Swindon super-slinger Jack Tweddell ascended the summit of the amateur world, claiming the ADC Global Championship crown after an epic, pulse-quickening duel, eventually subduing fellow countryman Jonny Haines by almost the narrowest of heroic margins, 9–7.
Before Christmas, fifty-six of the finest amateur arrow-smiths on the planet converged upon the hallowed tungsten theatre of the MODUS Live Lounge in Portsmouth. Dreams were unpacked. Nerves were tested. By finals day, only eight remained standing.
And after an afternoon drenched in drama on England’s south coast, it was the Berkshire man who stood tallest, hoisting the trophy skyward and pocketing a princely £60,000, watched by a global audience through Pluto TV.
Tweddell’s path to glory was anything but gentle. His campaign reignited with a tense, tightly wound 6–4 victory over compatriot Tom Sykes, a match that crackled with nervous energy.
Yet that was merely the prelude. The semi-final against Scotland’s last man standing, Gary Stone, became a battle of attrition, grinding all the way to a last-leg decider. Neither man found their full lyrical rhythm, but when the final note was struck, it was Tweddell who stood resolute, advancing with iron resolve rather than fireworks.
On the opposite side of the draw, Haines carved his route with surgical precision. His clinical finishing proved decisive as he dispatched Ireland’s Niall Culleton in the quarter-finals, before producing a composed, authoritative 7–4 triumph over Robbie Martin. Six legs in, they were inseparable.
Then The Punk found his tempo, turned up the volume, and sprinted toward destiny.And so, the stage was set. An all-England showpiece. More than that – an all-Swindon affair. Two sons of the same town, separated by style, experience and temperament, locked in combat for silverware and legacy.
Predictably, it went deep. Four legs passed, honours even. Then Haines seized the narrative, surging into a commanding 5–2 lead, momentum roaring at his back as the title shimmered within reach.
Tweddell responded with a counter-punch of ferocious clarity. Five unanswered legs thundered onto the board, a seismic swing that wrenched control from his opponent and vaulted him into a 7–5 lead.
The next two were shared, tension strangling the room, before the 61-year-old Haines clawed back once more to narrow the gap. 8–7. One leg left. One breath left. Hold your throw and you are champion.
The mantra rang true. The dart flew. Double ten was pinned. History was written.When the echoes faded, there could be only one name etched alongside Devon Petersen on the roll of honour.
Jack Tweddell – 2026 ADC Global Champion. £60,000 richer. Reputation transformed. Crown secured. A tournament rich in quality.
A final soaked in drama. And a champion forged not merely by skill, but by steel.
FINALS DAY RESULTS
Quarter-Finals
Johnny Haines 6-3 Niall Culleton
Robbie Martin 6-2 Shane Turner
Jack Tweddell 6-4 Tom Sykes
Gary Stone 6-1 Jonny Barnes
Semi-Finals Johnny Haines 7-4 Robbie Martin
Jack Tweddell 7-6 Gary Stone
Final Jack Tweddell 9-7 Johnny Haines
—– Ends—–
Images: ADC
