World Matchplay 2015 - 6
Haunting Stories...
As everybody knows in England you can find the most ghosts. And of course Blackpool is affected as well, more or less each of the well
known buildings is hit by it not only the dungeon of Blackpool Tower. Even Pleasure Beach which all its rides is a haunted site. During
the Blackpool Ghost Walks you can visit the different haunted sites.
Of course the Winter Gardens are haunted as well. The Spanish Hall is haunted - what even I can believe after I have seen it - and the
Empress Ballroom as well. But the bouncing floor has nothing to do with ghosts. It bounces because it the Ballroom originally was
designed for dancing. In the Empress Ballroom there are many stairs and dark corners and I can imagine that when it is dark inside you
really can see ghosts in there. And of course the floors and stairs squeak and creak! But you hear from lights going on an out despite
the fact that there is only one central switch for them.
And then we have the eerie story of the lost boy, who was from time to time
seen sitting on a step. But he was not only seen by ghost hunters. As one hears he was even once seen during an event in the crowded
Empress Ballroom. A woman pitying him went over to him but when she arrived there he had disappeared. He husband, who had watched he
the hole time, later told her she stood directly beside the for him still visible boy who had even looked up at her...Sometimes one had
heard cries and sobbing which was attributed to the boy.
Till now it couldn't spy a ghost in the Ballroom and in the loudness, which prevails during the tournament, it is very unlikely anybody can
hear strange noises or cries. It would be much easier during a snooker tournament. Due to the headlights everywhere you will have a
problem to find dark corners and when I return home to my accommodation usually there still is a reassuring number of persons in the
building around.
On the fourth evening of the tournament the second round matches began which have a longer format and so it was a very long evening. But
it didn't drag! Might be the first match between Peter Wright and Andrew Gilding was a little bit tenacious. Wright dominated it but it
was not really spectacular. The match between Whitlock and White after it was more interesting. It was a rather close match at least
before Whitlock just run out of steam and couldn't hit any more high scores 22 legs are quite long and one needs some stamina which
Whitlock didn't have that evening.
Than it was Michael van Gerwen's turn and he swept Jamie Lewis from the stage. Van Gerwen had much
improved but with Jamie Lewis who had not very much experience on the big stage he hat not really a tough opponent. And the end of
the evening was thrilling or better Gerwyn Price made it thrilling. Probably in his case it was lack of experience in such situations
as well. He already was far in front of Adrian Lewis but in sight of the winning line he got wobbly knees and problems with his scoring.
Lewis of course realised his chance and decided to fight. And got closer and closer to draw. But Price pulled himself together and had a
real good last leg in which he with his last dart hit the winning double. It was a high-class match in which both players for most of the
time averaged over 100.
I think the crowd looked happy; it had been a good and varied evening.
