CLAYTON’S DESIRE IS BACK AFTER SAD LOSS

JONNY CLAYTON has opened up on the emotion and drive which has taken him from pub to Palace.

The Welsh star is driven to deliver for his family having rekindled a passion for darts which was lost after the death of his father John two years ago.

Clayton’s position at World No.5 with major titles on his CV is quite the achievement for a man who wanted to play rugby and just chucked darts in the boozer with his workmates after graft.

The 51-year-old, who faces Adam Lipscombe on Monday, found it tough after John’s passing and said: “I’d lost all interest in darts, big time. I ain’t going to lie about it. I just didn’t want to play.

“But you have to look at life, you have to look at money, obviously, because it’s my job. I thought to myself, I’m actually quite good at this.

“So get back and try and do what you do good. I’ve got two kids and a wife that’s supported me all the way on this.

“I’ve lost my hero, like I always say. My dad is gone. It is massive, he loved his darts. And I think, like I’ve said before, it was a bit of playing darts more for him than for me.

“Like I said, when my dad passed, I couldn’t think of anything worse than jumping in a car and going to a darts tournament and that is my honest truth.

“So, at the end of that year then, it was kind of: Come on, let’s try and put things back together and I won a few games. The smile came back on my face and I wanted to go play again. I don’t know why the switch was turned there, but it was like I want this again. 

“It’s a lot of hard work, a lot of blood, sweat and tears, as they say. You get good games, bad games, but this year’s been pretty good for me, I think.

“A trophy on a shelf ain’t going to pay my bills. It’s going to collect dust. It’s the money that goes into your bank that pays bills and I’ve been at work, 8am until 4pm every day, plastering and I’m now doing this. And this is a little bit easier than being on site playing about with cement!

“You have to look at it and be realistic. Not many people get this chance and I’m lucky enough to be one that makes a good living out of it.”

Clayton keeps the old days close as he continued: “My era, darts was just a hobby. It was a pub game on a Thursday night. I used to play rugby, training on a Thursday and then we’d go for a few beers. That was the only interest I had in darts.

“People always ask me, knowing what I know now, would I have started darts before? My answer is no. If I could have played rugby for another five years, I would have. 

“You get your pay on a Friday. By Sunday you’re thinking, I can’t wait till the next Friday for my next pay because you’ve spent it all in the pub on Saturday. We’ve all done that.

“It’s part of life. You have the highs and lows. Being skint. Obviously as an 18, 19-year-old. I couldn’t get my pay quick enough to go out with the lads. 

“I’m one of the boys. As a youngster growing up, I think I was no different to nobody else. I’m still as mad as I was back there, but I respect money a lot more now.

“I am quite sensible with money now, yes. The days of the pubs have long gone. As a builder, it’s a Friday afternoon, we’d all meet in the pub after work, spend my pay over the weekend.

“Obviously, we’re never home on a weekend now, so you don’t see as much of it. But when you do, you think, ooh, yeah. I remember those days well.

“We were in my village rugby club, so I still keep in touch with most of the boys, all grown up together. So that’ll never change. I think that’s important as well that your mates are still with you.

“I think I was 40 when I got onto the PDC. I’d never been paid to play sport, ever. I’d done it out of wanting to play, not being paid to play. To get paid, it was like: Wow, there’s money coming from everywhere. 

“Obviously have to do something right to get that, but the higher the rankings you get, the more you win, the better the patch and what is sport. It’s great. I practised up until 40, but at 40, life began!

“I think I’m in a great time of darts. A million quid for the World Championship. Who would dream that? 

“Don’t get me wrong, I’d be a liar to say that I don’t want that trophy because I do. But I want the money more.

“If my name’s on that trophy. It’d be fantastic. Nobody could ever take it off. You could spend the million, I get that.

“But I ain’t going to lie, I’m here to make money. I’m not here to get dust collectors. That’s me. I just think truthfully.

“That could sit on my shelf for a while. I wouldn’t mind that, I’d polish that for 12 months, like, you know.

“It’d be awesome, but that is hard to get now with the quality of people.

“Maybe go back a while and, if you were in the Top 10, you would be more of a favourite to win something. Now I think anybody in the top 20 could win. 

“Again, I think that’s good for the sport because who knows who’s going to win something next?”

Image by Taylor Lanning.