On This Day...
What does March 15 mean to you?
Some are aware that the 15th is known as "the Ides of March", which is the date (in 44 BC) on which Julius Caesar was slain.
It is the day in 1820 when Maine became the 23rd US State.
Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the Russian throne in 1917.
In 1931 the SS Viking exploded off the coast of Newfoundland, killing 27 of the 147 on board.
Those born on this day include : Andrew Jackson (7th President of the United States) - 1767, Judd Hirsch (star of 'Taxi') - 1932, and the lovely Eva Longoria (1975). It is also the day we lost Italian composer Luigi Cherubini (1842).
However, none of the above can explain the true significance of March 15 for me. There are actually two very good reasons, which you are about to discover.
Many of you know that my dad, Ken, was a top darter back in the 70's, but know nothing of the story behind it. He was a very energetic type after leaving school, taking part in a variety of sporting activities. Although playing darts in local leagues, cricket (the bat-and-ball game, not the darts game) was his first love, and he was an accomplished bowler. Now, when I say bowler, that is a cricket position (equivalent to a pitcher), and nothing to do with bowling or lawn bowls!
March 15, 1971, was a Monday. A few days earlier, my dad had bought a car, and we spent the weekend cleaning the thing. On the Monday morning, the car wouldn't start. He had a motorcycle too, so getting to work was no problem. On the way home that night, a car ran a stop sign, and hit my dad side-on at about 40 mph.
The doctors were able to save his right leg, which had been smashed into the engine, but admitted that it may have been better for him had he lost the limb. He was in a cast for over 18 months. Of course, his cricketing days were over, but Ken Brown still wanted to be competitive. Using his crutches to form a tripod with his good leg, he started putting a little more time and effort into his darts..
In 1973, the British Darts Organisation formed the Inter-Counties League, and Surrey were entering a team. Deciding to go along to the Surrey trials, my dad had no problem in securing a place. Rapidly becoming one of the county's top players, this leads us onto March 15 - part two.
The BDO had arranged the first ever full international match for early 1974. They were to send a Great Britain team over to play against the USA, at the Royal Manhattan Hotel in New York. Qualification for the British team was via a number of county playoffs. The Surrey playoff came down to a final between Croydon's Brian Elton - and Carshalton's Ken Brown. My dad won.
The date of the international was - wait for it - March 15, 1974!
I had already been playing darts for a couple of years, although it was simply a case of practising at home. Back in the early 70's, nobody had any concept of darts becoming a real worldwide sport, so this was like, "WOW!!! My dad is going to New York - to play darts!" Sadly, this episode in darts history is largely forgotten, which is a great shame. However, I am attempting to resurrect its memory here by bringing you details of the clash. The match was 15-a-side (with three alternates), and when the draw had been posted, my dad was first on against the now legendary Nicky Virachkul. This means that - three years to the day after his terrible accident - Ken Brown was the first player EVER to throw darts in a full international match. Not only was he the first to play, but also the first to win!
Following on from this, the name of Ken Brown was to become well known in darting circles. Apart from six appearances for England, there were invitations to compete in several televised events, including Yorkshire TV's Indoor League, and the popular TV Times Pro-Am. He also became one of the first full-time professionals.
Back to the match itself, and the American team was selected by the United States Darting Association (predecessor of the ADO). The modern game had not yet been established in this country, and many of the US team were known for their skills at the traditional "American" darts. The fact that this game was centered on the East Coast was reflected in the makeup of the team, with seven representatives from New Jersey, and a further five from Philadelphia. There were two from California, and one each from Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, and New York.
The averages may seem disappointing, but remember that this was forty years ago, and the overall standard of the game was much lower than it is today. Not only that; don't forget that these players had probably never experienced anything like the pressures of playing on stage or representing their country.
Still, it was expected to be a relatively easy win for the visitors, but to everyone's amazement, it was the hosts who took the match by a score of 9-6. Here are the individual results and points-per-dart averages (American names first) :
| Americans | v | Englishmen | |
| Nicky Virachkul (21.72) | 1:2 | Ken Brown (20.68) | |
| Bob Thiede (20.65) | 2:1 | Mike Bowell (21.71) | |
| Colin Tinson (20.48) | 0:2 | Leighton Rees (22.77) | |
| Robin Varian (20.04) | 2:0 | Les Pratchett (19.94) | |
| Al Lippman (23.86) | 2:0 | Cliff Inglis (20.24) | |
| Dan Valletto (23.30) | 2:0 | Roy Morgan (20.69) | |
| Jim Macredes (21.32) | 2:0 | Paul Gosling (19.80) | |
| Tom Kerr (17.58) | 2:0 | Jack Ambler (15.93) | |
| Joe Baltadonis (21.97) | 0:2 | Willie Etherington (26.37) | |
| Joe Pacchainelli (25.05) | 2:0 | Doug Priestner (20.67) | |
| Jim Oulette (22.77) | 2:0 | Bill Perry (19.74) | |
| Bob Iwanowicz (14.03) | 0:2 | Alan Evans (27.83) | |
| Ray Fischer (23.86) | 2:0 | Alan Glazier (21.14) | |
| Len Craig (18.58) | 1:2 | Nobby Clarke (19.88) | |
| George Silberzahn (24.22) | 1:2 | Chic Love (24.31) |
So, now you all know about this great day for American darts, even if it is 37 years on! You also know why I am here, and doing what I'm doing right now. This is all because my dad's car wouldn't start. Had it done so, he wouldn't have had the accident, he'd have carried on playing cricket instead of darts, I would never had taken up darts as a career, and I certainly don't think I would be here in the US. Amazing how things turn out, isn't it?
I'll be back with another history lesson soon