Bill Lennard: Difference between revisions
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He rounded off his perfect weekend with a 13 darter "finishing on the bull" to win his match against Des Owen 3-1. |
He rounded off his perfect weekend with a 13 darter "finishing on the bull" to win his match against Des Owen 3-1. |
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Lennard organised the local rounds of the News of the World event for many years, winning them more than a dozen times and consequently making several appearances in the |
Lennard organised the local rounds of the News of the World event for many years, winning them more than a dozen times and consequently making several appearances in the Lancashire and Cheshire Divisional Finals. |
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His most prolific year was 1976 when he won the Swedish Open Singles and Doubles together with Bill Perry. |
His most prolific year was 1976 when he won the Swedish Open Singles and Doubles together with Bill Perry. |
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Lennard was a player who revelled in the cauldron of International play and usually raised his game to suit. He was judged Man of the Tournament when the Home International was held in Morecambe in 1978 and had been selected to the three man Nations Cup team earlier that year. |
Lennard was a player who revelled in the cauldron of International play and usually raised his game to suit. He was judged Man of the Tournament when the Home International was held in Morecambe in 1978 and had been selected to the three man Nations Cup team earlier that year. |
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He had narrowly missed selection to the first World Cup England team but that wrong was righted in 1979 when he travelled to Las Vegas with Eric Bristow, John Lowe and Tony Brown. No doubt his winning average of 102.5 earlier that year, |
He had narrowly missed selection to the first World Cup England team but that wrong was righted in 1979 when he travelled to Las Vegas with Eric Bristow, John Lowe and Tony Brown. No doubt his winning average of 102.5 earlier that year, last on for England against Wales's Rocky Jones at Pembroke Dock kept him firmly in the selectors' focus. |
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A good showing in Las Vegas saw Lennard return home with an overall Team Gold, a Gold in the Fours, Silver in the Doubles with Tony Brown and a quarter-final place in the Singles. |
A good showing in Las Vegas saw Lennard return home with an overall Team Gold, a Gold in the Fours, Silver in the Doubles with Tony Brown and a quarter-final place in the Singles. |
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Revision as of 23:37, 27 February 2013
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| Bill Lennard | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | William Henry Lennard |
| Nickname | 'Mister Consistency' |
| Born | June 1934 Manchester, England |
| Died | August 1996 Heywood, England |
| Home town | Manchester |
| Organisation (see split in darts) | |
| BDO | 1975 to 1982 |
| Current world ranking | N/A |
| WDF major events – best performances | |
| World Ch'ship | Quarter Final 1980 |
| World Masters | Semi Final 1975 |
| Other tournament wins | |
| Tournament | Years |
| News of the World Championship British Matchplay Swedish Open | 1976 1976 1976 |
William Henry Lennard, a professional darts player, was born in June 1934 in Manchester, England, UK. Lennard died in August 1996 aged 62.
Lennard was a prolific exhibition player, and did many for the armed forces both home and abroad and even held the rank of honorary Chief Petty Officer in the US Navy after one particular visit to one of their nuclear submarines!
Background
Lennard began playing darts in the early fifties, and his enormous talent eventually enabled him to leave behind a £37 a week lorry driver's job and become a professional player.
Lennard had many early successes under the auspices of the National Darts Association of Great Britain, first coming to national prominence in the Nodor Fours team win in 1961 playing from the Cotton Tree Inn, Great Ancoats Street, Manchester.
The team repeated this win in 1966 and, coupled with Ray Hatton, Lennard twice won the NDA Men's Doubles, in 1967 and again in 1975. He also partnered with Anne Westwood to the 1972 NDA Mixed Doubles title.
In 1975 he placed fourth in the second Phonogram World Masters. He was edged out in the semi-final by Rocky Jones who went on to lose to Alan Evans in an all-Welsh final.
News of the World Championship
Of his other prestigious wins, none was more meaningful than the darting 'Holy Grail', the News of the World Championship in 1976.
Both he and runner up Leighton Rees had graced the national finals before, but it was Lennard who won that day in a match watched by 12,000 roaring fans at Alexandra Palace and broadcast live to several million viewers on ITV's 'World of Sport'.
A win over the high-scoring Irishman Seamus O'Brien put him through to a semi-final against Midlander Sid Webb, where he survived a match point before crushing the genial Welshman's dreams in the final. His prize for the match was a mini-car.
Lennard had little opportunity to celebrate his News of the World win on Saturday as he was scheduled to play again the next day.
He rounded off his perfect weekend with a 13 darter "finishing on the bull" to win his match against Des Owen 3-1.
Lennard organised the local rounds of the News of the World event for many years, winning them more than a dozen times and consequently making several appearances in the Lancashire and Cheshire Divisional Finals.
His most prolific year was 1976 when he won the Swedish Open Singles and Doubles together with Bill Perry.
Beating the Champs
Another £1,000 cheque and a second televised win of that year came his way in the Ladbrokes British Matchplay at Great Yarmouth where he survived a great fightback from Alan Glazier's powerful finishing to hold his nerve in the decider. On his way to the final he had beaten John Lowe and Alan Evans.
His nickname was 'Mister Consistency' and this was never more obvious than when he was proudly representing his country.
Lennard was a player who revelled in the cauldron of International play and usually raised his game to suit. He was judged Man of the Tournament when the Home International was held in Morecambe in 1978 and had been selected to the three man Nations Cup team earlier that year.
He had narrowly missed selection to the first World Cup England team but that wrong was righted in 1979 when he travelled to Las Vegas with Eric Bristow, John Lowe and Tony Brown. No doubt his winning average of 102.5 earlier that year, last on for England against Wales's Rocky Jones at Pembroke Dock kept him firmly in the selectors' focus.
A good showing in Las Vegas saw Lennard return home with an overall Team Gold, a Gold in the Fours, Silver in the Doubles with Tony Brown and a quarter-final place in the Singles.
That same year he won the game's Personality of the Year award for good measure.
Lennard narrowly missed out on qualification for the first Embassy World Professional Championship in 1978 but was an ever-present in the next four, making the quarter-finals in 1980.