FREAKERS
Fleckney
Darts Team
Countesthorpe
Wigston Magna
Great Glen
Dunton Bassett
Whetstone
Mowsley
Fleckney
Fleckney & District Darts league 1949-1998
The Fleckney league started it's darts season of in 1949-50 with a few public houses within a 5 miles radius of Fleckney in south Leicestershire. In 1959-60 A.G.M at the league headquarters held at the Dun Cow Fleckney this was expanded to a 7 miles radius because there where doubts of the league continuing with only 8 teams. Over the next coming years with more and more public houses with teams joining the F.D.D.L it grew to it's peak in 1985-86 were 276 dart players signed up with 26 teams playing in two divisions.
The league was run by an election of officers, Chairman, Honorary Secretary and a Committee (one player from each team) see names and dates below. Records don't show before 1959 but Pip Airey of Fleckney was possibly Honorary secretary from the start of the league till Jack Jones from Wigston took over the job in 1959-60 which he continued until 1993 when he retired from honorary secretary and took on the position of assistant secretary he remained this until the leagues demise in 1997-98.
Henry Bircham became chart secretary 1962-63, he and Jack played from the Dun Cow. Over the years they would form part of a formidable team known as The Scrubbers. This was a nomadic team playing at a number of different village pubs who wanted to join the league but didn’t have enough players. The scurbbers darts team became one of the best around. In 1977-78 season playing from the Black Horse, Blaby they were the first team in the leagues history to go through the season unbeaten. Winning division 1, the knock out cup and the summer league. On the other end of the scale in 1963-64 the Old Crow Inn, Fleckney had two teams A and B. The B team achieved just the opposite never winning a game! Including the Knock out cup!!!
During the 50's there was an American team playing in the F.D.D.L. when the American Air Force were based at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome. The sergeants mess on the air base was the venue for the visiting teams and they would be escorted there by the military police from the main gates and greeted by Captain Pete Peterson and the Base Commander Mr Turnbull. Both were players in the American darts team. After leaving England commader Turnbull was posted to Vietnam for a tour of duty during which time he was injured and unortunately lost a leg, His last know whereabouts was Omaha, Nabrasc.
The league was run by an election of officers, Chairman, Honorary Secretary and a Committee (one player from each team) see names and dates below. Records don't show before 1959 but Pip Airey of Fleckney was possibly Honorary secretary from the start of the league till Jack Jones from Wigston took over the job in 1959-60 which he continued until 1993 when he retired from honorary secretary and took on the position of assistant secretary he remained this until the leagues demise in 1997-98.
Henry Bircham became chart secretary 1962-63, he and Jack played from the Dun Cow. Over the years they would form part of a formidable team known as The Scrubbers. This was a nomadic team playing at a number of different village pubs who wanted to join the league but didn’t have enough players. The scurbbers darts team became one of the best around. In 1977-78 season playing from the Black Horse, Blaby they were the first team in the leagues history to go through the season unbeaten. Winning division 1, the knock out cup and the summer league. On the other end of the scale in 1963-64 the Old Crow Inn, Fleckney had two teams A and B. The B team achieved just the opposite never winning a game! Including the Knock out cup!!!
During the 50's there was an American team playing in the F.D.D.L. when the American Air Force were based at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome. The sergeants mess on the air base was the venue for the visiting teams and they would be escorted there by the military police from the main gates and greeted by Captain Pete Peterson and the Base Commander Mr Turnbull. Both were players in the American darts team. After leaving England commader Turnbull was posted to Vietnam for a tour of duty during which time he was injured and unortunately lost a leg, His last know whereabouts was Omaha, Nabrasc.
Kilby Bridge
Blaby
Black Horse
British Leagion
British Leagion
Shearsby
South Wigston
Arnesby
shoulder & mutton
Bruntingthorpe
Plough Inn
Kilby
Chairmans Of The League
One of the highlights at the end of the league season was the presentation night attended by representatives from all teams from around the Fleckney district and the league. The photo on the left was from 1969-70 season. In the center Mr Jack Jones secretary and member of the Saff of Life Mowsley darts team Scrubbers is congratulating Norman Brown (Railway, Wigston) on winning the singles competition, extreme left is Mr Doug Coltman (Staff of Life, Mowsley) the league chairman and on the right Derek Dunkley and Ken Cox (Railway, Wigston). In the final of the knock-out competition, the Merry Monk team from Dunton Bassett beat the Staff of Life. The events were staged at Fleckney Working Men's Club. Mr Ken Galloway representative of Watney Man Brewery also attended.
1959 F Bromley
1959 F Griffin
1960-61 R W Illiffe
1962-63 K Mattock
1964 R Salt
1965-66 A Kirkpatrick
1967-68 K Griffiths
1969 D Coltman
1970-77 G Smith
1977-79 A Wynne
1980-81 J Neat
1982-97 F Sansome jnr
1959 F Griffin
1960-61 R W Illiffe
1962-63 K Mattock
1964 R Salt
1965-66 A Kirkpatrick
1967-68 K Griffiths
1969 D Coltman
1970-77 G Smith
1977-79 A Wynne
1980-81 J Neat
1982-97 F Sansome jnr
Secretarys Of The League
1949-58 L Airey
1959-93 J Jones
1994-97 D Kirton
1959-93 J Jones
1994-97 D Kirton
Assistant Secretarys
1961 S Dilks
1965-72 H Bircham
1973-76 J Rippington
1977 D Coltman
1985 A James
1993 D Kirton
1965-72 H Bircham
1973-76 J Rippington
1977 D Coltman
1985 A James
1993 D Kirton
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Chart Secretarys
1968 P Cooper
1970-74 M Bruce
1970-74 M Bruce
1964 H Bircham
Election Of Officers For The League
League & A.G.M Headquarters
Public houses And Clubs That Played In The Fleckney Darts League
Saddington
1949-1963-------The Dun Cow Fleckney
1964-1970-------The Old Crown Fleckney
1971-1981-------Conservative Club Feckney
1982-1994-------Fleckney Working Mens Club
1995-1996-------Great Wigston W.M.C.
1997- --------Star And Garter Wigston
In 1989 a one off A.G.M. meating was held at the Glencroft prison warders club Glen Parva
1964-1970-------The Old Crown Fleckney
1971-1981-------Conservative Club Feckney
1982-1994-------Fleckney Working Mens Club
1995-1996-------Great Wigston W.M.C.
1997- --------Star And Garter Wigston
In 1989 a one off A.G.M. meating was held at the Glencroft prison warders club Glen Parva
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League Trophys
Click on image to enlarge
Click on image to enlarge
Oadby
Queens Head
The Crown
The Plough
Viking Tunn
Liberal club
Horse & Trumpet
Star & Garter
Great wigston W.M.C
The Crown
The Plough
Viking Tunn
Liberal club
Horse & Trumpet
Star & Garter
Great wigston W.M.C
Merrie Monk
Brief History
1988-89 saw a dramatic decline in teams signing up for the season, 13 in total, this was the beginning of the end for the league. However it struggled on for the next ten years and finally the Fleckney leagues demise came in 1998. Fleckney darts Committee approached the Countesthorpe League Committee to see if they would be interested in a merger of the leagues. Countesthorpe declined the offer thus ending a fortynine-year chapter in the Fleckney's unique history.