Blackpool has seen some remarkable sporting moments over the years. World champions have been crowned, legends have been created and more chips have been dropped on promenades than any sensible statistician would ever dare calculate.
Yet last Sunday afternoon, tucked away inside the iconic Winter Gardens, three players added their names to a growing list of champions as the World Disability Darts Association World Matchplay finals delivered another memorable chapter.
Granted, it was hardly unfamiliar territory for most of the winners. Two of them were defending champions and by now probably know the Winter Gardens so well they could provide guided tours between matches.
There is every chance they know which doors stick in damp weather, where the nearest kettle is located and which floorboards creak before the maintenance staff do. At this rate, if anyone gets lost backstage, organisers may as well ask the reigning champions for directions rather than consulting a map.
In fact, their relationship with the venue is becoming so established that you half expect to see their names on utility bills. Another year, another title, another trip to Blackpool to collect silverware as casually as somebody popping into Tesco for a pint of milk. While everyone else arrived hoping to make history, the defending champions turned up looking like they were simply renewing a gym membership.
The tournament has now become something of a permanent summer resident in Blackpool, returning to the famous venue for a fifth consecutive year. At this stage the event is practically paying council tax. While holidaymakers outside were busy arguing over deckchairs, seagulls and whether £9.50 is an acceptable price for a scabby burger and plastic chips, three world titles were being settled on the famous Empress Ballroom stage.
The road to Blackpool had actually begun months earlier in Bannockburn, where the earlier rounds took place. A whole army of hopefuls entered with dreams of lifting trophies, but by Sunday only six remained.
Everyone else had been sent home with memories, disappointment and probably a vague promise to practice more often. Such is darts. One minute you are imagining yourself holding silverware, the next you are staring at a travel timetable wondering why the return train suddenly feels so much longer.
First up came the Ladies final, where defending champion Nicky Goodbrand returned with all the calm authority of somebody who had absolutely no intention whatsoever of giving her trophy back. Across the oche stood Lauren Healy, who had fought brilliantly to reach the final and would have quite liked the trophy herself.
Unfortunately for Healy, Goodbrand approached the match with the sort of determination usually reserved for shoppers spotting the last discounted air fryer in Aldi.
The contest was settled in straight sets, Nicky securing a 2-0 victory to successfully defend her title. It was efficient, professional and about as generous as a parking attendant on commission. Back-to-back World Matchplay crowns were secured, and once again Goodbrand left Blackpool with the silverware while everybody else was left wondering how exactly they were supposed to stop her.
Next came the Compris final, featuring two debutants who had successfully navigated their way through the field to reach the biggest match of their careers. Jason Blatchford and Thomas Reid had already exceeded plenty of expectations simply by making the final, but nobody reaches a world final wanting a participation certificate and a polite handshake.
Blatchford clearly understood this.
From the opening exchanges he looked comfortable, composed and entirely uninterested in providing a dramatic Hollywood-style storyline. Reid battled hard, but Blatchford produced the kind of performance that leaves opponents searching for answers in places where answers definitely do not exist. Cupboards. Coat pockets. Behind the sofa.
A 2-0 victory secured the title and completed a remarkable debut campaign. It was the darts equivalent of turning up to your first day at work, accidentally becoming employee of the month and somehow ending up running the company by Friday.
The final match of the afternoon delivered perhaps the most unusual family gathering imaginable. Forget awkward Christmas dinners or debates about who gets the biggest slice of cake. The Classic final saw Robert Sutherland Jnr facing his father, Rob Sutherland, for the biggest prize of all.
Some families play Monopoly. The Sutherlands contest world finals.
Rob made the stronger start too, taking the opening leg and threatening to produce a fairytale victory. For a brief moment it looked as though experience might triumph over youth.
Robert Jnr had other ideas.
The defending champion responded with the composure of a man who had absolutely no intention of allowing sentimentality to ruin his afternoon. He battled back, levelled the contest and then claimed the deciding leg to secure a 2-1 victory.
The triumph completed a remarkable hat-trick of World Matchplay titles. Three consecutive championships. Three consecutive years of opponents arriving with hope and leaving with considerably less of it.
As the dust settled on another successful World Disability Darts Association World Matchplay, three champions stood tall in Blackpool. Nicky Goodbrand retained her crown, Jason Blatchford announced himself on the biggest stage with a debut title, and Robert Sutherland Jnr continued his reign with a third straight Classic triumph.
Three champions, three stories and one reminder that darts remains wonderfully unpredictable.
Unless, of course, your name happens to be Nicky Goodbrand or Robert Sutherland Jnr. In which case winning these things is starting to look suspiciously like a habit.
