Stone the crows it's darts and doms neet

Well this is going to be odd. Darts and Doms - in the afternoon!

And in Staffordshire as well. Let's hope they bring the pies out early and it doesn't kick off between players on the same side as somebody has "knocked" rather than "laid". I've never got doms to be honest. Just seems a load of old men banging the table, arguing and falling out. Then again when I played cricket in London for STC - a mainly West Indian side - I've seen some spectacular doms games when the rain's been falling. Fuelled by Dragon Stout and the players harbouring long-held grudges that went back to Bridgetown in Barbados (where dominoes in the Caribbean is as much a part of the culture as cricket) I've seen tables fly over, doms chucked across the room and punches thrown.

It made the backroom arguments in the Brick seem tame in comparison.

As for darts - I just don't get it and I was never any good at maths!

Anyhow on Saturday we are actually on our way to Stone Domninoes. The next opponents for Wigan Robin Park FC. The team play in a village that appears to be in the middle of nowhere and the strange name actually comes from the fact that the club was founded in 1987 at St Dominics Catholic Church Scout, Cub, Beaver Group in Stone with a team of 8 year olds. Dominics becoming Dominoes.

Since 1987 the club has come on great strides and in 1995 moved to their Springbank Park ground. A complex of three pitches and - according to reports - a brilliant playing surface on the main field.

This season Stone started with a fantastic 5-2 win at Chadderton before losing 2-0 at home to Cheadle Town in front of a good crowd of 87. Last Saturday they beat Walsall Wood - of the Midland Combination - 3-2 in the FA Cup.

This will be a historic occasion for the Robins with it being the first away game in the Vodkat League. With the Doms playing in red it will be interesting to see what colour we turn up in though we have heard a whisper that Oranges are not the only fruit or summat like that. In fact I've always wanted to sing: "Come on you oranges", if only it would scan properly. But then again that's never stopped us in the past.

Well the bus is booked, the bastards are on the way, the beers will hopefully be ready - when we converge on some unsuspecting country pub - and we can only wish John Neafcy and the lads all the best and assure them we'll be behind them all the way. Now who's holding that triple five?

Proper Darts & Doms Food:

Pasties, black peas and boiled ham butties and definitely NOT Domino's Pizza

Onboard playlist:
Domino Dancing - Pet Shop Boys
Layla - Derek & the Dominoes
Big Six - Judge Dread
Blueberry Hill - Fats Domino
Stoned Soul Picnic - Laura Nyro
Street Fightin Man - Rolling Stones
Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
Dance to the Music - Sly & the Family Stone
This is the One - the Stone Roses
Domino - Van Morrison
Cinderella Ballin' - Angie Stone

And Miss Robin Park 23 August is Joss Stone (right) - hopefully she'll bring her mate along












For a good look at and report on Stone Dominoes' ground check out this excellent blog
http://thegroundhog.wordpress.com/2007/12/26/stone-dominoes/