NEARLY 47 years ago, retired machine operator Derek White sat in his local pub and played his first game of dominoes. Surrounded by his mates, and supping a pint of best bitter, the then 21-year-old parted with half a crown unaware that he was about to kick-start a lifelong hobby.

Decades later, the 68-year-old is still playing in the pub with his mates, only these days he is a national champion.

The pensioner is a member of the seven-strong Grey Horse team in Darlington. The group, which was formed 15 years ago, have a string of domino achievements to their name. Not only are they this year's British champions, but the players are second in the all-time top ten of the best players in the history of the National Domino Championships.

The Grey Horse team is a family affair. Derek's brother Tony, 54, is captain and his nephew, Mark, 32, is also a player. Brothers Colin and Alan Stainsby are also team members. For them and most of the team, getting together to play the game in the pub and indulging in some friendly banter is what it's all about. They meet twice a week at the Grey Horse to battle it out against other members of the Darlington domino league.

"It's the social aspect for me," says Derek. "It's great entertainment. We have all been mates for many years so it's a good get-together. The whole aspect of going to the pub and having a game with friends is why we do it. We love the game too, though. Dominoes is a game of luck, but you need a bit of skill. After all, it takes a good man to play a lousy hand and win." The team won the British National Domino Championships in 1992, 1998 and 2001, beating teams from across the country. They put their success down to practice and friendship. "We have a lot of experience between us all. We play regularly and we all know how each other plays," says Derek.

'Stormy' Norman Kent is one of their secret weapons. The 70-year-old has been playing dominoes for 30 years and is a dab hand at the game.

"He really knows how to play dominoes," Derek adds. "It's very rare that he gets beaten. Colin is a star at the moment too. He's taking over Norman's title."

Colin, a caretaker at a secondary school, started playing dominoes with his brother 30 years ago. He likes the game because it is competitive. "I really enjoy it. I just started to play dominoes from being in the pub and it progressed from there." Dominoes, they say, is fun but when they are competing, concentration and serious thought adds to their winning formula.

"You do have to know what you are doing," says Derek. "You have to concentrate. The thing is to pick the right dominoes. Obviously you don't know what dominoes are going to be in your hand, but as the game goes on you are able to predict which ones your opponents have. It does require skill. When you have got a bad hand and you know how to win, that's when you are a champion."

The veteran players proved they were the best in Britain last month when they beat 64 groups from across the UK at the National Domino Championships, in Bridlington. The competition attracts the cream of the domino world and is considered the most prestigious domino contest in the country. Organiser Linda Masters hedged her bets on the boys coming home with the cup and they proved her right.

"We are the champion of champions," says Derek. "Everyone played really well. It was tough going but we did it. It was great coming home with the cup. We will add it to the collection behind the bar."

Though dominoes still proves to be a popular game in the pubs across Darlington, the team says there is a lack of keen young players to help continue the long tradition of a winning team

"It's just us old fogies now," says Derek. "Dominoes seemed to take over from darts as the most played game in the pubs but we hardly ever seem to have any young players, not like when we first started out."

Not that this stops them. "We feel like we can take on the world," says Derek. With their track record they probably can.