Not being much of a historian I have not validated much of what I have written here. My research online, regarding the history of the dartboard and how the numbering system came about led me to many interesting articles, most of which seemed believable, quoting names, dates and facts.

It seems that the game of darts began as far back as the middle ages, British soldiers playing with shortened arrows thrown into the upturned covers of wine barrels, the winner being nearest to the cork bung at the centre. During winter when the game was taken indoors it was necessary to throw smaller arrows and so was born the game of darts.

The popularity of darts spread worldwide with the spread of the British Empire. It was not long before cross sections of tree trunks were used, the natural growth rings in the wood making scoring easier. As the wood dried, cracks formed and provided radial divisions within the target.

After a legal victory in 1908 by a landlord called William ‘Bigfoot’ Annakin, it was decided in court that the game of darts was indeed a game of skill, and not a game of chance. This led to darts becoming ever popular as a pub game throughout Britain. The brewery company that supplied much of the southwest of England, Hockey and Sons seems to be responsible for term 'oche', as it was the length of three of their kegs placed end to end which became known as the 'Hockey', later shortened to 'oche'.

Early dartboards were made of sections of elm. These required soaking overnight, I guess to soften the fibres and close up the holes from the previous days throwing. Dartboards like these were found mainly in pubs. Early manufacturing of these boards was carried out by working men, especially those with carpentry skills and this cottage industry spread through the North of England and the South East as darts grew in popularity. It seems that the spread of Dutch Elm disease prompted a change in material, coiled paper was tried but these boards were totally unsuitable as they soon broke up.

The first Patent for a bristle dartboard was filed by Frank Dabbs, a Kent publican and Ted Leggatt of Nodor during 1931. Today modern manufacturing techniques and materials make it possible to produce superior dartboards that are relatively cheap to buy, long lasting and have consistent performance. In Kenya, over 200 tons of sisal leaves are harvested by Nodor to produce dartboards every day.

In 1992 the Daily Mirror was asked the question “Who decided the numbers on a dartboard should be so jumbled and why?

The reply read: “Brian Gamlin of Bury, Lancs, introduced the odd numbering system in our fairgrounds in 1896, boasting “No Skill Required”. Drunks had no chance, as a test of sobriety, the darts game ‘round the clock’ (in which players have to score with darts in numerical order) became a great success”.