Small Joins Champion of Champions Club

Alec Small joined the illustrious list of Worthington’s Champion of Champions winners, including Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton. The Welshman beat a gallant Scott Bayliss 2-0 in the Grand Final at the Depot in Cardiff to win £10,000

Small’s triumph provided a tumultuous climax to the popular competition’s return from an enforced three-year absence.

The day was certainly an eventful one, loud music accompanied the welcome and warm-up period with players comparing the atmosphere to that of ”a banging nightclub party”. Colin Lloyd and Bobby George were on hand for a Q and A just before the Semis. Credit must be given to Red Dragon for organising a fantastic event in the Welsh capital.

The players on show certainly had the quality with the likes of Martin Lukeman, Connor Scutt -two players on the PDC Pro Tour circuit involved in the action trying to win their first crowns – and Jim Williams trying to become the first player to appear twice on the giant dart trophy.

Small would have been pleased to have come through as the winner of a very tough board overcoming a group of players that included the likes of Nick Kenny and Chris Willard.

The former Development tour star then stepped up again providing some quality performances to dispatch Red Dragon star David Evans in the Quarter Finals before claiming victory over Rob Owen 2-0 in the Semis with Stack Attack having played superbly in the Live League and on the PDC and WDF tours already this year.

The newly crowned champion qualified for the event having won at The Oak earlier this year, with the passage through to the competition being you must win at one of the selected 256 arenas to qualify.

Runner -Up Scott Bayliss may have fallen at the Final hurdle but can certainly hold his head high, especially in his victory over Lukeman, in the Quarter Finals, knowing that his opponent hadn’t dropped a leg all through the competition after coming out the winner of Board 16.

The Welshman won 2-0 against the man who made his World Matchplay debut this year to the delight of the spectators watching on, with screams of joy when the double eight was hit first dart in hand as his opponent missed multiple darts at double during the tungsten tussle.

Scott had qualified through the Quakers Yard for the competition and despite not going all the way, the run can be described as a fairy-tale after walking away from the Depot £2,500 richer.

Colin Lloyd also spoke on his thoughts of the Red Dragon Champion of Champions returning saying: “It’s great to have it back, its one of them events where it’s not all about the pros, it comes from the pubs and people have to qualify through their own area.”

“What’s great about this event its best of three, that’s a killer and even if you go 1-0 up you must have your wits about you, who’s game is on will be crowned the champion. Red Dragon have worked really hard with Worthington’s to put on this event, it’s a shame we missed it the last couple of years but it’s great to have it back.”

A fantastic atmosphere and a cracking tournament so it’s safe to say the return of the Champion of Champions was a huge success. Many congratulations to Alec Small on being crowned the winner of this remarkable event.