Wednesday 8 April 2020

SFL SEASON 4 REVIEW BY James Thomas

Season Review 



Newbold Aces  Season so far 


The Aces currently sit in 5th position, after struggling for a team in recent weeks, but it hasn’t always been that way for Speedy’s side. After holding the second spot for four weeks consecutively they then went and held the top spot for the same amount of weeks 

Result of the season
The Aces versus The Academicals was the only game to go ahead on what was dubbed as “Flood Week”. The victory was against a good Academicals side with loads of low legs throughout and two maximums for Lee Cropper ensuring a night of quality versus quantity on flood week.
07/11/2019   Aces 5 – 1 Academicals
Mick Smith 3-0 Stephen Godfrey, 
Lee Cropper(19,20,180x2) 3-2 Conal Doughty (17,21), Ian Speed (19) 3-1 Jack Lewis, Becky Hoyland (17) 3-2 Adam Warner (19)
Pairs Speed/Tye 0-2Warner/Lewis, Hoyland/Cropper 2-1 Doughty/Sollof
Player to watch 

Becky Hoyland is the one to watch out for in The Aces side, the Derbyshire star has hit three 180’s and two ton+ checkouts and is the favourite for the women’s individuals this year 

Tanks League prediction: 5th Looking at the remaining games and game in hand, I believe the Aces will not drop further down the league but they do have to play the wombles twice so that could help their chances of a higher position if they win those 

University Academicals
Season so far 

The Academicals sit in 7th position but don’t let that fool you into thinking this team is a walkover as that certainly is not the case. The Academicals sat in second place for the first four weeks of the season and are one of the two teams that have beaten the league leaders this season. Captain Conal Doughty has the hard task of whittling his squad down to the amount required for that evening.
Result of the Season
Although it wasn’t a landslide victory in terms of the result, it was a fantastic win against the league leaders away from home which then resulted in the hosts being knocked off top spot.
30/01/2020 Railwaymen 2-4 Academicals
Alan Jackson 0-3 Conal Doughty (18,126c/o), Geoff Higgs3-2Ritesh Deo, Gav Pilling (19)3-0 Joe Sollof, Ryan Goffin (15) 1-3 Adam Warner (18)
Pairs Goffin/Higgs1-2Warner/Deo, Pilling/Brittle 0-2 Doughty/Smith 

Player to watch
Conal Doughty with six 180’s and two ton+ checkouts so far this season, the captain is certainly one to watch out for 

Tanks League Prediction 7th: I believe The Academicals will finish in their current spot 7th. 6th spot is achievable depending on other results and anything can happen. 

Cue Ball Hustlers 

Season so far
The Hustlers are currently sat in third place after been league leaders for the first nine games of the season. They have proved to be a worthy opponent with a formidable home record (only losing one at home so far this season and undefeated at home until February).Captain Paul Harris strives for excellence in his team and this can be felt when you play them
Result of the Season
Arguably the best result of the season for The Hustlers was the 6-0 victory over The Woodbourne Wolves, it is the only defeat of that magnitude for The Wolves proving that The Hustlers are right where they should be: Battling it out in the top three
10/10/2019 Hustlers 6-0 Wolves
Nigel Ikin 3-0 Kev Bird, Lee Cushworth916,128c/o) 3-2 Laura Taylor, Adam Chadwick 3-1 Ray Grocutt (180), Carl Farnsworth (21) 3-1 Mick Bowers
Pairs Cushworth/Chadwick 2-0 Keane/Bowers, Farnsworth/Ikin 2-0 Taylor/Grocutt 

Player to watch
Lee Cushworth has been a name to watch out for on the Sheffield darts scene for years and is continuing his high standard with multiple maximums, high finishes and low legs 

Tanks League Prediction 4th: The hustlers are in the mix for the top four spots, but looking at the final run in of the teams they have the hardest run in and for that I am predicting they finish fourth 

The Station Railwaymen
Season so far 

The Station railwaymen have progressed up the table after a late start due to them having the first two weeks as bye weeks, they are the current league leaders having been on top spot five times whilst swapping places with second, although Gav Pilling’s side have distanced themselves slightly with a game in hand and 4 leg cushion. 

Result of the Season
The Railwaymen’s result of the season came at the time when their opponents that evening The Aces were flying high in the league so to beat the 6-0 shows how good a team they really are and to do it away from home is a feat in itself.
05/12/2019 Railwaymen 6-0 Aces
Mick Smith (18) 2-3 Geoff Higgs (100c/o), Becky Hoyland 0-3 Pete Bramley (18,19), Trevor Tye 2-3 Gav Pilling (180), Ian Speed 0-3 Ryan Goffin (20)
Pairs Hoyland/Smith 0-2 Higgs/Pilling, Speed/Tye0-2 Bramley/Goffin 

Player to watch
Gav Pilling and Tom Sawford are the players to watch for The Railwaymen with both having 6 maximums on the board, but Gav has two ton+ checkouts to his name also. 

Tanks League Prediction:1st The Railwaymen have a cushion and game in hand over second so I cannot see them letting that slip, the run in will be close but I think The Railwaymen take the title 

Woodbourne Panthers
Season so far 

The Panthers have been on top spot twice, have been in the to half of the table all season and are currently sat in second place, they share the least amount of games lost with The Railwaymen and The Wombles and look to be on course for a top two finish Led by  Antonio Cruz & Jason Burkhill these two know about managing a successful team.
Result of the Season
The result of the season for The Panthers must be the 6-0 victory over a strong Academicals side, showing the reason that they are in second place in the league
14/11/2020 Panthers 6-0 Academicals
Trevor Burkhill (14,19,21,18) 3-0 Conal Doughty, Curtis Thorpe 3-2 Nathan Hennessey, Mick Hulley(139c/o) 3-1 Jack Lewis, Russ Simmons (20) 3-0 Adam Warner
Pairs Waller/Cliffe 2-1 Doughty/Lewis, Burkhill/Meeson 2-0 Warner Hennessey 

Player to watch
The best player to watch in the entire league is Trevor Burkhill with eleven 180’s, five ton+ checkouts and the high finish of 170, he certainly is the player to watch and will also give advice to any player that asks.
Tanks League Prediction:2nd Although they are in touching distance of the top, they also must be mindful of the two teams below as they both have games in hand. I do think it will be extremely close but will cling onto second spot with The Railway taking the league 

Riverside Stallions
Season so far 

The Riverside Stallions are currently sat in eighth place in the league, their highest position the league this year was fifth, The Stallions are a close-knit side ran by one half of The Simmons couple: Sie
Result of the Season
The Result of the season must be their away win against The Woodbourne Wolves. The game was tied up after the singles, but The Stallions dug deep and took both the pairs giving them a tremendous away victory
30/01/2020 Kieron Potts 1-3 Sie Simmons, Mick Bowers (18) 3-2 Sie Simmons, Kev Bird 2-3 Martin Baugh, Laura Taylor 3-0 Stu Tunstill
Pairs Edwards/Keane 1-2 Johnson/Pike, Taylor/Bowers 0-2 A Simmons/s Simmons 

Player to watch
Sie Simmons is the player to watch out for in The Stallions side, when he is on form, he is a difficult player to beat and has been the one to win in their 5-1 defeats
Tanks League Prediction:8th The Stallions position seems to be set in stone with the gap to 7th too big to catch and the gap below too big to be caught 

Midland Warriors
Season so far 

The warriors have unfortunately been routed to the bottom of the table all season, but that won’t bother them as they aren’t about winning titles and trophies. The warriors are about making it as difficult as possible for whichever team they play, and captain Paul Brittle always makes sure his team give it their all.
Result of the Season
The Draw with The Stallion’s is the result of the season thus far as it ensures that The Warriors will not lose every game this season
28/11/2019 Stallions 3-3 Warriors
Colin Johnson 1-3 Paul Brittle, Martin Baugh 3-0 Angie Brittle, Stu Tunstill 1-3 Ian Webster, Sie Simmons 3-0 Barry Brittle
Pairs S Simmons/W Tunstill 2-1 P Brittle/A Brittle, A Simmons/Pike 1-2 Webster/B Brittle 

Player to watch
“The Wizard” Ian Webster is the player to watch as he injects a bit of magic for the warriors with 180’s and ton+ checkouts to his name
Tanks League Prediction 9th: Unfortunately, the writing is on the wall for The Warriors but that will not dishearten them they will still fight every week 

Woodbourne Wolves
Season so far 

The Wolves currently sit in sixth position with a point behind fifth, their highest position in the league this year was third. Captained by Laura Taylor The Wolves are a hard side to break down with some great players and the nicest woman in the league Sue Edwards.
Result of the Season
The result of the season is probably the draw against The Railwaymen, proving my point of The Wolves being a hard team to break down even away from home.
27/02/2020 Railwaymen 3-3 Wolves
Pete Bramley 1-3 Mick Bowers (20,21), Steve Brittle (21) 3-1 Laura Taylor, Gav Pilling 3-1 Kev Bird, Alan Jackson 0-3 Kieron Potts (19)
Pairs Pilling/Brittle 2-0 Keane/Potts, Bramley/Jackson 0-2 Taylor/Bowers 

Player to watch
Mick Bowers is a name you all know and there are no surprises that he is the player to watch out for for The Wolves, countless low legs, five 180’s and two ton+ checkouts make him a tough opponent to beat
Tanks League Prediction 6th: I believe The Wolves will finish in their current position, the games in hand for 5th will be too much to catch up on and I believe they are too strong to drop down into 7th 

Woodbourne Wombles
Season so far 

The Wombles currently sit in fourth position, a promising position with three games in hand over second placed panthers. The wombles sat in seventh position 8 playing weeks ago but after 5 wins two draws and a bye week putting Tanks side back in the mix.
Result of the Season
The result of the season is the one that is done by no mean feat, the 6-0 whitewash of a Warriors side who battled on the whole way through.
13/02/2020 Wombles 6-0 Warriors
Steven Caley (180) 3-0 Barry Brittle, James Thomas 3-0 Ian Webster, Mick Swift (19,21) 3-0 Angie Brittle, Glynn Harris(106c/o) 3-0 Paul Brittle
Pairs Harris/Swift 2-0 B Brittle/Webster, Thomas/Caley 2-0 P Brittle/A Brittle
Player to watch
Glynn Harris is the Womble to watch out for with three 180’s and two ton+ checkouts, he certainly has come a long way in his second year in the SFL
Tanks League Prediction 3rd: Although they are currently sat in fourth position The Wombles have games in hand which mean any place in the top four is achievable. 











Hopefully see you all soon, Stay Safe – Stay at Home 

Report by James Thomas