A conker champion has cleared his name after being accused of using a steel horse chestnut in the World Championship final in a scandal that rocked the ancient sport to its very foundations.
King Conker, also known as David Jakins, 82, smashed his opponent’s nut in one muscle-bound stroke – clinching the men’s title on his 46th attempt.
But his glory was cut short after youngster opponent, Alistair Johnson-Ferguson, 23, said the stunning disintegration of his conker ‘just doesn’t happen’, adding that he was ‘suspicious of foul play’.
And in a sensational accusation he suggested the winning athlete could have been using a metal dupe, painted to look like a real horse chestnut, to secure victory.
In the days that followed the scandal swept the nation – with officials launching an probe into the final and saying they will have to carry out physical checks that conkers are real in future competitions to ensure ‘transparency’.
Speaking to MailOnline Mr Johnson-Ferguson, from Canary Wharf in London, has now revealed that he invented the cheating allegation and there was ‘no way’ the tournament was rigged against him.
He said: ‘Honestly, I am trying to put this thing a bit behind me now.
King Conker, also known as David Jakins, 82, (centre) faces down his youngster opponent, Alistair Johnson-Ferguson, 23, (right) before their final match
He smashed his opponent’s nut in one muscle-bound stroke – clinching the men’s title on his 46th attempt
But his glory was cut short after youngster opponent, Alistair Johnson-Ferguson, 23, said the stunning disintegration of his conker ‘just doesn’t happen’, adding that he was ‘suspicious of foul play’. Pictured: Alongside overall winner and women’s champion Kelci Banschbach
Mr Johnson-Ferguson, from Canary Wharf in London , has now revealed that he invented the cheating allegation and there was ‘no way’ the tournament was rigged against him. Pictured: Mr Johnson-Ferguson smashing his opponent’s conker in one of his earlier bouts
‘I tried to do something nice for them and this is what I get.
‘All I want to say is I’m sure it was very fair – there was no way to cheat. They don’t really need to do anything else.
‘It was completely fair. Just don’t call me a sore loser.’
Mr Johnson-Ferguson previously told reporters he was ‘suspicious of foul play’ after his conker disintegrated with one hit – saying ‘that just doesn’t happen’.
He added: ‘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.’
Responding, event chairman Jim Packer told the BBC: ‘Somebody’s a sore loser, I think.’
King Conker, from Warmington, Northants, previously told MailOnline ‘I’m not talking to you’ but has strenuously denied cheating in comments to other outlets. He has also stepped back from his role in the event as organisers investigate.
In a sensational accusation he suggested the winning athlete could have been using a metal dupe, painted to look like a real horse chestnut, to secure victory. Pictured: King Conker strolling through the event in his regalia
Mr Johnson-Ferguson previously told reporters he was ‘suspicious of foul play’ after his conker disintegrated with one hit – saying ‘that just doesn’t happen’. Pictured: During one of his earlier rounds
In the days that followed the accusations scandal swept the nation – with officials launching an probe into the final and saying they will have to carry out physical checks that conkers are real in future competitions to ensure ‘transparency’. Pictured: The pair selecting their conkers before the bout
Those within the competition have always maintained the accusations are unfounded, and say that while the steel conker does exist it has been a much-loved feature of the family day out for several years.
Mr Jakins bets children they can’t smash it before revealing its metal composition in an endearing joke.
The fan favourite has gone for glory every year since 1977, and scored his first victory against Mr Johnson-Ferguson.
He became the competition’s oldest ever winner in what is believed to be his last sporting appearance at the event.
Mr Jakins later lost the grand final to the winner of the women’s category, first-time competitor Kelci Banschbach, 34, from Indianapolis in Indiana. She became the event’s first ever American victor.
Friends are worried that the accusations have spoiled the retired engineer’s moment of glory.
Richard Murphy, one of the judges for the competition who has himself unsuccessfully competed more than 30 times, said the scandal had been tough on both parties.
He explained: ‘I was a bit shocked when I heard how upset Alistair is, and of course King Conker is an 82-year-old guy who has been doing this for charity for nearly 50 years.
Those within the competition have always maintained the accusations are unfounded, and say that while the steel conker does exist it has been a much-loved feature of the family day out for several years
The fan favourite has gone for glory every year since 1977, and scored his first victory against Mr Johnson-Ferguson
He became the competition’s oldest ever winner in what is believed to be his last sporting appearance at the event. Pictured: The conker-adorned crown presented to the winner
‘He’s not a dirty cheat. He just isn’t, and to be called a cheat at his age and to take away his moment of triumph and glory and joy for him – I just think it’s terrible.
‘If I was him I’d be absolutely devastated by this.’
Speaking before Mr Johnson-Ferguson’s confession, he added that it would be ‘incredibly difficult’ for him to switch the chestnut – and everyone knew that King Conker had his steel dupe in his pocket well before the match.
Umpires for the World Conker Championships are now set to check if participants’ conkers are real before and after every battle at the event, which took place this year outside a pub in Southwick, Northamptonshire.
He said: ‘The sport has a reputation for being fun and quirky and eccentric – and I think for this row to break out, it’s a shame. That’s not what was supposed to happen.
‘I am quite convinced that next year, we judges will be asked when the players have drawn their conker and start playing to physically hold or examine and check the conkers at the start and at the end and make sure that there is nothing wrong.
‘I’d be happy to have those extra checks for the transparency.’
King Conker has previously seen controversy in the competition, and was accused of bias when his daughter was crowned world champion two years ago while he was one of the judges at the event.
King Conker has previously seen controversy in the competition, and was accused of bias when his daughter (left) was crowned world champion two years ago while he was one of the judges at the event
Umpires for the World Conker Championships are now set to check if participants’ conkers are real before and after every battle at the event, which took place this year outside a pub in Southwick, Northamptonshire. Pictured: A competitor wearing a conker themed hat
King Conker would have become the first champion ever to be stripped of their title had the probe concluded that he used the metal nut. Pictured: Competitors take part in the annual World Conker Championships in Southwick
But Mr Murphy says that the competition provides the conkers to makes sure that there is no ‘bad sportsmanship’ from people taking part – such as baking them or soaking them in vinegar.
He says that he hopes King Conker will return next year, and will continue to ‘bring a smile to the kid’s faces’ with his trick replica.
The hose chestnut enthusiast continued: ‘There’s no way he could have arranged for her to win. You can’t fix the conker that somebody is going to get and you can’t fix who they’re going to be playing it.
‘There is some skill in playing conkers, of that there is no doubt, but it’d be very, very hard to arrange somebody’s passage through a competition and arrange for them to win.
‘I think anyone who was saying he arranged for his daughter to win – that’s bunk. That’s even more unlikely than him using the metal conker. I think that’s impossible.’
King Conker was also one of the key judges for the tournament, and drilled and inserted strings in some of the 2,000 chestnuts used.
Chief Umpire Richard Howard later revealed these were kept at his home and therefore could not have been tampered with.
King Conker would have become the first champion ever to be stripped of their title had the probe concluded that he used the metal nut.
King Conker was also one of the key judges for the tournament, and drilled and inserted strings in some of the 2,000 chestnuts used. Pictured: Competitor Neil Morbey wearing a conker themed hat
Chief Umpire Richard Howard later revealed conkers were kept at his home and therefore could not have been tampered with. Pictured: Chelsea pensioner John Riley, 92, (right) takes part in the annual World Conker Championships at the Shuckburgh Arms in Southwick
The probe is ongoing, and the World Conker Championships declined to comment until it is complete.
Publican and Committee Member Neil Horton, said that he was ‘absolutely convinced’ Mr Jakins could not have cheated.
But he said the rules could be changed in a matter of weeks as they review the event in the coming months.
He said: ‘The competition itself is, although it’s a huge amount of fun and it’s a great family day out, people travel from all over the country and take it very, very seriously.
‘It is probably one of the only things that you can become a world champion in without putting masses and masses of time and training into it.
‘King Conker, he’s been trying to win for 47 years and he’s like our mascot. The really fabulous thing this year, or probably not so great thing this year, is that David actually got his way through to the final.
‘I think if you try and use a steel conker and swing it, it’s a heck of a way to swing – especially when you’re 82 years old. I’m absolutely convinced, knowing Dave really well, there’s no chance he could have cheated. It’s just not cricket; it’s not the way he does things.
‘It’s just like the RFU or the cricketing bodies – the rules are discussed every year. This, I am sure, will be discussed at length and a proposal to to confirm the conker are correct before the battle commences could be one of those things that could be discussed.’
