HISTORY OF DONK
The definitive origins of Donk are shrouded in uncertainty and conjecture. Indeed, it is difficult to find a subject that creates such disagreement amongst leading historians. Therefore, I will limit this summary to the points that are universally agreed upon.There is certainly substantial evidence that a form of the game was first played in Roman times. Soldiers stationed in Ancient Britain in the first century AD were known to gamble their wages by rolling their Denarium (coins) towards the barrack room wall (the ‘Donkus’) to see who could get the closest (proximus). The legendary Roman Historian Maximus Dickus, in his book, ‘Life for Romans in Britain’ describes witnessing ‘…..centurions, well into their cups, would stake vast sums in a game of chance known as Donkus Proximus.’
There is little mention of the game during the ‘Dark Ages’ and the next historical record of any certainty is not until the battle of Agincourt in 1415. There is some dispute over the accuracy of the account as it was, typically, some years after the battle that the French Historian Henri L’Escargot eventually penned his version of events. In describing the lead up to the battle, L’Escargot writes, ‘To take their minds off the forthcoming conflagration, the common soldiers immersed themselves in a variety of pastimes and gambling. One game that had become very popular was copied from English captives and was called ‘Donk’. English historians believe that playing a little (peu) donk was the antecedent for modern day Pétanque – French historians however, do not subscribe to this view!
Given its historical links to men at war, it is no surprise that the game rose to its current status at a ‘United Services’ club. The USC at Haywards Heath is a vast and imposing arena boasting three standard and one long donk lane. The club is as synonomous with donk as Twickenham to rugby and Lords to cricket. Many however, feel the best comparison is with the Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid – both venues being renowned for their vomitoriums.
The game as we know it today owes much to the Donk Board of Control (DBC) who have spread the appeal of the game to all corners of the club. Thanks to the Board the professional game now promises huge prize money for its leading exponents; one of whom recently said ‘It’s only through my donk winnings that I have been able to privately educate my children’.