Latest news with #EuropeanDartsTrophy
Scottish Sun
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Nathan Aspinall battled horrific abuse, dartitis and rejection in a different sport to reach Premier League darts finale
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NATHAN ASPINALL returns to the Premier League Darts finale today for the first time since 2021. It is a huge accomplishment for The Asp given the huge backlash his selection for the tournament received in January. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Nathan Aspinall has proved his doubters wrong at Premier League Darts Credit: Getty 2 The Asp has had to overcome numerous mental battles to reach the finale Credit: Alamy Aspinall won two nights to qualify in third place behind Luke Littler and Luke Humphries. He takes on the latter in the semi-final and regardless of the result, it has been a brilliant journey for the 33-year-old. Aspinall has returned to form since struggling with dartitis over the last couple of years. The issue first plagued him in the 2023 Premier League Darts as he threw away a 4-0 lead to lose to Peter Wright. His struggles even reduced him to tears and he feared he may never return to his best. Aspinall spoke openly about his emotional reaction to one loss, and revealed he has since spoken to a sports psychologist to help him adjust to the problem. He said: "All of a sudden out of nowhere I couldn't throw my effing dart. I just couldn't let it go. It ended up getting worse and worse and worse to the point where I was in tears. "Because I knew what it was. The dreaded D-word that no darts player ever wants to hear or get. Something called dartitis. "It's horrific, no one ever wants to get it. Not many people come back from it. "It's basically the fear of missing. There's somewhere deep in the back of your head saying 'you're going to miss this' so you stop. Nathan Aspinall shows frustration with outburst playing against Martin Lukeman "I lost the game 6-5, I went upstairs after the game and I was in the toilet and I was absolutely smashing ten lumps of s*** out of the hand dryer. I lost my head." Aspinall won the European Darts Trophy in March but has failed to progress past the quarter-final stage at every other tournament this year. Success in the Premier League would be his first major honour since the 2023 World Matchplay. It would also more than justify Aspinall's selection, which attracted criticism and ruined his life for a month, by the star's own admission. He said of the grief: "I'm not going to lie, it was s**. It was hard. It was horrific. "I came off social media because of the abuse I was getting. "I'm not exaggerating here but it ruined my life for a month. Not just my life, my family's lives, too. It was horrific. "But I'm a professional sportsman, you have to deal with it. And I put things in place to deal with that. "Me and Gezzy (Gerwyn Price) received both the same treatment and have used it to our advantage. I've enjoyed this Premier League campaign more than anyone." Aspinall has experienced a wild ride to the top ranks of darts, having turned to the sport after missing out on a professional career as a footballer. He said: "I got scouted to play at the Manchester United goalkeeping Academy, it was a feeder club for Manchester United and other clubs." Aspinall's shot-stopping ability also caught the eye of Scottish giants Rangers, although he snubbed their advances as his family didn't fancy the move up north. He continued: "I got offered contracts for Rangers when I was nine, I played for Stockport County and had trials with them. "Football was the way I wanted to go. Every kid wants to be a footballer. "It didn't work out for me but I played at a semi-pro level and I'm now a professional darts player. "If I was a little bit taller I could have made it. I got released because I was too small as a goalkeeper. I wasn't tall enough. "I met Edwin van der Sar a couple of weeks ago and now I realise why I didn't make it, because he's about 19ft."
The Irish Sun
29-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Nathan Aspinall battled horrific abuse, dartitis and rejection in a different sport to reach Premier League darts finale
NATHAN ASPINALL returns to the Premier League Darts finale today for the first time since 2021. It is a huge accomplishment for The Asp given the huge backlash his selection for the tournament received in January. Advertisement 2 Nathan Aspinall has proved his doubters wrong at Premier League Darts Credit: Getty 2 The Asp has had to overcome numerous mental battles to reach the finale Credit: Alamy Aspinall won two nights to qualify in third place behind He takes on the latter in the semi-final and regardless of the result, it has been a brilliant journey for the 33-year-old. Aspinall has returned to form since The issue first plagued him in the 2023 Premier League Darts as he threw away a 4-0 lead to lose to Advertisement READ MORE ON DARTS His struggles even reduced him to tears and he feared he may never return to his best. Aspinall spoke openly about his emotional reaction to one loss, and revealed he has since spoken to a sports psychologist to help him adjust to the problem. He said: "All of a sudden out of nowhere I couldn't throw my effing dart. I just couldn't let it go. It ended up getting worse and worse and worse to the point where I was in tears. "Because I knew what it was. The dreaded D-word that no darts player ever wants to hear or get. Something called dartitis. Advertisement Most read in Darts "It's horrific, no one ever wants to get it. Not many people come back from it. "It's basically the fear of missing. There's somewhere deep in the back of your head saying 'you're going to miss this' so you stop. Nathan Aspinall shows frustration with outburst playing against Martin Lukeman "I lost the game 6-5, I went upstairs after the game and I was in the toilet and I was absolutely smashing ten lumps of s*** out of the hand dryer. I lost my head." Aspinall won the European Darts Trophy in March but has failed to progress past the quarter-final stage at every other tournament this year. Advertisement Success in the Premier League would be his first major honour since the 2023 World Matchplay. It would also more than justify Aspinall's selection, which attracted criticism and He said of the grief: "I'm not going to lie, it was s**. It was hard. It was horrific. "I came off social media because of the abuse I was getting. Advertisement "I'm not exaggerating here but it ruined my life for a month. Not just my life, my family's lives, too. It was horrific. "But I'm a professional sportsman, you have to deal with it. And I put things in place to deal with that. "Me and Gezzy (Gerwyn Price) received both the same treatment and have used it to our advantage. I've enjoyed this Premier League campaign more than anyone." Aspinall has experienced a wild ride to the top ranks of darts, having turned to the sport after missing out on a professional career as a footballer. Advertisement He said: "I got scouted to play at the goalkeeping Academy, it was a feeder club for Manchester United and other clubs." Aspinall's shot-stopping ability also caught the eye of Scottish giants Rangers, although he snubbed their advances as his family didn't fancy the move up north. He continued: "I got offered contracts for Rangers when I was nine, I played for Stockport County and had trials with them. "Football was the way I wanted to go. Every kid wants to be a footballer. Advertisement "It didn't work out for me but I played at a semi-pro level and I'm now a professional darts player. "If I was a little bit taller I could have made it. I got released because I was too small as a goalkeeper. I wasn't tall enough. "I met Edwin van der Sar a couple of weeks ago and now I realise why I didn't make it, because he's about 19ft."
Scottish Sun
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Scots darts legend Gary Anderson praises fans who ‘outdid' Scottish support and takes aim at boo boys
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GARY ANDERSON joked that he was ready to retire after he defended the European Darts Trophy. The Flying Scotsman whitewashed Andrew Gilding 8-0 to take the title in Sindelfingen, Germany tonight. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Gary Anderson defended the European Darts Trophy in Sindelfingen, Germany Credit: Getty 3 The Flying Scotsman bashed fans who boo and whistle whilst players are throwing Credit: Getty 3 World No 1 Luke Humphries had to put up with whistling during the Premier League night three in Glasgow Credit: Alamy Ando, 54, beat Rob Cross, Martin Lukeman and Dirk van Duijvenbode before breezing past Gilding in the final. He said: "Can I retire now! No, it's been good. "I've known Andrew for a long, long time, he's a very, very good player. "He'll win something, have a few weeks off, come back and then win something else. "We've seen so many youngsters come through - Gian van Veen, Luke Littler, Luke Humphries. "Even just to play darts with these boys, I'm still racking myself up with it. "Against Martin Lukeman, he is a high class player and will be around for a long time. "The game was terrible, I never got going and he never got going. "[Against] Rob Cross, we missed forty thousand darts at double but if darts was an easy game it would be boring." Anderson was delighted with the amazing reception he received from the fans in Sindelfingen. Luke Littler lands new role as darts star teams up with Deliveroo to find the best kebab in the country He added: "I'm a very proud Scotsman and I get a lot of support in Scotland but this has outdone them. "This has been absolutely fantastic, it has been a long time since I have got this support. "What I have noticed right now is that the fans that have come to watch darts in Germany, Belgium or Austria are fantastic. "But what you have got to remember is that these boys are up here playing darts, you have to support them all. "Whether you like them or don't, show them all the respect, they're up here trying to play a very hard game. "So next time they are up here, no whistling, and they will love you for it. "I'm just glad that I can still come and play darts for these boys that are playing now. "I have played for 30 years, I played with your Phil Taylors, your Eric Bristows, your Steve Beatons. "These youngsters are coming up and darts is in a good place. "We've got a lot of young Germans coming through and Irish, Scottish, Welsh, English, Italians, French... darts is going to be fantastic in the next five years." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Scottish Sun
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Opera-singing referee dubbed ‘German Eye Candy' steals show at European Darts Trophy 4 with amazing 180 call
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LUKE LITTLER and co may believe they are the main attraction at the German Darts Grand Prix, but they risk being upstaged by referee Franz Engerer. The 24-year-old is a rising star among PDC referees, and is making waves in the darts fandom. 5 Darts referee Franz Engerer has captured the hearts of fans with his operatic 180 call 5 The unique call came to life during the European Darts Trophy 5 On top of being able to sing, Engerer plays the saxophone Credit: Instagram 5 The 24-year-old appears to support German fourth tier side Spvgg Bayreuth Credit: Instagram 5 He also plays bowling Credit: Instagram This is in part thanks to his remarkable calling technique during games. During the European Darts Trophy clash between Andrew Gilding and Callan Rydz in Gottingen, Netherlands in March, Engerer went viral thanks to his uniquely operatic way of calling 180s. The lifelong darts enthusiast explained to DartsNews how he had been encouraged to use his voice for a career. He said: "People kept telling me to do something with my voice, but I wasn't sure. Should I really apply? In the end, I did—and I'm incredibly happy I took that chance... READ MORE IN DARTS 'GUTSY MOVE' Darts star Dimitri van den Bergh to take indefinite break from sport "Most of the feedback has been really lovely. "Of course, not everyone's a fan—and that's fine, especially with how unique my 180 is—but it's amazing to get that recognition. People come up to me asking for photos, and that's just surreal.' His unique 180 call is not something done off the cuff, but rather the result of him taking singing lessons and singing in a choir since the age of 12. He explains: "I've been taking singing lessons and singing in a choir since seventh grade. We've performed everything from operas to musicals and solos. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK "At first, my 180s weren't as theatrical, but I realised this style suits me—and I ran with it." However, opera singing is not his only talent. Darts star Scott Williams risks fine after giving fans middle finger during German Grand Prix Engerer, who appears to support German fourth tier club Spvgg Bayreuth, also plays the saxophone, drives motorbikes, and plays bowling. On top of everything else, he has also been dubbed with the moniker, "German Eye Candy". It is a key part of Engerer's ever-growing brand. Speaking on its origin and what he thinks of it, he said: "That actually started at the Women's Series. "Philip Brzezinski (PDC Europe's Master of Ceremonies) picked it up and ran with it—especially at galas. "I'd never give myself that nickname—that would be a bit awkward!" Engerer's first darts events came at galas and grassroots competitions like the PDC Europe Super League. And despite now shaking it up in the big leagues he admits he still needs to block out the nerves of being on TV. He added: "I just have to block out the fact that the TV cameras are on me. "Funny enough, I was way more nervous at my first gala than at my Euro Tour debut." Speaking about how he had first got into darts refereeing, he revealed: "There was a caller casting organised by Sport1 and PDC Europe around two years ago. "I applied because I had already called at smaller tournaments and had received a lot of positive feedback about my voice."
The Sun
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Opera-singing referee dubbed ‘German Eye Candy' steals show at European Darts Trophy 4 with amazing 180 call
LUKE LITTLER and co may believe they are the main attraction at the German Darts Grand Prix, but they risk being upstaged by referee Franz Engerer. The 24-year-old is a rising star among PDC referees, and is making waves in the darts fandom. 5 5 5 5 5 This is in part thanks to his remarkable calling technique during games. During the European Darts Trophy clash between Andrew Gilding and Callan Rydz in Gottingen, Netherlands in March, Engerer went viral thanks to his uniquely operatic way of calling 180s. The lifelong darts enthusiast explained to DartsNews how he had been encouraged to use his voice for a career. He said: "People kept telling me to do something with my voice, but I wasn't sure. Should I really apply? In the end, I did—and I'm incredibly happy I took that chance... "Most of the feedback has been really lovely. "Of course, not everyone's a fan—and that's fine, especially with how unique my 180 is—but it's amazing to get that recognition. People come up to me asking for photos, and that's just surreal.' His unique 180 call is not something done off the cuff, but rather the result of him taking singing lessons and singing in a choir since the age of 12. He explains: "I've been taking singing lessons and singing in a choir since seventh grade. We've performed everything from operas to musicals and solos. "At first, my 180s weren't as theatrical, but I realised this style suits me—and I ran with it." However, opera singing is not his only talent. Darts star Scott Williams risks fine after giving fans middle finger during German Grand Prix Engerer, who appears to support German fourth tier club Spvgg Bayreuth, also plays the saxophone, drives motorbikes, and plays bowling. On top of everything else, he has also been dubbed with the moniker, "German Eye Candy". It is a key part of Engerer's ever-growing brand. Speaking on its origin and what he thinks of it, he said: "That actually started at the Women's Series. "Philip Brzezinski (PDC Europe's Master of Ceremonies) picked it up and ran with it—especially at galas. "I'd never give myself that nickname—that would be a bit awkward!" Engerer's first darts events came at galas and grassroots competitions like the PDC Europe Super League. And despite now shaking it up in the big leagues he admits he still needs to block out the nerves of being on TV. He added: "I just have to block out the fact that the TV cameras are on me. "Funny enough, I was way more nervous at my first gala than at my Euro Tour debut." Speaking about how he had first got into darts refereeing, he revealed: "There was a caller casting organised by Sport1 and PDC Europe around two years ago. "I applied because I had already called at smaller tournaments and had received a lot of positive feedback about my voice."
