WDF Europe Cup Men Teams 2008

At the Scandic Hotel in Copenhagen in Denmark, the sixteenth edition of the WDF Europe Cup was played from 27 to 30 August 2008. The first edition of this tournament was also played in Copenhagen in 1978; this edition will complete the circle for the Danes. The tournament also marks a change in organizational terms. From 2008, "Little" Richard Ashdown from England and Jacques Nieuwlaat from the Netherlands are the new faces on stage. They replace Martin Fitzmaurice. Twenty-three countries are taking part in this edition with their men, 22 also bring the ladies. Spain returns to the European playing field for the first time since 1996. It will be the most open and surprising European Cup ever.

With England, Wales and Sweden in one group, it was already clear in advance that a reputed victim would fall there. It would ultimately be the Swedes who crash out in the group stage. Little surprises in the first round. In the quarterfinals, host nation Denmark wins against Finland with 9 5. The Netherlands beats Northern Ireland with the same numbers, but there are also two big surprises. Firstly, Wales goes out against Germany with 9-6 and then the Scots also beat the pre-tournament favourites; England. This does require a seventeenth and deciding leg.

The German foursome Andree Welge, Andreas Kröckel, Kevin Münch & Karsten Koch cannot surprise again in the semi-finals. The Netherlands with Fabian Roosenbrand, Joey ten Berge, Willy van de Wiel & Daniël Brouwer are really a size too big, it ends 9-4 for the orange. Those who do surprise are the Danes playing in front of their home crowd. Per Laursen, Frede Johansen, Stig Jørgensen & Preben Krabben rise to the occasion and beat the Scottish team of Ross Montgomery, John Henderson, Paul Hanvidge & Mike Veitch 9-8 in a blistering match and thus qualify for the final.

The team final is traditionally the last match of a WDF Europe Cup. England currently holds the title, but if the Danish quartet Per Laursen, Frede Johansen, Stig Jørgensen & Preben Krabben could win the final against the Dutch Fabian Roosenbrand, Joey ten Berge, Willy van de Wiel & Daniël Brouwer the cup goes to Denmark. It will be a match full of excitement and an unprecedented apotheosis. After 16 legs it is eight all and both managers have to appoint someone who will play the deciding leg. The Netherlands had to do this a year earlier in its own country in the final against England and that did not end well. Then it was Joey ten Berge who took on the responsibility, this year Fabian Roosenbrand plays the deciding leg. He takes on Frede Johansen who has to complete the tough task for the Danes. Roosenbrand gets to a double much earlier, but just like a year earlier, the decisive dart does not want to go in. He misses five darts in two turns before Johansen gets a chance from 76. He hits the triple 20, but also misses two darts on double 8. Roosenbrand comes back again to throw for double 5. The first dart goes above and the second dart lands below the wire. Johansen first wires the double 8 on the inside, he hits the double four with his second dart. Frede writes, and with him the Danish team, a nice piece of history. For the first time in history, the Danes win gold, and not only gold in the team event, but also overall.

WDF Europe Cup Men Teams

About WDF Europe Cup Men Teams 2008

Competitors Of WDF Europe Cup Men Teams 2008

Øyvind Aasland

Martin Adams

Toni Alcinas

Bahadir Alev

Marco Apollonio

Pascal Barbezat

Nandor Bezzeg

Aegir Bjornsson

Michael Blair

Justin Broton

Daniel Brouwer

Zanis Buklovski

Patrick Bulen

Magnus Caris

Luca Catallo

Eddie Cull

Geert De Vos

Kristaps Deksnis

Dylan Duo

Gary Elliott

Vegar Elvevoll

Connie Finnan

Darryl Fitton

Alireza Ghafouri

David Glenn

Gregor Gorjup

Thorgeir Gudmundsson

Daryl Gurney

Romeo Gyalai

Paul Hanvidge

Gudjon Hauksson

John Henderson

Dirk Hespeels

Antonio Hibernon-Cano

Gareth Holt

Ronny Huybrechts

Petr Hynčica

Throsdur Ingimarsson

Vlastimil Jelinek

Frede Johansen

Stig Jorgensen

Aleksey Kadochnikov

Marko Kantele

Karsten Koch

Jarkko Komula

Markus Korhonen

Petri Korte

Oskars Kovalevskis

Preben Krabben

Andreas Krockel

Lev Kuzmichev

Jacques Langston

Daniel Larsson

Per Laursen

Oskar Lukasiak

Peter Maier

Igor Manturov

Martin McCloskey

Stephen McDonnell

David Miklas

Ross Montgomery

Kevin Munch

Vesa Nuutinen

Tony O'Shea

Dyson Parody

Martin Phillips

Leonard Pitman

Loris Polese

Andrei Ratnikov

Gunther Rimser

Fabian Roosenbrand

József Rucska

Jesus Sanchez

Peter Schonauer

Roman Schybal

Daniele Sergi

Pál Székely