Anderson ready to reel in Premier League hat-trick
By Phil Lanning
EXCLUSIVE
GARY ANDERSON is ready to catch his third Premier League title after buying up a fishing farm business.
The Flying Scotsman has revealed he’s working 16-hour days manual labour away from the oche after tackling a new fishery venture near his home in Somerset.
Anderson, 50, returns to Milton Keynes on Wednesday to face Jose de Sousa bidding to win his PL hat-trick but admits he’s hooked on his favourite hobby.
He said: “I was actually working for the last seven days, 16-hour shifts a day. I’m getting old now I took a business over a year ago and it’s just trying to get that up and running.
“I won’t say retire but when I stop playing darts, it’s something to do afterwards. It’s taken a bit longer than what I expected but we are just about there now. We are just about out of lockdown and I might be able to meet and hang about with other humans, if I must.
“It’s manual labour. I’m putting on weight I don’t know how because I’m working my family jewels off. It’s getting to that time of year when it’s hot, it’s good old graft. I’m out there every day and darts doesn’t even cross my mind.”
Anderson is currently bottom of the pile when play resumes on Wednesday night yet is just two points off a top four place.
He faces Jose de Sousa when it resumes at the Marshall Arena but also admits he’s far from at his best.
He added: “It’s so close. Anyone who farts can change the table, it’s that tight.
“One minute the throw’s fine then it’s gone, I can’t work it out at all.
“I’m still winning games, I should be making it easier. I’m not saying that I’m better than any other player. Instead of 60s I should be hitting 140s or tons at least. Some of the throws I’m not even close.
“I thought it would work in our favour playing every night. We thought that after three or four nights the boys would start to play their darts again.
“Usually in the Premier League if you get beat you’ve got a week to get over it. Now you get beat and then again and you realise you have to win now, there’s more pressure.
“The first job is to get past the nine weeks. But it’s still tight. You get into the last part of the tournament and then you aim for the last four.
“It’s been difficult stuck in a hotel. But I think when we return everything will be back open. We can get out and have a wander and see what shops are open.”
Anderson also believes that playing behind closed doors has helped the debutants like De Sousa, Jonny Clayton and Dimitri Van den Bergh, who have all been excellent thus far.
He added: “Some of these boys are just animals, they’ll eat you up. Jonny (Clayton) is brilliant. I’ve got a lot of time for him. You come across people in life you class as a gentleman, he is an absolute gentleman.
“I said it years ago, and I hate to be right again. I said if he finds it on stage he will be an absolute monster and he is. He got a nine-darter and so did Jose de Sousa. It’s getting better.
“I did feel the debutants have had an easy start without crowds. The biggest nightmare you’ve got in the Premier League is walking out in front of 10,000 people. When you talk about nerves.
“Even playing in Scotland, you don’t know what it’s like. It’s absolutely horrendous the extra pressure on your shoulders.
“These boys are used to playing here in nice quiet surroundings, it’s a big change from the normal Premier League.”
Images by Taylor Lanning.