The World Conker Championship champion has been cleared of any wrongdoing after he was found with a steel nut hidden in his pocket.
David Jakins, known as King Conker, won the annual title for the first time on October 13 in Southwick, Northamptonshire, after competing in the competition since 1977.
But after the runner-up raised questions about the way his Buckeye shattered on impact in the final, organizers searched his pockets and 82-year-old Yakins was found to have a metal replica, sparking an investigation.
The scandal has attracted more media attention than England’s men’s and women’s cricket teams combined, with organizers finding no evidence that steel nuts were used in the match.
Retired engineer Yakins told the Daily Star: “I’m delighted to have been given the licence. It’s been a stressful week. We’re gentlemen at the World Conker Championship and we don’t cheat. I’ve played and practiced a few Ten years. That’s how I won.
“I admit I have a steel buckeye in my pocket, but I don’t play with it. I show it to people as a joke, but I won’t carry it again.
Photos of the steel buckeye show it painted to look almost like a real chestnut, but it weighs a lot more.
A spokesman for the World Conker Championship, which attracted 256 players and 2,000 fans to Southwick, Northants, on Sunday, said: “We have studied photos and videos of the competition, interviewed judges and checked Got the chestnuts used by King Kangke.
“The investigation found no evidence that a steel conker was used. King Conker has been cleared of suspicion and his name will be engraved on the trophy.
Championship spokesman St John Burkett told the Guardian that the 3,500 cones for this year’s championship were collected two to three days ago and blindly selected from bags by competitors from around the world to prevent tampering.
He said that given there are 14 referees plus a referee and 2,000 spectators, you need “very high skill” to exchange them.
WCC rules state that there must be at least 8 inches (20 cm) of lace between the nut and the player’s knuckle, the player takes 3 alternating blows, and any downed buckeye that is not broken may be re-strung beyond the 3 barrier or tangling will result in disqualification, and if no one breaks the seven corners, players will continue to play under the five-minute elimination rule until someone misses.
Burkett said the winners usually have “excellent hand-eye coordination, strategy and skill” and that the Big Seven Peacocks are not necessarily the best because they provide a bigger target.
While the WCC takes a purist approach to competition, other competitions, such as the Peckham Conker Championship, have opted for an “anything goes” approach to the rules, from oven baking to vinegar-soaked conkers, or clear-painted nails Conker of oil.
