Darts fever hit Alvaston on Sunday as local favourite The Brackens welcomed fans for Craft Union’s ‘Darts Round the Board Grand Final’, with professional darts star and crowd favourite Stephen Bunting dropping in to meet supporters and throw a few arrows.

The nationwide tournament, organised by Craft Union Pub Company to bring people together through the sport, has been running throughout November in Craft Union pubs across the country.

Open to both members of the public and Craft Union colleagues, the competition saw players take part in regional ‘round the board’ heats, all for a chance to reach the Grand Final. Sponsored by Heineken and Sazerac, more than 1,000 players entered across the UK.

After a fiercely competitive final day of darts, Ilfracombe’s Matt Lambert emerged victorious from 32 finalists to take home the £5,000 prize, winning every single game he played. The event also had a charitable impact, raising more than £350 for the Revive Easter Egg appeal.

Locals were particularly excited when 2024 PDC World Masters champion Stephen Bunting arrived at the pub to meet fans and throw some darts. Currently ranked seventh in the world, Bunting is widely regarded as one of the game’s top players, with his exciting playing style and iconic walk-on to David Guetta’s ‘Titanium’ driving huge popularity on social media.

On the day, Bunting signed autographs, took photos with fans, and enjoyed watching the games take place. ‘The Bullet’ also presented Matt Lambert with the cheque for £5,000 after his big win in the Grand Final.

Bunting also played a game against six-year-old Alfie, with the young darts player taking out an incredible 114 finish against Bunting to win the leg. The darts world has been put on alert as Alvaston may have their very own Luke Littler story in the future!

Stephen Bunting, 2024 World Masters Champion, said: “I had a great time visiting The Brackens in Alvaston, it’s a great community pub and I’ve loved meeting all the locals, there’s clearly a huge passion for darts in the Alvaston community which is great to see!

“Thanks to Craft Union for inviting me down, and I’d like to pass on my congratulations to Matt Lambert for playing brilliantly to win the £5,000 prize and also a well done to young Alfie who gave me a great game and clearly has a very bright future in the world of darts.”

Mark Lamb, Operations Director at Craft Union, said: “Our annual Darts Round the Board Grand Final has been a monumental success with this year being our biggest yet, a huge well done to all 32 finalists as the standard this year was as high as it’s ever been.

“I’d like to thank Heineken and Sazerac for sponsoring the event and to everyone at Craft Union who helped make this day a huge success which saw over £350 donated to the Revive Easter Egg appeal.

“At Craft Union, our goal is to be the market leader for sport with this latest initiative being a prime example of why our community pubs like The Brackens are the place to go for the big sporting occasions.”

To find out more about the Brackens in Alvaston, please see here.