Once again, the MODUS Live Lounge played host to a Red Dragon Influencer Darts Showdown – and just like those before it, it went down a storm. This time it was Team Cole Anderson who walked away with bragging rights. More on that shortly.
This raucous Pro-Am rounded off what has been a pretty lively August in Portsmouth. We’ve seen Canadian Jeff Smith become the first North American MODUS Super Series champion, a dozen rising stars strutting their stuff on the oche, and Ireland pinching the International Pairs crown from the Dutch. Busy month.
Now for another Influencer event. Eight proper darts players – a mix of legends, household names, and a couple of future stars – were paired with online personalities who are more used to hitting posts than double tops. Two teams, split as follows:
Team Cole Anderson
- Cole Anderson & Robert Thornton
- Dan Coates & Steve Beaton
- Ben Gibbs & Alex Spellman
- TheHullBoy & Jayden Walker
Team JaackMaate
- JaackMaate & Adrian Lewis
- Alfie Indra & Devon Petersen
- Fingaldinz & Richie Burnett
- Bailey McNamara & Ollie Howard
Referee Owen Binks fired up his MC voice to welcome the troops, who trotted out to chosen walk-on tunes. Race to three legs per match, a point for the win.
CHARITY INFLUENCER DARTS: Red Dragon MODUS Super Series Influencer Darts 5 Highlights
First up, JaackMaate himself, joined by some bloke called Adrian Lewis. Jaack pinned tops for the opening leg – not bad – but then had to be reminded by Binks that he also needed to start the next leg. Details, details.
Meanwhile, Aide was having a hectic week – fresh from playing International Pairs with Steve Beaton and then sitting alongside Phil Taylor at a Q&A. Hopefully he’s billing overtime.
Rob Thornton soon levelled it up for Team Cole, but Jaack and Lewis hit back with consecutive legs to take the match. Advantage Jaack.
Then along came Big Dev, sporting a trendy new pair of glasses and trying to psych out Steve Beaton. Devon, mate… it’s The Bronzed Adonis. You could set off fireworks in front of him and he wouldn’t blink. Sure enough, Beaton and Dan Coates cruised to a 3-0 win. Lesson learned: don’t mess with the Coventry stud. 1-1
Richie Burnett, meanwhile, turned up wearing what can only be described as a Karate Kid headband. Why? Nobody knows. His partner Fingaldinz wore one too, presumably in solidarity. Alex Spellman and Ben Gibbs weren’t fazed – though let’s be honest, would you question Burnett’s fashion choices? Between Burnett’s jigging and high kicks, Gibbs found time to actually hit a winning dart, putting Team JaackMaate 2-1 up.
Next, The HullBoy shuffled up looking like he’d escaped from a ginger Hanson tribute band. (Remember MMMBop? Exactly.) Sadly for him and Jayden Walker, they were whitewashed 3-0 by Bailey McNamara & Ollie Howard, levelling the tie at 2-2.
On we went into the second round of fixtures. And if you were rooting for Team Cole, you had a lovely time – they swept all four matches, racing into a 6-2 lead. Just one more point needed for victory.
That came courtesy of Coates and Beaton, who dismantled Burnett and Fingaldinz to seal the deal. No open-top bus parade, but the metaphorical victory bus of eight lads dressed in darts attire celebrating outside a converted Portsmouth church. The image alone is worth it.
The event still had matches to play, though they were now purely academic. A bit like Manchester United’s fixtures last season – going through the motions.
One highlight came in the commentary box, where Keegan Brown asked if Owen Binks qualified as an influencer. Chris Murphy shot back instantly: “Why would anyone want to be influenced by Binks?” He then told listeners to unfollow his TikTok immediately. Quality MODUS in-house banter.
With the win secure, everyone tried their best Adrian Lewis shrug after the man himself hit a trademark 180. Devon Petersen capped things off by playfully punching Richie Burnett in the face – prompting Adam Smith-Neale, banned for doing something similar, to wonder why his swing didn’t count as playful. Probably cos yours landed Big Dog!
All in all, a cracking afternoon. More fun than serious darts – although the winning team left the happier. And with that, the curtain came down on a hugely entertaining August at the Live Lounge.
If you are reading this September, try topping that.
—–ENDS—–
Images: Darts World / AJ Urmston-Toft
