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Greaves celebrates Ally Pally dream with KFC!

October 31, 2022

By Phil Lanning

BEAU GREAVES produced a remarkable 52 WINS in succession to reach the Ally Pally – a celebrated with a KFC!

The 18-year-old from Doncaster showed she was no chicken with an incredible run of eight consecutive Women’s Series to grab a place in the World Championship.

Greaves dumped out former golden girl Fallon Sherrock and now joins Lisa Ashton in the showpiece event in December.

She said: “Me and my sister just got a KFC, shower and straight to bed!

“I’ll have anything that’s cooked to be fair from KFC, I was absolutely starving. We got out the venue and chilled for a little bit. I rang my dad, talked to everyone and answered a few messages.

“It’s a massive achievement, just to win one this weekend was enough for me but I did four!

“I played really well in patches and I played really poor in patches to be fair.

“But I’ve had the games when I know I can do it, I’ve enjoyed it. I’m buzzing, I don’t really have the words for it.

“Now that people keep saying I’m going to Ally Pally I keep forgetting that I’ve won eight events. That in itself is a massive achievement.

“There was a lot more pressure on Fallon. I came into the weekend with nothing to lose.

“To miss 12 events and play only two weekends is a brilliant achievement. I also know I can do it under pressure and that’s also massive for me.

“Sort of. I think it’s like a pivotal moment when I do get there. I’ll enjoy every second of it.

“I hope all my family can be there. I never ever thought that would happen.

“I was just trying to be a ladies world champion. I did that. I just think it’s a bonus really. Obviously just do that for ladies darts is amazing.”

In the Women’s Series event seven final, Greaves recorded the high-ever average for a ladies player of 107.68. Remarkable considering she was suffering from dartitis just two years ago.

She added: “I think lockdown helped me getting my throw back. I lost my throw completely. It all went downhill.

“That’s why nowadays I talk so much about enjoyment and no pressure because if I don’t I know I could fall back into the trap and I don’t want that at all.

“I think if I enjoy myself then my darts will flow. I might have the odd dart but that’s what you have to deal with when you have dartitis.

“But I’ve worked so hard to get back to a standard where I can play well.

“This is only the beginning.”

Wright stays tight-lipped on World No.1 bid

February 7, 2022

By Phil Lanning

PETER WRIGHT has refused to shout his mouth off despite closing in on the World No.1 spot.

The Livingston-born ace continued his sensational start to 2022 by beating Gerwyn Price in the Players Championship in Barnsley on Sunday night.

Wright, 51, is now close to overtaking Price in the world rankings having won the Worlds and the opening night of the Premier League.

Last year he got stick from his rivals for being too ‘gobby’ and saying he was going to win the Matchplay and Worlds – which he ultimately did.

But now he’s staying quiet. He said: “I’m not saying anything. No not yet, I’ll let you know after eight weeks, see how I’m doing then.”

He beat Price 8-5 in the final on Sunday. It was Snakebite’s 43rd PDC title. On aiming for World No.1, he said: “If I knuckle down to win tournaments, I’ll get there. My target is to improve every time.

“I can get to 50th title, easy. I’ll pass that. I’ve got this more mental focus. I’m up for it.”

Wright clearly enjoyed his month off between the Worlds and Masters, shedding more tears at his daughter’s wedding.

He added: “There have been a few tears over the past few weeks. The wedding was fantastic, it was a great day.

“Now it’s down to serious work. Maybe try and stick to a minimum of five sets of darts!”

Wright is also fired-up for glory because the last time he was World Champ, the year was wiped out by the pandemic lockdown.

He continued: “I enjoyed the pandemic because I didn’t have to do any work at all, it was great having all that time off!

“Now I’ve got to do all the hard work that I was supposed to be doing then.”

Images by Taylor Lanning.

It’s time to give women’s darts the chance to shine

April 12, 2021

WHEN Rachel Blackmore rode Minella Times first past the post to become the first female jockey to win the Grand National on Saturday, it felt like deja vu for darts.

All the commentary, reaction and adulation was a complete carbon copy of Fallon Sherrock’s Alexandra Palace success story.

Nothing has rocked darts more in the modern era than Sherrock’s groundbreaking glory at the Ally Pally.

Who could have predicted on December 13, 2019 that Sherrock would be making headlines in the New York Post, tweeted to by Billie Jean King and Sarah Jessica Parker and would play darts with media motormouth Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain?

For the entire duration of the World Championships, half of all darts stories in the national newspapers were on Fallon. Quite incredible.

Sky Sports had record TV audiences and for online stories for the darts when Fallon took on Mensur Suljovic and Chris Dobey at the Ally Pally.

This was the most seismic trailblazing explosion in the sport in 40 years.

Frankly, it’s damn refreshing. New names, new heroes, new talking points.

The biggest winner of all? The sport of darts.

TV audiences have once again rocketed, a brand new image, huge growing audience of female fans and the sport breaking into new territory in the mainstream media.

Since then, of course, Lisa Ashton (pictured below) has won a PDC tour card and beaten Aaron Beeney in the UK Open with a record average and beaten male ex-World Champions in the Super Series.

But now the women’s game needs more. It needs a tour and regular competition urgently.

Which is why Oche is partnering World Women’s Darts to support a proper structure to the sport and encourage a new generation of female players.

Sky Sports pundit and top player Laura Turner (pictured below) has created WWD and is doing a wonderful job to keep the awareness of the women’s game at the top of the agenda.

The sport now has a powerful female voice right across the spectrum. We now have outstanding TV presenters Jacqui Oatley, Laura Woods, Emma Paton, Mikki Austin and Turner while Polly James has emerged as the queen of social media reporting.

Oche is also proud to have Oatley, Turner and James as regular columnists.

However, it is now vital for the players to take centre stage. A proper tour and proper prize money to reflect the huge audience generated.

No more tokenism or one-off bursts of publicity, now women need and deserve the respect of a genuine structured sport.

Sherrock’s fairytale was a massive event, she “smashed the glass ceiling”.

Like Blackmore on Minella Times, women’s darts has a lot more hurdles and jumps to achieve.

But it’s now time to give female darts stars a chance to shine.

www.womens-darts.com

Images by Taylor Lanning.

Wade vows he can be “dangerous”

April 5, 2021

By Phil Lanning

JAMES WADE has vowed he can be “dangerous” and win the Unibet Premier League after a shock last-gasp call-up.

The ten-times TV title winner takes the place of World Champion Gerwyn Price who was ruled out this morning after a positive Covid-19 test.

Wade, 38 on Tuesday, is the most recent major champ after taking the UK Open last month and now will play Gary Anderson tonight in a bid to regain the title he last won in 2009.

The Machine could pick up a cool £250,000 as PL winner but at least £30k for finishing tenth and relegated.

Wade revealed: “I was a reserve anyway for the Premier League so I came up last night and had my test. I’ve arranged to do lots of things at home and then had the phone call this morning saying you’re not going anywhere, you’re staying unfortunately one of the other players has failed a test.

“It is great for me but a shame for the player who didn’t pass the test, I wish him well and hope he’s alright.

“I still want to be here, I still want to win. Hopefully I proved that a few weeks ago. I’ve still got the hunger, I’ve still got the desire. But sometimes I haven’t got the right mindset. That’s part and parcel of my game. It is what it is.

“If I can start off this week alright and be keen, I could be a dangerous player in the Premier League.

“I know what I’m capable of. I haven’t touched a dart since the last time I played. But I’m not a prolific practice person so hopefully that won’t make much of a difference. After a game or two I should be back into the swing of things.

“I know I’m good enough to win it. So do the other nine people unfortunately. But I’ll have a good go I’m pretty sure.

“I think if you start off well you should have a bit of momentum with the games close to each other. But if you don’t start well that might be the same snowball effect as well. There’s not much i haven’t experienced in the world of darts.

“I’m pretty sure me and everybody else will adapt to it just fine and we’ll see what happens.”

Wade stated at the Masters that he did want a place in the Premier League but it wasn’t to be and then he picked up the UK Open.

But he warned the newcomers that the league can also be a career killer. He added: “I don’t think anyone’s entitled to be in it. I don’t think anyone’s got a given right to be in it. The Premier League is an entertainment.

“The powers above pick who is more entertainment for the people viewing. Unfortunately I wasn’t in that one. But I’ve been lucky enough to be shoed in through the back door. Hopefully I can upset some people and make some results that go my way.

“You can make your mark, it can also break you which we’ve seen it do to three or four players. It literally has turned their career off.

“The players who have won tournaments this year, would all of them had won in front of crowds, I don’t know.

“Are they all amazing players, yes. Time will tell. I hope everyone in the Premier League has a good time and has some good games. I hope it doesn’t switch anyone’s game off and it can.

“I think 12 years ago I had a different mindset, I was much more focused on darts and darts only. Now I’ve got a family and other things around me. I still want to win just as much. Perhaps my focus isn’t there as much as it used to be. Plus I’m a little bit older.”

Images by Taylor Lanning.