From the end of December 2009 to the first week in January 2010, one of the biggest annual events in English sport took place in front of thousands of cheering, boisterous fans and received hours of prime time TV coverage.
The eventual champion was hyped throughout Sky TV’s broadcasts as one of England’s finest sportsmen and media across the spectrum haled him as unstoppable.
I am of course talking about the Professional Darts Corporation’s World Championships, and the now 13-time winner, Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor from Stoke on Trent.
Often viewed as a joke outside of the handful of countries that boast professional players, darts is a popular sport in the UK and top players can earn big money. Taylor, 49, picked up prize money to the value of NZ$1.8m during 2009 and has a number of endorsements.
It’s not hard to understand why folk like darts so much. Who doesn’t enjoy throwing a few arrows while sinking a couple of pints at your local? But you may be wondering how a pub game with overweight, tattooed, middle-aged ‘athletes’ has so much credibility and coverage in a supposedly sensible country like England?
I honestly don’t have an answer. However, I would say that watching a darts match can actually be very intriguing. The players’ consistent accuracy is amazing and seeing their nerves crumble at critical moments makes for great TV.
Venues for major championships look more like German beer halls, with rows of tables filled with alcohol-fuelled fans. Each player is introduced to the crowd with a boxing-style entrance and is accompanied to the stage by a scantily-clad model and their own signature music. Taylor usually comes out to Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man followed by Snap’s The Power.
Games can go right down to the wire, steady hands disappear, and the audience screams at every winning or losing shot. It’s cracking stuff.
The sport seems to have more than its fair share of flamboyant characters, and their antics only add to the general atmosphere of excitement and merriment. Former professional Bobby ‘The King of Darts’ George used to enter the arena wearing a cape, huge gold chains and a dozen gold rings, and waving a candelabra. ‘Voice of Darts’ commentator Sid Waddell is known for his bizarre references and metaphors that can leave viewers rolling on the floor or scratching their heads in puzzlement.
“If we'd had Phil Taylor at Hastings against the Normans, they'd have gone home,” he said during one world championship. Another time he described mulletted 2001 champion Steve Beaton as, “The Adonis of darts, what poise, what elegance - a true roman gladiator with plenty of hair wax.”
This is not an endurance activity. Darts will never be part of the Olympics and its stars will always be overweight, tattooed, middle-aged men. But I encourage you to put that aside and if you get a chance, give watching darts a chance – it’s fun, and ultimately, isn’t that what sport is supposed to be?
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