Issue 53 (January 6, 2017)

Friday 6 January 2017

Darts Weekly

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Mighty Mike wins second world title

Michael van Gerwen ends Gary Anderson’s reign with 7-3 victory in final at Alexandra Palace Reports & reaction pages 2-5 Premier League line-up page 7

Exclusive “Take Glen Durrant out of it and Lakeside is wide open” Pages 8-9

Exclusive Tony Green on why he is hanging up the microphone Pages 12-14

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Friday 6 January 2017 Darts Weekly

Unstoppable van Gerwen ends Anderson’s two-year reign as world champion Double delight: Michael van Gerwen is crowned world champion for the second time

Alex Moss CHIEF DARTS WRITER

world

Michael van Gerwen Gary Anderson

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It was 43 tournament wins ago that Michael van Gerwen last got his hands on the Sid Waddell Trophy, the prize for winning the biggest event in world darts.

The outright world number one has dominated the PDC circuit during that time, but for the last two years one trophy has been missing from his collection.

On Monday night, van Gerwen ended the two-year reign of Gary Anderson as PDC world champion with an impressive 7-3 win in the final at Alexandra Palace, and once again Mighty Mike is now the reigning champion of the world.

In a record-breaking final, the pair shared 42 180s between them, a record for maximums hit in any

match, with Anderson’s 22 180s breaking the world record for most hit by an individual player in any match.

But it was not enough to stop van Gerwen, who claimed the

“Everyone wants this trophy and I’m really glad that it is me holding it” £350,000 prize, the largest cheque in the history of darts, and now begins his second reign as world champion.

“This feels absolutely phenomenal,” said van Gerwen, who also hit five 100+ finishes in the final and ended the tournament with an overall average of 106.96.

“I think it was a special game of darts for everyone who saw it. I’m

stores.ebay.co.uk/Mojo-DARTS

a really happy man because I’ve worked so hard for this all year.

“Everyone wants this trophy and I’m really glad that it is me holding it, and to win it against Gary makes it even more special.

“He is a phenomenal player with a lot of class and I had to play like that to beat him.

“I’ve got great support from my wife, family and all the people around me and winning this means a lot to me.

“Everyone said that I would have to win a second World Championship to be one of the big boys.

“Well I’ve done it now and it means everything to me.”

The turning point in the match came when Anderson missed two darts to take a 3-1 lead in sets, before a crucial 86 checkout on double seven sparked a blistering run from van Gerwen.

The Dutchman took five sets in a row to go 6-2 in front and then won the 10th set to seal the win.

The first four sets of the final

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Part inducted into PDC Hall of Fame at awards dinner

were shared, with each going to the full five-leg distance, but Anderson’s two missed set darts in the fourth set, followed by van Gerwen’s 86 finish in the decider, proved to be pivotal moments in the best of 13 sets contest.

Van Gerwen won the fifth set 3-0 and the sixth set 3-1 as he opened up a 4-2 lead, before he won the next two sets 3-0 and 3-1 to close in on a second world title.

Anderson kept his hopes alive by edging the ninth set 3-2, a set in which a man from the crowd invaded the stage and attempted to hand the trophy to van Gerwen.

The invader did not have to wait much longer, though, as MVG checked out 85 on the bullseye in the deciding leg of the 10th set to complete a 7-3 win.

Despite missing out on a third World Championship title in

third World Championship title in a row, a feat only previously achieved by Eric Bristow and Phil Taylor, second seed Anderson was gracious in defeat.

“Michael deserves it this year,” said Anderson, whose tournament tally of 71 maximums is the most ever hit in a World Championship.

“The year he has had has been brilliant and if anyone was going to beat me it was going to be him.

“We’ve both had a good tournament and it’s been a fantastic one for everyone to watch.”

After beating Anderson to win the one title which has passed him by for the last two years, van Gerwen is now at the top of the tree as the world number one and world champ.

John Part became the first overseas player to be inducted into the PDC Hall of Fame, at the PDC Annual Awards Dinner earlier this week.

The three-time world champion and former Las Vegas Desert Classic winner was inducted into the organisation’s Hall of Fame on Wednesday night, recognising his achievements as the sport’s most successful North American player.

“I love darts and I think there are a lot of great, fantastic things happening in the game,” Part said.

“It’s been really wonderful, and I’m so happy to have been at the onset of the current game, and to get some acknowledgement of that is fantastic.

“All I’ve ever done is play a game I love, and I got to keep going to different places and do a lot more than play darts, and I’ve had a lot of good times. This means a great deal to me.”

The Dorchester in London held the PDC Annual Awards Dinner on Wednesday night, with newly crowned PDC world champion Michael van Gerwen’s domination of the circuit matched by his haul of four trophies.

The world number one won 25 tournaments in 2016 before recapturing the PDC World Championship title on Monday.

Having earlier been voted by his fellow throwers as the PDPA Players’ Player of the Year and by fans worldwide as the PDC Fans’ Player of the Year, van Gerwen went on to scoop the top honour of PDC Player of the Year - an accolade which he had shared with Gary Anderson 12 months ago.

The Dutchman also took home the Best Pro Tour Player award after winning £270,000 in the PDC’s non-televised events during 2016.

There were also awards for Benito van de Pas (Young Player), Mensur Suljovic (Most Improved Player) and Phil Taylor (Televised Performance).

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Friday 6 January 2017 Darts Weekly

Stand up if you love the darts, stay home if you’re a darts snob Richard Edwards at Alexandra Palace Let’s face it, Barry Hearn is a genius. What he has created that we have witnessed on our TV screens over the past couple of weeks is testament to that.

Packed out crowds, a fantastic atmosphere and darts of the highest quality means darts has never been so popular.

Being based in South Korea most of my life since my only visit to the PDC World Championship back in 2001, I returned home to see it for myself.

Having arrived back in the UK on Boxing Day, my first realisation of what Mr Hearn has achieved was by spending time with friends and family.

While visiting friends, I was delighted to see the 10-year-old son of a friend engrossed with the Mensur Suljovic and Mark Webster match up (a perfect excuse for me to stare at the TV while devouring the nibbles on offer).

A few days later I watched a few games down the pub with a friend who would usually be more at home at a Bucks Fizz or Kylie concert, but he had a fantastic time and even started inquiring where he could get a board.

Whatever Mr Hearn is doing, darts is as popular as ever. I know darts is always popular at this time of the year, but the aforementioned 10-year-old did go on to mention how he enjoyed the World Matchplay in the summer (good lad, I wish I was watching more darts at that age).

So for darting fanatics like you and me, this is great news, people of all different ages and backgrounds are getting into the sport we love, but as we all know, it is not as simple as that.

This popularity is a double-edged sword, and after attending three

different sessions over the past week, I am still uncertain with this modern day regime.

Myself and nine friends sat in the cheap seats for the evening session on the 28th (Wright-Lewis, Anderson-van de Pas, Lewis-van Barneveld) and I will be honest, I was very sceptical about how I would react to thousands of people singing and dancing and not even watching the darts.

I admitted to myself and my friends I had become a bit of a darts snob over the past year and I thought it would not be my cup of tea. I had the time of my life!

The atmosphere was superb and I will never forget the buzz around the place during the walk-ons.

We sang, we drank and we watched the darts. The only downside of the evening was being at the bar for the Anderson-van de

‘By the end I was cackling that I was such a lucky boy to witness it live’ Pas walk-ons.

I was livid with myself, had I become one of these people that fellow darts snobs moan about who don’t really care about the game? Was I more interested in getting the beers than the arrows?

I promised myself not to miss another walk-on during the next two and a half sessions I intended to visit.

Anyway, now was not the time for self-reflection and I was soon in a better mood witnessing Gary Anderson power through, and then that cracker of a match up between Adrian Lewis and Raymond van Barneveld (by this time my mates were on beer run duties, they hadn’t seen me for three years after all, thanks guys).

We had a great sing song on the way home with a Geordie and a few Germans (man alive, how

Champion again: Michael van Gerwen holds aloft the Sid Waddell Trophy on Monday many Germans attended the Ally Pally this year?).

A couple of days later and it was back into London to watch the first two quarter-finals.

A much smaller crowd of three this time, we had table seats at the front.

A thoroughly good time was had again during the first game between Peter Wright and James Wade, and then onto that fantastic match between Anderson and Dave Chisnall.

Spirits were high after being able to witness the Anderson walk on after the balls up two days previously, and then subsequent barrage of 180s.

But then unfortunately something clicked inside of me, I think it was the booing, if you can call it that, when Chizzy was throwing for a double.

I guess I had been so engrossed with the darts the past couple of hours I had not really been paying attention to some of the wallies in the crowd, but now I could not help look around and see hundreds of people that were not even watching the screen.

The people whose number one goal for the day was to get on TV, and don’t get me started on the football songs.

You go on any darts forum on the internet, or chat to any darts people, and you will see the negativity towards how little some of the crowd seem to care about the darts.

It got me thinking, how much of the crowd actually really know darts? If you were to question the spectators how would you check out 122, how many would go for 20 first?

I don’t like comparing darts to other sports, but imagine going to a game of football where 95 per

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5 LAWRENCE LUSTIG/PDC

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cent of the crowd did not know the offside rule? Luckily this bout of snobbery came late in the session and didn’t ruin another great time.

For the next two sessions (last two quarter-finals and the semifinals), I watched from the comfort of a bar stool/sofa.

It would have been impossible not to enjoy these sessions but it really got me thinking, for a darts snob like myself is the best way to watch darts on the television?

Having spent most of my life as a football fan being told that you are not a proper fan if you do not attend the games, it took me a while to realise that with some sports, they are best watched in the comfort of your own home.

Before retiring from attending live PDC events after a pitiful three sessions, I had a final to attend!

I was lucky enough to represent Darts Weekly at the final and it was an experience I will never forget.

Gary Anderson’s walk-on still gives me shivers down my spine as I write this four days later, and those first four sets were simply

breath-taking.

I genuinely believe that had the match gone 12 or 13 sets, that 180 record would not just have been beaten, it would have been doubled.

By the end I was cackling to myself every time a maximum was hit, cackling at the standard I was seeing and cackling that I was such a lucky, lucky boy to witness it live.

After the game I managed to stand just two metres away from Gary and Michael as the journos questioned them (being a very amateur journalist and the kind of guy who hasn’t spoken at a school staff meeting for about three years, I didn’t get any questions in, but I listened very carefully).

One thing that struck me is when MVG explained how he loved the game, but didn’t particularly enjoy watching it.

I love doing both but my passion for playing is much, much stronger. I think it is fair to say the majority of people who attended the Ally Pally were not like me and Michael, and they love watching the darts. It hit home what a tit I

was for feeling a bit snobbish a couple of times over the past week!

If it wasn’t for the prat who ran on stage I would happily report that we should stop fretting about the atmosphere at the darts, it is what it is, it is electric.

If you are a snob like I can be you can stay at home and watch the darts happy in the knowledge that the sport you love is going from strength to strength.

Unfortunately it will be another two or three years until I come back home and it will be very interesting to see what is going on at the Ally Pally!

How popular can Mr Hearn make this thing in the UK? Will we see events as wild as the World Championship outside the Ally Pally? Will kids be getting sets of darts for Christmas?

Imagine schools up and down the country with a darts academy!

Hopefully next time I return to England my friend’s son will be on his way to being the next Corey Cadby, and my Bucks Fizz loving friend will be pounding the lipstick every day after work!

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Friday 6 January 2017 Darts Weekly

CHRISTOPHER KEMPF MATCH OF THE WEEK - M VAN GERWEN 6-2 R VAN BARNEVELD (PDC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP)

Barney bows to invincible Michael van Gerwen Raymond van Barneveld, like a mountaineer making one final push for the summit, came to London in December seeking to ride his impressive upswing in form to what might be a last World Championship title.

He beat last year’s finalist in the third round. He crushed the greatest darter of all time in the quarter-finals. And he stormed onto the stage on Sunday night with guns blazing in his semi-final with the world number one.

What else could you say about his performance a match in which van Barneveld averaged over 109, hit almost 70 per cent of his doubles, threw 14 180s in 32 legs and hit four huge finishes, including a 160 checkout with his opponent waiting on 25? Darts like that would have destroyed any other player in the PDC. But that isn’t enough when you’re playing Michael van Gerwen. Nothing, it seems, is ever enough.

The terrifying thing about this match was that van Gerwen managed to dismiss the greatestever performance from the patriarch of Dutch darts with such casual brilliance.

He missed double 12 - yet again for a nine darter. There were no more of the trademark fanfare finishes with which he had enticed the crowd in the quarter-finals.

He was far less accurate on the doubles than van Barneveld was.

In avenging his loss to Barney at last year’s tournament, and in producing by far the highest average in World Championship history, van Gerwen reminded us

of how much better he might become.

Let’s not forget that van Barneveld won five of the first six legs of the match, including the sixth, which concluded with the aforementioned 160 finish to give him a 2-1 lead in the second set.

Even though van Gerwen broke throw in the next leg with a crucial 114 finish (“That killed the match for me,” Barney said), saving the set, van Barneveld’s average flirted with an astronomical 115 as he won the fourth set in legs of 11, 12 and 13 darts and evened the score in sets.

The crowd enlisted themselves as the Barney Army, cheering the elder Dutchman’s high scores as he continued to inspire hope for an epic upset victory.

While under extreme pressure, as he had done at every other juncture in the World Championship, van Gerwen shifted into a higher gear and opened up the throttle.

MVG laid down an incredible barrage of trebles in the fifth set, hitting treble 20 with 26 out of 35 darts aimed at the bed.

Leg after leg proceeded in the same manner for MVG, 180, 134, two-dart finish, 11 dart leg.

100, 180, twodart finish, 12dart leg.

Heavy scoring, easy finishes. It was methodical, it was relentless.

A bewildered van Barneveld, even at the top LAWRENCE LUSTIG/PDC

of his game, could only manage to take four out of 16 legs off Mighty Mike in the final four sets.

No darter playing today could have beaten van Gerwen on that night in that semi-final.

If it was a truly invincible performance from MVG, then it begs the question: what if this is the new normal?

What if van Gerwen starts doing this every night, and in his abovepar performances averages 120 and hits nine darters?

What if the best match of darts ever played for the cameras was not an aberration, but a warning?

The suspense in televised darts may then revolve not around the question ‘who will win?’, but rather ‘what amazing things will van Gerwen do tonight?’

Darts Weekly Friday 6 January 2017

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Klaasen seals Premier League return, but Suljovic misses cut LAWRENCE LUSTIG/PDC

Alex Moss CHIEF DARTS WRITER Jelle Klaasen and Kim Huybrechts will both return to the Betway Premier League in 2017, as the 10player field for the invitational tournament was confirmed earlier this week.

Klaasen was a surprise omission from the Premier League last year, having knocked out Phil Taylor on his way to reaching the semi-finals of the PDC World Championship just before the cut off.

But the Dutchman’s continued rise up the ranks in the PDC in 2016, which included deep runs in the UK Open and European Championship, has seen the 32year-old rewarded with a recall into the Premier League this year.

For Klaasen it will be his first appearance in the tournament for eight years, with his only previous campaign coming back in 2009 when he finished bottom of the table with six points to his name.

Huybrechts also returns to the Premier League this year, although his exile from the tournament has only been for two years.

The Belgian made his debut in 2015 when he only managed one win and two draws from his first nine games, and was relegated despite regularly posting averages in the high 90s.

Huybrechts reached the quarterfinals of both the World Grand Prix and Players Championship Finals in 2016, as well as progressing as far as the semifinals of the World Cup, with brother Ronny, in the summer.

Klaasen and Huybrechts were both chosen as PDC wildcards for this year’s Premier League, with James Wade and Dave Chisnall completing the picks made by the organisation.

Reigning champion Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright and Adrian Lewis all

qualified automatically, by virtue of being in the top four of the PDC Order of Merit, while former champions Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld were selected as host broadcaster Sky’s two wildcards for the event.

Michael Smith and Robert Thornton are the two players to make way for the return of Klaasen and Huybrechts to the line-up, but the surprise name missing from the field for 2017 is Mensur Suljovic.

The Austrian enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2016, reaching the final of the European Championship and winning a European Tour event, and is up to number eight on the PDC Order of Merit.

Although it was reported during the PDC World Championship that Suljovic had retracted from an interview in which he said he would turn down an invite, Darts Weekly understands he was close to being chosen as a PDC wildcard.

However, with the travelling demands which comes with the Premier League, and with a young family back home, the decision

was made to omit Suljovic from the line-up.

PDC chairman Barry Hearn said: “As always this was a real tough decision because there are so many great players out there coming through.

“The Premier League is the pick of the greatest players who we think can give the best entertainment.

“I think we have a quality field, guaranteed a huge number of maximums and a few nine darters in this year’s Premier League.

“Darts is not just a world-class sport but world-class entertainment as well.

“With the rewards on offer these kids can change their lives through playing professional darts, and we are the beneficiaries because we see world-class sporting entertainment.

“This game is getting bigger and bigger and I’m so proud to be involved with it.”

The new Premier League season starts at the Metro Radio Arena, in Newcastle, on February 2, and will conclude with the play-offs at The O2, in London, on May 18.

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Friday 6 January 2017 Darts Weekly

Fitton: Glen Durrant is the red-hot favourite, but take him out and it’s wide open Alex Moss CHIEF DARTS WRITER

Determined: Darryl Fitton won the World Trophy at Lakeside in May last year

The 40th Lakeside World Professional Darts Championship gets underway at the iconic Lakeside Country Club tomorrow lunchtime, with BDO number one Glen Durrant kicking off the tournament live on new host broadcaster Channel 4.

Durrant, the top seed in the men’s draw, is the man to beat having won both the Winmau World Masters and Finder Darts Masters titles last month.

Among his main challengers for the title this year, 10th seed Darryl Fitton, the reigning World Trophy champion, knows Durrant is the player everyone is gunning for.

“Take Glen Durrant out of it and it’s wide open,” Fitton said. “He’s going to be the red-hot favourite.

“He’s playing brilliant darts, but whether he wants it too much I don’t know, let’s hope he does!

“Aside from Glen, Jamie Hughes is a very consistent player. I was quite surprised by the recent form of Scott Waites (the defending champion), he’s not playing that well.

“There’s some really good players. Danny Noppert, Jeff Smith played really well last year getting to the final. Mark McGeeney is a brilliant player as well.”

This will be Fitton’s 15th consecutive appearance at the Lakeside for the BDO’s World Championship. Only good friend Tony O’Shea and Martin Adams, of the players in this year’s draw, have competed more times in the tournament.

And while the Dazzler has twice enjoyed runs to the semi-finals, in 2005 and 2009, he knows he can not afford to look too far ahead.

Of his 14 previous World Championship campaigns, the 54year-old has been knocked out in

the first round on no fewer than eight occasions.

Up first for Fitton this year is Dutchman Wouter Vaes, who is one of 11 players making their debut in the men’s draw at Lakeside this year.

“I’ve seen him around for a long time when I did a lot of tournaments in Holland,” Fitton recalls.

“He’s a really good player. He’s got to be a good player to qualify for Lakeside, because it’s really tough doing the tour and travelling round.

“Look at the likes of Andy Fordham, Gary Robson, Ted Hankey, they’ve all missed out.

Wouter has shown he’s a good

this year

“The Lakeside stage can either make you or break you as a player” player.”

Fitton made his debut at Lakeside back in 2003, losing out in the first round to John Burton, but quickly became accustomed to the stage with runs to the quarterfinals and semi-finals in the next two years, where he lost out to the eventual champions Fordham and Raymond van Barneveld on both occasions.

“It can either make you or break you,” said Fitton about the Lakeside stage. “Especially the first weekend, it’s the busiest as well, the hype’s there.”

Fitton’s first appearance in front of the television cameras came back in 1997 and over in the PDC, when he narrowly lost out to Peter Manley in the first round of the World Matchplay.

Since then, the Dazzler has been a stalwart of the BDO, but after

watching the likes of Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson break the record books in the PDC World Championship earlier this week, admits there is a big gap in standard between the two codes.

“After watching the PDC darts there’s a big gap between the BDO and the PDC,” Fitton said.

“And I never thought it was that big. It’s probably because there’s not enough tournaments for us.

“When you think about it, Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson never did anything at the Lakeside, and I know it’s because they’re playing these top players all the time.

“It’s cutthroat there, but the BDO it’s not. You could play two games where you’re playing absolute nobodies and then you bump into a county player, then you could play an international, then you’re back onto a Super League player.

“At the PDC it’s totally different, you’re playing good players all the time and it’s not that many people (in the field). I think that’s why, it’s

Darts Weekly Friday 6 January 2017

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THE DRAW Glen Durrant (1) v Nick Kenny x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x

Martin Phillips (16) v Tom Sawyer/Paul Hogan Darius Labanauskas (8) v Conan Whitehead Wesley Harms (9) v Krzysztof Ratajski/Willem Mandigers Martin Adams (5) v Dennis Nilsson/Ryan Joyce Brian Dawson (12) v Seigo Asada/Jeff Smith Jamie Hughes (4) v Martin Atkins Jim Williams (13) v Tony O’Shea Scott Mitchell (2) v Roger Janssen/Mark McGrath

having that many tournaments, and that’s why the likes of Anderson, Barney, Taylor, van Gerwen and Lewis are playing so well now, and Peter Wright as well.

“We don’t have enough television tournaments. That’s why players keep leaving (the BDO) and going over because of that lack of TV.” For the first time in the event’s history, the BDO World

“We don’t have enough television tournaments, that’s why players leave” Championship will not be broadcast on the BBC this year.

The BDO were dealt a blow when the BBC announced it was not renewing its contract with the organisation following last year’s tournament, but Channel 4 have taken up the broadcasting rights, which they will share with BT Sport over the next nine days.

“We went from the highs of the

Geert de Vos (15) v Raymond Smith/Davy van Baelen World Trophy, which was excellent television, to the lows we just saw at the World Masters, it was really poor,” Fitton said.

“Channel 4 are using the same production company as the BBC used, IMG, they know what they’re doing, so hopefully they’ll get rid of the shadows and the throw will be right.

“It’s much better than the BBC because they have more live matches and more sponsors are allowed.

“The BBC were saying that the players were only allowed one sponsor patch, to me that’s ridiculous.

“We’re allowed four of our own badges now, so instead of asking one person to sponsor you for £1520,000 a year, you can ask four to sponsor you for £5,000.

“You’ve got more chance of getting it. There’s a lot of good players out there that can’t find sponsors, because the price they have to charge because of the one patch allowed by the BBC.”

Dean Reynolds (7) v Pip Blackwell Darryl Fitton (10) v Wouter Vaes Scott Waites (6) v Craig Caldwell/Dennis Harbour Mark McGeeney (11) v James Hurrell Danny Noppert (3) v David Cameron/Jimmy Hendriks Richard Veenstra (14) v Ross Montgomery

THE FORMAT Preliminary round - best of 5 sets First round - best of 5 sets Second round - best of 7 sets Quarter-finals - best of 9 sets Semi-finals - best of 11 sets Final - best of 13 sets

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Friday 6 January 2017 Darts Weekly

Gallagher aiming to cause an upset in first round clash with Hedman at the Lakeside Alex Moss CHIEF DARTS WRITER

Aiming high: Casey Gallagher is a two-time WDF Europe Youth Cup Girls champion

Casey Gallagher heads to Lakeside for her third tilt at winning the Ladies World Championship with the most daunting of first round draws standing in her way.

The two-time WDF Europe Youth Cup Girls champion will take on the top seed, and many peoples’ favourite to lift the trophy a week tomorrow, Deta Hedman on Tuesday afternoon.

But having benefited from playing at the last two World Championships, the 20-year-old believes she is now more prepared than ever to make her mark on the big stage.

“I’m more excited now because the first time it was sort of my like my apprenticeship,” Gallagher said. “I was just getting used to the stage, but I feel a lot better this time.

“I think because I’ve done it all before I’ve got that experience with the cameras, and the audience, and I feel more excited now, because I know I’m going to play better darts.

“I couldn’t buy that experience any other way. As heart-breaking as it was to lose, you can’t gain that experience anywhere else.

“You can play in big competitions with loads of people, but it’s just that camera. As soon as the cameras are there it completely throws you, and you can’t get that experience no other way.”

Gallagher made her debut at Lakeside as an 18-year-old, where she was beaten 2-0 by Rachel Brooks, before returning last year and losing by the same scoreline to Aileen de Graaf.

Although Gallagher has gone into both games as the unseeded player, which the world number 12 will be again this year, she hopes having a positive attitude will serve her well against Hedman.

“I’m quite looking forward to it.

No one expects anything of me, whereas everywhere it’s ‘Deta’s to win, Deta’s going to win it’.

“I just try to think positively. I’ve got nothing to lose. If I manage to play good darts and I win, the big social media hype will be I’ve knocked out the world number one, so I’m trying to look at it as a pro in my way, without getting too excited.”

Gallagher admits that she had ‘quite an appalling 2016’ after taking a break from darts midway through the year, but after a few months out of action then rediscovered her love for the sport.

“I stopped playing,” she said. “I didn’t really enjoy darts anymore,

“If I manage to win the hype will be I’ve knocked out the world number one” so I didn’t go anymore.

“I think it was after the Isle of Man in March, I didn’t really go anywhere until four or five months after.

“So I haven’t had a really good year at all. I haven’t got far in anything.

“I was quite surprised I got to Lakeside. It was all down to the last competition at Bridlington, because I pulled out and decided three competitions before the cut off point for Lakeside that I wanted to make it.

“I was really lucky because on the last day of Bridlington, which was the cut off point, if Claire Brookin had got a round or two rounds further I believe she would have been in, and I’d have been in the waiting position.”

Aside from playing in the World Trophy in May, and the England

x x

Open a month later, Gallagher took a sabbatical from darts, a break which she believes has done her the world of good.

“It all got a bit much for me to be honest,” she said. “I lost the love if it. I wasn’t going to tournaments trying to win.

“Everybody was beating me up. I didn’t have that winners attitude, I was going there just because I had a sponsor, which was the wrong way to do it.

“I was literally turning up and was everyone’s lucky first round.

Everyone wanted to draw me.

“The longer that happened the more disheartened I got. So I made the decision, if I’m going to do it I’m either going to do it properly or not at all.

“I took the time out and then realised I did quite miss it. It was

Darts Weekly Friday 6 January 2017

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CONTRIBUTED

YOUR GUIDE TO LAKESIDE

x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x

GAME OF THE FIRST ROUND Glen Durrant (right) v Nick Kenny The top seed and red hot favourite Glen Durrant begins his latest bid for a first World Championship crown in the BDO against Welsh debutant Nick Kenny in a match which will kick-off new host broadcaster Channel 4’s coverage of this year’s tournament. Duzza heads to Lakeside off the back of a fine 2016, which saw him win both the Winmau World Masters and Finder Darts Masters, as well as countless other tournaments. The one title which still alludes him is this one though, and with rumours floating round that this could be his last Lakeside, it will be interesting to see how he gets on.

Up first for the BDO number one is Welsh youngster Kenny, who is another player who made great strides on the circuit last year.

Kenny beat Tony O’Shea to win the International Open in June, and followed that up by winning the Jersey Open in November.

ORDER OF PLAY x x

really nice. I missed the competitiveness, it was quite boring to have no competitiveness in me.”

With her passion for the sport now renewed, Gallagher is now aiming to make the next big step in her career by winning in front of the television cameras for the first time.

“That’s my barrier,” she said. “I feel like if I get past the first round and get that one win on the telly I’ll start performing properly, and people will see how I can actually play, and I think I’ll do myself justice.”

Gallagher is the youngest player in the 16-player draw but does not want to let her age hold her back.

“I might have ages but I don’t want to wait ages. I want to try and do it all now.”

Saturday January 7 (1pm): (1) Glen Durrant (Eng) v Nick Kenny (Wal); (6) Trina Gulliver (Eng) v Claire Brookin (Eng); Dennis Nilsson (Swe) v Ryan Joyce (Eng) (P); (10) Darryl Fitton (Eng) v Wouter Vaes (Net).

(7pm): Seigo Asada (Jap) v Jeff Smith (Can) (P); Roger Janssen (Bel) v Mark McGrath (NZ) (P); (3) Aileen de Graaf (Net) v Rachel Brooks (Eng); (13) Jim Williams (Wal) v Tony O’Shea (Eng). Sunday January 8 (1pm): (5) Martin Adams (Eng) v Nilsson/Joyce; Tom Sawyer (USA) v Paul Hogan (Eng) (P); (2) Lisa Ashton (Eng) v Sharon Prins (Net); (2) Scott Mitchell (Eng) v Janssen/McGrath. (7pm): Krzysztof Ratajski (Pol) v Willem Mandigers (Net) (P); (7) Fallon Sherrock (Eng) v Olive Byamukama (Sco); Raymond Smith (Aus) v Davy van Baelen (Bel) (P); (4) Jamie Hughes (Eng) v Martin Atkins (Eng).

Monday January 9 (1pm): David Cameron (Can) v Jimmy

Hendriks (Net) (P); Craig Caldwell (NZ) v Dennis Harbour (Eng); (7) Dean Reynolds (Wal) v Pip Blackwell (Eng). (7pm): (16) Martin Phillips (Wal) v Sawyer /Hogan; (5) Lorraine Winstanley (Eng) v Anca Zijlstra (Net); (15) Geert de Vos (Bel) v R Smith/van Baelen; (12) Brian Dawson (Eng) v Asada/ J Smith. Tuesday January 10 (12.30pm): (3) Danny Noppert (Net) v Cameron/Hendriks; (14) Richard Veenstra (Net) v Ross Montgomery (Sco); (1) Deta Hedman (Eng) v Casey Gallagher (Eng); (9) Wesley Harms (Net) v Ratajski/ Mandigers. (7pm): (11) Mark McGeeney (Eng) v James Hurrell (Eng); (4) Anastasia Dobromyslova (Rus) v Rhian Griffiths (Wal); (8) Darius Labanauskas (Lit) v Conan Whitehead (Eng); (6) Scott Waites (Eng) v Caldwell/ Harbour. Wednesday January 11 (8) Corrine Hammond (Aus) v Patricia Farrell (Can).

All sessions will be shown live in

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Friday 6 January 2017 Darts Weekly

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

“I’ve had so many great years. I think I’ve done my part and I’ll never regret it”

Legendary darts commentator Tony Green chats to Alex Moss about his decision to retire

41 points away from £52,000. Everybody cheering him on, hoping and so is he.” Treble 20. “Yes!” Treble 19. “Yes! Double 12?!”

Double 12. “Yes! It’s there! Paul Lim, a nine dart finish! £52,000!

Can you believe it?”

This coming Monday will mark the 27th anniversary of Paul Lim’s nine dart finish at Lakeside. Tony Green was the man in the commentary box calling the action when Lim hit the perfect leg, the first, and only, nine darter at a BDO World Championship.

As players, fans and officials from all around the world descend on Lakeside this weekend for the 40th staging of the BDO World Championship, one man who will not be there is Green.

Anthony John Green, who will turn 78 on January 29, has commentated on all but one of the 39 previous stagings of the historic event, but last week announced he was hanging up the microphone.

“I’ve had so many great years, so many great times,” Green recalls fondly. “I’ve travelled the world three times over helping other countries.

“I think I’ve done my part. I’ve enjoyed it and I’ll never regret it.”

Green commentated on the very first BDO World Championship on the BBC back in 1978, and would be a regular in the commentary box until 2011.

At the end of 2010 it was announced that Green had sadly been diagnosed with cancer of the tongue, and as a result he would

“I have to be fair with myself and everybody else and I think it’s time”

“1

not be commentating on the 2011 BDO World Championship.

Green returned to the commentary box later that year, and was involved with commentating duties up until last year’s Lakeside.

“Because I’ve had the cancer I’m just having to think, I’m not fair with myself and I’m not fair with anybody else,” he said.

“That’s the reason (I’m retiring).

I think it’s time as well. But I’m going to miss it.”

Before becoming a commentator, Green played darts on the BDO circuit and also represented the county of Lancashire.

“I played for Lancashire and then they wanted someone to do the calling out,” he said.

“It was a county match and I said ‘yeah give us it here, I’ll do that’ and it went from there.

“And then I got into the commentary with the BDO, that came along and I put my darts away.

“As soon as that came up, I thought ‘yeah, I’ll put my heart and soul into the commentating side of it’. And in my point of view I loved it, I still love it.

“I can still commentate, but I don’t feel it’s fair. I’m sure there’s some more (commentators) just sitting there, waiting in the wings, ready to jump in the hot seat and I wish them all well. I’ve done my spell.”

A few years after making his commentary debut on the BBC, Green was asked to be a part of a programme on rival station ITV

Darts Weekly Friday 6 January 2017

13 TWITTER.COM/BULLSEYETVSHOW

x

x

x x x

“x x x x” called Bullseye, a television darts quiz show which has become synonymous with the sport and is still popular today, with repeats regularly being shown in the UK. “Bullseye was one of the big major factors in my life,” Green said. “It’s there and it’s going to be there for a while, I know that.

“It’s all down to the producers, what they feel like and at the early stages darts wasn’t even thought of. But it’s thought of now.”

Green struck up a formidable partnership in the commentary box with the late Sid Waddell, with the duo commentating at Lakeside from 1978 to 1994, before Waddell left the BBC. “It was such a sad day (when Sid died) and to be honest with you I still haven’t got over it,” he said.

“We were mates, we had fun and we could do what we wanted back

then (laughs). It was early days, with Sid’s comments and everything, we just had a great laugh. I think we had a duo there.

“I think it was renowned, but not what the heads of the BBC really wanted, but we kept it going and we were getting the viewers, that was the main thing.

“Me and Sid just had a great laugh.

I think we had a duo there” “And it carried on from there, and it’s just built up and built up.

The darts I’ve just seen (at the PDC World Championship), it’s unbelievable.”

With Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Raymond van Barneveld all setting new records

at Alexandra Palace over the last few weeks, Green says he would love to have had the opportunity to commentate on the other side of the darting divide.

“I wish I was still doing the commentary and on the other side of it,” he said.

“Putting into the viewers how difficult it is and how simplified they’re making it.

“180s, the doubles, it’s just fantastic the excitement that’s there. When you look at the people that’s attended, from abroad, it’s coming from every corner of the map.

“I’d be there now but I’ve got to be fair with myself and be fair with the public, and there’s some good commentators out there. But it won’t be me.

“I loved it and I still love it, I’ll Continues next page

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Friday 6 January 2017 Darts Weekly

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

W

Continued from page 13 see it on the box, I might pop in!”

Green was a BDO official during the time of the split in darts in the early 1990s, and was a former chair of the International Darts Players’ Association, which served as the players’ union for those who remained in the BDO. “It was a revolution really with the players all going on their own with the PDC,” he said, “but it was there to happen.

“The BDO took it that far and I feel sad really, but at the end of the day I think it shows now that it was wanted.

“Darts wanted something different and the PDC brought it together, but there was a lot of people beforehand that helped it when it first started with the difficulties.

“Things change, you can’t be stagnant. It’s just there, someone can come along with a few million

saying ‘right, we’re going to do this, we’re going to do that’.

“In hindsight I felt it was wrong, but having seen how it’s come through no, it was the right thing.

“They did the right thing, it’s sad to say that. There was a family and Olly Croft really put it all together.

“But it had another meaning, another time and place where it

“The players united and they said we’re going to do this and it worked” had to change and it was through the players.

“The players united for a better word, and they said we’re going to do this and it worked.

“Mind you, the BDO are still there. They’re still bringing on the youngsters and you can’t do without them.

“The BDO will be there, it has a part to play, even if the PDC was to pile the money into it, I’m sure they would see the youth coming through, you’ve got to maintain that.

“The thing is, the way it’s going now it’s just money, it’s the money side.

“The players will do the same thing. They want the money to go up. It’s like a boxing match isn’t it, the bigger the match, the bigger the outlet.

“I think it will carry on. The viewers I’m sure they’re all ready for it, hot on their chairs, cups of tea by the side of them, they get the best view.

“But they don’t get the excitement of being there at Lakeside and Ally Pally.

“It’s excitement, it’s only when they get down to that last dart and bang, that’s when all the excitement explodes.”

Darts Weekly Friday 6 January 2017

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THE ULTIMATE RESULTS SERVICE PDC ORDER OF MERIT X 1 Michael van Gerwen 2 Gary Anderson 3 Peter Wright 4 Adrian Lewis 5 James Wade 6 Phil Taylor 7 Dave Chisnall 8 Mensur Suljovic 9 Jelle Klaasen 10 Raymond van Barneveld 11 Michael Smith 12 Robert Thornton 13 Kim Huybrechts 14 Ian White 15 Benito van de Pas 16 Simon Whitlock 17 Terry Jenkins 18 Alan Norris 19 Stephen Bunting 20 Gerwyn Price 21 Daryl Gurney 22 Mervyn King 23 Mark Webster 24 Brendan Dolan 25 Vincent van der Voort 26 Justin Pipe 27 Steve Beaton 28 Joe Cullen 29 Jamie Caven 30 Kyle Anderson 31 Jamie Lewis 32 Darren Webster

£1,832,000 £740,500 £512,250 £426,500 £392,750 £360,750 £354,500 £324,250 £309,500 £299,500 £290,250 £283,750 £271,000 £267,000 £251,500 £208,750 £197,500 £190,750 £185,250 £182,000 £179,750 £171,750 £162,500 £156,750 £153,750 £143,000 £141,250 £132,000 £120,000 £118,750 £113,250 £107,250

DARTS WEEKLY DOZEN X1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

15.229 (0.370) Michael van Gerwen 16.371 (0.261) Phil Taylor Raymond van Barneveld 16.624 (0.001) 17.392 (nc) Mensur Suljovic 17.583 (nc) Jelle Klaasen 17.644 (nc) Simon Whitlock 17.696 (0.040) Daryl Gurney 17.886 (0.232) Benito van de Pas 18.216 (nc) Steve Beaton 18.232 (nc) Alan Norris 18.728 (nc) Mervyn King 18.884 (nc) Joe Cullen

◊ The Darts Weekly Dozen estimates and compares the length of the average leg over players’ last 180 TV and streamed legs. ◊ Michael van Gerwen’s superior form in world title victory sees him open the largest ever leg-estimate lead over Phil Taylor. ◊ Fine finishing from Benito van de Pas vs Gary Anderson (decrease in finishing estimate from 2.852 to 2.615 darts/leg).

RESULTS WILLIAM HILL WORLD DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINALS

James Wade Gary Anderson Michael van Gerwen Raymond van Barneveld

3 5 5 5

Peter Wright Dave Chisnall Daryl Gurney Phil Taylor

5 3 1 3

6 6

Peter Wright R van Barneveld

3 2

7

Gary Anderson

3

SEMI-FINALS

Gary Anderson Michael van Gerwen FINAL

Michael van Gerwen

Michael van Gerwen won the William Hill World Darts Championship for the second time on Monday evening

FIXTURES TOMORROW Lakeside World Professional Darts Championship: Glen Durrant v Nick Kenny (1pm); Trina Gulliver v Claire Brookin; Dennis Nilsson v Ryan Joyce; Darryl Fitton v Wouter Vaes; Seigo Asada v Jeff Smith (7pm); Roger Janssen v Mark McGrath; Aileen de Graaf v Rachel Brooks; Jim Williams v Tony O’Shea.

SUNDAY Lakeside World Professional Darts Championship: Martin Adams v Nilsson/Joyce (1pm); Tom Sawyer v Paul Hogan; Lisa Ashton v Sharon Prins; Scott Mitchell v Janssen/ McGrath; Krzysztof Ratajski v Willem Mandigers (7pm); Fallon Sherrock v Olive Byamukama; Raymond Smith v Davy van Baelen; Jamie Hughes v Martin Atkins.

MONDAY Lakeside Wold Professional Darts Championship: David Cameron v Jimmy Hendriks (1pm); Craig Caldwell v Dennis Harbour; Dean Reynolds v Pip Blackwell, Martin Phillips v Sawyer/Hogan; Lorraine Winstanley v Anca Zijlstra; Geert de Vos v R Smith/van Baelen; Brian Dawson v Asada/J Smith.

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Friday 6 January 2017 Darts Weekly

DAVE McNALLY DARTS WRITER

Young prospects who can reach the top With the accolades at the PDC World Championship going to Michael van Gerwen, as expected by many after his total domination on the tour during 2016, in darting terms at the age of 27 he is still a relative youngster compared to some of his fellow professionals.

As darts players breaking through seem to be getting younger, I have decided to look at a few players who have been making waves in the last 12 months.

Max Hopp has already made a name for himself at the age of 20 on the PDC circuit, making the top 64 in the rankings in 2015, and reaching the last 32 of the PDC World Championship on two occasions since then.

Hopp is well known despite being the youngest of the players I will be looking at, and is now a bit of a household name; so who else is coming through?

Corey Cadby (pictured), the young Australian, forced himself into peoples’ attention when he knocked out Phil Taylor in the Perth Masters back in August, witnessed by millions across the globe.

Despite being only 21, he has notched up the PDC World Youth Championship, a PDC Development Tour trophy and a hatful of other titles throughout 2016, as well as getting to the last 64 of the recent PDC World Championship, before losing to Joe Cullen.

Dimitri van den Bergh, 22, has been getting a few plaudits over the last year.

Known for his enthusiasm and

dancing entrances, he has also managed to put his darts in the spotlight. The Belgian has won a Development Tour title and made the semi-finals of one of the Players Championship events, before he was eventually outmuscled by van Gerwen.

The aforementioned Cadby defeated van den Bergh in the semi-finals of the World Youth

‘Cadby forced himself into peoples’ attentions when he beat Phil Taylor’ Championship but he managed to shine on TV, where he beat Gerwyn Price and Scott Waites at the Grand Slam of Darts.

Over at the BDO, 16-year-old Justin van Tergouw has managed to qualify for the final of the World Youth Championship at Lakeside, to add to his tremendous success so far which has seen him clinch a bag full of youth titles.

Van Tergouw has most notably won the Winmau World Masters and Finder Darts Masters youth titles, and also had a clean sweep across the board at the WDF Europe Youth Cup, winning the singles, pairs and team events.

The Lakeside will be a good test for the youngster to see if he can make it to the top.

Finally, Doncaster-born Beau Greaves has been making a name for herself over in the ladies’ camp.

At the age of 12, she has won many tournaments and broke records along the way.

Greaves has captured the England Classic, the England Matchplay, the Yorkshire Classic, the Welsh Open and the European Cup girls titles.

She has also took her local men’s league by storm and it is predicted that she will go on to become one of the best ladies darts players ever.

Whatever happens, it is good to see the youth coming through at all levels, and it will be interesting to see if these new batch of players can make successful transitions.