence out of the weekend with my performances.

11th april 09 players champ, taunton

2nd rnd v jim withers won 6-0, board final v co stompe won 6-2, last 16 v adie lewis won 6-2 i had 4 ton plus finishes in this game and that was the difference. quarter final v colin osbourne lost 6-4 very high quality game, colin took out finishes of 116, 130, 136, with me on a good finish, i replied with similar but the one break he got was crucial, we both had ton plus averages.

5th april 09 players champ, nuland

2nd rnd v gerard klijn won 6-4 played decent here, a 121 out at the right time gave me the break. board final v co stompe, won 6-5 very close game, co was a bit unlucky, at 5-4 down i did 12 darts then deciding leg co missed d10 for a 12 darter, i then finished 76 in 12 darts. last 16 v vincent van der voort, lost 6-4 but should of won this game, missed doubles at the wrong time, also missed a 9 dart finish in this match. very happy with my performance overall.

4th april 09 players champ, nuland

lost in the 2nd rnd v toon greebe, not much to say only i didnt play at all well, so got what i deserve.

29th march 09 west midlands uk open

1st rnd v james barton w6-2, 2nd rnd v steve beaton w6-5 best finish in this game and i am sure steve will agree is my 65! bull t3 d3! he laughed as i did! board final v kevin painter won 6-2 this wasnt as easy as the scoreline suggests, but my finishing was the key. 4th rnd v mark walsh lost 6-4 we dont have bad games and this was no different, i went 4-2 up and missed 6 darts at d7! sacrilage! but thats what makes mark as good as he is, he takes advantage and he did a professional job to win this very close game that could of gone either way.

28th march 09 coventry players champ

1st rnd v dave ladley won 6-5 close game and i just pipped it, 2nd rnd v larry butler lost6-3, got what i deserved in this game, larry kept his head and fair play to him won, i just couldnt find my rythum.

22nd march 09 uk open south east

1st rnd v robert alford won 6-5 could of easily gone the other way, didnt feel my usual self but managed to battle a win. 2nd rnd v steve evans lost 6-3 again felt out of sorts, but fair play to steve he did a good job.

21st march 09 brentwood players champ

1st rnd v alan warriner-little w6-2. 2nd rnd v scott kirchner w6-4 3rd rnd wayne mardle w6-2. 4th rnd v denis ovens w6-5 very tight game as the scoreline suggests went into a 4-2 lead but denis then went 5-4 up! held it together with a bit of luck thrown in to win the game. quarter final v ronnie baxter lost 6-2 scoreline doesnt do myself justice here, ronnies finishing was superb, never missed and i was waiting on a double each time! but was happy with a quarter final spot.

15th march north west uk open

1st rnd v geoff wylie w6-2, 2nd rnd v steve brown w6-4 board final v wayne mardle L6-3, this match should of been alot closer but missed doubles by me and some good finishing by wayne was the difference.

14th march wigan players champ

1st rnd v dave honey w6-5 2nd rnd v kevin harris w6-5, 3rd rnd v jelle klaasen w6-4 4th rnd v bryan de hoog w6-1, quarter final v colin lloyd L6-2 colins finishing was second to none in this game, the scoreline does not reflect the match, as i was on a double every leg, colin just took every finish out. all in all didnt play my best darts but got a good quarter final place.

1st march 09 german players champ

1st rnd v robert watson-lang won 6-1, 2nd rnd v colin rice won 6-0, 3rd rnd v lionel sams won 6-1, finishing was the key to this game, had a 100% checkout rate. 4th rnd v peter manley won 6-3, again threw well here, peter played alot better than yesterday, but i just had an edge. quarter final v adie lewis lost 6-4, had my chance to win this game but missed doubles early on, then when i got back into the game adie produced 180s at will to leave a double with me handily placed. all in all he still deserved the win. overall a good weekend considering the quality of field that was there.

28th feb 09 german darts classic

1st rnd v francisco cruz won 6-2, 2nd rnd v dave smith won 6-4, 3rd rnd v steve brown won 6-3, 4th rnd v peter manley won 6-1, this i think was my best game of the day, dont think i had a leg over 13 darts. peter didnt play as well as i know he can or it would of been a different game. quarter final v adie lewis lost 6-3 this game was closer than the scoreline suggests but adie still deserved the victory.

31st jan coral players champs itv4

2nd rnd v robert thornton, lost 6-2 and cant believe it! thought i had done enough but my doubles just seemed to dessert me at the wrong time. i really believe this scoreline does not reflect the game, but fair play to robert he did a great job and finished well. another 97 plus average is pleasing and am thinking what could of been if i had hit doubles, but you get what you deserve in this game, and thats why i lost. my standard does seem to be improving on tv so i am still upbeat about the future.

30th jan coral players champs itv4

1st rnd v adie lewis won 6-3 played some good darts here, adie didnt play like he could or this result would could easily have been different. a 97 plus average is always going to be pleasing.

18th jan 2009 stan james players champ

1st rnd v louis blundell won 6-2 finishing was the key to this game, i literally didnt miss one! i have no doubt louis is one for the future. 2nd rnd v alex roy won 6-2 again on fire here, at 5-2 up alex went 180 me 180 him 140 me 180 him 99 (to leave 82) i missed the t19 for the 9 darter but hit t10 to leave 32 after 9 darts, alex hit bull to leave 32 and missed, i hit d16 in one! and 10 darts, alex couldnt believe it. 3rd rnd v mark walsh won 6-4, as always a very high quality game luckily enough i came out on top. quarter final v phil taylor, lost 6-3, a bit closer than yesterdays final but the guy is class and had the edge over me like he does with everyone else! i am getting closer all the time and was made up to regain some of my form over the weekend.

17th jan 2009 eddie cox memorial gibraltar

1st rnd v henry zapata won 6-1. 2nd rnd v julio barbero gonzalez won 6-0. 3rd rnd v andy hamilton won 6-4. quarter final v robert thornton won 6-2. semi final v mark dudbridge won 6-4 crucial leg in this match was when i did a 161 finish then held my throw and won the match in 12 darts. final v phil taylor lost 6-2 the scoreline doesnt reflect the match here, 3 top finishes from phil at 2-2 put him 5-2 up with me handily placed in all legs, but thats why the guy is top class!

seasons veiwpoint....

looking at the bigger picture (after a dissapointing worlds). finishing 3rd in the players champs order of merit for a full seasons efforts, and 4 tv quarter finals aswell as a semi final (champs league of darts) and 3 pro tour wins, have got to be very happy with my overall season.

28th dec world championships, alexandra palace

2nd rnd v co stompe, lost 4-1, missed doubles was the problem here for me, could possibly of been 3-0 up if i was more clinical. but you get what you deserve and co did a very good job, and more importantly hit doubles. again had a 90 average some good checkouts (not enough, unfortunately!)

20th dec world championships, alexandra palace

1st rnd v steve beaton won 3-0. again a 90 plus average, some good checkouts and steve not playing as well as he can, all this helped me to a very good 1st rnd win.

29th nov german darts champs

1st rnd v john lokken w3-0. 2nd rnd v mensur suljovic w3-2. 3rd rnd v matt clark w3-1. last 16 v wayne jones lost 3-2, this went all the way to the last leg of the match and was a very tight game, wayne made the darts start count by going off with 180 in the final leg, it was still nip and tuck but wayne thoroughly deserved the win. i was happy to get a bit of form back and now i can prepare for the world championships. big well done to co stompe on his win v phil.

18th nov gsod 9 dart shootout

lost, but rules are rules and andy did what needed to be done, i felt under alot more pressure in this game as most of the crowd where on andys side, but they didnt throw my darts and andy well deserved the game. all said and done i had alot of support from players and fans alike, the fact that i can win 2 group games average over 90 plus for each and still go out does not feel too good, but like i said earlier rules are rules and i would of been more gutted if it had been ranked.

17th nov gsod group game 3

v brian woods, won 5-1 with a 90+ ave, had a dart at bull in this game to win 5-0 which would have put me into the last 16 at the expense of andy, but brian took the leg and it meant i had to have a 9 dart shootout with andy because of his result with simon.

16th nov gsod group game 2

v andy hamilton, lost 5-1 with a 94+ ave, dont believe the scoreline reflects the game, and those missed doubles i believe did come back to haunt me! that said if you cant hit doubles you dont deserve to win, andy was good value for this win and deserved it.

15th nov gsod group game 1

v simon whitlock, won 5-3 had a decent 91+ ave with quite a few missed doubles. i think the break didnt help simon in this game. but would just like to say i think i have found a new friend as simon was an absolute gent.

8th & 9th nov dutch darts trophy

bad weekend at the office unfortunately, so nothing good to report. sat 1st rnd played nick fulwell won 3-1 then lost to wes newton, this went to the last leg and he went up in 12. so no complaints. sunday 1st rnd lost to nick fulwell, who played very well and although i missed doubles early on, nick took full advantage, which is what a good player does. results wise a weekend to forget, just hope i can get my form back for the grand slam next week.

2nd nov european championship quater final

v peter manley lost 9-4 very dissapointed with my performance here and peter didnt play well also.i think it might of been a case of too much respect and its a game i hope i will learn from but quickly forget. no excuses but my preperation for this event wasnt good. was pleased for peter as he is one of my best mates on the circuit and always gives me good advice. he also did a good job on me in this particular match and deserves the win. 

1st nov european championship rnd 2

v jelle klaasen won 9-6 again this was a great game and jelle started like a train and i just had to try and battle a result out of it. i think you learn more about yourself in games like this than in most other games. in this match i had a 94 average which again is a decent standard over 15 legs and during this game had finishes of 141 126 116 which helped me make a comeback attempt after being 6-2 down.i thought jelle was fantastic in this match and very unlucky to have lost this match especially having a 97+ave.

31st oct european championships rnd 1

v chris mason won 5-2, didnt feel brilliant going into this game but got a good result with a 94+ average which is a decent standard.chris wasnt throwing as well as i know he can throw but still had a 90+ average which prooves he threw a decent standard of darts aswell.

25th oct german darts trophy

1st rnd v matheus ziolkowski won 3-0 2nd rnd v michael van gerwin won 3-0 3rd rnd v merv king won 3-2 quarter final v mark dudbridge lost 3-2 this went to last leg of the match after being 2-0 down got it back to 2-2 with darts of 11 13 15 14, then final leg sat on d10 mark checked out! never mind onwards and upwards.

23rd oct championship of darts

had a great day but with too many draws! could possibly have won some of them but hey you get what you deserve! game1 v phil taylor lost 6-2 i feel i let him off the hook and couldnt find a double. 2nd game v mark dudbridge drew 5-5 3rd game v colin osborne drew 5-5 4th game v andy hamilton drew 5-5 5th game v vincent van der voort won 6-0 6th game v merv king drew 5-5 final game v mark walsh, drew 5-5 i new going into this game a draw or a win would put me threw. semi final v phil, played better this time round and with a bit of luck could of won this game. i didnt do much wrong and was on d20 to make it 5-5 with my darts in the last leg, but phil did what phil does best and clinically took out 85 for the match. was happy with my performances. and congrats to phil on yet another tournament win.

19th oct scottish players champ

not much to report here as a bad day at the office! played brilliant all weekend then when i played carlos rodriguez in the 1st rnd just couldnt find it! he struggled as well and it was literally a double that won it for him. was made up carlos then went on to have a good run and get to the quarters. congrats to james on winning the event.

18th oct scottish players champ

1st rnd v jamie harvey won 3-0, 2nd rnd v erwin extercatte won 3-0, 3rd rnd v jelle klaasen won 3-1 in what was arguably my best performance of the weekend, he missed nothing and i had to dig deep, but managed to win a very very difficult game. 4th rnd v wayne jones lost 3-2 in another top game, it went to the wire we both played well, but wayne deserved to win, and as he is a good friend was made up for him even though i was gutted at losing. congrats to alex roy on winning the event, he played superb all day.

17th oct grand slam playoffs

prelim v geoff harvey won 4-0, 1st rnd v jim young won 4-1, 2nd rnd v kevin hill won 4-1 lost the 1st leg in this, kevin did a brilliant 13 darter, he is a really good friend but had to keep focused, and played really well to win the next 4 legs. 3rd rnd v john magowan won 4-2 finishing was the key in this game i did a 160 and 140 during this match and that was the only difference to be fair. 4th rnd v mark walsh won 4-1, was on top of my game here, mark did nothing wrong i could of closed my eyes and they would of gone in! this was 1 game that the scoreline does not reflect the game. quarter final v dave smith won 4-2, i always have great games v dave and in this game i just had the edge, there was very little in it. semi final v wes newton lost 4-1! couldnt believe it, i had threw great all night and had 1 bad game at the wrong time. but to be fair wes kept the pressure on and did a good job, so congrats to him and well deserved. then i had to play jamie caven for 3rd place, i kept up my good form and won 5-3. its now fingers crossed time to see if i get in the grand slam.

6th oct skypoker world grand prix

v raymond van barneveld. woke up this morning gutted! but philosophical, felt i had a chance and the game may well have hinged on the 167, giving me an edge, but not to be. the amount of people that said to me after the game "anyone else" and you would of won, but my philosophy is you have to beat whoever is in front of you! had the highest average of the night except for barney, my play was good and i feel more and more comfortable on the big stage, these are all the positives i must take from the game. barney played brilliant and deserved the victory and i wish him all the best for the remainder of the tournament.

5th oct irish players champ

1st rnd v michael van gerwin won 3-0, the score does not reflect the game! it was extremely high quality as my games with michael always are, and this was no exception. 2nd rnd v matt clark won 3-1 this again i played very well and won a hard fought game, won the 2nd set with a 167 outshot. board final and de ja vu, v andy jenkins, i was determined lightning wouldnt strike twice and played really well, i won 3-1, it should of been 3-0, but couple of slack throws let andy in for a set. next v colin lloyd for a place in the quarters, didnt play as well as i had done all day but still got to 2-2 in sets, but colin threw a great final set and deserved the victory. big congratulations to dennis for winning the event, he keeps being an inspiration to me all the time.

4th oct irish players champ

1st rnd v gary storey won 3-0 2nd rnd v felix mcbrearty won 3-2 very close game this, felix took every finish out whenever given the chance. board final v andy jenkins lost 3-0, no complaints here, i played very well, but andy was on fire! he thoroughly deserved the victory. big well done to phil, the guy is pure class.

21st sept newport players champ

1st rnd v danny pinhorne won 3-0 2nd rnd v brendon dolan won 3-2 could of won this game sooner but everytime i was on a double for the match brendon came up with 2 top class finishes on the bull! 3rd rnd v robert thornton won 3-0 i was on the top of my game for this as i new i had to be and luckily enough prevailed. 4th rnd v mick savvery won 3-0 again i threw great darts and seemed to be getting better! quarter final v vincent won 3-0 kept up my form which i knew i had to, have loads of respect for vincent and he didnt do much wrong. semi final v merv king won 3-0 lost just 1 leg in this game again i knew i had to be on my metal, and did just that, very good result. final v colin osbourne what a game! the leg stats 8 for me and 5 for colin dont tell the story to this game, it genuinely could of gone either way. if colin hit a 180 i would follow and if i hit one he would follow! but it went down to the final leg (which i believe was fitting) colin started with a 180, i did 3x140 to leave 81, colin had 82, i had first crack, s19 s12 wired the bull! i honestly thought the way the game went i had blew it. colin then hit bull and wired d16. luckily enough kept my composure and hit s9 d8 in 2 darts. i have so much respect for colin and his ability i felt very proud at winning this tournament and playing him in the final.

20th sept newport players champ

1st rnd v mike herold won 3-0 2nd rnd v owen caffrey won 3-1 3rd rnd v alex roy won 3-0 this game i literally never missed a double. 4th rnd v peter manley lost 3-1 good game this missed a few doubles that turned out to be costly but in fairness to peter when he needed something good he came up with the goods. have no complaints and the best man won. congrats to ronnie, and especially jamie on his run to the final.

14th sept windy city open

unfortunately the weekend started badly, as in atlanta the airline left my luggage at manchester, so had no bag for 2 days! but luckily enough got my darts in time for sundays play.started well beat david fatum 3-0 2nd rnd v ray carver, was dissapointed with myself here, i had 6 darts at double to be 2-1 up in sets with my darts in next set! but if you miss against a quality opponent like ray, he will make you pay. he took out some great finishes with me on a double, and deserves the result. big well done to colin lloyd the guy is class.

6th sept ireland open classic

1st rnd v ben burton won 3-1 2nd rnd v steve maish won 3-0 scoreline does not reflect the game steve did nothing wrong whatsoever and was very unlucky to lose a high standard match. 3rd rnd v chris mason lost 3-2 lost a very close encounter and was playing some good stuff, was maybe not mentally up for this game and chris threw some very high quality darts, was made up for him reaching the final and i am sure a win is just around the corner.

3rd sept group2 championship of darts

again another tough day but with my experience from group 1 decided to try and pace myself, luckily enough it worked. my best game of the day i believe was v "the hammer" what a fantastic tussle with me just edging the last leg. against kevin in the final i started badly and kevin took advantage, but luckily for me he was to miss a few doubles and let me in, at i think 4-3 up i never went behind, but have to say this match could of easily gone either way.

2nd sept group1 championship of darts

this is a very surreal and gruelling tournament, i started well and by the time it came to my last game it was between me and james wade for who got to the semis, luckily for me i did in a great tussle and won 6-3, in my semi final v colin lloyd i think i just ran out of steam, and colin well deserved the win, even though i missed 156 on d18 for the match!

31st aug players champ holland

1st rnd v jim leighton won 3-0, 2nd rnd v jamie caven won 3-1, 3rd rnd v alex roy won 3-0, these last 2 matches the scoreline most certainly doesnt reflect the scoreline, very high standard matches, 4th rnd v ronnie baxter lost 3-1, again another high performing match very close, but ronnie deserved the win.

30th aug players champ holland

1st rnd v dick van dijk, won 3-1 2nd rnd v lionel sams won 3-2, 3rd rnd v john magowan lost 3-2, what can i say great victory for john he played awesome darts all day, i missed 100 checkout for a 3-1 victory but then the match went all the way to the last leg and john did a great job on me, no complaints.

24th august atlanta players champ

1st rnd  v dieter schutsch won 3-0 dieter played very well he just struggled on doubles or a very different scoreline would be had. 2nd rnd v co stompe won 3-2, very close game won deciding set 2-0 finished on 61 in 1st leg of decider but hit bull then 3 then d4, this broke the throw and i think won me the match. 1st time i have played co he is very very good. 3rd rnd v kevin painter won 3-2 this was extremely close and a 116 checkout in the decider from me was the only difference between us. quarter final v roger carter, after being 2-0 up roger seemed to find another gear! at 2-2 and 1-1 i luckily enough went up in 12 darts to win the match. semi final v chris white, chris played brilliant and was 2-1 up in sets, luckily i dug deep and won the final 2 sets 2-0 to reach the final. the final v andy hamilton, won 3-1, i played well to win this and andy didnt play as well as i know he can, he is without doubt top class so was abit worried going into it, but i just think it was my day thats all.

24th july quarter final world matchplay v "the menace"

a well deserved win for dennis here, i didnt play badly, dennis just had the edge on me, and 90plus averages over 30 legs isnt a bad standard. he is without doubt one of the games true gents, and this was a good honest game of darts that he well deserved to win. i have to be happy reaching my 3rd quarter final on the trot in major tv events, with the added bonus of being comfortable with my new darts.

23rd july 2nd rnd world matchplay v john part.

again won a great contest, i started well and kept it going, john didnt play like we know he can and luckily enough i took advantage. again a decent average 94plus, but the win is always more important.

22nd july 1st rnd world matchplay v vincent van der voort.

won a great contest hear, but early on vincent started to run away with it, luckily enough i kept plugging away and got the result. i had a good 95plus average, which was pleasing.

19th july bobby bourne players champ blackpool

decided to try my new darts that i had only just got from red dragon darts, it would be their 1st professional outing! 1st rnd won 3-0 v nigel peden.2nd round won 3-0 v paul cooper, this was a very good game and i missed nothing. board final and after a great tussle with chris mason just managed to pip him 3-2 and it could of easily gone either way. last 16 john part, i played well but missed doubles early on, john took advantage (and rightfully so!) but he would later repay me by missing a few himself. the match went to the deciding leg, johns darts, he needed 41, me 148, 2xt20`s then wired the d14! i could of cried. but john clinicaly finished, so well done to john.

5th july LVDC quarter final

Peter Manley- Oh if i could of hit a double early on, i could of got a great early lead that i believe would of relaxed me. but i didnt and peter well deserved the victory 11-8. to be fair to peter he missed doubles later in the game and he did a brilliant 161 out after i had just hit 180 177 to leave a double, this i believe won him the match. i regard peter as 1 of my best friends on the circuit and the guy is quality through and through, and his run to the semis was well deseved.

4th july LVDC 2nd round

Raymond van Barneveld- although i had beat barney "on the floor" to beat him on tv is very satisfying, i played better than my round 1 game and cut out some silly mistakes, barney is without doubt 1 of the best in the world and i believe he will bounce back better and stronger.

3rd july LVDC 1st round

played a very good larry butler, i won 6-4 i didnt feel like i was playing my best darts but won a hard fought game, larry is without doubt a class competitor.

1st july the classic qualifier day 2

1st round beat danny llanes 5-0, then steve hine 5-2, then micheal van gerwin 5-2, then the final v steve beaton won 5-2. i played really well all day and was very determined.

30th june the classic qualifier day 1

1st round beat eddie lawrence 5-0, then danny king 5-0, then john rutherford 5-3, then lost to steve maish 5-3 in the final! had played well all day but steve was just that bit better and deserved the win. i was genuinely made up for him, i couldnt of got beat by a nicer guy! (although i hated him at the time!)

29th june las vegas players champ.

reached the 4th round and played well all day with wins over nick rivera 3-0, alan matthews 3-2, dave honey 3-0. then after being 2 sets down got james wade back to 2-2 only for him to win the match with an 11 dart leg! but thats why he is who he is!

15th june players champ bristol

again started well had a good 3-0 win over lee white who didnt play aswell as i know he can, then another 3-0 win v steve evans, again i was startingto throw really well, next up merv king again and this was a different game to the one saturday, this went all the way to a deciding leg, mervs darts he went off 140 i followed 180, he then went 140, me 180,i hit the 7th t20 but missed the t19 and left 52 after 9. but i missed the chance luckily enough i earned another shot and took it. then had to play adie lewis on stage, i am afraid i think i just ran out of energy and adie did a good job in beating me it was alot closer than the 3-0 scoreline but i always say you get what you deserve in this game! and i got what i deserved! big congratulations to dennis for winning he is without doubt a class act and an inspiration to us all. next up las vegas and fingers crossed i can keep up my good form.

14th june players champ bristol

started well beat ian walters 3-0, then had a great game v nigel birch won 3-1, then board final v merv king, this was a great game i won 3-0 but the scoreline does not reflect the game. then 4th round played mark walsh won 3-0 and again it was alot closer than the scoreline suggests, into the quarter finals and beat brendan dolan 3-2 in a very close game, everytime i thought i had it won brendan took out some great outshots. semi final and denis ovens who is without doubt one of the hardest players on the circuit to beat, i always have hard games with denis and this was no exception, it was some good outshots that was the only difference and i won 3-1. now the final and although i lost 3-0 each of the first 2 sets went to the decider, i missed 3 darts at tops to win the 2nd set. then phil did what phil does best and take out a great 136 with me handily placed! he deserved the win but felt i played well overall. he came up to me the following day and said thanks for letting him win! you could sometimes throw hedgehogs against him and still lose, he is that good!

8th june uk open quarter final

great start no work to go to! so could concentrate on darts! played james wade and feel it is a question of what could of been, i felt i lost the game, too many missed doubles, i must of threw away at lest 4 legs and at this level that is suicide. james showed what class is all about by finishing everything so deserves the win 100%. i lost 10-6, interestingly my stats where higher but i still lost! but on the plus side it was a good damage limitation excersise as i was defending £7500 from when i reached the semi final 2 years ago. on the down side i feel by the time you get to the quarters you need to have played on the tv stage to acclimatise as it feels different to the side boards. but you have to take the rough with the smooth i suppose. a big congratulations to james who was a deserved winner and a true gent.

7th june uk open 4th round

again not ideal preparation as i was in work for 8:30am then when i got home it was a mad rush to bolton.played robert thornton, i felt we showed each other too much respect in this game, i did some great outshots 3xton plus finishes on the run to get up a lead, but robert was a very tough opponent who didnt give in, i ended up winning 9-6 with a 122 checkout on bullseye. i really do think he will do well at the pdc and he is a gentleman to boot.

6th june uk open 3rd round

not ideal preparation for my friday night match, i am up at 6am for work. unfortunately i cant get the time off. but sometimes you do well in adversity. travelled to reebok to play paul cooper, i knew it was going to be tough because he had beat carlos rodriguez 6-1 in his opening game. this turned out to be a real battle. everytime i saw daylight paul came fighting back and finished numerous legs with his last dart (shows he has bottle!) luckily enough i got through 9-7

16th may 08 us open

had a good trip to connecticut but the darts didnt go as planned! i lost in the 2nd round having won my 1st round 3-0, i didnt play too badly but missed doubles turned out to be costly. i played chris thompson and was 2 sets and 1 leg down having missed crucial doubles, started to fight back and got it to the final leg. i missed 120 on tops to win and then chris took out a great 82 to win the match. so its back on the practise board ready for reebok.

26th april 08 open holland

i think this is one of the few times i was happy with my play even though i lost in my first round against carlos rodriguez. a very high standard game with 11 and 12 darters for fun. unfortunately i missed 2 darts at 16 to go 2-1 up in sets and then 3 darts at tops to go 2-2 carlos took a great 80 out on d5. i lost 3-1 but was very happy with my performance.

sunday was another open but not ranked, i played well all day and out of approx 500 players lost in the quarter final against peter manley, i played very well he just played better. had a good game with vincent in the last 16 and i had to hit an 11 dart leg to win at 3-3 180 81 180 61 in 2. next for me is the us open in connecticut.

19th april 08 scottish players champs

nothing good to report on this venture im afraid. played dave ladley in board semi won 3-0 in a tighter game than the scoreline suggests. in board final played kevin mcdine, another very tight game and he edged me 3-2 i missed a 64 finish and kevin took out a great 93 on bull 3 tops to win the match. big well done to merv, i marked his game with phil and afterwards thought to myself that his name was on it. next week open holland in rotterdam.

12th april 08 antwerp darts trophy

not abad weekend considering my preparation was not up to its usual high standards.decided to travel on the morning of the competition as work commitments wouldnt let me travel friday. nontheless was up at 4am travelled manchester and met up with alan warriner, from thier to brussels then to antwerp. played ron meulenkamp in 1st round, won 3-1, then stijn boffel, won 3-0, then vincent van der voort in the board final. had a great game won 3-1. then played dave askew to get into the quarters, he played very well and deservedley won 3-1. still last 16 is a decent result with the standard of competition.on sunday played in the antwerp open and got to quarter final losing to "the hammer" well done to him. a big well done to one of my best mates on the circuit andy "pieman" the run to the final was just reward. also big well done to phil. next week travel to glasgow.

29th march 08 midland players champs.

had another good weekend 1st game beat sean dowling 3-0, then jim leighton 3-0, then had a tussle with andy smith won 3-0, then played adrian gray won 3-1, then had a fantastic game v wayne jones, had a dart at bull to win 3-1 but then wayne pegged it back. at 1-1 in final set with waynes darts he went off 180 137 left 52 after 9 i had 180 left and hit 140 to leave tops, luckily enough for me wayne missed and i hit d10. but what a game! played colin lloyd in semi, he was fantastic, i did nothing wrong was handily placed in every set but colin played superb and deserved to win. congrats to phil on another good result.

sunday, started slow but gradually got better and better beat sean dowling 5-1 but he missed doubles to make it alot closer, then played merv king in a good game that went to the wire, at 4-4 with mervs darts i finished 161 to take the match. then played alex roy, i played my a game and threw some of my best darts of the weekend and beat him 5-0, alex said to me after the game "i hit 140 140 140 left a double after the 81 left and couldnt believe they was wiping the board clean" then played phil to get into the quarter final, was 3-0 down but played some good stuff to get it to 3-3, then missed a big finish to go 4-3 up. at 4-3 down with phil on 98 i had 121 to go 4-4, hit the t20 went for t11 and hit 8! aaaarrggghhh, hit 13 to leave tops. phil then hit t20 d19. was gutted but ran him very very close. nevertheless good weekend all round. next tournament antwerp.

22nd March 08- German Players Championship Weekend

Had avery good weekend but what could of been! was sharing room for the weekend with tony eccles. saturday had great wins over jan van der rassel 3-1 alan caves 3-0 andy smith 3-0 carlos rodrigeuz 3-2 then played wayne jones in the quarter final won 3-1 in a very close encounter. played the semi final v barney on stage, was leading 2 sets 1 playing well and with 136 left for the match missed the d8! 2-2 and final leg of the match with barney on 88 i had 140, hit t20 t20 then a t20 fell out! i could of screamed. stood back and hit t20 to leave d10. barney missed bull, but it was not meant to be, i wired d10 then d5! barney then finished. still a very good day but had nightmares over it.

SUNDAY, started in the same form as the day before, got to the last 16 playing some good stuff but unfortunately came a cropper against adie lewis. was 2 sets up but adie clung on and managed to get it to 2 sets apiece. deciding leg he left 32 after 9 darts i had 105, hit t20 s5 then just missed d20. he finished with his last dart, but thats why he is so good.

got to say a big well done to one of my best mates on the circuit wayne jones for a fantastic run, and this now will hopefully set him up for the rest of the season. obviously a big well done to phil, the guy is sheer class. also to tony eccles who as i said i roomed with, he had a great weekend, our room was called the semi final room! next week travel to telford.

18th March 2008 -

Hello everyone. "what a wait" 2yrs literally to the day when i last won a pro tour event,but that makes it feel all the better. had a great saturday, played well all day. but i might not of envisaged would transpire when i played my 1st game against john quantock, he was fantastic and i found myself 2-0 down, luckily enough managed to get it back and did a good last set. my run then continued i played owen caffrey i won 3-0 but as always the scoreline doesnt reflect the game. the same again v kirk shepherd 3-0. then terry jenkins 3-2 and what a game this was, terry was gracious in defeat and said he threw everything at me but it was my day, in 1 leg he hit 180 100 180 and didnt get a shot (i went 100 100 180 121game shot) then played merv king won 3-1 he took out a great 137 in that match. then i played wayne mardle and won 3-1, wayne didnt play like we all know he can, or the scoreline would of been alot different. in the final played a good freind in chris mason, he had beat me the last 3 times we had played, so knew it was going to be tough. i won 3-0 but that definately doesnt tell the story, a 161 outshot with chris on 24 for the 2nd set, put me 2-0, and that also gave me the darts in the final set, which i won in 12 13 darts.
sunday was still a good day played well but lost in the last 16 to chris thompson, who i was very impressed with. at 3-3 i missed 3 darts at d20 to go 4-3 up but maybe i missed because chris had me under so much pressure. at 4-4 chris with the darts played brilliant and won in 13darts.
overall crackin weekend met some old freinds and the crowd were great.
its germany next weekend, and i just hope my form continues. regards alan

7th March 2008 - Last weekend I travelled down to Brentwood in Essex for the South Players Championship. I progressed through to the last 16 seeing off Simon Whatley 3-2, Michael Barnard 3-0 and Carlos Rodriguez 3-2 before finally being stopped by Kevin Mcdine 3-2 (Sets). On Sunday was the Blue Square UK Open regional finals were i met Steve Cusick who went on to win 5-3 (legs). Despite Sundays glitch I have moved up the PDC order of merit from 16 to 14 in the world so im hoping i can maintain this progress. Next PDC event will be the Northwest Players Championship and UK Open in Wigan in 2 weeks time.

7th March 2008 - I have been booked for an exhibition in Liverpool 9th May 2008. Once more details are known i will post here.