Susan Ashby asked:
Whether you’re the sporty type who loves to compete or are more of a spectator who enjoys the vicarious thrill of watching competition, Blackpool has a lot to offer you.
Blackpool has many sports centres that promote sports like football, darts, cricket or badminton as well as a few football pitches, junior teams and a Coca-Cola League Division side.
The Blackpool Sports Centre on West Drive is one of the town’s most popular sports venues. It provides facilities for football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, indoor hockey, wall climbing, martial arts and netball.
Blackpool has two public swimming pools for those who prefer to do their exercising in the water. These are the Lido Pool on Lytham Road and the Moor Park Swimming Pool on Bristol Avenue. On the other hand, if it’s a weekend and you have the kids in tow, perhaps the venue of choice for water fun is the Sandcastle Waterworld on the Promenade. It has a number of popular water slides and a wave pool.
With an eight-rink bowling stadium, the Blackpool Borough Indoor Bowls Centre on Larkhill Street is the ideal venue for crown green bowling, whether it’s for competitive team matches or laid-back family fun.
If golf is your game, Blackpool has a number of top-flight golf clubs that are certain to capture your fancy. The two most popular ones are the North Shore Golf Club and the Fleetwood Golf Club, both 18-hole 71 par courses. Casual golfers will enjoy the 18-hole Stanley Park Golf Course.
Blackpool also has its own elite cricket team that competes in the Northern Premier League against the likes of Fleetwood, Barrow and Lancaster. That’s the Blackpool Cricket Club which is based at Stanley Park.
Darts is also a major sport in Blackpool, especially since the town hosts the prestigious Stan James World Matchplay Darts Championship every year. Held traditionally at the Empress Ballroom in the Winter Gardens, the competition brings together the 32 top professional dart players in the world who vie for over £100,000 in prize money. The Stan James World Matchplay Darts Championship draws in huge crowds to the Empress Ballroom and is televised live to countless people worldwide via satellite.
Of course, one of the most popular games in town is football. The Blackpool Sports Centre is a favourite venue for friendly five-a-side games. The venue has a sports arena and an all-weather outdoor pitch. Meanwhile, for a casual kick-about with a few friends, Blackpool boasts more than 80 public parks that are perfect for just such an occasion.
One of the best parks is Stanley Park, one of the most beautiful parks in Blackpool which stretches to over 256 acres of scenic parkland. Not only does it have lots of space for football, it also has its own cafe where players can grab a quick drink to freshen up.
Anyone can see that the spirit of sport is alive and well in Blackpool every time the city’s professional football team, the Blackpool FC aka the Tangerines, compete, with throngs of boisterous fans coming out to cheer them on.
The Tangerines were formed in 1887 but did not get to play in the football league until 1903. They toiled in the second division for many years, during which time the club was often saddled by debts while only a few loyal supporters cheered them on.
Blackpool FC finally got its big break in 1929-30 when it was promoted to Division One as champions. However, they would only stay there for three brief seasons before falling back to the second division. Their next breakthrough would come in 1936-37 when they would once again climb up to Division One. This time, they would remain among the top tier teams for the next 25 years.
After World War II, Blackpool FC would sign sensational striker Stanley Matthews, nicknamed The Wizard of the Dribble for his skill at soccer, and he would lead them to great prosperity and success. The number of Blackpool FC supporters ballooned during this time.
Blackpool FC would reach the pinnacle of their success in 1953 when they won the FA Cup final at Wembley via a 4-3 victory over Bolton Wanderers. What made the win even more thrilling is that the Tangerines had to climb back from 0-2 down to win the cup. Since then, that game has been immortalized as the “Matthews Final” in honor of Stanley Matthews’ role in the match.
With Matthews as the Tangerines’ driving force, Blackpool FC became of the most popular teams in the league, both for home and away games. In fact, for three seasons – 1950-51, 1954-55 and 1955-56 – the Tangerines were the most popular visiting team in the UK. About 40,000 fans on average watched their games during that time.
Unfortunately, in 1966-67, Blackpool was relegated back to Division Two and the period that followed has been marked by highs and lows. The team now plays in the Coca Cola League Division One.
Article by Susan Ashby of Blackpool Singles. To read more articles like this or for dating in Blackpool visit htpp://www.Blackpool-singles.co.uk
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Posts Tagged ‘Dart Players’
Dart Your Way To An Exciting Evening
Monday, December 29th, 2008Susan Jan asked:
Be it at the bars, pubs, clubs or your own living room, darts are an excellent way of spending time with friends and family. Spending time at home will never be boring as long as you have a dartboard hanging in your room.
The history of the game of darts goes back a long time. Legend has it that soldiers during the Middle Ages used to throw spears at barrel bases or cut-up tree trunks to get over their boredom. This gradually gave shape to what we now know as dart games. The system of scoring, followed across the world, came into being during the early 18th century.
Dart games have become popular over the years as it is inexpensive to play, can be played indoors during bad weather, no dress codes are required, and can be played by anyone – male or female, young or old.
The basic requirements are a dartboard and darts. With the advancement of technology dartboards have also evolved through the times. The most common dartboard is the bristle board – either cork or sisal. Cork dartboards deteriorate quickly with continued used, as the darts leave holes in the boards and the cork crumbles. The fibrous nature of sisal, however, is able to overcome this drawback and has therefore gained popularity. Sisal does not crumble even after constant use. Electronic dartboards are also available, and are equipped with sensors allowing for automated scoring.
There are various types of darts. The main parts of a dart are the tip, barrel, shaft and flight. Tips are either steel or soft. Soft tips are preferred on electronic dartboards and cork dartboards and are also recommended for new players. Steel tips are for the more experienced dart players. Shafts also come in various types. Synthetic flights are the most common nowadays and can be combined with the shafts. The use of feathers as flights has decreased considerably nowadays.
Many dart accessories are available nowadays. Instead of simply hanging the dartboard on walls, dart cabinets can be used to add style and elegance to your dart game. Many players also attach add-a-grams to get the required weights on the darts. The perfect weight improves accuracy in shooting. Dart mats are useful for new players, as the bounce-off from the boards may cause considerable damage to the floor. It is also important to have a rulebook as there are many methods of keeping scores and the game can be played under different rules. Scoreboard is also a must if you are not using electronic dartboards.
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Did anyone go to the World Series of Darts this past weekend?
Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008Denise T asked:
Unfortunately from what I’ve found online, the USA team only won 1 match out of 16.
You know, all I have gotten is smart *** answers to my questions. If you guys were “truly” dart players, you would know what I was talking about. Bunch of smart ***** on here. Guess it is an easy two points. Thanks anyway.
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Dart your Way to an Exciting Evening
Monday, February 25th, 2008Sue Jan asked:
Dart games have become popular over the years as it is inexpensive to play, can be played indoors during bad weather, no dress codes are required, and can be played by anyone – male or female, young or old.
The basic requirements are a dartboard and darts. With the advancement of technology dartboards have also evolved through the times. The most common dartboard is the bristle board – either cork or sisal. Cork dartboards deteriorate quickly with continued used, as the darts leave holes in the boards and the cork crumbles. The fibrous nature of sisal, however, is able to overcome this drawback and has therefore gained popularity. Sisal does not crumble even after constant use. Electronic dartboards are also available, and are equipped with sensors allowing for automated scoring.
There are various types of darts. The main parts of a dart are the tip, barrel, shaft and flight. Tips are either steel or soft. Soft tips are preferred on electronic dartboards and cork dartboards and are also recommended for new players. Steel tips are for the more experienced dart players. Shafts also come in various types. Synthetic flights are the most common nowadays and can be combined with the shafts. The use of feathers as flights has decreased considerably nowadays.
Many dart accessories are available nowadays. Instead of simply hanging the dartboard on walls, dart cabinets can be used to add style and elegance to your dart game. Many players also attach add-a-grams to get the required weights on the darts. The perfect weight improves accuracy in shooting. Dart mats are useful for new players, as the bounce-off from the boards may cause considerable damage to the floor. It is also important to have a rulebook as there are many methods of keeping scores and the game can be played under different rules. Scoreboard is also a must if you are not using electronic dartboards.
Click here to go to the ultimate Baseball Darts Store
World Series of Darts.will it turn darts into the new ‘poker’?
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008claddaghmamma asked:
I know a lot of dart players and they have high hopes for change with the ESPN tournament.
What do you think?
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Darts: Sharpening Darts Vs. Rounding Darts
Sunday, June 17th, 2007Len Q. asked:
You could really be good at throwing darts. You could have fantastic scores. It really wouldn’t matter though if your darts keep bouncing off the dartboard, if they won’t stick. After all, if they won’t stick, what’s the use, right?
Sharpening or rounding darts for sport or for competition is a good skill to develop, especially if you’re a player. The dart points aren’t actually meant to be sharp, even though they may be when you first buy them. Who woulda’ thought? Sharp dart points ruin a dartboard by nicking the wires, permanently damaging them. They will actually cause darts to bounce too often off the dartboard. Not a good thing at all. And the sharp points won’t stay sharp very long. The points will often bend or roll over upon impact.
Many times a burr will form on a sharp pointed dart after sticking. This very small, very thin wire coming off the tip will cause dartboard fibers to be wrenched free when you’re pulling them off the board. Burrs are very bad for dart boards. To check for a burr, hold the dart with the tip up. Run a fingernail up the side of the point. If there is a burr, your fingernail will catch on it. Should this happen, a dart sharpener, or sandpaper, can easily be used to remove the burr. Remember that it is a fingernail and not a finger tip to use. A burr is a hell of a splinter to have to remove.
So if you don’t want it sharp, then what? Straight up, the point of a dart should be rounded. Rounded just like a ballpoint pen. Rounded tips do not damage a dartboard. They will slide past the wires instead of cutting them. There is no cleaving and, thus no burr will form. Interestingly, rounded-tip darts will stick to a dartboard much more than will sharp-tip darts. How about that? Don’t fight it. That’s just how it goes. And when you loosen the dart, dartboard fibers will not be pulled free. Even better.
Some dart players believe that a dart point should not be sharp or round. They believe that they don’t even need to be maintained. Just play on! This is not good. Oh, no. An unmaintained dart tip will not stay round, it will become flat. This flat-tipped dart will simply bounce right off the dartboard, whether it strikes the wires or the board fibers. And because flat tips compress dartboard fibers upon impact, repeated use will ruin the dartboard, making it very difficult for darts to stick at all.
When the point of a dart begins to flatten, we only want to sharpen the tip enough to round it for use. There are hollow, cylindrical dart sharpening stones that may be used to sharpen the dart tip. These concave stones are very common sharpeners for darts. Small, flat rectangular sharpening stones for darts are also available. If all else is unavailable, use very coarse sandpaper. Simply wrap the sandpaper around the tip, pinch it firmly and rotate the tip until the dart becomes sharp.
Now that the tip is sharp, you’ll want to round it. Place the tip down on a sharpening stone or sand paper as though it were standing on end. Slowly spin the dart in place until the tip dulls just a little. Now tip the dart downward ever so slightly and spin it again just a handful of times. And now you’re done. If you don’t trust yourself to hold the dart still while spinning it, put the stone and dart-or your hand holding the dart-flush against a wall, or immobile solid structure, and then round the dart.
If your darts are dirty, clean them with water and a soft soap. Thoroughly dry them. Now they can be stored without worry of rust. But, if they do become rusty, sandpaper will easily do the trick. Lubricate the points with oil, wipe them as dry as possible and then store them. If cared for consistently, your darts, and not the flights, could last a lifetime.
Remember to keep your darts rounded. Not sharp, and definitely not flat. It’ll only take a couple of minutes of your time to keep them in their best condition. It may improve your scoring and will surely lengthen the life of your dartboard. Good luck!
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How far should do professional dart players stand from the board?
Saturday, November 25th, 2006sportsfreak asked:
In these professional dart tournaments, how far do the players have to stand from the dart board?
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Darts: Sharpening Vs. Rounding
Wednesday, February 8th, 2006anonymous asked:
really be good at throwing darts. You could have fantastic scores. It really wouldn’t matter though if your darts keep bouncing off the dartboard, if they won’t stick. After all, if they won’t stick, what’s the use, right?
Sharpening or rounding darts for sport or for competition is a good skill to develop, especially if you’re a player. The dart points aren’t actually meant to be sharp, even though they may be when you first buy them. Who woulda’ thought? Sharp dart points ruin a dartboard by nicking the wires, permanently damaging them. Interestingly, they will cause the darts to bounce quite regularly off the dartboard. Not a good thing at all. And the sharp points won’t stay sharp very long. The points will often bend or roll over upon impact.
Many times a burr will form on a sharp pointed dart after sticking. This very small, very thin wire coming off the tip will cause dartboard fibers to be wrenched free when you’re pulling them off the board. Burrs are the enemy of dartboards. To check for a burr, hold the dart with the tip up. Run a fingernail up the side of the point. If there is a burr, your fingernail will catch on it. Should this happen, a dart sharpener, or sandpaper, can easily be used to remove the burr. Remember that it is a fingernail and not a finger tip to use. A burr is a hell of a splinter to have to remove.
So if you don’t want it sharp, then what? Straight up, the point of a dart should be rounded. Just like a ballpoint pen. Rounded tips do not damage a dartboard. They will slide past the wires instead of cutting them. There is no cleaving and, thus no burr will form. Interestingly, rounded-tip darts will stick to a dartboard much more than will sharp-tip darts. How about that? Don’t fight it. That’s just how it goes. And when you loosen the dart, dartboard fibers will not be pulled free. Even better.
Some dart players believe that a dart point should not be sharp or round. They truly think that darts need no maintenance whatever. Just play on! This is not good. Oh, no. An unmaintained dart tip will not stay round, it will become flat. Once your dart tip has become flattened, it’ll bounce right off the dartboard no matter where it lands. And because flat tips compress dartboard fibers upon impact, repeated use will ruin the dartboard, making it very difficult for darts to stick at all.
When the point of a dart begins to flatten, we only want to sharpen the tip enough to round it for use. There are hollow, cylindrical dart sharpening stones that may be used to sharpen the dart tip. These concave stones are fantastic sharpeners for dars. Small, flat rectangular sharpening stones for darts are also available. If all else is unavailable, use very coarse sandpaper. Simply wrap the sandpaper around the tip, pinch it firmly and rotate the tip until the dart becomes sharp.
Now that the tip is sharp, you’ll want to round it. Place the tip down on a sharpening stone or sand paper as though it were standing on end. Slowly spin the dart in place until the tip dulls just a little. Now tip the dart downward ever so slightly and spin it again just a handful of times. And now you’re done. If you don’t trust yourself to hold the dart still while spinning it, put the stone and dartor your hand holding the dartflush against a wall, or immobile solid structure, and then round the dart.
If your darts are dirty, clean them with water and a soft soap. Thoroughly dry them. Now they can be stored without worry of rust. But, if they do become rusty, sandpaper will easily do the trick. Lubricate the points with oil, wipe them as dry as possible and then store them. If cared for consistently, your darts, and not the flights, could last a lifetime.
Remember to keep your darts rounded. Definitely not sharp and surely not flat. It’ll only take a couple of minutes of your time to keep them in their best condition. It may improve your scoring and will surely lengthen the life of your dartboard. Good luck!
Click here to go to the ultimate Baseball Darts Store