Martin Elston will chalk up 50 years in the Winchcombe Darts League in 2026.

The 73-year-old first started playing in the league for Winchcombe Town Football Club but for the past few years he has been a regular for The Shutters in Gotherington.

While not as good as he used to be, he has still managed a decent checkout of 126 this season. 

“Treble 20, 16, bull,” he said. “Not bad for someone with arthritic wrists.”

Elston, who has lived in Bishop’s Cleeve all his life, has actually been playing darts for more than 50 years because he started out with the United Services Club in the Cheltenham League when he was about 17.

“I was playing football for United Services and I was asked if I’d play darts for them as well,” explained the former Cheltenham Technical High School pupil.

Football was a big influence on where the young Elston played his darts so when he moved to Winchcombe Town Football Club in the mid-70s it was only natural that he played darts for them as well.

Elston, who has been married to Frances for 52 years – they have four children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren – played quite a lot of sport as a youngster.

“I played rugby at school until I was 16-17 when I broke four fingers against Cheltenham Grammar School,” he said.

“I played right wing, centre or full-back. In my younger days I was quick.”

And that pace meant he was quickly earmarked for a place on the right wing when he started playing football for United Services.

“I had my best goalscoring season with them,” he said. “We were in Division Four of the Cheltenham League and I scored 37.”

He must have had quite a few assists that season as well because he remembers that centre-forward John McLaren scored 60 goals.

And it was as a centre-forward that the 5ft 11in Elston established himself when he joined Winchcombe Town.

“They were champions of the Cheltenham League so it was difficult to break into the side at the start,” he said. 

“They were a good side because Borough United had been champions for the previous six or seven years.”

He established a good understanding with fellow striker Mike Hodgetts once he did get into the side, but his time at Winchcombe was cut short by a serious knee injury.

“I didn’t play for two years, I got quite a few injuries,” he said. “When I came back I played for Woodmancote.

“I played up front with Simon Webb. I picked up a lot of his knockdowns and scored quite a few goals.”

Elston also remembers playing in a charity match against Cheltenham Town while at Woodmancote in support of Bradford City after the stadium fire in 1985.

"The game was at Bishop's Cleeve's old ground in Stoke Road," he said. "We scored the first goal but lost 7-2. They had some good players – Ray Baverstock, Mark Boyland, Steve Brooks."

Elston also picked up a nickname during his time at Woodmancote.

“They used to call me The Mummy because I used to wrap bandages around my knees and ankles before games,” he explained. 

And when he returned to Winchcombe Town he was given another nickname.

“Shergar,” he said. “That was also because I was covered in bandages.”

Elston actually returned to Winchcombe to co-manage them with Keith Dowding but it wasn’t long before he was lacing up his boots again.

He finally called time on his playing career at the age of 41 but he remained heavily involved in the game for the best part of another decade as chairman of both Woodmancote and Smiths Athletic.

So what was his footballing highlight?

“Scoring the winner in extra time to win the Winchcombe Hospital Cup in the late 80s,” he said. “We beat Campden Town 2-1 on a wet Wednesday evening at Winchcombe School, even though we had a player sent off. Campden had some tidy players.”

And Elston, a keen angler who is looking forward to his 50th fishing trip to Ireland in 2026, has had some tidy moments as a darts player.

“I’m not the best but I do get the odd 180,” he said.

“When I first started playing for United Services, I used to throw the first leg and then go up to the Reservoir and play in the Charlton Kings League.”

He was playing darts for the Teddington Hands before he moved to the Shutters – he also played for Woodmancote Football Club back in the day – and he said: “Other people have played for 50 years in the Winchcombe Darts League. I’m certainly not the first but it is quite an achievement.”