Newcastle darts team reach Cool Hand Cup final

The Charny Army, made up of players from Newcastle, earned their place in the Cool Hand Cup Grand Final after competing at their local pub, The King’s Arms.

John Scott, captain of the team, said: “The Cool Hand Cup Grand Final was such an unreal experience.

Renowned darts commentator Paul Starr interviewing Luke Humphries during the Grand Final (Image: SUPPLIED)

“I’ve never been to a darts competition before so to have my first one be a national final that I’m competing in is absolutely amazing.

“We set off at 6am to make sure we got to the Grand Final in time, and the early morning was more than worth it.

“The atmosphere was fantastic, and we loved meeting the other players and experiencing the community feeling created by pub darts.

Renowned darts commentator Paul Starr interviewing Luke Humphries during the Grand Final (Image: SUPPLIED)

“It was amazing to meet Luke Humphries – he had a good bit of craic. He came to watch the semi-finals and finals with all of the players, which was surreal.”

The tournament, held at The Boundary in Alfreton, Derbyshire on Friday, April 10, saw 16 teams compete in a knockout 501 format, with heats, quarter-finals, and semi-finals leading to the grand final.

The Dog’s Bollogs from Wednesfield claimed the Cool Hand Cup title after beating all opponents, taking home the trophy and a £10,000 prize.

Cool Hand Cup (Image: SUPPLIED)

The team also had the opportunity to play against former darts world champion Luke Humphries, who teamed up with Marston’s on the Cool Hand Cup for a second year.

More than 11,000 people took part across more than 500 pubs nationwide, forming 700 teams.

The highest-scoring teams advanced from regional rounds to the national final.

Finalists included teams from across the UK, such as The Enforcers from the East Midlands, Tripple Threat from York and Leeds, and The Hollingwood from Eastern.

John Green, director of operations at Marston’s, said: “It’s been a true pleasure to bring the Cool Hand Cup back to over 500 pubs in partnership with Luke Humphries.

“This time, we invited teams to enter the tournament, and it’s been incredible to see darts and pub culture bringing people together, with over 11,000 people entering up and down the country.

“This year’s Grand Final at The Boundary was an amazing evening, the crowd were fantastic and really created an atmosphere to rival Ally Pally.

“After a nail-biting final, we’d like to offer our congratulations to the Dog’s Bollogs team, as well as all our other competing finalists.”

Marston’s launched the Cool Hand Cup to celebrate the connection between darts and pub culture, offering players of all abilities a professional-style tournament experience.