World Conker Championships embroiled in ‘fix’ row after finalist found with STEEL chestnut painted brown
THE World Conker Championships have been rocked by a ‘cheating’ scandal after the losing grand finalist was found with a fake steel conker.
David Jakins, known as King Conker, raised eyebrows when he scooped his quarter and semi-final wins in one hit, an incredible – nearly impossible – feat in the Northamptonshire tournament.
The 82-year-old has entered into the competition 47-years running, but he lost out in the grand final to Kelci Banschbach.
The 34-year-old American was was a first-time competitor, and the first US entry to win since 1965.
But when Jakins was searched after the annual quirky event, a steel conker was unearthed in his belongings.
The suspicious item was painted to mimic a real conker and it had been attached to the same lace used in the competition.
It was also discovered in a hidden pocket.
To add to speculation there had been a “fix” – the retired engineer is so well respected in the game he helps attach other players’ chestnuts to their strings.
Alastair Johnson-Ferguson, who lost to Jakins in the final, said he suspected “foul play”.
The 23-year-old told the Telegraph: “My conker disintegrated in one hit, and that just doesn’t happen.
“Now it turns out King Conker had a dummy steel conker, so he could have swapped his real conker for that one. Or he could have marked the conker strings to pick out a harder nut.
“I’m suspicious of foul play and have expressed my surprise to organisers.”
Jakins has hit back and vigorously denied the cheating scandal.
“I had the steel conker in my pocket, but it’s just something I carry for laughs,” he said.
“I didn’t use it in the competition.
“This wasn’t cheating or a fix, and I didn’t tamper with the strings.”
St John Burkett, a spokesman for the World Conker Championships, added: “Allegations of foul play have been received that somehow King Conker swapped his real conker for the metal one later found in his pocket.
“Players select conkers from a sack before each round.
“There are also suggestions that King Conker had marked the strings of harder nuts.
“We can confirm he was involved in drilling and lacing the nuts before the event.
“We are investigating.”
The spokesperson also told MailOnline that strictly speaking it was not against the rules to carry a steel conker.
He added that when competitors remove their chestnuts from the sealed bag there are two officials watching like a hawk.
“Members of the committee have discussed the matter, particularly in light of Mr Jakins winning the men’s final and semi final with one hit and two hits, but have concluded that, as far as we can tell, play was fair, and the rules were followed,” he added.
However, not everyone is convinced, including fan David Glew.
The skeptical 78-year-old from Lincoln, said: “As if it’s not suspicious enough for the event’s top judge to take part in his own tournament and win, he has also obliterated opponents’ nuts in one hit and then been found with a metal conker.
“The question that has to be asked is – how has he won now, after never winning previously?
“The whole thing is nuts. It stinks, and needs to be properly investigated to save our game from scandal.”
World Conker Championships
The World Conker Championships aims to raise money for charities that support the visually impaired.
Since 1965, the tournament has raised a whopping £420,000 for those in need.
Donations raised have helped provide talking books and newspapers for the blind, guide dog training, sourcing visual interpreters and providing specialist equipment.
The World Conker Championships helped the RNIB, Hunts Society for the Blind, Northants Association for the Blind, Guide Dogs for the Blind and Peterborough Talking Newspaper.
To enter the competition adults pay £7.00, concessions are £5.00 and a family ticket (covering two adults and up to three children) costs £15.00.
The 2024 World Champions are as follows:
Ladies’ World Champion – Kelci Banschbach (Indiana, USA)
Men’s World Champion – David Jakins (Northamptonshire, UK)
Team Champions – The Skuumkoppers (Noord-Holland, Netherlands)
Ladies’ Runner Up – Rosie Burbidge (London, UK)
Men’s Runner Up – Alastair Johnson-Ferguson (London, UK)
Team Runners Up – Oakley’s Nuts (Northamptonshire, UK)
Intermediate Joint World Champions – Enija Butane & Clara Axmacher (Leicestershire & Cambridgeshire, UK)
Junior World Champion – Sebastian Sheffield (Northamptonshire, UK)
Junior Runner Up – Nicoda Hutchinson (Cambridgeshire, UK)