hotel

By Phil Lanning

At the Ally Pally

PETER WRIGHT claims he will PULL OUT of the Worlds next year if he’s forced to stay in a hotel again.

The Livingston-born ace made the shock revelation after the tournament has been clouded by Covid cases over the past week including Michael van Gerwen, Vincent Van der Voort and Dave Chisnall.

Five players have picked up the virus but Wright is not prepared to stay in a hotel bubble again like during lockdown events.

Wright, who plays Callan Rydz in the last eight tonight, said: “If the PDC brings in a rule that we have to be in a hotel next year, I won’t be in the tournament.

“I put my foot down this year with my wife Jo and her dad Paul and said: I am not staying in a hotel.

“I do not want to be staying in a hotel. Yes it’s great for your friends coming when it’s all clear and you meet up with them and blah, blah, blah.

“We’ve just been locked away in our Air B&B, so I haven’t got any worries about catching anything.

“It’s just three of us, we have our own food and stuff and everything there.

“But you have to look after your career. Hopefully next year people like Michael (van Gerwen) and Vincent (van der Voort) might learn from this and try to find their own place to stay and have their own separate bubble. You have to be like that.”

Snakebite, 51, faces the red-hot Geordie Callan Rydz who has romped through the event having only dropped one set and a dozen legs in three matches. 

Rydz saw off Scottish hero Alan Soutar in the last 16 and Wright believes he won’t crack.

He added: “I don’t think the pressure will get to Callan at all because he is just flowing and up there enjoying his darts.

“When other players have been getting close to him, he’s just stepped it up. It’s great for darts and great for the tournament.

“But, hopefully, my experience of being here might change things.

“Three games is a long, long way away. It’s Callan first and then is Gary 33/1 for this tournament. It’s unreal. He’s been in the final five times and people don’t hop onto it.

“He went back to his old darts on Thursday and played lovely. He said: I am getting like you. We all want to see Gary playing great.”

Images by Taylor Lanning.