|
|
 |
| |
Vicki Carron in the Neptune bar |
Flight of the Rookies: or why pub darts has hit the dust
Hard lines drawn as landlord rules ladies’ teams ‘moan too much and don’t drink enough’
A WEEKLY darts match has turned into an ugly spat after an ambitious new pub owner ordered out two ladies’ teams, saying: “You moan too much!”
The “girls”, as the two teams from the Prince of Wales pub in Kentish Town call themselves, have hit back, describing new landlord Marc Hayward as a skinny-jeans wearing “trendy” who is not interested in supporting the community.
The pub has recently had a rock’n’roll refurbishment and last week saw the on-stage reunion of Pete Doherty and Carl Barat, former members of The Libertines, in an exclusive headline-grabbing gig.
But Mr Hayward’s latest move has been less of a hit with some of the pub’s now ex-clientele.
Mr Hayward said a darts night at the pub in Prince of Wales Road had ended after players moaned about everything from the standard of the free sandwiches to music in the pub being too loud.
He said despite devoting half the pub to the game and laying on £50 worth of free food, “they weren’t happy”.
“They said they need more space, more food and the music turned down – and they only drank seven tonic waters,” said Mr Hayward.
“As much as I like to help the community, I can’t lose money.”
As a music quiz is held on Tuesday nights, he insisted he couldn’t turn the volume down and instead suggested they play on a different night – but the offer was rebuffed.
But Mr Hayward remained unbowed: “I said fine, contact the New Journal, I won’t be bullied.”
Emotions were running high on Tuesday when the second Prince of Wales team, the Rookies, took their arrows to an away match at Neptune pub in Cranleigh Street, Somers Town.
They said it was a visiting team that had “moaned”.
“It’s disgusting,” said great-grandmother Peggy Dowle, 85, from Maitland Park. “He doesn’t like moaning women I suppose – I think he might have compromised a bit, or even complained to the people who did the moaning. You can’t judge one team by another.”
Vicki Carron, daughter of Rookies captain Silla Carron, who has been known to hit the famous 180 maximum, said: “I’m absolutely gobsmacked. We’re all local people – I don’t know what sort of clientele he wants in there. Everything’s not going to be perfect – you’re going to have people who moan – but he would have had two teams playing out of there, home and away, guaranteed darts every Tuesday.”
The team is to re-locate to the Lord Southampton in Gospel Oak.
Kelly Byrne, another Rookie, said the Prince of Wales had become exactly what Mr Hayward originally said he didn’t want it to be when it reopened.
“Don’t say you’re not trying to turn it into a trendy pub, because it’s full of skinny jeans,” she said. |
 |
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
