The Guernsey Grand Prix of Darts brought 62 of the island’s top players to the Gremlin Club for a tournament with a difference – based on sets comprising multiple legs, each of which had to be not only closed but opened with a double.

This changed format did little to faze Allez, who outgunned Nick Ferreira 4-0 in the final to secure half of the £1,000 total prize pot.

Yet the long-term star was not just in it for the money. He feels that simply being able to target new domestic tournaments in the last few years, including the Grand Prix, has helped motivate him as a player.

‘It’s a bit more encouragement to carry on playing and, with these, it’s not how much money there is to win – you want to be the first name on the trophy,’ he said.

‘It means more to me than anything else to get that name on that trophy.

‘I’m ecstatic to be the first name on it.’

Whenever his opponent struggled on the opening doubles, Allez pressed home his advantage, scoring consistently to emerge a convincing winner. He finished on a solid 102 check-out.

The Euromarque-supported tournament also highlighted the quality of emerging teenage talent, not least Jake Martin, who made the semi-final but lost 3-1 to Allez.

The other ‘semi’ had 2025 Gremlin End of Year Knockout champion Ferreira matching that scoreline against all-time star Mark Fletcher, who had to come through a tough draw to reach that point.

The surprises had started in the very first round. There, in a battle of the Ogiers, Leon upset the same Michael that had won the inaugural Guernsey Series of Darts last December and taken £2,000 with it.

The round-of-32 results included in-form Paul Wall shooting down Adie Exall – who entered unbeaten in the Guernsey Individual League.

The tournament nearly took a marked turn in the last 16 as Allez had done enough to beat Leyton de la Mare, going 2-0, but both believed it to be a best-of-five and so battled on erroneously – with the eventual winner edging it 3-2 in the decider.

Martin edged junior standout Rory Gill in the last 16 and then, showing real fighting spirit, bounced back from two sets down to beat Wall in the quarter-finals.

The ‘quarters’ also featured Fletcher slamming a 161 check-out against Kyle Hutchinson.

Organiser Michael Le Huray, who was staging his first big tournament, highlighted the continued excellence of younger players against more senior opposition.

‘For me, it’s good to see young players like Jake and Rory particularly showing the strength in darts over here – they are so up-and-coming and they’re beating the big boys sometimes as well,’ he said.

Allez backed this up and has even tipped Gill to be the one to beat his respected league records.

‘The future is looking really good for Guernsey darts, that’s for sure,’ he added.

Le Huray thought that the new format was ‘very interesting’ and has thanked the Gremlin Club for their hospitality and support of another major tournament.

‘With the Series of Darts, Grand Slam, and RAF Open, it’s making a nice calendar of four big majors to go away with,’ he said.

‘Someone would have to be very lucky to get all four of them in a season.’

n A new Christmas Open has been confirmed for 27 December as another addition to the busy Gremlin Club darts calendar.