- Chris Mason (darts player)
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Chris Mason Personal information Full name Christopher John Mason Nickname Mace the Ace Born 17 December 1969
Bristol, EnglandHome town Wolverhampton
EnglandDarts information Playing darts since 1995 Darts 23g Unicorn Laterality Right-handed Walk-on music Ace of Spades by Motörhead Organisation (see split in darts) BDO 1995 – 1996, 1997 – 2001 PDC 1996 – 1997, 2001 – 2011 BDO majors - best performances World Ch'ship SF 1999, 2000 World Masters SF 2000 PDC premier events - best performances World Ch'ship QF 2003 World Matchplay SF 1998 World Grand Prix QF 2004 Grand Slam First round 2007 Ch'ship League Initial groups, 7th, 2008 Desert Classic QF 2006 European Ch'ship First round 2008 UK Open QF 2005 US Open/WSoD QF 2008 Players Ch'ship Finals First round 2009 Other tournament wins Tournament Years Scottish Open
Irish Masters
UK Open Regional (Sth)
England Open[1]
Vauxhall Open[2]
West Tyrone Open1995
2006
2000
2001
2005
2006Christopher John Mason (born 17 December 1969 in Bristol, England) is an English darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. He uses the nickname Mace the Ace for his matches.
Contents
BDO and first PDC spell
He began his career in the British Darts Organisation making his World Championship debut in 1996. He lost 0–3 to Andy Fordham. After joining the World Darts Council in 1996, Mason competed in the WDC world championships in 1997 and he lost 1–3 to Gerald Verrier and 0–3 to Phil Taylor in the group stage. In 1997, Mason reached the final of the Sky Sports World Pairs partnered by Steve Raw, where they were narrowly beaten by Taylor and Bob Anderson.
He went back to the BDO after the Tomlin Order. After a second round defeat in the BDO world championships in 1998, he enjoyed his best achievement in the 1999 World Championship when he recovered from 1–4 down in his best-of-nine quarter-final match against Martin Adams to win 6–4 in legs in the deciding set. This match is regarded as one of the best matches on television. He lost the semi-final 2–5 to Raymond van Barneveld, three of those sets on deciding legs.
He avenged the defeat to van Barneveld the following year beating him 3–1 in the first round and averaged over 100 with each visit to the board. Mason also beat Fordham in the quarter-finals before losing 4–5 to Ted Hankey in the semi-finals, after leading 4–2, this match holds the 180 record for a 9 set match with 38 180's hit in the match, 16 of them from Mason, marking the second consecutive year that he had lost to the eventual champion in the semi-finals.
Mason's last appearance at Lakeside was a first round defeat to Mervyn King in 2001. He also reached the semi final of the BDO's other major tournament, the Winmau World Masters in 2000 and shortly after the BDO/PDC agreed Tomlin Order, some BDO players participated in the World Matchplay event between 1998 and 2001. Mason reached the 1998 semi-final losing 11–13 to Ronnie Baxter and the 1999 quarter-finals before losing 11–16 to Taylor. Mason also hit the perfect 9 dart game in the last 32 stage of the Winmau World Masters, watched by good friend Bobby George, who said "it was OK apart from the treble 19 wasn't quite in the middle".
PDC career
He decided to switch from the BDO to the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) in time to play at the PDC World Championships again in 2002, but he lost in the first round to Dave Askew. He reached the quarter finals in 2003 – losing to eventual champion John Part. He took time out from the game to deal with his personal issues and his enforced absence caused him to miss most tournaments in 2003 and 2004 – but he returned to play in the 2004 World Grand Prix in October and reached the quarter-finals.
Mason has many titles to his name including the Irish Masters which WAS televised! and the Vauxhall Pro Open on 3 occasions although neither event was televised. Mason won the Irish Masters which was screened by Sky and also has lifted the Scottish Open and the English Open titles to his impressive résumé. Mason was Taylor's opposition at the 2002 World Matchplay when Taylor hit the first nine-dart finish to be televised live on British screens.
Mason has reached the quarter-finals of most major PDC events, including the 2005 UK Open, 2006 Las Vegas Desert Classic and 2006 World Matchplay.
Retirement
Whilst commentating on the 2010 Grand Slam of Darts, on broadcaster ITV, Mason announced that he intended to retire from darts following the forthcoming qualifying rounds of the 2011 PDC World Championship, declaring that "even if I do qualify, which is unlikely, the World Championships will be my swansong". It was later announced by the PDC that he declined the opportunity of a Pro Tour Card for 2011, effectively confirming his decision – although he would be eligible to compete in qualifiers for Pro Tour event or switch to the BDO circuit instead.[3] Chris has recently hinted that he may get back into darts but it would be a very professional job stating that he would begin to give 100% as he claimed he only gave 70% during his career.
Controversy
Mason's personal life has been under much scrutiny. Mason was convicted of assault and assault with intent to resist arrest in March 1990 and sentenced to 180 hours community service. This was followed by a three-month jail sentence suspended for 12 months for actual bodily harm and, in August 1993, by three years' probation for assault causing actual bodily harm.[citation needed]
Prison sentence
On 14 April 2003, Mason and two friends Mark and Simon Gibson, were found guilty of aggravated burglary with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.[4] The victim of the attack, Poole scaffolder Neal Harley, was left with a broken nose, scalp cuts, facial swelling and bruising. The attack, which was sparked by a Yorkshire terrier dog named Doris which Mark Gibson had bought for Harley's fiancee Jane Graham while they were having a relationship some years earlier and had been "hostile" towards her new boyfriends. On 3 April 2002, Ms Graham had agreed to care for the dog but later returned it as it behaved too aggressively. Prosecutor, Mark Worsley, said that because of this Mark Gibson decided to confront Mr Harley and turned up that night with a hammer and his accomplices, saying: "Come on boys, let's do him".[5] The Gibson brothers received five and six year sentences and Mason received a three-year sentence on 2 June 2003, but he served just over a year.
2007 World Championship
Mason hit the headlines for criticising Phil Taylor in the newspapers before their last 16 match at the 2007 World Championship and allegedly swearing at him during the post-match handshake on-stage after Taylor beat him 4–0.[6] He did apologise to Taylor after the tournament ended,[7] but received a £750 fine and a four-month ban (suspended for 12 months) from the Darts Regulation Authority.[8]
Benefit fraud
In June 2010, he was given a community order at Newcastle Magistrates Court for benefit fraud charges after he admitted to not declaring £45,000 of winnings between 2006 and 2007 while claiming benefits.[9] He had been arrested whilst preparing to compete at the UK Open televised tournament.[10]
Television Pundit
In 2007, Mason became one of ITV's pundits, along with the 1993 world finalist Alan Warriner-Little for the inaugural Grand Slam of Darts. It was ITV's return to broadcasting darts after an absence of almost two decades. He remained a feature of their coverage as a match summariser and co-commentator during ITV's coverage of the next three Grand Slam of Darts, the first European Championship and the first two Players Championship Finals.
World Championship Performances
- 1996 (BDO) Last 32 lost to Andy Fordham 0–3
- 1997 (PDC) Eliminated in group stages
- 1998 (BDO) Last 16 lost to Peter Johnstone 0–3
- 1999 (BDO) Semi-final lost to Raymond van Barneveld 2–5
- 2000 (BDO) Semi-final lost to Ted Hankey 4–5
- 2001 (BDO) Last 32 lost to Mervyn King 2–3
- 2002 (PDC) Last 32 lost to Dave Askew 3–4
- 2003 (PDC) Quarter final lost to John Part 0-5
- 2004 Did not enter
- 2005 (PDC) Last 16 lost to Colin Lloyd 3–4
- 2006 (PDC) Last 32 lost to John Part 3-4
- 2007 (PDC) Last 16 lost to Phil Taylor 0–4
- 2008 (PDC) Last 32 lost to Kevin Painter 0–4
- 2009 (PDC) Last 64 lost to John Magowan 0–3
- 2010 (PDC) Did not qualify
- 2011 (PDC) Did not qualify
Personal life
Mason took the decision to move from Kilkenny, Ireland to Stoke-on-Trent late in 2006.[11] A few top players had made Stoke their home and Mason made the move partly so he could practice with Andy Hamilton.[12] However, shortly after the World Championship Hamilton switched to practising with Taylor – who broke off from mentoring Adrian Lewis. He currently resides in Wolverhampton.[13]
He is married to Lorna and has three children.
References
- ^ WDF tournament archive
- ^ PDC tournament archive
- ^ "Q School Entries Announced". Planet Dart. http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2263974,00.html. Retrieved January 12 2011.
- ^ MACE THE ACE JAILED FOR 3 YEARS; Darts champ in attack. freelibrary.com
- ^ Darts star faces jail for 'Horror Movie' assault
- ^ Mason v Taylor controversy 2006/07
- ^ Mason apologises to Taylor
- ^ Mason receives suspended ban from Darts Regulation Authority (DRA)
- ^ Darts player 'Mace the Ace' given community order for fraud This is Staffordshire]
- ^ Darts pro Mace the Ace failed to declare his £45k winnings This is Staffordshire
- ^ Mason moves to Stoke-on-Trent
- ^ Hamilton gives credit to practice partner Mason
- ^ Planet Darts profile
External links
Categories:- English darts players
- 1969 births
- Living people
- British Darts Organisation players
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