A LONG lost trophy has been reunited with the man who won it three times.

Darts player Steve Vernon, of Cledford Crescent, was one of the founder members of the Middlewich darts league in 1977 and won the individual cup himself that first year.

He went on to win it again in 1996-7 and 1998-9 before the league folded and the trophy was lost, only to be unearthed again in the cellar of Reflections in December.

Steve, 52, said: "Winning it the first time was definitely the best and I didn't know where the trophy ended up. It brings back one or two memories. "I was probably about 22 when we started the league up in Middlewich but I've always played darts - I used to play it on the door of the shed in the yard when I was probably about eight."

Steve now plays in the Sandbach A league and also took up archery two years ago.

When the cup was found in the cellar of Reflections, in Wheelock Street, it was handed over to town events organiser Dave Thompson and prompted some interest in restarting the league. Steve said: "It would be good if we could get it going again but it's getting the enthusiasm going for it.

"It's getting enough pubs together to guarantee enough to make the league run - you need eight in a league to make it reasonable.

"But it's actually finding enough pubs that still have dart boards that's the problem.

"Young kids these days want to play pool and aren't bothered about darts and dominoes."

So for now the cup will remain at Steve's home and continue to bring back memories from 30 years ago.