DARTS: Swindon throwers aim to kick-start their season
6:00am Friday 15th March 2013 in Sport By Andy Warren
Swindon's Johnny Haines
SWINDON’S darts players will all be looking to kick-start their seasons when they travel to Wigan this weekend.
Dennis Smith, Johnny Haines, Mark Cox, Chris Aubrey and Jack Tweddell are all in Lancashire for a European Tour qualifier tonight and two UK Open qualifiers on Saturday and Sunday, with vital prize money and places in the sport’s biggest tournaments on the line.
Haines led the Swindon charge on the opening weekend of the PDC season in Crawley with a haul of £600 as many of the town’s players struggled, but The Punk expected better and is looking to make up for it this weekend.
“I just need to try and catch-up with where I was last year, because I am a bit down at the minute,” he said.
“But we have only played one weekend so it’s just a case of getting going now, and I’m not too worried about it.
“I did well in the European Tour events last year and the money has gone up for them now, so it would be great to do well and go even further on the rankings.
“The UK Open qualifiers are very important too, and I am going to relax and play and not worry about anyone else, and see if I can qualify as high as possible.”
While a number of the Swindon players were unhappy with their performance from the opening weekend of the season, youngster Tweddell was pleased with the £200 he was able to pick up in Crawley.
“If I do exactly the same as I did last time I will be happy, because earning £200 in my first weekend is something to work on,” he said.
“There were some good players, like Justin Pipe, who didn’t pick up any money at all and I’m just happy to get my name on the sheet.
“I’m playing in the European qualifier as well, and last time I didn’t play very well in that one at all. I was not good, and I think that was because I was new and had never played a PDC event before.
“Hopefully I can do better this time and then take that into the weekend.”
Aubrey also picked up £200 in Crawley, and the youngster is confident of an improved showing this weekend.
“I was pretty pleased with the way I played on the first weekend, I did everything right even though I got beat 6-0 in one of the events,” he said.
“I’m feeling confident because I’m playing well and practicing well, and hopefully it will all come together.
“I would love to get involved in the European Tour events, but when you play at that level you have to take your chances because you don’t get too many.”
