Gurney reveals glasses comeback 21 years after thieves stole his first pair

DARYL GURNEY has revealed he waited 21 YEARS to put his glasses back on after having them stolen during a tournament.

The world No29 has spent the last three weeks getting used to life in frames on the oche as he looks to rediscover his best form.

Gurney, 40, endured a difficult 2026 campaign, missing out on the World Matchplay for the first time since 2015 and failing to qualify for the World Grand Prix.

But the Northern Irishman reckons the new specs could give his game a boost, with his right eye having always been short-sighted.

He told Winmau: “I’ve always been short-sighted. I was playing with glasses when I was 19, probably for a year or something.

“Then in a competition I got knocked out in the latter stages, like a semi-final. I just sat them down, went to the toilet, came back and they were gone.

“They were stolen. I will say I am slow, but it took me 21 years to put them back on again.

“I can see the board, it’s just hitting the board is the problem now. I have always been short-sighted in my right eye.

“Obviously, because I am right-handed, it is my dominant eye. The trebles now look crystal clear.

“I can actually see it, it is not just squiggly lines. But now it’s just training to hit where it is not squiggly.

“I feel like it has improved me. I go into practice some nights, I have only been doing it for the last three weeks.

“My first match was the World Series Qualifiers. I rocked up there, gave it a good go and won a couple of games there.

“It was a good feeling knowing whenever you put your foot on the oche, knowing there is something wrong, and realise it is my glasses, then put them on again.

“Hopefully they are an improvement. If not, then they are going in the bin.”

Gurney has also gone without a ProTour semi-final for the past two years.

But his unexpected return to the World Series Finals gives him the chance to test his new-found vision against one of the biggest names in the game.

The two-time major winner received a late invitation to the Amsterdam showpiece alongside Maik Kuivenhoven after Filipino duo Lourence Ilagan and Alexis Toylo withdrew because of visa issues.

His reward is a first-round meeting with defending champion Michael van Gerwen, but Gurney insists there is no pressure on him going into the clash.

He added: “Of course I was going to say yes. A chance to play on TV again, especially it being on a massive stage.

“I am looking forward to it. Thanks to the PDC for inviting me. Every game I am playing now recently with the glasses is a new experience.

“So, will I be wearing them next week? I am not sure. Probably nine times out of ten I will be wearing them.

“If it’s not going well and I feel like my eyesight is actually not that bad, because it’s not that bad at the oche, but if I stand a foot back it has gone all blurry.

“Free hit, looking forward to it. Anything on TV I will say yes to. I am playing one of the greatest dart players that has ever lived and I love playing Michael.”

Words: Aaron Nijjar