DARTS ACE ADVISES VAN BARNEVELD TO SEEK HELP
28/11/2025 By Aaron Nijjar
VINCENT VAN DER VOORT has urged Raymond van Barneveld to “look in the mirror” following another brutal early exit for the Dutch darts icon.
‘Barney’ averaged just 76.90 and didn’t hit a single 180 as he slumped to a 6-3 first-round defeat to Krzysztof Ratajski at the Players Championship Finals.
After returning from retirement in 2022, Van Barneveld has managed to win just ONE title on tour, claiming Players Championship 5 last year.
Former pro Van der Voort was with the five-time world champ in Minehead shortly after the defeat and says it was painful to watch.
He said: “It was tough to watch again.
“But it turned out he was ill. Then, of course, everything becomes that much harder.
“At the same time, he was tinkering with his equipment again. I find that difficult to see, because it makes him look a bit desperate.
“Maybe something is happening behind the scenes already, but at some point you have to accept certain things and commit to them.
“You might want to help someone, but if they don’t want to be helped… or if he always ends up following his own plan, then that’s tough.”
Van der Voort suggested that a lack of trust in a support team continues to hold Van Barneveld back.
He added: “You need someone you trust blindly. Without that, it’s not going to work. The fact he was unwell is a mitigating factor, but it doesn’t take away from the bigger picture.
“You get the sense he’s on his own, and for a player of his stature, that’s hard.
“Yes, he was ill this time, so that explains some of it—but there are plenty of times he’s not ill and it’s the same story.
“He needs to look in the mirror and ask himself, ‘What do I want?’ Something has to change.
“He needs to work with someone, and that means sitting down and talking. Beyond that, I don’t know.”
World No30 Van Barneveld opens his World Championship campaign against Stefan Bellmont on December 17, though he hasn’t been past the last eight since 2018.
Image by Taylor Lanning.
