Last Monday saw the finals night of the 2025/26 Spalding Darts League season and the standard was high throughout.
This season saw a change to finals night having less games, with captains, ladies and mixed pairs having played their finals on the night of the qualifier.
The first final was the Kelly Foster Division Three Cup and it was first versus second with unbeaten Pinchbeck FC strong favourites.
They became odds on favourites after winning the first three pairs and Connor McKenzie winning 2-0 with a 180 and a 16-dart leg.
This meant Pinchbeck needed one game from the following five but Drayman’s D had other ideas and wins for Jordan Philpott, Ryan Coddington, Ant Norman and Emma Tickner set up a final game between Pinchbeck’s Jay Vernalls and Drayman’s Mark Spiller.
This game went all the way and there were a few nervous darts, but Spiller held his nerve winning the match for Drayman’s and causing a major upset.
The Dick Morgan Division Two Cup was a much easier affair with Division Two champions Green Dragon A doing the double.
They won 7-2 and in the pairs Adam Rear and Darren Templeman hit maximum 180s and Templeman and Chris Wing had a smart 17-dart leg.
Ady Smith and John Robinson were the winners for Consti D.
Green Dragon A are promoted to Division One next season and are fancied to do well.
There looked to be a clear favourite in the Division One Supreme Cup with second placed Rose and Crown C taking on bottom placed Consti E.
Rose and Crown stormed into a 2-1 lead after the pairs with Mark Horspool hitting a maximum 180 whilst teaming up with Duncan Hunt.
Logan Goddard then won his singles game with a maximum 180 to put Rose and Crown 3-1 up.
Consti E fought back with a win for Ash Allen over Horspool but wins for Duncan Hunt and Monty Bunn sealed the win for Rose and Crown, Bunn hitting a 180.
Dan Gent went on and won his game against Colin Hatter hitting another maximum 180.
The divisional pairs and singles finals were called by chairman Ian Tilley and thanks went to vice chairman John Robinson who scored all six games.
The first game was the Division Three pairs and Drayman’s D were guaranteed another trophy having both the finalists, but Philpott and Josh Burton played the better and beat Spiller and Dan Mills.
In Division Two, Mick Holstead and Templeman, of Green Dragon A, were looking for more trophies but Chris Chamberlain and Dan Blakey, of Holbeach Services, wanted to cause an upset.
It was a close game in which Holstead and Templeman came out on top 2-1, with the high scoring the thing that edged them the win with two 140s, 131 and 100 between them. They also had a fine 16-dart leg.
In the Division One pairs, Jack Chilvers and Chris Fidler, of Consti A, looked to beat club mates Paul Blow and Ash Allen, of Consti E.
Chilvers and Fidler took the lead, but Blow and Allen hit an 18-dart leg to level.
Chilvers and Fidler stretched ahead in the third leg hitting several 100 plus scores and won the title 2-1.
The three big finals of the night and Pinchbeck FC were guaranteed another trophy as they had last season’s winner McKenzie and Andy Mason in the Division Three singles final.
Mason used his years of experience, but the up-and-coming McKenzie won hitting three 100s and a 125 winning.
McKenzie at 14 is one to look out for.
The Division Two final was arguably the best final of the night with Holstead looking to add to his pairs title and Cameron Flowers, of Drayman’s C, after a win.
Flowers is a top player who has just got back into darts and was a county player.
Holstead is relatively new to darts but is getting his name about after winning several tournaments.
Flowers played his part, but Holstead won 2-0 having a 13-dart leg in the first leg and missing a double for a 12-dart leg. He also had seven scores of over 100 in the two legs.
In the Division One final Jason Vines was searching for his third singles title and Ian Lawson was in the final for the first time.
Vines had seven 100s but was missing the edge of what has won him titles previously.
There were a few nervy darts but Lawson is the new Division One single’s champion beating Vines 3-2.
Thanks went to all players, supporters, committee and the pubs and clubs.
The league is looking ahead to a big season with eight new teams and enquiries already coming in for entries the following season.
