Mid Season:View from the Oche

Ok , so an unexpected second edition of View from the Oche ,due to a few late Captain’s reports coming in, we will see them and Gypsy Pat’s latest predictions. Also in this edition we have a Who Are Ya? featuring Glyn Evans, from The Nomads.

Thank you for the positive comments I have received about the last edition ,I know it was rather long!!

 

Gypsy Pat

Well I guess we must consider the fact that Gypsy Pat has not been looking into his crystal ball for quite sometime , when we look at his pretty average predictions for the cup matches played on Tuesday. He got 4 out of 8 correct and one of those was a walkover!!!!

Interestingly three of the cup matches are actual replayed in the leagues this week [well not Rottens against Alayah as the first one never happened!!] -let’s see if he can improve on his soothsaying powers this week.

Div 1

Team Viet v Mabuhay
This is a tough one to call, with Mabuhay unbeaten and TV having lost their only game to them, I think it will be a lot tighter this time, but I think Mabuhay will edge it tonight.

 Prediction: Mabuhay 7- TV 5  
 

Really Rottens v Alayah

Well, with Alayah without a win so far I think they are going to struggle to take this one, RR having won two games so far I think Alayah are the favourites .

Prediction: RR 4- Alayah 8

Div 2
Black Magic v NSW

Now, depending on who is available for NSW will say who is going to win this as there is not much between these two in the standings, I have to work on a full strength NSW, so I will say they will be the stronger team:

 Prediction: BM 5- NSW 7

 

Phattys v PinoyPatriots

Pinoy are in fine form this season, but having said that when we played Phattys they made a great comeback in the end, however with Pinoy playing so well I will have to go with them

Prediction: Phattys 4 – Pinoy 8

 

Div 3
Vinyls v Bernies Best

With only the leg difference separating these two this is going to be a tight game, both teams playing at their home bar.

Prediction : Vinyls 6 v Bernies 6

 

Tavern v Udder

An Udder Team should be bouyed by their drubbing of Buddha Bar in the league cup last week, apart from that there is not much between these teams, but I will give Udder a pull on this one.

Prediction: Tavern 5-7 Udder

 

Captain’s Reports

 

Division 1

Stephen Guess- Madhouse

Madhouse – Division 1 by mistake

Due to some serious shenanigans at the beginning of the season when a new team was set up when they should have stayed in Division 1 as they had 4 players from their old team, we found ourselves promoted to Div 1 despite having finished 3^rd in Div 2.

However our first match saw us draw and we started to feel we may not be totally outclassed in this division. The next 5 weeks showed how sadly wrong we were and some humpings ensued and with a week to go of the first half we found ourselves bottom. A rousing victory away from home leapfrogged us out of the relegation zone into 6^th place. Only time will tell if this is a turning point or just a false dawn in the Madhouse fortunes.

Division 2

Dirty Harry’s- Adrian

The Dirty’s have continued from where we left off last year and currently sit mid table. The team remains pretty much the same except for the addition of Andy instead of the departed Luke. We also seem to be playing similarly to last year, out strength been our team games and unfortunately not been able to take our numerous chances in singles!

The season started with a draw at home to charmed. We were without our captain, but with the even squad that we have, it was a game we should have won, especially with the chances we had and the absence of some strong charmed players. The beautiful charmed ladies had a big impact, especially Tram against Adrian who yet again couldn’t finish against a beautiful opponent. Becoming an embarrassing trend that!
Next up was an away game (at home) to the prixx, which we lost 7-5. Although we had chances to draw, the prixx led by an in-form Warren were a bit too strong on the night. Our returning captain Ryan won his singles and Devo continued his winning run .
Black Magic were the next visitors and after losing 2 tripples, we came back strong to take all the doubles. Apparently the first time tin tin and moore or less had been beaten in 3 years! After a well overdue singles win for Adrian, followed by Andy to give us a 5-2 lead it looked like we would finally prevent the arse-slapping finale! Unfortunately we managed to lose the remaining games which was a hard loss to take having played well and arses were slapped! A timely visit to Phatty’s followed and again we played quite well against an under-strength Phukkers and had our first win of the season 9-3. Yahoo!

A bye in the cup was followed by a bye in the league which probably didn’t help us facing the Pinoy’s in the next game. But no excuses on the night, we were soundly beaten 8-4. In the final game we beat No Star Where 8-4, who were without a few stars, but a couple of ladies stepped in to replace them and did well to win 3 singles.
Overall we are about where we deserve to be in the table. We Have had a steady squad and everybody has performed ok, with the majority of players having a 3-2 singles record and we have established some good doubles pairings. If our checking could match our scoring we would improve our position in the table, but looking at the 3 teams above us it would be hard to catch any of them. If we can avoid another arse-slapping at vodoo bar that would be nice!

Best team performance – Probably against Phatty’s. Always nice to beat them 🙂

Most impressive opposition player – I was very impressed with the charmed ladies in more ways than one. But I’d have to say Warren from the prixx. Destroyed us on the night.

Own team MVP – without having any real standout performer, I would say Andy. He has fitted in well to the team and has consistently hit big scores,and is leading our tons count. Unlucky in the 2 singles games he lost too.

End of season prediction – More of the same most likely. Realistically mid table. But hopefully can improve on our singles as its been costing us points.But there are no easy games!

 

The Prixx – Aurelius

The Prixxx have enjoyed a fantastic first half of the season. Led superbly by Melvin, we have only suffered one loss to Pinoy Patriots, had a couple of convincing wins and battled back strongly to win the last 3 games against Black Magic.
The key to the Prixxx success has been that every player has contributed at crucial times during the first 6 games. We haven’t really had a stand-out performer, but Peter (the Prixler), Woz, Melvin, DT and new recruit Thuy have all been mightily consistent with outstanding singles records and accumulating tons and checks at important times during matches. Kevin (Mr Darts) and Aurelius, whilst not as prolific, have picked up the odd check and ton here or there to pick up some valuable points and with the returning Moulik (Dr Darts) from a brief hiatus, the Prixxx look in competitive shape coming into the second half of the season.

Our best performances of the first half of the season was a 10-2 victory against NSW who we have historically had very tough matches against, although admittedly they had an-off night and a 9-3 victory against the Charmed Assassins where we collectively hit 20 tons, shared amongst 7 players.

Our toughest game was against the Pinoy Patriot where we lost 9-3. They threw some fantastic darts and we are looking forward to the chance of revenge at our home Harry Casual in the second half.

Our most satisfying win was against Black Magic who gave us a really tough match. It was pretty much neck and neck all the way through, but at 5-4 we staged a terrific comeback to win in the team game with DT hitting the all important Mad House check for the win.

Most impressive opposition players have been Rey & Jeorge from the Patriots who beat Peter and Woz respectively and are deservedly at the top of the division 2 standings. However, watch out boys as the Prixxx are ready to usurp you!
It’s difficult to pick an MVP for us….but if I’m pushed I’d go with the skipper Melvin (not only cos I want more playing time) as he’s hit some crucial checks at important times, particularly when playing the final singles match.

End of season prediction…..I don’t really wonna bring any bad luck to us. Just hope we continue throwing some good darts, hitting tons and making checks and we’ll see where we end up!!! Prixxx it up!

 

 

After last week’s trio we return to just one Who Are Ya? and this week we meet Glyn Evans, a darter from the Nomads team in Division 1 and a genial Welshman ,who takes his darts seriously.

Glyn Evans – The Nomads

1] We will start with a different question this week Glyn . What is main reason you play darts for, the social element or the competitive side?

It originally started as a social thing, to have a few beers with fellow expats, but now I’ve been sucked and in I’m addicted, first thing I do on a Wednesday morning is log into thesidl.com to check out the stats.

2] Ok, back to normal. How long have you been in Saigon and what do you do?

I have been in Saigon for 3 years and I’m a director at the market research agency TNS.

3] How long have you been playing darts in Saigon and how did you end up with the Nomads?

My first weekend in Saigon I was taken to Ice Blue by former colleague& Sheridan Mike Fegan, I’d never really played before but somehow threw a 154 and was promptly asked to join the Moon Men in Division 3, they folded as a team after one season so Luke Miller advised me to contact Logan of the Nomads and, despite never meeting me before, I was in.

4] Do you practice much and if so is that at home or at a local pub?

I do have a dartboard at home but have to admit I haven’t been practicing much this season and unfortunately it’s been reflected in my singles results, we also practice as a team every Saturday night at Chili.

5] What have been the highlights of your darts career in Saigon so far?

Undoubtedly winning the Division 2 title with the Nomads last season, and for me personally it was being checks champion the season before that. I also grabbed 2^nd highest check with a 118 that season but it was bittersweet as Kevin from Phatty’s topped it with a 119 in the final game.

6] What makes a good darts venue in your opinion?

No people tripping over the back of your legs on the way to the toilets, a well-lit dartboard and a scoreboard that’s positioned well. The chalker needs to know how to count and remain still whilst people are throwing.

7] Nomads – why that particular team name?

Well before settling on Chili as our home venue we were on our 3^rd bar in 3 seasons and Logan felt the name aptly described the rag tag bunch he was captaining.

8] Who have been your favourite opponents over the years in terms of teams and players?

Team Viet are always very welcoming and we tend to have quite tense battles with them without yet being on the winning end, I also liked playing Dream Team at Catwalk though that was more for the scenery on the way to the WC more than anything else.

As far as indivuals go I’ve had some good battles with Donald back in division 2 when he played for The Prixxx, he ended my unbeaten singles run in our 1^st head-to-head and I ended his in the return leg at Chili. Special mentions to my teammate Chad, Patrick Hoy and Peter Knight.

9] Nomads had a successful season last year .How have you found the step up to Div 1?

Well most of the teams we’d played before so were familiar with them and their best players, we’ve been doing fine sitting in 4^th place not sure whether we can improve on that but we do have half an eye on Those Guys sitting just above us.

10] Being Welsh what is your number one sporting passion – Rugby or Darts?

Ha, well despite the very Welsh name I’ve never actually lived there as my Father was based in Munich, Germany when we were young. He was a runner so my sporting passion is actually athletics and I’ve been lucky enough to be in the stadium for the past two Olympics.

11] Which bar does the best darts night snacks in your opinion?

I couldn’t tell you as I’m too nervous to eat before my singles and the food’s usually gone after I’m finished, but the rest of the team tell me that the spread put on by Phatty’s can’t be beaten.

2] What do you love and hate about living in our fair city of Saigon?

Well Vietnam is my 4^th Asian country having previously lived in Korea, Thailand and Hong Kong and it’s definitely my favourite of the bunch. I can’t really put my finger on why but I think it’s a combination of a good work-social life balance combined with a vibrant country that’s going places but still sufficiently off the beaten track to remain interesting.

13] Darts used on match nights?

I use 23g Shot 901 series darts, combined with short plastic stems and pear shaped flights. I’m now on my 3^rd set, having drunkenly lost my first set in a taxi one week after purchasing them from Zarggie.

14] Care to give us your ideas on how we can stop the dominance of Mabuhay All Stars?

They definitely can be beaten as Team Viet demonstrated in the KO Cup but they won’t be stopped in the league. The secret is putting early pressure on them to get them sweating, though with players of the calibre of Adrian, Jun and Jonel that’s no easy task.

15] Finally, have you tried the ribs from your Captain’s BBQ place TNT and does he give you a discount?

Of course I have, the ribs are the best in Asia not only does he give me a discount he even gave me a free meal in exchange for my previous dartboard (which he still hasn’t installed at TNT, get to it Logan). Check them out at http://eat.vn/tntbbq

Mid Season: View from the Oche

 

So we have now reached the mid point of what I guess we call the Spring Season . View from the Oche has been absent for a while as work and personal commitments have meant that I have not had to much time to spend on it. This Mid Season Special will feature some of the old features and some new ones. You never know a bit of positive feedback and I may get back to doing a weekly version. Hope  you guys find it interesting reading.

Captains Mid Season Report : A pretty disappointing response to this feature this time around with only four Captains or Captain’s representitives making contributions . If some others get their fingers out I will happily do a Part Two next week on Captain’s Reports , I personally like hearing how other teams reckon they are doing.

Gypsy Pat – The mystic of Saigon is back offering insight into how teams will go in the second half of the season and looking at the upcoming Cup Games.

Who Are Ya? : We have Tom from Really Rottens in Division 1 . Rob1 from Black Magic in Division 2 and Bob from The Vinyls in Division 3. All quite well known and established members of The SIDL but we try and get to know them just that little bit better.

Where Are They Now ?: A new feature that tries to track down some of previous players from the league and see what they are up too. First up Tim Russell, ex Sheridans currently resident in Bangkok.

Photos: Lots of photos from around the venues during the first half of the season.

Devil’s Advocate : The Devil’s Advocate puts forward some points for discussion.

Stars of Stats : Which players are currently on fire this season across the leagues. The stats don’t lie!

 

Captains Mid Season Report Cards.

Division 1

Glyn Evans – The Nomads

After our division winning exploits last season we were all excited to see how we would fair in D1, though surprisingly enough we have only played one team for the first time in the shape of Mabuhay. They also represented our biggest achievement to date as come the team game we were playing for a draw that we just couldn’t pull out of the bag. After impressive wins over Alayah (10-2) & Mad House (11-1) and close calls with the aforementioned Mabuhay (5-7) & Team Viet (5-7) The Nomads sit exactly mid-pack in 4th place a position we will no doubt be defending come season end. Individually our Golden Boy remains Chad who has a very impressive 6-0 record despite coming up against some sturdy opposition (taking the scalps of Big Pete, Zach & Roden amongst others). The rest of us have been a bit hit & miss with Brett’s 135 check-out & Logan’s 6 checks both against BNB Retro being the highlights. We look forward to strong finish to the second half of the season.

 

Division 2

Phattys Phukkers -Jimish

The Phukkers lost a few players during the off season. Kevin, who was our top performer last season wandered off to join his North American compatriots [plus Odi] at Those Guys. Jim T our long serving and esteemed leader decided to place his darts in a long lost cupboard and return to watching Last of The Summer Wine repeats and take up his pipe and slippers [tho will play if needed]. The losses were hard to take but understandable and we were still optimistic with the addition of Niall the Monkey Hanger, Dave the mathematician and the return of our jovial Jock, Adam. Our season though has suffered from only having 3 ever presents in Niall,Jimish and Dave and also having Geordie on a European tour, Ben off in Singers for the first half and Brownie off working too, all tidy players who may have helped us turn draws and losses into something better

For those of us remaining the season started off with a very useful draw away at Pinoy Patriots, a game highlighted by the total breakdown of Brownie, who struggled to hit even the board during his singles game. We actually led going into the team game, but the point was a good one against a very useful side. Our second game also saw us do the same against NSW, drawing after being 6-5 up. The curse of not being able to even hit the board afflicting Colin inexplicably in his Singles. Rumours of a voodoo curse started to surface. 6 -5 up is a position we have never seen since. Heavy losses to Dirty Harrys and an absolute thrashing in the cup against the Pinoy Patriots followed, and after a promising start to the season our game was going to pieces. We have recovered slightly in recent weeks and were more competitive in losses against Black Magic, The Prixx and Charmed Assassins. We tend to have only 6 or 7 players which isn’t a bad thing as it enables players to get some sort of rhythm, but our checking generally has been our downfall.

A good season so far individually, for Niall [5-1] and Jimish [6-0], but we need to get more singles wins on the board. Onward and upwards from here but the Phukkers face an uphill battle if they are to avoid relegation at the end of the season. However, Colin has shown in recent weeks he is getting his mojo back[ despite a loss to the very impressive Thuy from The Prixx] and we should be able to draw on a larger squad in the second half with Ben ansd Brownie getting rid of their rustiness and one thing is certain we can always draw on the incredible optimism and support from our Pam.

Best Team Performance : Probably first game against Pinoy Patriots- with exception of Brownie!!!

Most impressive Opposition player : Rey from the Patriots was very impressive but my vote goes to Thuy from The Prixx ,an awesome performance against Colin.

Own team MVP: Niall , the Monkey Hanger, has a few dodgy moments but usually a consistent checker ,which our team desperately needs.

End of Season Prediction: Hopefully scrape above relegation places – hopefully!!!! Think we will have a better second half anyway.

 

Rob1 – Black Magic

Things were relatively stable in the world of the Voodoo dwellers over the break. We knew that Five-0 was out, but the late move of White Barry White left us another man down and we lost one of our more enigmatic performers. No more would we see victories over players like Chad, followed by weeks of sheer ineptitude… Ypu will be missed, White Barry! We picked up new players in Baywatch and Kris G (though renamed as Manneken Pis) and had several practice sessions which didn’t show at all as we were thumped by No Star Where in the first match. Another belting against Pinoy Patriots saw us inhabiting the bottom rung on the ladder. Our first victory came at Harry’s Casual against Dirty Harry’s where we rallied from 5-2 down to claim a 7-5 win. After the bye and a free passage into the 2nd round of the knock out cup we returned to league action against the depleted Phukkers and had
another win which saw us climbing the table. Back to earth the next week as the Charmed Assassins skewered us down at the Cow. Another loss in the last match of the half to The Prixxx sees us very much in the relegation mix.

Best Team Performance – beating Dirty Harry’s was our most complete performance.

Worst Performance – where do you start? Probably our complete failure to show up against No Star Where who gave us a deserved belting.

Stand Out Performers – it hasn’t been the usual suspects for Black Magic this season. Both Moore of Less and Porridge have shown some good form and have been very consistent. Tintin is far too worried about Liverpool winning the Premier League and hasn’t played to his normal high standards. Rob 1 took a couple of weeks to get going, but has improved slightly since then. Drama has been in a bit of a slump and is looking to break out of it.

Most Impressive Opposition – the Patriots look like the class of Division 2. The Assassins had a great night against us and if they continue to show that form will be in the mix for promotion.

What’s Next? Back to back games against NSW at the Voodoo Bar. First in the cup, then the league. While it would be nice to win the first one, we are focused on getting the win in the league to kick start our second half.

 

Patrick – Charmed Assassins

We lost some players this year with Anthony getting assigned to the Middle East and Yuki moving on, Paul is back in Blighty at the moment and not sure if he will return, before the start of the season we signed a new player, David Frayne, who has turned out to be a great replacement for Yuki. Our first game against Dirty Harrys ended in a draw, I think there was a lot of first game nerves on both sides, two big loses to Pinoy Patriots and The Prixx since have hampered our progress, although against Pinoy, Brian Houx was the only player who threw good darts for our team that night, squeezed between those two games was the league cup, having drawn Those Guys, who were sitting in second place in D1 (ever since I joined this team we have drawn a D1 team in the league cup in the first round), it didn’t look good, however, on the night our team were on form, at one point we were 4-2 up, we ended up winning the game 6-5, a shock win/defeat, we managed to pick ourselves up against Black Magic and won 9-3, the team continued in form against Phattys Phukkers, we were 7-1 up at one point and I thought we were in for another big win, however the Phukkers started a fight back, with Geordie, Niall and Jimmish winning the last three singles, The Don checked the team game to make it 8-4, all in all I am pleased with how we are doing at the moment, staying in D2 is the aim this season, it has taken a long time to get here.

Best team performance: Without a doubt, against Those Guys in the league cup.

Best opposition player: Melvin from The Prixx, he was on fire the night we played them with 6 checks and 5 tons.

Own team: to hard to chose between Brian, Russell, David and Andy, although Russell may edge it with his Bullseye finish.

End of season prediction: Looking to secure third place, will help if I can find my form again.

 

 

Tuesday Night photos 2014 Part 1

Gypsy Pat

So our resident Gyspy dusts off his crystal ball and looks ahead firstly to the second round of the Michael Kueng Cup and then moves on to his predictions for how he sees teams doing in the second half of the season.

Cup Predictions

Nomads v Dirty Harrys

 

The Nomads are doing ok for their first season in D1, whilst Dirty Harrys are in fourth place in D2, I cannot see a shock result here, prediction Nomads 7-4 Dirty Harrys

 

Team Viet v Mabuhay Allstars

 

Mabuhay beat Team Viet 10-2 in their game this season, I think it will be a bit tighter this time, prediction: Team Viet 4-7 Mabuhay

 

Charmed Assassins v Vinyl

 

This is going to be a tough one to call, both teams having one of their best players out, heard a rumour that Matevz Verbic may not be available, if that turns out to be true then we may have a chance, however, I can’t work on a rumour so to me Vinyl are the favourites, prediction: Charmed Assassins 5-6 Vinyl

 

Buddha Bar v An Udder Team

 

These two teams met last week in the league with Buddha having home advantage and coming out on top, I think An Udder Team can get back to winning ways and overturn that result, prediction: Buddha Bar 5-6 An Udder Team

 

Really Rottens v Alayah

 

With Really Rottens having two wins and Alayah yet to win a game it looks as though Rottens are the fovoured team, however when they met in the league they drew, so I think this is going to be a tight game, prediction: Rottens 6-5 Alayah

 

BnB Saigon Retro Bar v The Prixx

 

Bnb are struggling in D1 this season, whilst The Prixx are playing really well in D2, I think that BnB will find tgis a hard game, prediction: BnB 4-7 The Prixx

 

Madhouse v Pinoy Patriots

 

Madhouse only have one win so far this season, whilst Pinoy, along with The Prixx, are one of the favourites to win D2, prediction: Madhouse 3-8 Pinoy Patriots

 

Black Magic v No Star Where

 

NSW have a lot of players missing so I think they are going to struggle in this game,prediction: Black Magic 8-3 NSW

 

The Final Placings

Div 1

Well the top three are close, but the Champs are so far undefeated, Those Guys have a strong team and I think they can overcome Team Viet.

Prediction: Mabuhay All Stars and Those Guys first and second.

Div 2

Again its tight at the top, Pinoy Patriots and The Prixx are the strongest two teams, if I can find my form again maybe The Charmed Assassins can fight for second.

Prediction: The Prixx and Pinoy Patriots first and second.

Div 3

It’s tight between the top four teams, Vinyl finally found some form after a shaky start and sit top, The Udder Team got off to a great start but have lost form and three games, they need to find their form to mount a challenge, Bernies Best got off to a bad start also but now sit in second place.

Prediction: Vinyl and The Udder Team first and second.

 

The first of our Who Are Ya features.

Div 1

Tom Shapland : Really Rottens

 

1] Ok Tom, so let’s get the introduction out of the way in one question! Where you from? What do you do and how long have you been doing it? Why Vietnam?

I’m from a small town in the Southwest of England. From the age of 17 I was working in a small furniture workshop until it had to close down 4 years later due to the fact that it was being made much cheaper in Vietnam. No less than a month later I was here in Vietnam working for one of the Companies that had put me out of a job! Nearly 10 years after coming to Vietnam I am now sourcing for a large high end American furniture company.

2] You play for the Rottens in Division 1.How did you end up with them?

I happened to pop in to ice blue one evening and met a guy called Lars Hussum. Played a few games with him and he offered me a place in the Rottens team under the captaincy of Gary Dale. I played for them for 4 seasons. After a 4 year break from darts I (again) happened to pop into Baan Thai in Q.2 and lo and behold a few Rottens were in there practicing so I signed up for the 2^nd time!

3] We were having a discussion this week how the darts in Division 2 has improved a lot over the last few years, do you agree that is the same in Division 1 and if so what would you put it down to?

It’s certainly improved all across the divisions. I think it’s down to the fact that more bars have darts areas which generally have people using them rather than gathering dust in the corner. It interests new players as it looks like a bit of fun, and it gets foreign players who used to throw, throwing again.

4] Outside of darts what do you tend to do socially?

Meet up with mates to watch AFL or the F1. Watching football gets a bit tricky seeing as its usually on so late. I also play golf fairly regularly and fairly badly with Bob and the Baan Thai guys.

5] Favourite away playing venue and why?

Has to be Game On. I like bars that have a fully dedicated darts area and no bog or kitchen right next to the throwing area.

6] Being English, is it Beef and Yorkshire pudding or a nice pizza?

An English classic… Pizza

7] What darts do you use?

I use Mark Webster 21g by Winmau… although ill probably lose them soon and have to get some new ones. It happens fairly regularly.

8] Most memorable highlight of your darts career in Saigon?

Winning the league with Really Rottens in Ice Blue (cant remember the year) and Me, Stubbsy plus a few others raiding Underground bar for our Trophy!

9] Favourite opposition team and player?

Always had good games against Matt King, but as for favourite team probably Madhouse due to their darts area.

10] When did you take up competitive/social darts?

Umm, since about the age of 16. I played for a mate’s pub on Tuesday nights for a few years before coming to Vietnam. Same kind of game set up with the triples, doubles singles etc. but we had to double in as well as double out.

11] Describe Guppy in no more than 10 words?

Never. Practices. So. I. Don’t. Know. How. He’s. So. Good.

12] How do rate your team’s season so far?

Medium. None of us have been throwing consistent darts this season, and it shows as we are stuck in the middle of the D1 table.

13] What does the future hold for Tom Shapland?

Tough call. Certainly Vietnam for the foreseeable future but what happens is yet to be determined!

14] Your match tipple is what?

Tiger beer

15] Finally , what would you like to see different in Saigon darts?

Bigger doubles on the dart boards.

 

 

 Tuesday Nights Photos 2014 Part 2

 

Div 2

Rob Crowther : Black Magic

1] So Rob you have been resident of Saigon for a while now, with a short break included. What made you come back and what is the appeal of Saigon in particular?

It was never part of the plan to come back to Saigon, but we made a trip back in 2007 and fell in love with the place again. There is something very easy about living here with a very high quality of life combined with a very low cost.

2] You are married with two kids, like myself, how do you manage to get the missus to let you out for your debauched Tuesday night darts sessions?

It’s all the clean living for the rest of the week!

3] Give us a brief rundown of your Saigon darts career?

I started at the original Bar 5 in 2000 after being recruited by Harry Potter. I moved to Jakarta in 2002, but stayed in touch with the team while I was gone and then rejoined when I came back in 2008. I think ‘career’ is a strong term. I show up most weeks though!

4] What is the hardest thing for you being Captain of Black Magic?

Mostly the fact that I had pretty big shoes to fill! Other than that, it’s the feast or famine issue. Not enough players, or a struggle to play everyone when you have 9 players show up.

5] Favourite opponents over the years, both in terms of individual players and teams?

Games with LLB/Phatty’s Phukkers have always been a bit of fun and generally closely contested. You and I have had a couple of good matches too. I always enjoy playing against someone who doesn’t mess about at the oche. Get up there, throw your darts and get ready to do it again!

6] Some of your team has some mighty strange names –how do they come about and why is yours so boring in comparison?

The team usually combines to come up with the names. Sometimes they come from a moment of inspiration – White Barry White was my favourite, mostly because it had Rob Lockwood speechless and that doesn’t happen much! Other times it just seems obvious. One look at Lars’ hair and you know why he is called Tintin! When I first started to play we had 2 other Robs join the team which is how I ended up with Rob 1. There have been a few attempts at giving me other names, but Rob 1 has stuck.

7] Rugby is the sport where I first met you way back in 2001 –do you still maintain an interest?

I do. It’s still my sport of choice, although I’ve moved on to refereeing these days instead of playing.

8] You do a highly entertaining match report for your team the day after matches –why do you bother and has any one taken exception to something you have written?

It all started out as a bit of fun and grew from there really. No one has taken exception yet, although I probably cut it close sometimes! A lot of our ex-players are still on the mailing list as they like to get the reports each week and complain if it takes too long. I tend to be more motivated to get it done when we win! I usually find a suitable pop culture reference as the theme and use that as the basis.

9] What is view on how the darts is run presently in Saigon?

I think we have a pretty good group of people running the league who have done a good job to promote darts and try to keep everyone happy. Obviously, that’s an impossible task, but I think decisions are made with that aim in mind.

10] Harry Potter the Legend – Are you still in contact and what is he up to these days?

We are in touch. He’s in Colorado these days waiting for a new kidney. He keeps threatening to come back over because I’m doing such a crap job as skipper!

11] Apart from two Geordies commentating on your game behind you , what can annoy you the most during matches?

That was a very funny night being stuck in a Tango commercial on a loop! Anyone who knows me will know that slow play and players who can’t count are the things that bug me the most.

12] Favourite drink on match nights?

I used to be a Sapporo man, but I gave up beer about 7 months ago. These days it’s a whiskey soda or a cider for me.

13] Where did the name Black Magic come from?

It was when we moved to the Voodoo Bar. It seemed appropriate!

14] Finally Rob, what has been your most pleasing darts moment whilst playing in Saigon?

We’ve been Division2 champions a few times, but I was pretty pleased with our win in the last match of last season when we won to make sure that we couldn’t get relegated. Personally, I was happiest a couple of seasons ago to finish 3^rd in checks as that hasn’t always been my strong point!

 

The Stars of Stats

Division 1

Top 3 Singles placings:

1st  Jonel and Jun 7-0

2nd  Xu,Chad,Adrian and Nhan – 6-1

3rd Odilicious

Top 3 Tons Scorers :  

1st Jun 47

2nd Jonel and Xu 46

3rd Hai 38

Top 3 Checkers : 

1st – Jonel

2nd – Jun

3rd- Chad ,Big Boy and Nhan

High Finisher :

Adrian 157

Top 3 Points Scorers :

1st  Xu 130

2nd Jonel 121

3rd Jun 118

Some familiar names in the ranking this season . With both the Mabuhay’s Jun and Jonel battling it out at the top but not getting it all their own way and being challenged strongly by Xu from Team Viet. Excellent seasons so far for Chad[Nomads], Adrian [Mabuhay] and Nhan [ Team Viet]. Odilicious and Big Boy from Those Guys also make an apprearance on the leader boards ,reflecting their teams good season so far.

Division 2

Top 3 Singles placing:

1st Jeorge ,Jimish and Rey 6-0

2nd Peter and Niall 5-1

3rd   Mike and DT  4-1

Top 3 Tons Scorers : 

1st Jeorge 32

2nd  Rey

3rd  Mike

Top 3 Checkers :       

1st Rey 20

2nd Peter and Rob W 19

3rd  Jeorge, Woz and Melvin 18

High Finisher :

Rey 94

Top 3 Points Scorers :

1st Rey 95

2nd Jeorge 86

3rd  Peter 80

Not surprisingly the top two teams in Pinoy Patriots and The Prixx dominate the leading stats in Division Two, with the only surprise being that Jimish and Niall from rock bottom Phattys Phukkers, find themselves in the Top of the Singles board. Rey and Jeorge are battling away for all categories, supported by team mate Mike.  From the Prixx, Peter ,Woz, Melvin and DT  have had excellent seasons so far too.

Division 3

Top 3 Singles players:

1st Tun 6-0

2nd Lee 6-1

3rd Louis 5-0

Top 3 Tons Scorers :

1st Mario 26

2nd Paul 25

3rd Tun 23

Top 3 Checkers :

1st Mario 25

2nd Paul 23

3rd Thanh Tiger 21

High Finisher :

John 99

Top 3 Points Scorers :

1st Paul 96

2nd Mario 95

3rd Rab 81

No real suprise to see Lee ,Mario and Paul from Vinyls topping the charts ,with their wealth of experience of playing in Division 1 for many years and Vinyls leading the way in the league too. Tun as usual is having a consistently good season for Buddha and nice to see John from the same team make his way to the highest finish so far. Rab has been in fine form for The Tavern and Thanh Tiger has helped Bernies Best make their best start for quite a few seasons. Louis has also had a remarkable start considering he hadn’t played darts for over a year .

 

 

Div 3

Bob Wittenbach: The Vinyls

1] So Bob, how long have you been in Saigon and what do you actually do?

I first came to Saigon on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday back in 2002, but circumstances subsequently led to me moving here in 2005. I have worked in media marketing for most of my working life and I am currently Head of Research and Business Planning Insights for Vietnam’s leading media agency group.

2] You have been very involved in the Committee in recent years, what was your motivation to get involved in that side of things?

I’m actually more of a squash player than a darts player, but I had played in a social darts league in England for many years previously and when I heard about the darts league here, I thought it would be a great way as a relative newcomer in Saigon to meet people and socialize in different bars. I was also aware of the great work that Gary Dale was doing at the time for the SIDL and I later volunteered to help out more on the statistical side to keep the momentum going.

3] Give us the lowdown on your darts career in Saigon.

Shortly after moving here, I was contacted by the late Steve Garforth (AKA Shrek) if I would be able and willing to join the Undertakers as they were short of players during the summer. This was the year the Undertakers went on to win the League and Cup double. I scored a couple of tons and a high finish during my first match and it’s been all downhill ever since!!! Having said that, I was captain of the ALAYAH team that won the 2010 League Title largely because I rarely picked myself and concentrated on getting the best combinations from our team squad at the time.

4] You are involved in the new bar Vinyl. Why did that come about and what is its unique selling point in your view, against all the other bars in Saigon?

Lee and I had had this dream of opening an English-style bar here for many years and our good friend Huck Nguyen had an idea for a music-themed bar called Vinyl. The opportunity suddenly arose last June to buy the old Moon bar, and everything came together at that time. It wasn’t rocket science – we simply did a bit of market research, we had the right location and we created a bar that we would want to drink in ourselves and not be nervous about taking wives or girlfriends into.

5] I often hear you referred to as Bongos or Bongo Bob –what is that all about?

I was a professional drummer for a while and when I moved here, I joined the music scene and played a few bars like La Habana and the old Sheridans. Unfortunately, many of them were too small for a full drum kit, so I bought a set of bongo’s to be able to still play in those venues and the name just arose from there, probably because no-one could remember how to spell my surname!

6] I know one of your other passions is Footy and your beloved Watford –how are they doing this year?

Sadly not as well as Robert Crowther’s Leicester City! In SIDL terms, Watford are roughly where Dirty Harry’s are at the moment – upper mid-table in the second tier – which is somewhat disappointing after just missing out on promotion back to the Premiership last year. But they’ll be back next year…

7] Being an Englishman I have to ask you Fish and Chips or Chicken Tikka Masala? –our two national dishes

Chicken Tikka Masala, although I would also have to put a plug in for Traditional Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding.

8] Back to darts – which player have you enjoyed playing alongside the most during your time in The SIDL?

Charles Czarnecki

9] Most difficult opponent?

Any of the ACDC girls !!

10] What is your tipple on match nights?

I mostly stay loyal to our league sponsors, so currently Tiger Beer. Previously whilst with ALAYAH, it was mostly Johnnie Walker Black Label. I’m just hoping that the SIDL never gets a Tequila brand sponsor!

11] You and Lee, our glorious leader, go back a while –did you know him when he had hair?

Lee and I both worked in the London advertising scene back in the last century and even drank in the same media industry haunts, but we didn’t know each other until literally meeting at Heathrow Airport to come to Vietnam in 2002. I can vouch for the fact that he still had hair back then. If I remember correctly, he lost all his hair at one of the Hanoi vs. Saigon darts challenge matches in Hanoi.

12] What has been your most favourite moment whilst playing darts in Saigon?

Difficult question as there are lots of great teams and individuals within the SIDL that help to make Tuesday evenings a great social night out without getting too worked up about the result. If I had to pick one darts occasion, I would probably have to say the ALAYAH and Dream Team darts trip to Guangzhou.

13] You missing your old Alayah chums ?

Yes but we still see them regularly and drink a few Mbo-Dahs in both RED and Vinyl.

14] Finally Bob, where do want to see The SIDL going in the next few years?

From strength to strength I hope. We have a solid heritage now on which to build the future, which is also why I have spent some time trying to build up the SIDL archives, and we have a great team of dedicated individuals on the committee under Lee’s excellent stewardship. Ultimately, we want to see more young players and more Vietnamese players come into the game to strengthen our league. We want to see the Vietnam National Championships grow in stature so that we can approach HTV or SCTV to televise the event and to one day be able to send a Vietnamese representative team to international ranking events. And for those of us who are not Vietnamese, well let’s continue to enjoy our Tuesday evenings and help put darts in Vietnam on the sporting map.

 

 

So  a new feature where our Devil’s Advocate puts forward some points for discussion.

Soft Tip Darts-  Came in a blaze of glory ,with the electronic boards brought in by a few bars and a mini league started but was it just a passing fad? All has gone quiet and the hard tip game continues to dominate in bars .Will the bars be left with just expensive flashing ornaments?

Vietnamese National Championships – A great idea and the only tournament with a cash prize kindly donated by sponsors. Great for our existing Vietnamese players but surely we should be using it to attract new players. Let’s advertise it in the Vietnamese press and advertise it to those we are trying to attract to the game of darts and unearth a pool of unknown players instead of just our present talented players of Vietnamese nationality.

Venues – Are we getting a raw deal from some venues ,given what revenue we give them. Yes some are very good and actually pay team’s fees ,provide shirts and some good snacks but some do very little. Surely venues should be offering some sort of discount for guys and gals playing on darts nights. I remember some did a while back and of course we had the Jonnie Walker discount but you don’t hear many doing anything or am I wrong?

 

Tuesday Night Photos Part 3

And so to a new feature when we find out how ex SIDL players are getting on with their lives around the world.

Tim Russell ex Sheridans

 

1] Tim, how long have you been away from Saigon now and what were the main reasons for leaving?

I’d been in Saigon nearly 10 years & had absolutely had enough of the place, so when a good job offer in Bangkok came up I grabbed it with great enthusiasm! We moved here in September 2012 so it’s been over 18 months now.

 

2] So how is life in Bangkok then?

So far so good. It’s kind of a halfway house between Saigon& Singapore – you’ve got all the usual colour & craziness of Southeast Asia but with the added benefit of decent infrastructure/public transport, great shopping, great restaurants, parks and in general an excellent quality of life. And overall I’d say it’s cheaper to live here than Saigon too. We love living here.

3] What is the darts scene like in Bangkok and have you continued your darts playing?

Very different to Saigon. It’s not as well organised and the expat community here is much bigger & more spread out, so darts isn’t the social focal point it is in Saigon. This means that people who play darts do so purely for the sport rather than the social side of it, so it isn’t really much fun. I played a couple of league games but didn’t really enjoy it so gave up. Though I did get a 180 on my debut so managed to leave my mark on the stats! Otherwise I just play socially once a month or so. I also played in the PDC Bangkok Open with Adrian, Alan & Mario but the less said about that the better!

4] Are you still in touch with any of your old Sheridans team mates?

Of course. Alan West & Mike Fegan are both regular visitors to Bangkok, and in fact just yesterday I spent a boozy afternoon playing darts with our Russian enforcer Vlad Pushtokin. And I’m in touch with most of the others by Facebook/Skype etc.

5] So which team would you appear for if you happened to be here on a Tuesday?

Given that I hardly play these days I doubt there’d be much of a race for my signature. I once swore that I would only ever play for Sheridans but given that they no longer exist I’d have no choice but to play for someone else. As you’ve done me the honour of interviewing me for your blog, and we had a good time playing for England in the World Cup in 2012, I’d play for your team, whatever you’re called these days, if you’d have me!

 

6] What is your best memory of your time playing darts in Saigon?

Wow, where to start? I guess in purely darting terms the high points were winning the SIDL Pairs 2012 with Alan, and winning div 2 in 2009 with Sheridans. But the SIDL is all about the social side and there are just too many wonderful moments to narrow down really. If I had to name one it’d be the league game against Dream Team just a few days after the sad loss of our much-loved captain Bernie Kloska. It began as a very sad, somber evening but by the end it had morphed into a joyful, drunken mess that Bernie himself would have thoroughly enjoyed – the perfect tribute.

7] Prefer the Thai food or Vietnamese?

Thai, absolutely no contest. But Vietnam has better beer.

8] So what do you normally do on a Tuesday night’s now?

We just moved to a nice house out in the ‘burbs so on Tuesday nights you’ll find me sitting on the sofa, glass of wine in hand, with Linny and the two street dogs we recently adopted, watching TV – most likely True Detective at the moment. And I’m usually in bed by 11 – a far cry from Tuesday nights in Saigon.

Tuesday Night Photos Part 4

 

View from the Oche

Nice to see this womans team made up entirely of Jim T’s ex girlfriends have some success.

A much shortened version this week as I have been so busy dealing with the passing of my Vietnamese mother in law and all that entailed with the four day funeral stuff. So this week I have had a quick look at the state of play in the Divisions going into the final week and Gypsy Pat makes his predictions on the key games to played this evening.

Nervous times

Whether these promotion and relegation battles will have any effect if the league is restructured is a debatable point but even if they don’t local pride between teams is important and getting one up on your rivals is always enjoyable , plus it is always nice to have something to play for.

So where are the key battles in the last week.

Division 1 – Well as stated last week the championship is all over and we have a battle for the runners up spot between Really Rottens and Team Viet. The Rottens have concluded their program and lie one very narrow point ahead . For Team Viet a draw will be enough to take second place due to their superior sets difference and I reckon they will get that at least against Those Guys. In the relegation battle Those Guys picked up a great point last week to put them above Buhay Na Buhay on sets difference and I do not see that changing as Buhay Na Buhay will need some extremely generous help from their Filipino brothers Mabuhay thisk if they are to overtake guys from Phu My Hung.

Division 2 – Alayah top the league but have run out of games and I just do not see anything but a comfortable win for the Nomads against Baan Thai and that will put them level on points with Alayah but with a superior sets difference and thus they will win the title. Baan Thai are already down but it is an intriguing battle for second bottom .In essence it is a battle between Black Magic and Phattys Phukkers. The team from Voodoo put up a very good performance against Nomads and just narrowly lost out to them last week. Such a narrow loss meant they hold the advantage over the Phukkers in terms of sets difference but it is a slim one of just two sets. So no doubt they will both be trying to keep informed about each other’s matches as the night progresses. Black Magic take on Madhouse who I have it good authority will be out to try and consolidate third position. In the corresponding match earlier in the season Madhouse ran out narrow winners 7-5. I can see an equally tight match this time around and I reckon the turnout for Madhouse will be all important ,as if they get a full squad out  they are a strong outfit. Black Magic have to go for a win ! As for the Phukkers well it is definitely going to be an interesting night ,they have  had an incredibly frustrating second half ,losing to Baan Thai and heavily to Madhouse whilst nearly snatching victories over the top two. They take on Dirty Harry’s and won an incredibly tight match last time around. I cannot call what will happen in these matches and leave it up to Gypsy Pat to forecast what will happen.

Division 3 – The Prixx have snuck into the lead going into the final week and hold a three point and a four leg difference advantage over the Charmed Assassins. This week both have tough games and while the Assassins will still fancy they have a slim chance ,I reckon The Prixx have it in the bag due to their vastly superior legs difference ,which it could well come down to. Both have home games with Prixx taking on the Pinoy Patriots and Charmed Assassins taking on NSW. Both of the opposition teams are more than capable of getting a result on the night, so again both first and second place teams will be keen to hear how each other are getting on.In the corresponding fixtures The Prixx got a draw and the Assassins a narrow win –similar results will suit The Prixx very nicely thank you. Mid table Buddha Bar will take on Spear Chuckers and the Chuckers will be looking to avoid a heavy defeat as only that would possibly take them to last place and allow ACDC to go above them.

Division 4 – The title race is all over as it is mathematically impossible for G-Force to overtake The Udder Team and the team from The Spotted Cow can be very proud of their unbeaten debut season and some shiny medals await them at the awards dinner. Their only real opposition have been G-Force who have been strong all season and worthy runners up. Boston take the wooden spoon ,with a solitary draw their only positive result all season .

So I hand it over to Gypsy Pat to make his predictions of the key matches .Good luck Pat ,rather you than me.

Gypsy Pat’s Predictions

D1
Buhay Na Buhay v Mabuhay Allstars
This should be a tough game for BNB, but with MA already champions will they rest on their laurels, I don’t think they will and that they will play to win, prediction: BNB 3-9 MA

Team Viet v Those Guys

Those Guys have struggled for wins this year, with only one to their credit, but they played well against Really Rottens and got a draw, I think TV will just edge TG, prediction TV 7-5 TG

D2

 

Madhouse v Black Magic

Despite Madhouse having won two more games than Black Magic I think these two teams will be pretty evenly matched tonight, prediction MH 6-6 BM

Phattys Phuckers v Dirty Harrys

The last time these two met PP surprised themselves by winning the game 7-5, there’s not much between these two, but I think DH can reverse the score, prediction: PP 5-7 DH [No suprise mate we’re actually brilliant we just sometimes let other teams win to be nice!]

D3

 

The Prixx v Pinoy Patriots

The last time these two met they drew, but I think that PP can improve on that but it wil be a tight game, prediction TP 5-7 PP

Charmed Assassins v No Star Where

The last time we met we beat NSW 7-5, I think tonights game will be tight, but I think CA can once again edge NSW, prediction: CA 7-5 NSW

View from the Oche

So View from the Oche returns after a two week sabbatical. Why no editions for the last two weeks, well I just couldn’t not be arsed in all honesty and that’s it.

So what do we have in this week’s edition.  Who are Ya ? returns with that loveable rogue Huck from Alayah. We have match reports from all four divisions and predictions for some crucial matches on Tuesday. In these final two weeks we look at what has been decided already in the league and what could possibly yet develop in terms of relegation and promotion.

Division 1

Well after the round of games played last Tuesday we have confirmed Champions of this division. To no-one’s real surprise Mabuhay have confirmed their second championship on the trot. Well done boys and thoroughly deserved. A couple of teams snatched a draw off them but they otherwise have had little trouble ensuring more medals for themselves at the End of Year Awards. Team Viet and Really Rottens are in a tight battle for runners up.They both have one game left and both play Those Guys , so the guys from Phu My Hung will have a decisive say in who will finish second. Not easy games for either team as Those Guys are fighting for their lives and trying to avoid that second relegation spot. Buhay Na Buhay also have two games to try and avoid relegation ,with tough games against the improving Ice Blue and the champs Mabuhay in the last week. I think it is an extremely close call for both second position and the relegation place but I am going with Team Viet because of their better sets difference and I have a fancy Buhany Na buhay may just survive.

Mabuhay v Ice Blue

Mabuhay started very well in this match and snatched both triples and though Mario and Matt got a doubles victory for Ice Blue ,Mabuhay held a healthy 4-1 lead going in to the Singles. Ice Blue have some players who on their day can certainly upset the Filipinos but unfortunately they could not get a run of Singles victories. Negi’s win over Jun in the third match gave them a glimmer of hope of saving something from the match but it was extinguished all too quickly when Joeart defeated Mario in the next game. A team game win gave the score line[ 8-4] some more respectability for Ice Blue. As you would expect from such two high quality teams [ yeah I know Mario J plays for one of them but humour me!] tons were plentiful ,45 in total. Topping the charts for Mabuhay was Jun with 9 and for the Dong Khoi mob,  Negi hit 5 to round off his quite good night. For checks,  Jonel hit 4 and for Ice Blue, only Negi and Craig could reach 2 checks.

Team Viet v Really Rottens

In the end these two teams vying for the runners up spot could not be separated and a draw was probably a better result for Team Viet, though they would have expected victory heading into the last game 6-5 up. This game really did go backwards and forwards. Team Viet started off well with two triples wins but were pegged back quickly in the doubles , with Guppy especially doing well in his game and getting both checks. In the last doubles Team Viet restored their lead , when Dung and Jake won the third match. The Singles went win one, lose one, for both teams but Hai claimed the crucial last singles with a win over Roch.  Guppy may be small in stature but he has a great darts fighting spirit and he rounded off his great checking night to get the team game and salvage a draw for the Rottens. Looking at the game stats a draw was probably a fair result. That man Guppy was dominant for Rottens with his 5 checks and 8 tons topping their stats charts. For Team Viet, their star man was Xu ,with 7 tons and 3 checks.

Stats

Topping the tons charts is Jun with 68 , closely followed as last season,by Jonel , both of Mabuhay. They have one game left so the top spot is still open and I am sure they will looking to out do each other big time in their last game. A distant third is Xu from Team Viet ,who has 54. However, Xu is definitely the most consistent player with his 10 -0 singles record this season .In checking Jonel is one ahead of Xu on 36, so top spot is all to play for with one game left for both players.

Division 2

A week ago I would have thought that Alayah had the title in the bag after defeating the Nomads 8-4 and having a dispirited Phukkers team, who had crashed and burned against Madhouse, next up . However a surprising result has meant that Nomads now find themselves in control once again and if they manage the expected wins in their remaining two matches then their superior sets difference will probably get them the title. But in this Division who knows what will happen and there may be more twists and turns yet to come regarding the title. At the bottom ,Baan Thai ,who have struggled to get their strongest team out in recent weeks have probably accepted that they will remain in last place but who finishes second bottom is getting interesting ,with Black Magic lifting themselves over the Phukkers , due to their crushing 11-1 win over Baan Thai last week. This particular battle will come down in all likelihood to the last week and maybe sets difference.

Baan Thai v Black Magic

Black Magic got their biggest win of the season and revenge for the defeat Baan Thai inflicted on them earlier in the season. It was a weakened Baan Thai team ,missing Pol and Rey ,their top performers  but Black Magic made no mistake and put them to the sword. It started so well for Baan Thai too ,with Plern getting the first triples but that was where the joy ended for the District 2 team. Black Magic then went on the rampage, winning all the other games for the loss of just three legs. There is not much more I can write about the game and Rob 1 would have been happy with his team’s performance ,of that there is no doubt. Three players from Baan Thai got themselves a ton ,including Plern and Trang. Plern also got herself two checks, which was half of her team’s total. With the result ,most players on Black Magic helped themselves to checks ,with Rob1 leading the way with 4 ,while Drama topped the tons charts with 4.

Madhouse v Nomads

Madhouse would have fancied their chances of causing an upset against Nomads after drawing with them earlier in the season and having a match against the Phukkers the week before when just about everything went their way. Indeed Nomads would have been a bit vulnerable after their loss to Alayah the prior week ,so it would have been a good time for Madhouse to take advantage, and they nearly did so ,before a late rally claimed victory for the Nomads and put them back in the title race. After the triples and doubles the Nomads held a narrow 3-2 lead.They looked to build on that as Glyn took the first Singles over Sam, however Madhouse fought back with three straight wins by Marcus ,Zach and Keith to take the lead  for the first time in the match. Two players who have been on top form throughout the season Logan and Chad managed to win the last two Singles to put Nomads back in the driving seat and then a team game victory brought them a 7-5 win ,over a unlucky Madhouse. Markus hit 5 tons for the home team and Keith got the most checks for his side with 4. For Nomads, Jeff hit the triple 20 regularly enough to get 6 tons and Chad and Glyn shared top honours with 4 checks each.

Alayah v Phattys Phukkers

Although the Phukkers have had a disappointing and inconsistent season ,they would have gone into this game with some optimism after just losing narrowly to Alayah earlier in the season. Alayah just needed to keep taking maximum points from their remaining two games and the title was theirs after last week’s victory over Nomads. The Phukkers change of fortunes in triples continued as they claimed both to take an early lead ,but as has often happened this season they collapsed in the doubles and Alayah came roaring back to win them all 2-1  and get a 3-2 lead in the match. Alan beat Thuy in the first Singles and one could have expected a collapse at that stage but the Phukkers then went on to win 4 out of the next 5 games to actually take the lead going into the team game. It was a close game all the way until Jay hit some lovely darts to set up Sinh for a first dart check resulting in relief and jubilation in equal measures for Alayah. A good match ,played in the right way and the Phukkers ,who have now drawn with the top two in recent weeks must be thinking how they could play so badly last week against Madhouse the week before and then tie with leaders. A 180 for the Phukkers Kevin in the team game and he topped the tons for his team with 4. Geordie hit the most checks with 4 for the Phukkers. For Alayah, Willy despite his Singles loss ,topped the tons ,with 5 and Paul D and Alan shared the spoils in checks ,with 4 each.

Stats

Zach from Madhouse leads the way in the tons charts ,with 44, which is 5 more than his nearest challenger Chad from Nomads. It is very tight in the table fro most checks ,with Chad ahead on 33, but only two behind him are his teammate Glyn and Alan from Alayah.

Division 3

Featured match

Gypsy Pat just can’t believe what has happened to the Assassins

Buddha Bar v Charmed Assassins

It was all going so swimmingly for The Charmed Assassins, top of the league, their destiny in their own hands, however they have come of the rails in the last two weeks, with a defeat to their nearest rivals The Prixx and then this very surprising defeat to the unpredictable Buddha Bar. A roaring start for the Buddha boys saw them race into a 6 – 0 lead for the loss of only one leg. Brian from the Assassins ,tried vainly to stem the tide of victories when he got a first victory for his team ,defeating Jono. However any chance the Assassins though they had of snatching an unlikely draw were well and truly extinguished as John beat Patrick 2-1 to get that vital 7^th game for Buddha. Transient Paul got another game for Assassins and they got the team game win ,but by that stage Tun and Andy had already ensured a heavy defeat was in the offing for Gypsy Pat’s team. The Assassins actually scored well on tons .helping themselves to 16 ,with Brian getting 5 of them. For checks, not surprisingly their top player was also Brian with 4 of them. In an impressive team performance John ,Tun and Andy got three checks a piece for Buddha  and John continued his super night with 5 checks.

In the other games NSW halted the Spear Chuckers recent revival to a shuddering halt with an 8-4 victory. ACDC put up another brave performance but remain bottom after a narrow 7-5 loss to the Patriots.

Division 4

This week’s feature match was to be Tavern v Bernies Best but we once again saw a walkover with Bernies failing to supply a team. In the other game Udder Team got a comfortable 11-1 win over Dreamtime.

 So this week we meet another committee member in the shape of that chirpy chap Huck ,who this year is part of the Alayah team ,who are seeking a quick return to Division 1.

Huck – Alayah

1] So Huck, tell us the reasons for you being in Vietnam and how long you have been based in Saigon.

Interesting story but I’ll give you the short version. Never left America when I first arrived in 1975. Stayed 30 years and didn’t even get a passport. In 2004 my Thai friend said he was getting married in Bangkok. About 20 of us came for his wedding and I decided to stay in SE Asia. Came in 2005 and been here ever since.

2] You are a member of the present Committee, can you tell us a bit about your role and what you have done in it ,for the last year?

Well, the Entertainment Director used to be responsible for any major events which included the tournaments. But since we now have a new position for that, I mainly deal with organizing events. I scheduled the mid-year and year party as well as the venue for the AGM. The last AGM at BitBurger was pretty nice. I think people have enjoyed the Windsor but it’s time for a change. I got something big planned for this year’s end of year party.

3] You have played for more than one team during your darts career in Saigon, who were the teams and what led to you changing ?

Started with Intel-Agents(Tell restaurant) and then the owner left so we went to Cyclo bar where we were the Cyclo Schizos, and then of course Davinci’s was created. Now I’m having fun with the Red boys and Alayah.

4] You have started the Soft Tip Thursday League. I personally haven’t tried playing the game or had the urge to do so. Convince me why I should.

I think there’s plenty of room for soft tip darts here in Saigon. Tuesday nights are very competitive and of course fun. But Thursday night soft tip provides a different avenue for those who want to venture into something new. The whirling sounds and flashing lights involved make games livelier. Additionally, you get to play different games such as cricket. And for those who are numerically challenged, the scoreboard takes care of itself.

5] We have seen two teams fold this season and a few teams really struggle for numbers at times. How do you see the The SIDL going in the future – have we reached the maximum point in relation to the number of teams and divisions we can in reality support, with the regular playing base out there?

I wouldn’t say the maximum point. I would say the league needs to stabilize before it can get any bigger. New teams will come and go, but it’s the new teams like The Prixx (with passion and dedication) that will be true measure of growth for the SIDL. I think we will get bigger, but I also don’t think 4 divisions is the answer.

6] How have you enjoyed your first season down in Division 2?

Hehe. Having a ball. Still competitive darts while also having a great time. Will be sad to leave Division 2. Yes, we’re coming back up!! hehe

7] Against whom has been your best match been during your time playing darts in Saigon?

Ahh, thought you were never ask. Loved playing Charles. He usually brings out my best darts. Don’t tell him this but I think I have a winning record against him. But I have worst luck against Na. hehe. Go figure.

8] Of all the venues that have disappeared into the mists of Saigon history –which one do you miss the most?

I actually loved the old Vasco’s venue. They had a stage!!! Felt like you were playing in a PDC match, or your very own concert.

9] What darts do you presently use?  Adrian Lewis, 23g.

10] When not playing darts – what do you get up to? About 5’8”.

Hehe. Well, now all of my free time is spent at Vinyl now that we have opened up the place. (Insert cheap advertisement plug here) Vinyl is great!!

11] Subway or Burger King?

Troi oi, Subway

12] If you had a song to walk up to the oche, what would it be?

I have thought about this for a long time. I’ve narrowed it to 2 songs. It would be either “Doctoring the Tardis” by KLF (Doctor Huck!!!! Hey! Doctor Huck) or “I touched myself” by the Divinyls. The last one is self explanatory.

13] Best match so far this season for Alayah?

I can’t remember who we played, but it was crazy. We were down 0-6 and came back to tie the match. Twice !!! But always fun against Phattys Phukkers of course.

14] Finally, for those of us who play against Alayah –what the fuck is that song all about at the end of matches?

Hmm, I will try to explain. It’s a Chinese hym that, well, pretty much says, drink and be merry cause we are brothers, and if you don’t drink all of what’s in your glass, then you have no testicles. But I’m just paraphrasing.

Gypsy Pat’s Predictions

D1

Those Guys v Really Rottens

RR have a far superior record than TG, but looking at the results of both teams against BNB, I thinlk its going to be a tight game, with RR just edging it, prediction: RR 7- TG 5.

D2

Harrys Casuals v Alayah

Another team with a better record than their opponent’s are Alayah, looking at how both teams fared against The Nomads, I would have to say that Alayah will win this one, prediction: Harrys 4-8 Alayah.

D3

No Star Where v Buddha Bar

The only thing separating these two teams are legs, Buddha Bar had a good win against CA last week, we put in a miserable performance, we have hit a large blip in our season, anyway getting back to this game, with NSW having home advantage I think its going to be a tight game, prediction: NSW 6-6 Buddha Bar.

D4

Dreamtime v Bernies Best

Even with a forfeit last week BB are still ahead of DT, I know Bernies have been struggling to make up a team at times (I know the feeling Shrini), hopefully they will be able to field a team this week, prediction: DT 4-8 BB

View from the Oche

In this week’s View from The Oche ,we get the normal match reports ,with some surprisingly one sided matches in some divisions .We see the return of Gypsy Pat and for this week’s Who are Ya? ,we have some no nonsense views from the jovial Belgian Kris!

Division 1

Mabuhay v Team Viet

Judging by how happy and perhaps drunk Cuong was after this match ,I think it would be safe to say that Team Viet were extremely pleased to have taken a point off the league leaders. Team Viet produced an excellent performance that had Mabuhay uncharacteristically scratching to win the team game to salvage anything from the match. They started strongly taking both triples and even though Mabuhay fought back in the doubles, they went into the Singles with a 3-2 lead. Wins for Adrian and Jonel ,brought the Filipinos the lead and one would have expected them to kick on from there but a run of three wins for Xu,Nhan and Dung , showed that the Viets had other ideas. Raymond’s last Singles game win kept the league leaders in with a chance of saving a point and Jonel made sure that was the case. A great match that had plenty of quality and lots of tons , 47 in total ,which I reckon would be the most in any match this season. Three players from Mabuhay got 6 each and Nhan got a remarkable 10 for Team Viet. The top checker for Mabuhay was Raymond with 4 and for Team Viet, Xu also got 4. We also saw two high finishers from Team Viet ,with Hai getting 90 and Xu an 80.

Ice Blue v Those Guys

The Ice Blue renaissance continues and their steady move up the table shows no sign of slowing. This was a useful but hard fought win over Those Guys, who after last week’s first win will be disappointed to lose again. It was a very even match all the way through and it took a team game win for Ice Blue to take all the points. It took two good wins for Ruud and Craig in the last two Singles to put Ice Blue in with a chance to take the game ,after  Big Pete’s win had put Those Guys 5- 4 up. This was another game where we saw tons galore, this time 35.  Big Pete continues his charge for the tons title, with 8 and for Ice Blue, Craig topped the charts  with 6. Craig and Matt got 4 checks each for the home team and for the visitors Kevin and Odi got three a piece.

Division 2

Black Magic v Phattys Phukkers

These two teams went into this fixture on the back of two very different results . Black Magic had had a morale boosting draw with Alayah and the Phukkers had had a very disappointing defeat against bottom side Baan Thai. This made the convincing victory for the Phukkers all that more suprising. It was a great all round team effort and in all honesty Black Magic rarely played to their true capablilities and Rob 1 will be disappointed with the performance. It started off with  triples one a piece and that was a fair reflection .The doubles went the way of the Phukkers 2-1 ,with new player Geordie showing some good form alongside Jimish . The Singles draw put up some intriguing matches and it is always nice to see Rob1 draw a female as it seems to somehow unnerve him.But credit to him as he actually got the only Black Magic win ,in an extremely hard fought match against Pam, who took him to the wire. The other matches all went the way of the Phukkers ,with Colin ending his 5 match losing streak at the expense of White Barry White. Even the returning Tin Tin could do nothing to halt the slide. The team game was checked by Geordie , who the Phukkers think could be a worthy addition to their squad ,now Jamie has left for pastures new. So an unexpectedly comfortable victory 9-3 for the Phukkers and a vital win in terms of the relegation struggle.Not a lot of tons in this game ,with three Black Magic players getting two each and topping their charts and likewise for the Phukkers. In checks Tin Tin did his best with four and for the victors, Jimish, Pam and Colin were the main contributors with three each.

The Nomads v Dirty Harrys

The Harrys had got a very creditable draw in the first match between these sides earlier in the season and after dispatching Madhouse last week would have felt they were in with a chance of repeating this . However Nomads have gone on from strength to strength since that draw and welcomed extra reinforcements in the shape of Brett from the defunct Buccaneers. In the end the Nomads claimed a very comfortable victory, with a strong performance from Glyn in particular. They raced into a 4-1 lead after the Triples and Doubles , with only Devo and Mark’s doubles victory upsetting the course of the match. The Singles kicked off with an impressive victory for Glyn over Dan but then saw a first defeat of the season for Jeff against luke ,giving the Harrys such that slightest bit of hope. However a strong Nomads finish including a debut win for Brett and a winning team game ensured that Nomads dominance was restored. Despite his loss Jeff had a good night on tons, scoring five and likewise David R, despite losing his Singles contributed the most checks for his team with four. For the Harrys, Mark had a good night with three tons to go alongside his Singles win and he contributed the most checks with three.

Madhouse v Alayah

The third big win of the night went the way of Alayah who crushed Madhouse 10 -2, to continue their challenge for the Division 2 title. Madhouse after an impressive end to the first half of the season have now fallen to two successive defeats.Alayah’s dominance is clearly shown by the fact that Madhouse could only claim four checks all night ,those in a doubles win and a Singles win for Zach. It was 4-1 after the Triples and Doubles, with Coaches’ two checks in his doubles saving Madhouse from a clean sweep of losses. The Singles went the same way with the only blip for Alayah a loss for Jay against Zach. The other Singles went 2-0 to Alayah, with Huck also getting the team game win for his rampant side. So for Madhouse Zach and Coach shared the honours of two checks each and Zach also managed to help himself to four tons. Coach can also console himself with a tasty 92 high checkout. Alayah were solid all-around and Willy’s more regular appearances are definitely strengthening their play and he topped the tons with five, while Huck got five checks.

Division 3

Featured match

ACDC V The Spear Chuckers

After giving The Prixx a run for their money last week ,the Chuckers good form continued and they claimed their first win of the season over ACDC. The girls form is a bit of a mystery and after last weeks forfeit ,they are in danger of going to the bottom of the Division and of course relegation if they are not careful. After losing the triples the girls brought themselves back into the match , with two useful doubles wins. However their Singles from deserted them with wins only for the ever impressive Oanh and also for Bi ,in the last match against a new player. The outstanding performer for the Chuckers was Shaun, who claimed the Full Monty of checks with 6 and also got 5 tons. For ACDC apart  Oanh, who hit four tons  and Bi, there was very little to shout about. A good team performance from the Chuckers who can maybe now look forward to the rest of the season with renewed optimism.

Other games

A useful 9-4 win for The Prixx over NSW , who as Gypsy Pat has also said ,seem to have a bit of hangover after last season’s disappointment at missing out at promotion. The Prixx on the otherhand now top the table.The Pinoy Patriots had an outstanding 10 -2 win over a disappointing Buddha team ,who seem now to have also fallen out of the promotion race.

Division 4

We only saw one game in Division 4, as Boston forfeited their game against Bernies Best.  Dreamtime’s luck has not changed much since their move to Charm Bar ,but one of their players, Tom ,was a very happy man as he claimed his first ever win in The SIDL. Unfortunately his win was not enough as his side went down 9-3 to a strong G-Force team. G –Force raced into a quick 6- 0 lead, without the loss of a leg ,before Tom and Rusty put the brakes on them with two Singles wins. Dan got another victory for Dreamtime in the Singles but wins for Michael and Henry had already ensured the match for G-Force by that stage and they took the team game just to rub it in.Tom, Rusty and Dan got two checks each for Dreamtime and Dan also got two tons and for G-Force a good team performance saw Henry and Michael get 4 checks each and Cyndy 3 tons.

Kris -Ice Blue

So for this week’s Who Are Ya? we get to chat to another old timer from the The SIDL, in the shape of one time committee member and presently an Ice Blue Trannie, Belgian Kris. Currently residing in Munei ,Kris is known for his quite strong views on darts and Belgian footballers,so hopefully he has some interesting points to make in response to this week’s questions.

1] Kris how long have you been and Vietnam and what made you come here in the first place?

I came on holiday here in Saigon in 1997 and 1998 (the year Ice Blue and Gecko bar started their weekly encounters of darts nights), to visit my dad who was working here for a Belgian oil company. I have been working here since 1999 with ups and downs, mostly (and still) in the wonderful travel business.

2] So Kris how many jobs do you think you have actually had since coming here, including your present job as an Ice Cream man?

Haha, not as many as you think … I started as a tourleader for Belgian Touroperators, worked as inbound manager for Diethelm, had a few bar/restaurant jobs while it was low season in travel season (Camargue, Pasha, Buddha bar), assisted with the launch of MZ restaurant, Business Development Manager for ATM, and now in the ice cream business in Mui Ne. In between just been a tourleader for Dutch, Belgian, Australian, … groups.

3] Which teams have you played for since starting to play in the league?

Ice Blue, Sheridans and now Ice Blue again.

4] You are usually never shy about having your say on darting matters so what is going well in The SIDL at the moment and what would you change/

Actually, they are not doing a bad job at all.  Pretty happy about how the season is running, but a few improvements are possible …

There might just be a bit more transparancy about what is being done with the money of the league. I don’t think the league money (this includes the sponsorship money as well) is meant to be spend on a few darters joining overseas tournaments and should be spend to the benefit of all the members. Also, some transparancy about the raised amounts for charity.  The raised amounts should be handed over to the charity organisation briefly after the events and not kept in accounts for extended periods.

An additional tournament could be added for the real fanatics : a ladder tournament (game ladder) which could go on whole season on non-tuesdays, I have been suggesting it in both my terms on the committee, but so far not yet been added to the yearly program. Will be difficult now with the Soft tip league … But the advantage is that you not need to form teams, and games can be played whenever it suits to both players.

More strict rules for teams as the Boston … It has been a few years they have been forfeiting games … [I would say Kris that this season they have only failed to provide a team once!]

A bit more professionalism in organizing the AGM’s : ballot voting (not by raising hands, as it is uncomfortable when there are several candidates for one position), proxy’s (some people might want to have their vote counted but are unable to attend), candidates who would like to step up to join the committee could inform (introduce themselves and clarify their motivation) all members of the SIDL 2 weeks upfront (not asking on an AGM if anyone wants to fill a position in the committee by raising their hand, it is not really inviting anyone to step up …)

5] Waffles or Frites with mayo?

Frites with mayo, accompanied with our famous carbonades or mussels … And a Duvel of course …

6] Which is your favourite darts venue and which one which no longer exists do you actually miss

I don’t have any venue that jumps out as a real favourite one, like to visit most of them. One I am NOT really missing is the old Da Vinci’s … Remembering good times in the old Vasco’s, Cafe Latin, The first nr 5 bar (might have been because of Heinz’ nice selection of staff instead of the darts area), Texas Cafe, The Arena (mostly for it’s LEGENDARY Long Island Ice Teas and Shrek’s hospitality), … Currently I think Baan Thai has a nice set up !  And on non-Tuesdays, Ice Blue is still my old time favorite (after all it was my first bar I ever went to on my first visit ever in Saigon on Christmas Eve in 1997), as there is always someone to play with …

7] What type of darts do you use?

25/26 grms bought from a Mabuhay committee member, sorry, no idea of the brand …

8] You played for many years alongside that old SIDL stalwart Tim Russell in the Sheridan’s team sum up that experience in no more than eight words

Legendary, Sportmanship, Camaraderie, Great Fun, Drunk, Hammered.

9] Favourite drink on darts night?

Confiteor Deo omnipotenti …

I am just starting with Tiger draught and changing over to Vodka tonic by the time I am up for singles … Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

10] Favourite opposition team?

Team Viet (well, they are all family) and Really Rottens, always a pleasure catching up with good old Guppy from Play Cu, Alex and compatriot Diamond Bob.  Not anything against any other of the teams, think I am getting along pretty easy with everyone …  Didnt play against The Phukkers yet, but if they are as loco as the Los Locos Barrochos, would love to play them again !

11] Who was the hardest player you have ever played against?

With my capacity of darts, that list is pretty endless … But I believe I was never walked over during the single games … Just to name a few with whom I had great games : Rick, Charles, Guppy (even beat him once), Blake, good old Tommy oi, … But I managed to get legs of all of them …

12] Plans for the future?

I am currently enjoying my time in Mui Ne (as long as Mark Allan’s powers stay away), but who knows what the future will bring, no real plans for now, “Carpe Diem”, …  Maybe starting  Mui Ne International Darts League, just to have a reason to have some fun nights out here …

13] If you had a playing nickname what would it be?

Last season it was “Den Duvel”, simply because it is the best available beer in ‘Nam, in Ice Blue they call me “Elephant”, but that’s another story …

14] What can annoy you the most when you are at the oche?

I am pretty easy going and not get easily annoyed, but I walked out in the middle of a game against the old nr 5 team, when some French Arse…. was “whispering” in my ears every time I was about to throw … Even I won the first leg, but couldn’t be bothered anymore, as their captain didn’t think it was necessary to interfear …

15] Finally give us your tips for the winners of each Division this year.

Not sure what you mean with tips … Advise or predictions ?

Advise : Keep throwing well and most of all enjoy the game nights, after all it is a fun competition with only trophy’s to be won … !

Predictions : Div 1 : Mabuhay seems unstoppable (unless I contact the immigration department and have a few of them extradited). Div 2 : The Nomads seem pretty solid in both tons and checks, Alayah strong contesters (mostly thanks to the return of Mr Devlin) … Div 3 : Charmed Assasins making a good chance with the return of Mr Houx, with The Prixx giving them a tough battle …  Div 4 : An Udder Team not having lost yet …

Gypsy Pats’ Predictions

Well this week we welcome our roaming Gypsy, who has parked his caravan back in sunny Saigon and is once again gazing into his crystal ball. I had a bit of mixed bag in regard to my predictions last week ,getting some scores well off [including my own team’s thankfully] and getting others spot on -not easy this prediction malarky. Anyway here our Pat’s predictions for four matches this coming Tuesday.

D1

Really Rottens v Ice Blue

With Ice Blue having lost four games to RR’s two and RR’s having won four tp Ice Blues two I’m plumbing for a win for RR, but I think it will be a close game, prediction:  RR 7-5 Ice Blue

D2

 

Dirty Harry’s v Black Magic

Both teams suffered a heavy defeat last week, but Harry’s are in a much better position in the league, BM seem to have lost their voodoo, but both teams are having mixed fortunes this season, I’m going for a win for Harry’s, prediction: Harry’s 7_5 BM

D3

 

NSW v Pinoy Patriots

The Patriots are a strong team and are having a good season, NSW still seem to be hungover from last season, Prediction: NSW 4-8 PP

D4

 

G-Force v Bernies

G-Force are another team that’s having a good season, while Bernies suffer mixed fortunes, prediction: G-Force 9-3 Bernies

News and Gossip

Well judging from Huck’s write up on the first night of soft tip darts, fun was had by all. There are four teams not six as I mentioned last week but if this first mini season goes well I am sure the next time we will see more teams.

Well we go into the third week of the second half of the season and we may see Phattys Phukkers new darts shirts make their first appearance ,will they surpass last season’s silky red numbers -honestly at this stage I have no idea.

View from the Oche

Jim T celebrates a rare Singles victory , which unfortunately did not affect the final result!

So another late View From The Oche ,but I have once again been hit with the greenies in the chest and had those dreaded UK School Inspectors in last week ,so I have my excuses.This week we have more match reports, a Who Are Ya? and as I think Gypsy Pat is still recovering from his one man effort in his match last week ,we have my tips for this Tuesday’s upcoming matches,hopefully I will be a little better than our resident romany.

Division 1

Those Guys v Buhay Na Buhay

So after a half a season without a victory and a few close calls Those Guys eventually claimed three points ,defeating Buhay Na Buhay  7- 5, where the team game was all important. It lifted them above Ice Blue and in this narrowed down division it was a crucial win. After an even triples , the Buhay Na Buhay  boys managed to get a narrow lead going into the Singles.However a strong performance in the Singles for Those Guys , with wins for Big Pete, Odi ,B-Lo and E-Train, gave the Phu My Hung boys a chance of victory by claiming the team game. They did not bottle it and got their long awaited victory , with Odi getting the vital check. On the night Big Pete ,continued his fine tons scoring ,with six ,for Those Guys and for Buhay Na Buhay ,Roland got four. In regards to checking an even split for Those Guys ,with four players claiming three each ,a real team effort. Roden and Jay R got three each for Buhay and in what was a disappointing result they had the satisfaction of getting two high finishes, Lito with 100 and Roden with 89.

Really Rottens v Mabuhay

Mabuhay’s relentless charge for their second title in a row shows no sign of slowing down as they inflicted a heavy defeat on their nearest rivals Really Rottens. A 9-3 victory meant they are now six points clear and odds on to maintain their Champions tag. In all honesty Really Rottens must have known it was all over Red Rover early in the game as they went 5-0 down after losing both triples and all the doubles. Tom’s win over Adrian would have given them a flicker of hope, but three consecutive wins for Jun,Jonel and Zarggie put the final nails in the coffin of the Rottens. The boys from Baan Thai put some respectability in the game with Singles wins for Bob and Alex ,but Mabuhay slapped them down for such impudence by getting the team game to inflict more misery. I am sure Rottens will be glad to get that out the way and see if can continue their otherwise good season, by claiming second spot.Topping the stats for the Rottens were Tom with four tons and he shared checking honours with Alex ,with three each. The tons battle for Mabuhay was won by Jun with eight but Jonel took the checking champ of the night with four.

Team Viet v Ice Blue

These stable mates were fresh off an epic battle in the Cup Semis the week before, which [as I had tipped] Ice Blue edged 6-5. So we were odds on for another great game and Ice Blue must feel that recent reinforcements should see them move up the table in the second half. The teams did not disappoint and we had an equally close game and in the end both teams shared the points and the pride of their darts establishment. After the Triples and Doubles, Ice Blue held a commanding 4-1 lead but Team Viet fought back strongly in the Singles taking four of them , only Rick and Craig getting victories for Ice Blue. Team Viet managed to get the team game ,through a check by Hai to complete the comeback. A high quality game, with plenty of tons for both sides.  Xu topping it for Team Viet with five and Rick getting back to his best for Ice Blue,with six. Not surprisingly Rick and Craig were the best checkers for Ice Blue ,with four each and for Team Viet, Nhan H got three.

Division 2

Alayah v Black Magic

This match saw a change in fortunes for Black Magic and may have made Alayah’s charge for the Division’s title that little more uncertain. Black Magic came into this match with a terrible run of form ,but were boosted by the return of the that Nordic imp ,Tin Tin. Alayah had a healthy squad and it was nice to see Paddy on the team sheet again. As often happens the triples ended up one a piece but Alayah took control winning the first two doubles. Drama and Rob 1 needed to show a bit of their old form if they were to stop the match running away from them and they duly obliged with a comfortable win over Paddy and Lee. The Singles initially went backwards and forwards with wins for Alayah’s , Willy and Alan, and one for Black Magic’s, White Barry White  ,who is having a nice season thank you very much. However a strong final three for BM put them in the position of being able to get all three points , with victories for Rob1 ,Drama and the returning Tin Tin. All they had to do was to do something they have not managed all season,win a team game!!! Unfortunately once again they fell at the final hurdle . A point was a good result for Black Magic ,especially given the result for Baan Thai.Alayah will now be dependent on Nomads dropping points if they wish to win the division.  Willy topped the tons and the checks chart for the home team ,with 4 of each and for BM, White Barry White got 3 tons and Rob 1 ,four checks.

Phattys Phukkers v Baan Thai

Well the result of this match has certainly livened up the relegation battle in Division 2. Baan Thai produced a wonderful team performance, after struggling initially struggling to get a team together. The Phukkers never really got in their groove and a couple of their previously top performers are stuck in horrible losing streaks. The triples went evenly ,with the incredibly youthful Gabby bringing the second rather long game to an end. Phukkers would have thought their doubles misery may have been coming to an end when they claimed the first one courtesy of Colin and Steve, but of course it was not to be and they lost the other two ,with Plern and Pol ,getting themselves two checks each for Baan Thai. The Phukkers looked like getting back on track after winning the first three Singles , including a rare win for a very jubilant  Jim T. However Pol continued his great night dispatching Jimish in a high scoring and quick game and Colin and Thuy’s losing streaks continued much to their distain. But well done to Plern and Trang for getting their first victories of the season. The team game was all Baan Thai as the Phukkers were knocked sideways. Tuesday’s  game between the Phukkers and Black Magic will now be an early relegation six pointer!Baan Thai can now see real hope of surviving ,especially if they show the same determination in future games.

Dirty Harrys v Madhouse

Even though the Harrys had claimed victory in the corresponding fixture earlier in the season, Madhouse would have gone into this game as hot favourites . Madhouse have surged up the table and came into the game on the back of two good wins, the Harrys on the other hand were hovering above the relegation places after two loses. This game though did not go with current form and the boys from Harry Casuals showed they were in no mood to get dragged into a relegation battle and claimed an 8-4 win. The Harrys started strongly claiming both triples and two of the doubles, only Coach and Carl managing to get a game for Madhouse. They clawed their way back into the game with two Singles wins for Zach and Keith, but the ever dangerous Dan ensured that the Harrys maintained their advantage. Hard fought wins for Luke and Mark ensured victory and a team game win rounded the night off well for the winners. Devo topped the tons for the Harrys and Zach for Madhouse ,both got 4. In regards to checks Devo and Dan shared the honours for the home team, with 4 each and for Madhouse, Keith got three.

Divison 3

Featured Match

Charmed Assassins v Lindo’s Pinoy Patriots

The Charmed Assassins held on to top place by the narrowest of margins after being surprisingly held to a 6-6 draw by the Patriots. A last gasp team game victory ensured they got at least a point from a game they really struggled with late on. It was a close game after Triples and Doubles , with Charmed Assassins holding 3-2 lead and our friend Gypsy Pat helping himself to three early checks. His good form continued into the Singles with the first win for Charmed Assassins , however after that it became a bit of disaster as the team from Lindo took 4 out of the next 5, all of them 2-0 as well. The Assassins scratched the point with that man Patrick getting his team out the shit and getting the full quota of checks for the night with 6 –crap at predictions but not bad at checking then. For The Patriots ,a good comeback and a real team effort. Mike had a good night with five tons and four checks. Other than Pat, Joshua was the only other Assassin to get a check on the night with three. And you will not be surprised to hear that Pat topped the tons chart for his team with four.

Gypsy Pat -a one man band against Pinoy Patriots

Other matches

An unfortunate no show from the ladies from ACDC handed all the points to Buddha ,however I am sure they would have much rather played a game . The Prixx maintained their challenge for a return to Division 2 ,with a hard fought win over the Spear Chuckers, 7-5.

Division 4

Featured match

G-Force V The Udder Team

The top two teams in the Division fought out a close match with the newcomers edging it 7-5. The game went to and fro and it took a team game win from the Udders to eventually claim all the points. They held a narrow 3-2 lead going into the Singles and looked good when Andy got the third singles match to take the score to 5-3 but then two defeats left the match all square. In the last singles a narrow 2-1 win for Cathal over Russ ,ensured that Udders went into the team game with a win meaning the three points would be secure. Cathal ,just like Patrick made it a full quota of checks by claiming the check in the team game,well done mate. He of course topped the checks for his team and he also took top place for tons with three. For the unlucky G-Force.Leo had a good night with four tons and he and Henry got three checks each. The win left Udder Team at the top of the table ,with G-Force not far behind.

Other match

A rather comfortable win for the Tavern away at Boston, 10- 2

This week we return to Division 1 and meet up with one of the many Filipino players in the league. Adrian is a member of the presently,all conquering Mabuhay. He is also responsible for tournament organaisation and is a darts fanatic to say the least.

1] Adrian what brought you to Vietnam, how long have you been here and what do you do here?

– My wife works here in Vietnam. She wants me & our daughter to be here as well.  We came here February 2011. As for now I train dogs for obedience & behavior modification. 

2] You have a passion for darts that is obvious but what else do you do in your spare time?

-Darts, darts, & darts!

3] What can annoy you the most when you are in a match?

– Nothing much. Because when I’m in a match, I just focus with my game.

4] Mabuhay looks like they will take the Division 1 title for the second year – what is the secret to your team’s success?

– Actually we just won the 2013 spring season.  Our team work & we put our hearts into the game. Also we don’t compete with each other, we support each other & just enjoy the games. [ I sort of meant two seasons not years!]

5] What is your drink on a darts night?

-Beer & bottled water J

6] The league has a very strong representation of players, both male and female from the Philippines –why is it such a popular game for you guys?

– Because in Darts you don’t need big space to play it… In the Philippines, almost every street corner has it.

7] You took on the task of organizing tournaments this year, what do you think you have succeeded in doing and what areas do you feel you would still want to change in regards to your role?

-well it’s only my first year & all are still in an adjustment period. Last AGM there was someone who mentioned that they wanted to watch the singles championship game of division 1 but weren’t able to watch it because it was finished first than the other divisions. This year, I hope that we can held the singles championship in the stage during the year end party. (Maybe during the first part of the program).

8] Favourite opposition team over the years?

-I really don’t have a favorite opposition team. Most of the teams that we played with were fun except for one…. 😀

9] Favourite playing venue?

-PHATTY’S!  The dartboards setup are in standard & always in good condition. The food is great & the staffs are nice. J

10] Crispy Pata or Lechon?

-Lechon. But if there is no lechon, I can go with Crispy Pata.

11] Would you vote for the Pacman for President of your country if he decides to stand in the future?

-I haven’t thought of that yet but I’ve noticed that Pacman has changed a lot since he became a Christian.  He’s now a God fearing person & really have a heart to serve.

12] Do have any particular superstitions or routines in regards to your dart playing?

-No, I don’t believe in superstitions. Routines…. Just need to practice before the game. I’m like a diesel engine that needs to be warmed up.

13] What darts do you use?

-I’m using a converted Target Carrera C4 19g but I’m having a hard time finding my grip with C4 so I’m  planning to change it to Target Carrera Azzuri Forza.

14] In no more than 8 words tell us what it is like playing with your Captain Mario.

– The best SIDL captain, very supportive & generous.

15] Who has been the hardest player you have played against?

– Jesse Gold. A Dedicated darter.  He’s my practice buddy when he was still here & we played nonstop for hours .

Gypsy Pats [Pathetic] Predictions

Well Gypsy Pat must be off on his travels somewhere selling lucky heather as there have been no repsonses to emails sent to his caravan -lets hope he is ok. So this week I give my predcitions on the following matches-just the scores I am afraid no indepth look at stats etc .

Division 1 – Mabuhay 8 v Team Viet 4

Ice Blue 7 v Those Guys 5

Division 2 – Black Magic 6 v Phattys Phukkers 6

Madhouse 5 v Alayah 7

Nomads 9 v Dirty Harrys 3

Division 3 – Pinoy Patriots 5 v Buddha 7

Prixx 7 v NSW 5

ACDC 4 V Spear Chuckers  8

Division 4 – Dreamtime 2 v G Force 10

Bernies 8 v Boston 4

News and Gossip

Not much to report as i have been so busy.

Do you like it hard or soft?

Well the question is referring to darts thank god and the steel tip game and the soft tip game. It seems Saigon is determined to get soft tip darts in to bars in the town and it should be interesting to see how it pans out. A game between Vinyl and Red Bars seems to have stirred Huck into forming a Thursday league comp for soft darts and he has I think six teams entered. I have never tried it so I cannot comment but it will be interesting to see if he can keep the interest going ,especially with two nights of darts in the week.There are plenty of  people who can’t get enough darts so why shouldn’t it be a success- me I have a wife and kids so I guess I will have to give it a miss!!!!!!

View From The Oche

A shortened version this week as I have been busy preparing for the arrival of four English School Inspectors!!!!!!  We have some match reports from Div 1 and 2 ,a round up of Divison stats, some news and a Captain’s Report left over from last week. No Who are Ya? this week.

Division 1

Mabuhay v Buhay Na Buhay

So these two Filipino teams met for the first time in the league this season and it ended up a rather one sided affair to say the least with the Champs getting a 11-1 win. I would have predicted a slightly closer outcome in all honesty but I guess with National pride at stake ,Mabuhay were taking no chances. Buhay Na Buhay started so well too ,taking the first triples but after that it all went downhill fast, though two of the Doubles and four of the Singles went to 2-1 and judging by the amount of tons the losers scored they actually played some pretty good darts but couldn’t or didn’t get the chance to check. For Buhay ,Sam lead the way in tons with four, with six of his team mates also getting on the tons board. Dan and Roden managed to get two checks each. For Mabuhay Jun and Adrian got six tons each but were beaten by one by Jonel with seven.  In checks  Jonel also led the way with four.

Stats

Familiar faces lead the tons race in Division One ,with Jonel [ Mabuhay] in the lead at the moment with 42 , closely followed by team mate Jun on 38.In checks, things are a little closer with Adrian [Mabuhay] , Xu [ Team Viet] and Big pete [ Those Guys] topping the table with 21 checks and Jonel and Jun both from Mabuhay, one behind them. Dung from Team Viet has the highest checkout so far with 134.

Division 2

Dirty Harrys v Phatty Phukkers

Well Gypsy Pat had this down for a certain home banker, so we should have known that was never going to happen. What actually occurred was a tense night of darts, where the Phukkers just edged it. The game score of 7-5 and 13 legs a piece says it all really. The Phukkers  were notorious over the last two seasons for never getting a triples match but so far this season have won 10 out of 12  and two wins tonight and managing to get at least one doubles win ,which have been rarer than a loving email sent between Chairman Lee and the female owner of Charm bar, saw the Phukkers lead 3-2 going into the Singles. The Dirty’s Dan must have wondering what he had done to upset the darting gods as after a extremely frustrating doubles loss with Luke ,he fell 2-1 to the returning Ben . How he managed to lose the match we will never know but Ben was certainly happy with his win. Phukkers took the next Singles and looked poised for their first win since the opening night. However The  Dirty’s fought back admirably to take the next three Singles and level up the match 5-5. A tense last Singles went the way of the Phukkers ,with a 2-1 win for Jimish over David. Thuy who had fallen all too easily to Luke in the Singles ,had the last laugh of the night getting the team game check and ensuring the Phukkers moved out of the bottom two for the first time in weeks.For the Phukkers Jamie topped the tons charts with five and Jimish the checking with four. For The Dirty’s, David and Simon got three tons each and Ryan was top checker with four Harry Casuals made a good impression on me and the long walk up the stairs is definitely worthwhile.

Black Magic v Madhouse

Well Black Magic woes continue and I am sure Rob1 is on the phone daily to Tin Tin, who is on his Nordic pilgrimage trying to find out when he is returning. It was a very different game for BM this week. After two weeks when all was doom and gloom early on for them they actually looked poised to take out Madhouse early on and held an impressive 5-1 lead after The Monk claimed victory over Luke in the first Singles.However Madhouse then went on to take control and win the rest of the Singles and the crucial team game –it just wasn’t Black Magic’s night. Not even their Captain could get that vital Singles win falling 2-1 to Keith. Given BM’s team game record this season it would have taken a miracle for them to claim the game and snatch a draw and it was Zach who put the nail firmly in the coffin. The defeat took Madhouse into a very comfortable position in third and not far behind the leading two. For Black Magic they sank into the bottom two and their lowest position of the season. For Madhouse, Zach was the outstanding performer with six tons and three checks. For Black Magic, Rob1 and The Monk shared the tons top position with three each and The Monk who could have done no more got four checks.

Baan Thai v The Nomads

Baan Thai would have feared the worst against one of the strongest teams in the league and especially so as it seems they were missing their top performer Rey and having to field two new players. The game went to form with a 10 -2 victory for the team from Chilli. In all honesty it was all over too quickly, with only a doubles and team game victory the positives for Baan Thai. Trang’s victory in the third Singles clinched the victory for Nomads and all the team had solid nights. They will look forward to the second half now they top the table ,especially as they have reinforced their small squad with the arrival Brett from the now defunct Buccaneers. Baan Thai though find themselves three points adrift at the bottom of the table after the Phukkers victory. For Baan Thai one of their new players had quite a good debut ,with three tons and a couple of checks and Jeff also got three tons.For Nomads not as many tons as usual with the likely lads of Chad,Jeff and Glyn getting three each and Glyn got five checks.

Stats

Zach from Madhouse has a bit of a lead in tons raced ,on 29 and 5 ahead of his nearest challengers, Chad [Nomads] and Rey [Baan Thai]. The Nomads dominate the checks with Glyn and Chad sharing top place with 20 ,closely followed by team mate Jeff and Dan from Dirty Harrys on 18.

Division 3

Stats

Comfortably in the lead regarding tons is Jeorge from Lindo Patriots with 31 ,his nearest challenger being Oanh from ACDC ,with 24. Donald from The Prixx narrowly leads the checks chart with 20 ,only one ahead of a clutch of players on 19 ,Oanh again ,Scotty from Buddha and his team mate Warren. The highest finsih is 105 ,currently held by Warren from The Prixx.

Division 4

Stats

Brendan from Tavern ,with 13, heads the tons charts, with Thanh Tiger [Bernies] and Karl [Tavern] on 12. The checks table is very close with five players sharing the lead on 13 checks they are Leo [G-Force] , Kalvin [Bernies], Cathal [Udder], Thanh Tiger [Bernies] and Michael [G-Force].THe highest checkout on this Divison belongs to Henry [G-Force] with 96 and indeed he doesn’t have any competion yet in this area -come Division 4 get them high checkouts second half.

Captains Report

Division 1

REALLY ROTTENS -ALEX

Hi Jimish,

Sorry for late respond, below with our team report as per your request, thanks for all your effort on weekly darts blog, cheers…

The season has started out fairly well for Really Rottens. Having played only 2 home games and 4 away games – we (dare i say) are looking to be vaguely in control of our destiny.

After the inevitable away loss to Mabuhay Allstars, we re-grouped, grew a pair and went on to beat Ice Blue in Ice Blue – something we have not done for a long time. Buoyed by this, we have had great team camaradery, and managed to pull off some close, but extremely satisfying performances on the night. Star players: It has got to be said that our best improved player would also be our star player. Mr Hung, who has shown up for every sporadic practice, won a singles game, has improved with leaps and bounds. Tom has been a lot more consistent with his checking, and as always Guppy – who has faced some tough opponents, has been there come hell or high water. 2nd Half Rottens prediction: More of the same! We are hoping to have a few Rottens back into action that have been absent. Hopefully Matt too, who might make it back to Vietnam for the last few games of the season. We also signed some new members in the transfer market at the beginning of the season, who are proving to be great value.

News and Gossip

Well this week we saw the demise of another team from The Sidl ,with Brett calling time on the short lived life of The Buccaneers. Getting enough players [even all the Sheridans old players] on a Tuesday night was proving too much. I had a quick look on the website and it seems players who are registered for his team are actually playing for another team -so he was struggling early on. He himself is going to join up with The Nomads ,strenghtening an already well performing team in Division Two. Others from the team are joining Ice Blue ,who will be grateful for the extras after having an uncertain future themselves due to player numbers. Rick informs me that Mario,Phuong and Matt are joining the ranks of Ice Blue -whether they will be allowed to field them in the cup semis this week is uncertain.

So we are back down to 26 teams and maybe we don’t have the numbers to support four divisions -a few other teams are often fielding New Players on a weekly basis. The committee will no doubt need to look at this before seasons end as it may have a bearing on Promotion and Relegation like last season.

Cup Semis

Well after a bit of argy bargy over where they will be played ,we see the long awaited Cup Semis on Tuesday night. If Ice Blue can field their new players I am going for a Ice Blue win over Team Viet and in the other match it is hard to look beyond a comfortable win for Mabuhay over Those Guys.So I have slightly different opinions on the results to our resisdent predictor Gypsy Pat below!

Gypsy Pat’s Predictions

Well last week Gypsy Pat had a mixed bag once again in regard to his fortune telling.He got none of scores exactly right [including the Phukkers thankfully] and picked up only two correct results.

Pat’s Predictions last week and actually result in brackets.

Div 1   Mabuhay 8  v   Buhay Na Buhay 4   [ 11-1]

Div 2  Dirty harrys 9  v Phattys Phukkers 3  [ 5-7]

Div 3  NSW 7   v Charmed Assassins 5  [5-7]

Div 4 Boston 1   v G-Force 11 [3-9]

Here are his predictions for the cup semis on Tuesday

Team Viet v Ice Blue

TV sit 3rd in the division whilst IB are 5th, looking at the stats, you could predict am easy win for TV, as when these two met in the league TV came out 8-4 winners, however, with a place in the final at stake, i’m sure IB will step up, I think its going to be a tight game, but I think TV will edge the win: Team Viet 7-5 Ice Blue.

Mabuhay v Those guys

Mabuhay sit atop D1 unbeaten, Those Guys have yet to find a win, you would think its going to be a stroll in the park for Mabuhay, but when they met in the league, Mabuhay scraped home 7-5, again this is going to be a tight game, again I think Mabuhay will scrape home: Mabuhay 7-5 Those guys.

Footnote

Good luck to all teams tonight, my predictions should be renamed GypsyPats Pathetic Predictions, have fun guys, good arrows

View from the Oche

In this week’s bumper edition of the View from the Oche we have the usual match reports and results, also Gypsy Pat’s predictions which on last week’s evidence are becoming a tad more accurate, though I wouldn’t be asking him for my lottery numbers just yet!  Who are Ya? returns after a break where we get an insight into the world of Melvin ,Captain of those jolly chaps, The Prixx. We hear from various Captains from around the Divisions as to just how it is all going at the half way stage and finally we catch up on a bit of gossip and news from around Saigon darts – phew that took a while!

Match Reports

Division 1

Buhay Na Buhay v Ice Blue

Buhay Na Buhay continued their pretty good form this season, beating Ice Blue 8-4 last Tuesday night. Ice Blue managed to get six players together with the Ice Cream Baron of Munei making his transient appearance once again. What stands out from the match stats from this game is that all team members from both teams made a contribution throughout the night. It was a pretty even match going into the Singles, with a narrow 3-2 lead to the Filipinos. However  they proved dominant in the Singles ,taking 5 out of the six and only Negi disrupting their progress. Having said that there were a lot of 2-1 matches and Ice Blue could rightly say ‘ if only’. On a night when all players got checks the top performers for Buhay were Sam and Lito with three each and in regard to tons ,three players got four each – Sam ,Lito and Roland. For Ice Blue , Rick and Negi got themselves three tons each and Negi was the top checker with four.

Really Rottens v Those Guys

Those Guys are still searching for that winning feeling after falling to a 8-4 loss against the Rottens. The win for the Rottens consolidates their second position behind the runaway leaders Mabuhay ,who had a week off on Tuesday night. Another match where it was finely poised after the triples and doubles and a 3-2 advantage was held by the Rottens. The Rottens  ran away with 5 Singles wins ,only Big Pete managing to get the maximum reward from the one on one format for Ice Blue. Roch from the Rottens helped himself to an impressive six tons ,while three of his team mates ,in Alex,Tom and Guppy got four each.  Tom continued his strong season by claiming four checks and the Englishman will be fairly happy with his season so far. For Those Guys, Big Pete and Odi caused most of the damage in relation to checks and tons.

Team Viet v The Buccaneers

Two reasonably large squads of players met last Tuesday at Ice Blue ,where Team Viet got back to winning ways and claimed an 8-4 victory over The Buccaneers. Team Viet  put in a very strong performance ,with three players helping themselves to high finishes [ Hai 99, Thuy 91 and Xu 80]. The match itself looked all over after the second Singles ,when Team Viet held a 6-1 lead , but wins for Mario and Brett put a little doubt in the minds of TV. Alas it was not to be and The Buccaneers  ,despite a first Singles victory of the season for Phuong did not have enough and fell to defeat. Xu topped the tons for TV with three and Hai got most checks with four. Mario was back on the tons trail for The Buccanneers ,with six and Brett got three checks.

Division 2

Madhouse v Baan Thai

Madhouse could be a bit of a dark horse I reckon when it comes to who finishes top at the end of the season. When they can get their full squad out ,they are a dangerous team and they notched another victory over Baan Thai ,who remain at the bottom and whose sets and legs differential got worse, which could be crucial in their relegation battle with the Phukkers and anybody else who gets dragged down there.Madhouse are unbeaten since their opening week defeat and this match was won fairly comfortably. We even saw a win in the Singles for that doubles specialist Stephen Guess!!! So to the match – Madhouse led 4-1 going into the Singles and though Rey’s win over the formidable Zach gave Baan Thai some hope ,Madhouse notched 4 wins out of the next 5 games. A final result of 8 -4 saw Madhouse move into the top three. Zach managed five tons for Madhouse despite his Singles loss and three players in Sam ,Carl and Markus got themselves three checks each. For Baan Thai, their tons scoring was quite good and indeed Rey did not finish top dog for a change, only getting two ,in fact four players got three each – Fei,Pol ,Ar Ar and Gabby.Ar Ar was the top checker with three and Rey can console himself with a high finish of 87.

Alayah v Dirty Harrys

Alayah stayed top of the league with a comfortable win over Dirty Harrys and will be hoping they stay there on completion of the first half of the season next week ,though it wil be out of their hands as they have a bye. The Harry’s sitting in mid table will hope to consolidate that next week against the struggling Phukkkers ,though a defeat there could drag them into the relegation battle. Devo got his team off to a good start with the first triples but after that Alayah took firm control of the match taking the next triples and all the doubles. In the Singles Dan and Devo gave The Harry’s some hope but four good victories in the other matches had the match sewn up before the team game. Stubbsy despite losing his Singles topped the tons charts for the home team with four tons, while Paul continued his fine season with five checks. For The Harry’s ,Devo and David shared top spot with five tons each and in checking Devo and Dan shared the honours with three each.

Nomads v Black Magic

Black Magic are stuttuering a little at the moment and defintely missing Tin Tin’s calming [?] presence. Nomads have, with this 9-3 victory ,given themselves the chance to be top dogs at the half way point. Black Magic like last week found themselves staring into the abyss -this time being 7 -0 down , but that fighting spirit saw them claim three of the last four Singles and gave the scoreline some respectability. Nomads are dominating the top of the Individual stats table and while Chad fell to a surprising loss against the rapidly improving White Barry White ,the others continued to show fine form. Glyn and Jeff kept their unbeaten records and Logan continues to impress. One thing that will please Rob 1 is that his team managed to reach double figures on the amount of tons scored !!! Well done guys -see Rob I give praise when it is needed! Drama and Rob 1 helped themselves to three [yes three! ] each, while White Barry White topped his team’s checking with three. Even more pleasing for the losing Captain was his high finish of 90 . I am sure he was equally estatic for his teammate Moore or Less who also got a high finish of 85. For Nomads Chad returned to his position of top tons scorer with four and shared the top checking figures with Glyn on four.

Rob 1 had a hard task this week calculating how many tons his team scored this week such was their success.

Division 3

Featured Match

Buddha Bar v No Star Where

So are No Star Where making a second half run for the title- well it seems so, as they won an extremely tight match against the luckless Buddha’s,who fell to their third successive 7-5 loss. One just feels it is not going to be Scotty’s season ,as his team lost the last Singles and team game to condem them to defeat yet again ,this time with a one leg difference. The two teams were evenly matched throughout ,after NSW had claimed both the triples and in the end it was a check by the that genial Irishman Stevie K that settled matters. Tun by name and ton by nature ,he had a good night hitting the triple 20 and helped himself to seven for Buddha.Scotty and John topping the checking for the team with three each. For NSW Fudgie was the main tormentor of Buddha ,with four tons and four checks.

Other games

Charmed Assassins had much harder game than they probably expected against the Spear Chuckers ,who put up a brave performance. The Chuckers raced into a 5-1 lead and Gypsy Pat must have been creaming it. However they ran out of steam and Charmed Assassins claimed 5 out of the 6 Singles to recover and take the points.[Think they all owe Andrew a beer too!].In the final match we saw hostilities resume between old foes The Prixx and ACDC. It resulted in yet another 7-5 ,this time to The Prixx, who keep their charge for the title ongoing .After going 4-0 down the girls surged into a 5-4 lead ,just to lose it at the death.

Division 4

Featured match

Bernies Best v Dreamtime

Dreamtime seemed to have more of a settled team as they began their life away from Game On ,but unfortunately the result was much the same as before as they fell to a heavy defeat [ 10-2 ] against the long established Bernies. All they had to show for the night was a win for Dan and their new player as Bernies ran riot. I am sure Tom and his mob enjoyed it non the less.Dan looks a good player for Dreamtime and claimed three tons to go with his two checks, when he beat the useful Xuan. For Bernies it was an great team effort but Thanh Tiger had one of his better nights with three tons and five checks. He was ably supported by Mike and Kalvin who got 4 checks each. The defeat leaves Dreamtime rock bottom and Bernies comfortably in mid table.

Other game

Udder Team continued their useful season with a 7 -5 win over the Tavern,leaving them siting pretty at the top of the league in their first season -Andy will be happy man.

Captains Reports

As we approach the half way point of the season I emailed all the Captains [ or Vice Captains] in some cases, to ask them to give their verdicts on how their teams have done so far . Thanks to those eight who chose to repsond – if anybody still wants to give a report feel free and I will put it in next week – Mr Brett, Mr Scotty ,Mr Alex!!!!!

Division 1

BUHAY NA BUHAY -SAM

Sam BnB Captain

Buhay na Buhay means surviving by all means. Our darters always plays by all means to be the best..simply happy whether win or loose. The Keypoint is unity and darting with joy! BnB delivers this message and express this among darters in the team and all others within the SIDL. 

From the starting Division below BnB made it to the upper Division. Yes! Buhay na Buhay go for it..make everybody happy!

BnB was formed by Gerry Fanoga Jr Since 2011… Who was also one of Filipino pioneer in forming Mabuhay Team that was started in Hanoi then.

Our Big salute to Gerry for his great contribution to Darts in Saigon…

Division 2

ALAYAH – LEE

Well for most of us in Alayah it was the first time ever playing in Division 2… We planned to start with a bang and with a full strength squad. We had 12 players on the books and for the first match we had everyone available and it was a hell of a job to ensure everyone played at least 1 game, the match played at Voodoo against Black Magic was a fun evening and a good away win 9-3. We were brought down to earth the following game at home to Madhouse although picking up a point in a 6-6 draw. Our visit to Baan Thai resulted with another full team and a fine away win 9-3, thus putting us on top of Division 2. Our next match however saw us struggling to get 6 players and a really off night losing to the Nomads at home 10-2, we were back on track with wins against Phatty’s Phukkers 7-5 and Harry Casuals 8-4 in our last 2 matches.
As we have a bye next week depending on the Nomads result, we could be still on top. Altogether a really fun Division, nice meeting up with new teams, different venues and new players as well as meeting up with guys who dropped down a season or 2 ago..
Summarising this first half, great fun, good results, all matches closely contested, couldn’t wish for a better start, Alayah star player thus far is Paul Devlin.
Our hopes for the second half, will be the same, I think it is wide open with several teams all challenging for top spot, we are looking forward to playing our first league match at Chilli Bar and a first ever visit to Harry Casual…

PHATTYS PHUKKERS – JIM T

Well we changed our name from the infamous “Los Locos Borrachos” to “Phatty’s Phukkers” the name change came under lots of scrutiny but at the end of the day we wanted to associate ourselves with our sponsor and host … so hence  “The Phukkers” !!!! It would appear that the “Dart’s Gods” don’t approve of the name change as our start to this season is nothing to write home about 1 -4 record is not what we expect.

So what is going on? Kevin missed the 1st few weeks, Colin’s darts mojo is somewhere else, Thuy is Thuy dependable, Jamie is on fire (most of the time) Benny is AWOL, Steve up and down, Pam had a motor bike accident, Brownie is thinking about the 2nd coming (not him) Jimish is the “Mr. Frustration” solid darts but! as for me? making up the numbers.

The second half of the season beckons and we can only hope for  a serious form reversal. We may get a game or two out of Mr.. Ben to make up for losing Jamie and Lucy. Good luck to Lucy and Jamie as they move on again and we wish them well with their new pending arrival. Kevin WILL win his games (have to say that) Jimish, Colin, Brownie when available will be more consistent so I predict we will be OK and out of the position we currently hold, next to bottom (some say I like that!!!) and end up a mid table team so that next season we can consolidate and take “The Phukkers” onward and upward.

New shirts are on the way! 2013/14, maybe that is our problem, lost without our true identity.

THE NOMADS – GLYN

There is a general ‘This is our year’ mentality about the Nomads this season. We have all improved as individuals and with the divisions reigning, Singles (Logan), Doubles (Jeff), Checks (Glyn) and Tons (Chad) champions in our squad we are feeling pretty confident about promotion.
Obviously our Achilles Heel has always been drawing too many matches, and this season has started no differently with two ties already, we always tend to do quite well in our singles so focus is winning those damn team games.
Having four out of the top 5 ranked players in the individual rankings is obviously driving this seasons success. Previously Chad was our main man with him cleaning up in the individual stats last season, but at the moment Jeff is our MVP with a 5-0 singles record and a 180 already under his belt, obviously Glyn is also undefeated but he’s had some very close calls in many of his games.
Our best match so far was our 10-2 annihilation of Alayah, which left the boys from Red singing drunken ditty’s to each other in consolation. Most frustrating was throwing away a 100 plus something lead in the team game to Mad House as they secured a 6-6 draw, thanks Coach.
As for the 2^nd half of the season? Let’s just say we haven’t played all our aces yet…
MVP: Jeff
Most Improved: David R
Golden boy: Chad
Couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo during the triples but I’ll win my singles: Logan

BLACK MAGIC – ROB 1

Black Magic curently sit just above the relegation places after a disappointing first half.  A first week thumping from Alayah was quickly forgotten after back-to-back 7-5 victories over Phatty’s Phukkers and Dirty Harry’s. The next match saw the biggest disappointment so far in dropping a close one to Baan Thai mostly through an inability to check out. Another loss to the very talented Nomads accounts for BM’s lowly spot.

Singles records have generally been quite positive, but a 4-11 win/loss record in doubles has seen us struggling before we even get to the singles. Another startling statistic is the 0-5 record in team games so far. It certainly isn’t hard to figure out why we find ourselves near the bottom.

Our best darts probably came out against Dirty Harry’s and the games against the Phukkers and Nomads were also good fun with contrasting results. The best individual performance so far would have to be White Barry White’s singles win over the very talented Chad.

Tintin’s untimely vacation has been a big factor in the downturn in our fortunes. We’re hoping to get him back soon!

R1 has the best singles record at 4-1 despite some inconsistent darts. White Barry is at 3-1, Drama 3-2 and the MIA Tintin 2-1.

Keys for a stronger second half include better checking, winning a few more doubles matches and perhaps even getting a team game here and there!

Division 3

CHARMED ASSASSINS- GYPSY PAT

Charmed Assassins have had the best start to a season in the three years I have been with the team, we were formerly known as Bernies 1, we currenly sit top of the division with an unbeaten record, however, we face a tough game on Tuesday night against No Star Where who are a very strong team, our unbeaten record could fall.

Our first game against Pinoy Patriots was strange, none of us could check that night but we pulled off a draw, the next game saw us take on the girls from ACDC, they have beaten us in the past, so I was surprised when we beat them 10-2,then we played The Prixx, a game I thought could go either way, but they had a very off night and we came out 9-3 winners, then we played host to Buddha Bar, another strange night for us, we all played badly that night, but managed to scrape home 7-5, last week we hosted the Rusty Spear Chuckers, with two of our best players missing we struggled, but again scraped home 7-5.

We have a strong team when everyone is available, but they not always are, it has been a great all round performance this season, lets hope we can keep it going.

THE PRIXX – MELVIN

The Prixxx had a great start this season beating Rusty Bucket 12-0 without even loosing a leg. Many thought we had a walkover against these team or just a typo error on the scoresheet! Rusty Bucket after loosing their sharp shooter in Warren Locksley, that too to us, isn’t quite the team they used to be so we knew the big win against them was not a great measure of our strength. But the next two wins which came against No Star Where and Buddha Bar i guess gave the other teams a warning signal that The Prixxx are serious in getting back to business in Division 2. The Prixxx were really put to test when we met Charmed Assasins. They played really well on a night when nothing seemed to work for us, not even arse luck! Loosing to them warned The Prixxx to not things for granted even in Division 3. Our most pressuring match has to be that against the fine ladies of ACDC. Having taken a 4-1 lead you would think this was going to be an easy night for The Prixxx, but the ladies had other plans for us and managed to sneak in a 4-5 lead against us. If we had lost this match, i think most of our darts would have been up for sale that night. Under all that pressure from these sweet charming ladies, we managed to win the last two singles and the team game to bag home the 3 points! Although they’ve not been bringing home results this season, the ladies will give you a run for your money! The Prixxx star player this season has to be Donald Lee who has yet to be defeated in the singles this season. Warren and Peter also has done well on individual results, with Warren having a high check and Peter having his first competitive 180. Although a little too early to predict, with not many difference in points won by the top 5 teams, the battle may be between The Prixxx and Charmed Assasins to finish tops in Division 3 this season. Looking forward to the rest of the season!

Division 4

BERNIES BEST – SHRINI

For autumn season Bernies Best chose new a home venue – Vinyl Bar, however we got 1^st bye in starting of season. We had a good start with 3-9 win against Boston in their home venue. However, we lost the next 2 matches at our home venue! the 2^ndmatch against G-Force and the 3^rd against Tavern. Our  4^thmatch against Dreamtime was a good win 10-2.We won all triples & doubles, team games and 4 singles.  There are 6 more rounds to go and Bernies Best looks forward positively to position itself and try to  qualify for promotion to Div. 3. Though G-Force and Udder Team are somewhat challenging. We have even more of a challenge in view of our star player Xuan’s anticipated long absence from Week 7 until next season. Will see her in next season with Jr. darter! Another good player Thanh Doan left for Sinapore to start new assignment.

As end of week 5 Thanh Tiger has made impressive performance topping in Tons and equal in Checks with Michael of G-Force.  Kalvin has also been consistent.

This week we meet Melvin ,who Captain’s one of the Division 3 front runners ,The Prixx. The ever smiling chap has been playing for a few years now and can sometimes [excuse me while I vomit] be seen in bars around town watching his team Man Utd. Here we find out a little more about him and his team.

1] Where you from originally Melvin and what brought you to Vietnam?

Malaysian (Kuala Lumpur) – Came to Vietnam when I was offered a job at RMIT University. Been in VN for 5 years now.

2] How long have you been playing darts for?

Been playing for 2.5 years now, the same time The Prixxx were formed.

3] The Prixxx have been quite a stable team in the time since you formed –who are the real characters in your team?

We have quite a few characters in our team, Kevin Kuruvilla aka Mr. Darts, he just knows everything that happens in the SIDL even before he became a committee member. I think he’ll be the President of SIDL someday! Sometimes I think he already is  Peter Ng, who is the mascot/entertainer of the team, he sings, he dances, and then hammers you with his triple 19’s! And then there’s Danny Green, not many knows this but this chap is actually in the ‘Peoples Committee of Ho Tung Mau Strip’.

4] You guys have done well to overcome the loss of Bourne [well except for relegation]. Who has stepped up?

Bourney has been a big miss to the The Prixxx, but Donald Lee who joined us only in our second year has improved dramatically! He had quite a long unbeaten run last season, and this season also yet to be defeated. He does have great passion for darts and that’s turned him into a very strong player. Warren our latest signing has been a ‘towering’ figure in the team as well.

5] Darts is not everything [well to normal people like you and me] .How do you spend your spare time?

Well Jim, I guess darts is everything to me – when not playing darts, I do darts meditation and watch darts cartoons. And if I still have time, then playing a bit of pool, watching the English soccer matches with my mates at the weekends.

6] Favourite venue to play at?

I would have to say Ice Blue as you can go there anytime of the week and have some good games there as there’s always people to play with. But Game On is also one of my favorite’s now as they’ve nicely spaced out the darts area – truly a sports bar.

7] Who are your favourite opponents?

Team Viet –  very friendly and very good players. Always a pleasure to play them. That’s why its hard to beat them coz I don’t want to hurt the feelings of such nice people.

8] That takeaway dilemma- Curry or Pizza? Curry for sure!

9] If you had the power to change anything in The SIDL what would it be?

Our darts ‘World Cup’ competition – the format of the match is not interesting! It is draggy and matches do not have to be played until the end. I would replace that with a (darts) Cricket Competition. Can make it even more interesting with a blind draw of players to create groups.

10] I think your darts has improved since I first met you –what do you put that down too?

Practicing with the big boys (and girls!) of darts! It pushes me to do better. I’ve recently been winning against some good players and to me that’s big coz these guys are great players! Even sweeter when they’re from Division 1.

11] Your team started the Twitter experiment last season .How has that worked out and what was behind the idea?

It didn’t take off as well as we expected. If a lot more teams were tweeting, I guess that would have made it more interesting with ‘live updates’ being tweeted on match nights.

12] Sum up playing with Matt Cowan in less than 8 words.

‘He came, he checked, he never came back’

– played only one match this season but managed to get four checks on the night and the match winning point against Buddha Bar!

13] What annoys you most when playing darts?

Cigarette smoke! Sometimes it’s just unbearable. Wish all bars here had a ‘smoking/non-smoking’ area.

14] Tell us how you guys came up with the name The Prixxx.

The whole team had a brainstorm session at Peaches to come up with the team name. As soon as Matt Cowan suggested ‘The Prixxx’ we thought it was a good match between the players and darts – and quite catchy too. How’d you like our logo?

15] What type of darts do you play with?

Elkadart – 24gms, the only darts I’ve been using since I started playing.

16]  And finally a personal question from me-I was confused a few weeks back with who Jiggy was – Why has Mark got a new name?

It’s actually ‘Jiggy Bitch’. Mark thought he needed a change in name to bring him better luck in his matches and his first match night as Jiggy was awesome, but now I think he needs a new name again. Suggestions welcomed!

Gypsy Pat’s Predictions

Well after a few poor weeks in his early prediction career ,Gypsy Pat I guess you can say is coming into form – actually getting three out of four results correct and one actual score correct!!

Here were last week’s Prediction and actual scores in brackets :

Div 1- Really Rottens 7    V Those Guys 5  [ 8-4]

Div2 – Nomads 8 v Black Magic 4  [9-3]

Div 3 – Buddha 6 v NSW 6  [5-7]

Div 4 – Tavern 5 v Udder Team 7  [5-7]

So on to this week’s predictions for the final round of matches before the half time break.

D1

 Mabuhay v Buhahy Na Buhay

 Not to hard to predict a win for the allstars, but by what score, Mabuhay are top and BNB lie in 4th, having lost two games, drawn 1 and won two, Mabuhay have three players in the top 10, whilst BNB have two, with the likes of Adrian, Jun and Jonel from Mabuy up against players of Roden and Litos’ calibre, it is going to be a high scoring game, so onto my prediction, I’m going with: Mabuhay 8-4 BNB.

D2

 Dirty Harrys v Phukkers

 Well, sorry Jimish but I think this game is also a forgone conclusion, Dirty Harry’s lie 4th and the Phukker’s are 6th, Devo and Dan make the top 10, no one from the Phukkers are there. DH have won 2, lost 2 and drawn 1, whilst the Phukkers have won 1 and lost 4, not good, my prediction is: Dirty Harrys 9-3 Phukkers.

D3

No Star Where v Charmed Assassins

 Hmmm, having to do a prediction in a game I will participate in isn’t easy, we scraped a win last week against  the Rusty Spear Chuckers, a team that has had some poor results, two of our best players were missing last week. We are currently top with 4 wins and a draw, NSW are coming back from there slow start ( well slow compared to last season), so will be a big threat, both teams have two players in the top 10, I think this is going to be a close game that could go either way, my prediction is NSW 7-5 Charmed Assassins.

D4

 Boston v GForce

 Another forgone conclusion, Gforce sit in second place, with only the difference in legs seperating them from the top, Boston sit fifth and are without a win so far, also I know Boston struggle to put a settled team together every week. GForce have three players in the top ten, my prediction is Boston 1-11 GForce

News And Gossip

Not much to report this week. But Dreamtime have moved venues and now reside at Charm Bar. I reckon after talking to their captain Tom over the weekend they will be fine for the rest of the season. This leaves Saigon’s newest pub with no team now though ,which is a shame because it does have a rather nice darts area. It will be interesting if they manage to get a team together next season or if another team decide to relocate there.

View from the Oche

Late again this week after no View from the Oche last week – I really need to organise my weekends better. Unfortunately we have have no Who Are Ya? this week either sorry but we have match reports from last Tuesday and Gypsy Pat tries to improve his predictions which at present are worse than the Phukkers doubles results and that is saying something  [ 2 wins from 15 attempts] and a little bit of news and gossip too.

Jim T’ s early experiences of playing darts

As we approach the half way point I am hopefully going to get in touch with team Captains next week and get their half time reports on how their teams have done so far.

Division 1

Those Guys v Buccaneers

It is as tight as Chairman Lee’s sphincter in a Bangkok ladyboy bar, at the bottom of Division 1 and these two played out a match that unfortunately left them filling the last two spots. However promising performances from both sides and Those Guys will still see plenty of hope in picking up their first win of the season soon. The draw specialists went toe to toe with the Buccaneers, claiming the draw in the team game after what looked a real team effort. The Buccaneers ,or should that be Sherdians old boys plus Brett, saw a great performance from Matt, who helped himself to five checks and five tons.He was aidied by visiting Alan ,who showed he still has it and also got five tons – all we need now is Tim Russell to make an appearance ,with Kris dribbling ice cream and it will be 2010 all over again. For Those Guys, Odi and B-Lo went ton crazy, while Pete and Matt got vital checks ,with three each. Do not know what happened to my old mate Mario , with no tons – must have been a lot of triple ones eh Mario!!!

Really Rottens v Team Viet

The second draw in Div 1 was fought out between the vastly improved Really Rottens and Team Viet. The result keeps them in both in the top three but already a long way behind Mabuhay ,who look well on the way to the reclaiming their title ,even at this early stage.It was a closely fought match that went to and fro ,with the Rottens winning the team game to get a point. A surprisingly low number of tons for the Rottens with Tom and Roch getting two a piece.Team Viet were a little more successful ,especially Xu with seven.He also top checked with four while for the Rottens, Tom and Guppy were the main danger men. Tom also got an 81 high finish.

Ice Blue v Mabuhay

The Champs and the Runners Up from last season took to the oche with contrasting form so far, as Mabuhay have consolidated top position and Ice Blue ,after the uncertainty of actually competing, have fallen back into the main pack and are missing Rick on a regular basis.  Ice Blue though they lost this match, went down fighting and can be proud of their efforts.Tam continues to be the form player for  them and on the night got himself five tons and four checks, as well as defeating the dangerous Jonel. Matt was the only player apart from Tam to get a Singles win and that proved costly. For Mabuhay , three players with 7 tons ,the likely suspects of Jun and Jonel ,joined this night by Adrian. These three dominated the checking for the champs with a little help from Joeart.

Division 2

Phatty Phukkers V Alayah

These two teams were reunited and went into the game in contrasting positions . Alayah have had a solid start and are one of the favourites to return to Div 1 ,however  the Phukkers are on a losing run and players are showing no consistency in their play and the team are struggling to stay in the division at this stage. A game that looked over at one stage as Alayah held a 4-1 lead ,developed into quite a tense affair and a 7 -5 win for Alayah. Captain Lee  looked nervous going into the crucial team game but his sides experience and determination resulted in a comfortable checkout by Huck to claim the match. Phukkers won 4 of the six Singles but lost the match again in the doubles where pairings are just are not working. Paul and Huck did most of the damage for Alayah with Huck getting 5 checks to go alongside his 3 tons and Paul 4 checks and 4 tons. In the large Phukkers squad there was a good night for Jamie who got three checks and a 107 high finish and Jimish helped himself to 5 tons to go with his three checks .

Where do the Phukkers go from here ??

Nomads v Madhouse

A real see –saw battle between Nomads and Madhouse last Tuesday, where Madhouse won the first three games ,lost the next six and somehow got the last three to snatch an unlikely draw. Yet again Nomads just don’t seem able to close the match from winning positions [except against my team]. It would be an interesting reading to see exactly how many matches they have drawn in the last three seasons. After a terrible start in the triples and doubles, they roared back and with Singles wins for their top 4 performers ,they looked poised to finish the night joint top , but wins for Zach and Sam gave Madhouse hope going into the team game and Coach got the all important check. I believe two of the Nomads got 180 ‘s –well done to Glyn and Jeff. They both dominated the tons for their team,on a quiet night for Chad in that area. He made up for his lack of tons though with the top gun check wise with four. Few checks for Madhouse, for whom Zach got two and also four checks.

Black Magic v Baan Thai

Baan Thai achieved  their first win of  the season with a narrow 7-5 win over what seemed an understrength Black Magic. The win is not quite enough to lift them off the bottom of the table but will give them great encouragement for the coming weeks and their likely relegation battle with the Phukkers.It actually should have been an easier match for the D2 team as they raced into a 5- 1 lead, no doubt leaving Rob1 in a bewildered mess. However Black Magic are a fighting team if nothing else and Rob does not give up lost causes and a strong Singles performance ,winning four out of the six ,gave them the chance of a well earned draw. But alas all their efforts were to no avail as Baan Thai clinched the game in dramatic fashion ,getting the team game check from the outstanding Rey. The young man had a great night getting the full Monty of 6 checks and 4 tons. He was supported well by his team mates too. For poor Black Magic ,a measly two tons were scored by the whole team and I am sure Rob and Drama take no pleasure in being the top dogs with one each!!!!! White Barry White topped the checking charts for them with three.

What was that darling ?Black Magic’s top tons scorer scored how many?!!!

Division 3

Featured match

The Rusty Spear Chuckers v No Star Where

No Star Where have struggled to overcome their disappointment about not getting promoted last year after topping the league before the playoffs and their form has been a little inconsistent. They made no mistake in this match though against the Spear Chuckers who remain firmly at the bottom of the table ,with no points. Spear Chuckers registered two new players ,so it may be that they are struggling a little to get enough players on any given Tuesday and this may account for their indifferent form thus far. A comfortable 10 -2 victory for NSW ,with only Hoa and Rob W losing matches.Rome managed 2 checks for the Chuckers [and a Singles win] ,alongside a new player ,but there wasn’t much else to shout about for them in all honesty.  A real team effort for NSW ,with all players getting checks and tons. Mal C and El Tel the standout performers.

In the other matches the  tense battle between Charmed Assassins and Buddha was as close as expected ,with the Assassins coming out with a 7-5 victory, due in the main to an impressive 5 out of 6 Singles victories. Finally , a rather surprsingly comofrtable victory for the Patriots over ACDC , 9-3,which sees them stay in touch with the top two of the Assassins and The Prixx. it promises to be a very interesting second half of the season in this Division.

Division 4

Featured match

Bernies Best v Tavern

In a Division where there will only be 10 games played ,after the Lunatics withdrawl , teams will need to grab as many points as they can early on. These two teams have been around a long time and will no doubt fancy their chances of finishing at the top of the pile, though both have had inconsistent starts . The match ended up with a narrow 7-5 win for the Tavern. A strong Singles performance gave them the upper hand ,with wins for George, Robert , Brendan and Josh. Thanh Tiger scored an impressive 5 tons for Bernies and Kalvin got three checks but it just wasn’t enough and losing the last three matches was fatal.Brendan was the outstanding performer for the Tavern ,with five tons and four checks. Nice to see my old mate Xuan get a Singles victory as well for Bernies!!

In the other match The Udder team romped to another win and must fancy their chances of getting close to top team G-Force in the coming weeks.An impressive 11- 1 win ,over Game On’s Dreamtime , who experienced a nightmare and as mentioned below are also maybe struggling for regular players. One does not hope they go the same way as their stable mates Lunatics.Captain Andy led well from the front for his team from The Spotted Cow.

Gypsy Pat’s Predictions

Well our resident Romany had atrocious predictions two weeks ago so let’s see if a week’s rest has helped him get his psychic vibes sorted with this week’s predictions.

Division 1

 

Really Rottens v Those Guys

RR are having a good season so far and are in 2nd place, while TGs languish at the bottom of the table, there is only one player from each team in the top 10, Big Pete from TG is 6th and Tom from RR is 9th, RRs have won 2 lost 1 and drawn 1, while TGs have no wins, 1 loss and 3 draws, I think it will be a tight game, but, RR will overcome TG to clinch a 7-5 win.

Division 2

 

Nomads v Black Magic

The Nomads currently hold 2nd place while BM are 4th, both teams have 2 wins, but BM have lost 2 whilst the Nomads have drawn two, its in the individual players where the difference in teams lie, with the Nomads players occupying 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th places, only Rob1 makes it into the top 10 at 7th. I think the Nomads are going to be too strong for BM and I predict: Nomads 8-4 BM.

Division 3

 

Buddha Bar v No Star Where

There is not much between these two teams, both have won two games, Buddha having lost 2 whilst NSW lost 1, drew 1. NSW are 4th and Buddha 5th, only one player from each team make the top 10, Fudgie sits in 6th place and Scotty 10th. We only scraped a win against Buddha Bar last week, both teams are strong, I think this game is pretty evenly matched, prediction: Buddha Bar 6-6 NSW.

Division 4

 

Tavern v The Udder Team

There is not much separating these two teams, Udder sit in 2nd place and Tavern 3rd, George from Tavern tops the table and two players from Udder make the top 10, I know Tavern signed a couple of decent players, so this is goig to be close, although Udder are a new team and are getting stronger, this will be a tight game but I think The Udder Team will scrape a win, prediction Tavern 5-7 The Udder Team

The last couple of guys to place bets on Gypsy Pat’s predictions have fallen on hard times

News and Gossip

Well I expressed my concern in the last edition that Lunatics could be in trouble having only completed one match and thus it came to pass and they have probably gone down as one of the shortest lasting teams in SIDL history. It basically came down to not having enough committed players and so fair enough .I like the guys at Game On but looking at Dreamtime’s line up this week they too seem to be a little short on numbers and it has to be hoped that the venue doesn’t see another team fold because the darts area has some real potential and were plans to provide more darts space upstairs –I guess watch this space.

Some interesting talk on the website regarding the developments at Red in regards to darts provision. It has been the premier darts venue over the last few years hosting most of the finals of tournaments and quite rightly so, with three floors with dart boards on them but times they are a changing. I mentioned in my last edition about the rise of soft tip darts in Saigon [though I don’t actually know anyone who plays myself] and Brian from Charmed Assassins has pointed out that Red ,having put soft tip machines downstairs and also upstairs may not now be the automatic choice for finals now. He may have a point and other venues may well be capable of holding finals now ,such places as Universal and Harry Casual [ both of which I will visit for the first time this season -so I cannot really comment on their suitability.]

I was rather ill when we played Madhouse at Phattys a couple of weeks back and one thing that i haven’t really noticed before but certainly did that night is how much some guys actually smoke on a darts night. It wasn’t just the numbers of guys who smoked ,which surprised me but some were literally chain smoking. Our darts nights are fun but bloody hell they certainly ain’t healthy!!!!!

As I lay on my sick bed on the holiday weekend it was great to see LIVE DARTS and the Sydney Masters on TV ,won in clinical fashion by The Power -hopefully we will get to see more and more of this on Fox – [hope so cos they show fuck all else!!]

Cheer

Jimish

View from the Oche

 

I started back at work this week ,hence the lateness of this edition and it should just make it out before the next round of games I hope and should not be so dated. In this edition we have match reports that see Mabuhay return to form ,Nomads signaling their intent to challenge for the Div 2 title and unfortunately an early forfeit game in Div 4. We find out how Gypsy Pat did in his predictions and get his new ones and Madhouse provide us with our Who Are Ya? victim for the week ,with Stephen Guess.

Division 1

Buhay Na Buhay v Team Viet

So just who is going to challenge last year’s Champions?? I think many thought that Team Viet were a good bet to do that but they suffered a suprising reversal away to Buhay Na Buhay team who have sent out a message to the rest of the league that they will be very stiff opposition and bounced back after their narrow loss to The Buccaneers last week. A storming start ,where they claimed both triples and all the doubles set BNB on their way ,they overcame a dodgy middle spell where TV threatened to fight back with three Singles wins for Jesse,Xu and Dung ,to finish strongly and claim the last three Singles and ensure a victory. An all round team performance by BNB ,with Roden claiming 5 checks and supported by most of his other team mates ,Lito helping himself to 3 checks too. The slow start cost TV dearly and they will hope to rectify this in coming weeks. 3 tons for Hai,Jesse and Xu and 3 checks for Jesse ,Dung and Xu proved be too little.

Mabuhay v Buccaneers

A little hiccup last week for the Champs ,with points dropped ,but this week they came back to form and dismissed the Buccaneers in fine style. On the back of a solid doubles performance and early Singles wins from their front four, they claimed the match early. The Buccaneers roused themselves to get the last two Singles with wins for Nhan and Brett but all far ,far too late. Jonel topped the tons charts for the victors ,with 8 and also claimed the most checks with 4. For the hapless Buccaneers, Nhan had quite a successful night personally with 6 tons and 3 checks. The Buccaneers can at least look forward knowing they don’t have to play Mabuhay every week and they have some quality players who I am sure will have more success in the weeks to come.

Ice Blue v Really Rottens

Ice Blue’s struggles continue with a  narrow loss to Really Rottens.  A good start for the Rottens ,claiming both Triples proved to be the deciding factor in the match between these two evenly matched teams. Kenny made a return to Rotten colours and had a cracking night, with 5 tons and three checks.Guppy helped himself to 6 tons and Matt caused the most damage with 4 checks. Rick ,Ravi and Negi got Singles wins for Ice Blue and Tom claimed an impressive and decisive victory over Ruud in the last Singles of the night.The returning Rick got himself 5 tons and 4 checks to be the top player from the Blue. Not sure about the affect being round ice cream all the time is having on poor Kris, as his epic bus journey from Munei did not bring him any joy on Tues night –stick to the waffles Kris!

Division 2

Nomads v Phattys Phukkers

The Nomads signaled their intent to no longer be the draw specialists with a clinical and well deserved win over the underperforming Phukkers. It had started so well for the Phukkers with yet again two wins in the triples [where has this come from] but then we saw a collapse of biblical proportions as the they again failed miserably in the doubles  with Logan and Daivd R  doing some serious damage and Chad and Jeff made the most of Jimish’s inablility to get his blunt darts to stay in a very dodgy old board. Glyn had suggested some tactical Singles allocation for the Nomads but in the end it didn’t really matter as the Nomads comfortably took 5 out of the 6 and also the team game- only Jamie winning for the visitors. Phukkers will hope to get some consistency out their players in the coming weeks or they could end up in trouble and as for Nomads well they must be one of the early season favourites ,despite having a smaller playing squad than most. Chad as usual topped the tons with 7, while Logan and David R got 4 checks each.For the poor Phukkers Colin stood all alone with 3 tons and himself and Jamie each got themselves 2 checks.

Baan Thai v Alayah

The game went as was probably predicted ,even by Gypsy Pat ,with Alayah eventually cruising to a comfortable win over rock bottom Baan Thai, who at least had the comfort of being able to play  their home game at their own venue. It was actually finely poised at 3-3 after the first Singles but then Alayah showed a ruthless streak claiming all the remaining games for the loss of just two legs. Rey topped the checks stats for the home team with 3, while Jeff got 3 tons. For the victors a real team effort and chairman Lee will be proud of the start his boys have made.Willy, Huck and Paul each got 4 tons ,while a new name to me –Gerald – got most checks with 4.

Black Magic v Dirty Harrys

Black Magic got their second 7 -5 win over Dirty Harrys at Voodoo last Tuesday night. It was close after the doubles and triples with the Dirties actually holding a narrow 3 -2 lead.A strong Singles performance from BM took the game, with only the Gimp losing his match to Devo, who judging by the amount of tons he threw during the night was bang on form.BM did not trouble the tons board much during the evening, with the White Barry White topping the charts with 3. Rob1 played a typical captains innings [well not an Aussie cricket captain’s – cos they are crap!] with a useful 4 checks. Devo and Dan got 3 checks a piece for the Dirties.Devo getting 6 checks.

Division 3

Featured Match

The Prixx v Buddha

These two sides were hard to split in Division 2 last year so we were expecting a close battle and so it proved. Victory went to the reinforced Prixx by a narrow 7 -5 margin. The Prixx raced into a 4-1 lead with new players Jiggy and Warren being the main players.Look like these two additions could prove very useful to The Prixx.Buddha staged a stirring fightback in the Singles but just gave themselves too much to do.Wins to John,Scotty ,Tun and Andy were just not enough. They had a chance of gaining the draw but a loss in the team game consigned them to their first defeat of the season ,Matt from The Prixx getting the vital check.Three players from the home side got 4 checks- Jiggy, Warren and Matt.Their top tons scorer being Melvin with three.For the Buddha boys 3 tons each for Tun ,Ben and Andy, while checks were good for John and Scotty with three each.

Other matches

ACDC fell to a rather surprising heavy defeat against the Charmed Assassins, losing  10 -2 . Their recent form had not been too bad and I am sure Pat and his team would have expected it to be a little bit closer. In the final match  NSW got back to winning ways in a titanic struggle against Patriots ,getting a 7-5 win in the team game and winning just one leg more.

Division 4

Featured Match

Dreamtime v Boston

Well Gypsy Pat got this one all wrong and it proved to a very close affair and a point a piece for the sides.Dreamtime were looking for their first point and were looking good for all three early on ,going into 3-2 lead courtesy of Gazza and the New player 1. Boston staged a great comeback winning four of the Singles ,with Cian getting a win to go alongside his two legs checked in the doubles. The win was snatched away when Dreamtime got the team game and both sides got their first points on the board.Only 6 tons in total in the game ,with New Player 1 getting 2 for the home team and Ngoc getting 2 for the Patriots. Again New Player 1 topped the charts for Dreamtime with 4 and for the Patriots ,Cian also got 4.

OTHER GAMES

One would hope we are not seeing the signs of losing our first team from The Sidl but the Lunatics in Division 4 once again did not complete a fixture and The Udder Team claimed a walkover. In the other game Bernie’s Best fell to a home defeat from G-Force 8 -4. So G-Force top the league early on after their unbeaten start.

This week we meet with one of the long standing Madhouse players, Stephen Guess ,who is never shy about having a word or two at Darts AGM’s!!

Stephen you have been in Vietnam for an eternity now,why did you come here and what do you do?

I first came in June 1997, but moved permanently in 2003. The first time was following a divorce!! The second time was because the UK government were ruining my industry, as a Financial Adviser, and also because I felt it was good from an education point of view for my son. Now I have set up my own company, Regency International, providing financial advice to expats here.

You were a committee member way back [I remember the rather lively AGM when the likes of you, Ben and Darren were removed or stepped down –they don’t make nights like that now] . What do you think your main achievements were during your time running The Sidl?

We took over when all the other committee members had moved abroad with their companies and there was only Gary Dale and he left 2 months later. We got things back on track, introducing the divisions and setting up the website as well as reintroducing some of the comps. We had plans for the future but they never materialized following the next AGM. One thing the committee at that time tried to do was run the darts for all the members and not just the elite.

If you were to be on the Committee now ,what would you do differently?

1 plan we had was to try and spread the darts to the Vietnamese by getting the very few Vietnamese who were playing at the time to try and spread the word, if we could manage to up the numbers we were going to approach HTV to see if they would broadcast the singles final, or something, on local TV.

Who is the best player you have seen during your time playing darts in Saigon?

There have been a number of good players, but I think Blaine Karst, nice guy, good demeanor and temperament on the oche.

Madhouse have played at various places over the years. Can you remember them all and which was your favourite?

We have played at the original No5, Café Latin, Arena, Blue Gecko, Phattys,  Drunken Duck, Red and now Universal. The first 3 closed which was a shame and we should never have left Phattys.

I said in View from the Oche last week you seem to be playing less Singles and are becoming a bit of a doubles specialist –any reason for this?

We have some good players in Madhouse now and that doesn’t include me!

Favourite opposition team to play over the years?

Black Magic a few years ago with Charles and Vinny et al. and more recently our battles with your mob Los Lochos

What is your tipple on match nights?

Red wine

Scotch eggs or pork Pies?

Both, they go together so well with mayonnaise.

What song would you choose as Madhouse’s anthem?

Meatloaf Bat out of hell or Dire Straits Walk of Life.

Which team do you think will win Div 2 this year and who are your tips for relegation?

Having played the top 2 teams in the table so far, a loss and a draw, I think this division is too close to call. Baan Thai maybe last, but we lost to them twice last season before winning in dramatic fashion in the final, so I can’t cast them as relegation candidates yet either.

Classic case of sitting on the fence.

Do you have any superstitions in regard to your dart games ?

No, I am not good enough for such nonsense.

One of your favourite sports away from the oche is golf? What is your present handicap?

A bad back and 18.8.

Finally Stephen give us thehighlight of your Saigon darting career?

Beating Guppy 2-0 and also taking the first leg off Rick Horton he had lost all year.

Gypsy Pat

So how did our resident fortune teller do last week after looking into his crystal ball.

Well a mixed bag in all honesty as he got two results correct [tho the wrong score ]and two wrong altogether maybe he will swap to tea leaves this week.

His predictions last week and the actual results in brackets.

Mabuhay 7 v Buccaneers 5 [ 9-3]

Nomads 8 v Phattys Phukkers 4 [9-3]

Prixx 6 v Buddha 6 [7-5]

Dream Time 9 v Boston 3 [ 6-6]

So we move on to this weeks matches and see if he can prove he isn’t a just all  ear rings and lucky heather!

Once again I’ve been asked to see into the future, so here are my predictions for four of tonight’s games.

First up, from D1, Buccaneers v Ice Blue, assuming Rick is not playing then I think Ice Blue will find it hard against the Buccaneers, I am going to forecast an 8-4 win for the Buccaneers.

The D2 game is going to be a very close fought game, with Alayah having four players in the top 10 and Nomads 3, both having one draw, Alayah have two 9-3 wins and Nomads one 9-3 win having had a bye in the first week, I’m going to predict a draw here.

If NSW can field a strong team then I think the girls of ACDC are going to struggle, although they have a great player in Oanh, last week against Charmed Assassins, Bich played very well, but, sorry girls, I think it will be NSW 9-3 ACDC.

D4 see GForce entertaining The Tavern, GForce have had a good start to the season and currently top the division, but The Tavern are not far behind them in these early stages, however with their strong start I think this will go to the top team, prediction GForce 8-4 The Tavern.

There you go Jim

Patrick

News/Gossip

• Popped into Chairman Lee’s new establishment on Friday night for the first time and very nice mate. A few Sidlers playing in the form of Ethan and Devo and the dart area is much improved on the old one. I like the middle bar which reminds of gogo bar seating [or so I have been told]
• I think soft tip darts could be taking off – I am not sure if I am right but I think Red, Darts ,Darts, Darts and now Vinyl have machines. Never played myself so it will have to give it a go sometime.
• Please get the left hand side board changed at Chilli Bar!!!!