Darts: Limestone Cowboy may get easy ride; BETFRED LEAGUE OF LEGENDS SETANTA SPORTS 1 7pm.

Byline: By Steve Davies

ON Monday night the Cardiff International Arena reverberated to the sound of The Power and Two Tribes as Phil Taylor and James Wade did battle to decide Premier League glory.

Tonight the Circus Tavern, Purfleet, will be rocking to the sound of Grandad and This Old Man as eight veterans of the game begin their own league campaign.

Welcome to the pounds 90,000 Betfred.com League of Legends, featuring 62-year-olds John Lowe and Bobby George, plus six other beloved old-timers, though they aren't all ancient.

At 44, Peter Evison is younger than both Taylor and Peter Manley.

It's the first to seven over a maximum of 12 legs and Bob Anderson, who has recently quit the main PDC tour to try his luck here, is 13-8 favourite with backed in from 2-1.

It looks a good price given that he has a real competitive edge over many of his rivals, who are rarely seen doing anything other than exhibitions.

The Limestone Cowboy, last seen on TV hitting a 91 average, four maximums and three ton-plus finishes in a 3-2 first-round defeat against Jason Clark in the world championship, reached a PDC semi-final in November when he beat, among others, Andy Hamilton to get to the last four of the John McEvoy Classic.

The great showman Bobby George is second favourite and always competitive on his rare forays into BDO qualifiers, though quite how seriously the King Bling will take it is anyone's guess.

The dangers look to be 1983 Embassy champ Keith Deller and Evison, who at 8-1 with Skybet is well worth considering. He's another player who has been unhinged by a shoulder injury and drops in form, but can definitely perform at this level. He reached the last 16 of the West Tyrone Open in February when he was touched off by eventual winner Kevin McDine 5-4, and went on to win the doubles.

The Fen Tiger opens up against Anderson and is probably overpriced at 7-2.

Indeed, given the lack of serious competitive form to pore over, week one could be an opportunity to have a nibble at a couple of big-priced outsiders, though George has waited 28 years to get his own back on Eric Bristow for his Embassy final defeat so may be reluctant to let that chance go.

Recommendations B Anderson 2pts 13-8 Betfred, Coral P Evison 1pt each-way 8-1 Skybet

CAPTION(S):

Bobby George can always be relied on to bring a little bit of glamour to these occasions