Superior Lady Players!
I have always thought that the Ladies in our sporting world often get a raw deal with regards to prize money in many sports, especially in the field of darts. Trina Gulliver may be one of the few Ladies in the World to make a decent living in the sport, but without being insulting, I am sure it is peanuts compared to Phil Taylor and you would have to compare her to him, because she has dominated Ladies darts almost as much as he has dominated men’s darts.
Some
would say that the ladies don’t pull in the crowds like men do and this may
have something to do with it, but most male players would say that the
difference in earning capacity is simply down the difference in standard of
play. Although, on occasion, Trina has attained an average equal to her fellow
male players during the annual B.D.O. competitions, Lady players do not
generally get anywhere near to men’s averages.
Having been involved with running darts leagues for many years I have always held this to be true and given it as a reason why men aren’t allowed to play in Ladies leagues, but Ladies are often allowed to play in men’s leagues if they want. I know that I am a male chauvinist and have been told this many times by Lady players when I have referred to the difference in standard, but it seems that when it actually comes to the crunch Ladies leagues do really know deep down there is a gap in the standard. This has been born out in two darts articles concerning local ladies leagues in Staffordshire, from a few years back, that I came across recently.
In the Autumn of 2006 the Leek Ladies Darts League threw out darts ace Christine Makin (who used to be called Clive,) because she was born a man before having a sex change and amazingly the league had a rule that covered the situation. “Under no circumstances can any person of any gender play in the league unless that person was born a female.”
51year old Christine played for the Fountain Pub in Leek, but after frequent taunting by other players it was decided by the league that she shouldn’t be allowed to play and the rule was enforced, although the Ladies pool league still allowed her to play. It is interesting to note that whilst the League Chairperson was a lady the League President was a man!
Another
more recent article concerned a 57 year old, one legged, transsexual, called
Melanie Partlow (who used to be called Mick before a sex change operation.)
Melanie joined the Colliers Ladies team who played in the Cheslyn Hay League,
near Cannock and competed with them for two years, before they were kicked out of the
league in 2008. The red head had her sex change operation after winning a large
sum on the Lottery. Melanie then lost a leg due to illness and became very depressed.
Darts gave her a new interest and zest for life, but after helping her team win
many prizes her team were voted out of the league, due they believed, to her
presence and prowess. The official line of the league was that it was due to bad
language, but players had constantly shunned Melanie refusing to shake her hand
before/after matches.
After reading the various articles about these two local incidents, it seems obvious that the real reason for these two Ladies to be kicked out of their leagues was because of their superior darts abilities and not perhaps just prejudice as might first appear to be the case.