Latest news with #PhilTaylor
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Luke Littler and darts' new generation called out as 'boring' by two-time world champion who bemoans the lack of banter among today's stars
Two-time darts world champion Gary Anderson has hit out at the 'boring' younger generation of players with 'their bloody earphones in' as he bemoaned the lack of 'banter' in the modern game. Fresh from his first round victory over Luke Woodhouse on day two of the World Matchplay, The Flying Scotsman, 54, longed for his days competing with the likes of Adrian Lewis, Phil Taylor and Kevin Painter. 'Youngsters are boring. Absolutely boring,' said Anderson. 'You talk to them, they're too busy looking at their phone. They're sitting on their phones with their bloody earphones in. Don't talk to you. It's a completely different life.' He added: 'I was sitting thinking the other day, having a talk with (Ian) White, (Adrian) Lewis, (Phil) Taylor, (Kevin) Painter, we used to sit and have a cracking laugh. 'Nowadays, I'd rather sit like this. Nobody talks to anybody. You don't have a good laugh, you don't have a bit of banter. You need to have a laugh. Doesn't matter what you do in life, on a building site, office, you've always got to have a laugh. Nowadays, there's not much of that going about.' The new wave of darts players - led by current world champion Luke Littler - have helped usher the sport into a new age. There is more attention on events than ever and more money than ever for its stars. Anderson acknowledged the today's players are more professional than performers of the past but he insisted that they need to 'calm down' at times. 'The youngsters, they're here to do their job. They've realised they've got a great chance in life to make a lot of bloody money, buy their first house, then their second house. 'But they need to calm down and think: right, this is my job. That's it.'
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'I won the World Matchplay 16 times - this is how I gained an edge over other players'
Phil Taylor will forever be synonymous with the World Matchplay, even discounting the fact that the iconic competition's trophy is named after him, and he's opened up about why he was prolific in Blackpool Few have hit the jackpot in the Las Vegas of the North as often as Phil 'The Power' Taylor. Darts' greatest thrower forged an inseparable love affair with Blackpool and the World Matchplay during his years presiding over the PDC, winning the competition an unfathomable 16 times. Taylor has often admitted that while the World Darts Championship may be the largest event on the darting calendar, the Matchplay is its darling, partly down to the time of year it is staged. Just two words were needed from the 16-time champion of the world to describe how he views the Matchplay: "My favourite." He continued: "One of the reasons why I love the Matchplay so much is that it was played in summer. The World Championships are in the middle of winter. And it's freezing. "You can't go out. You can't do anything. You've got your heating on. Whereas in Blackpool, the windows are wide open, and you can sit outside. You can sunbathe if you want! It was fantastic." Taylor first tasted Matchplay glory during its second ever running in 1995, and kept up the habit of making the Winter Gardens a happy hunting ground. Winning at any venue in any sport 16 times is no mean feat, and Taylor shed some slight insight into what made him so potent when it came time to defend or regain his title in July. "I was one for always pushing forward," added Taylor. "So, I always took a mattress topper with me, a single mattress topper, no matter where I went in the UK. I took my own pillows, because I've got good pillows. I took cooking equipment into my room sometimes. I didn't want to risk anything. World Matchplay Darts 2025 preview ON SALE NOW Warm up for the World Matchplay darts at the famous Winter Gardens with our 48-page preview publication, which is available to order now The height of summer, darts, Blackpool. It can only mean one thing - the World Matchplay at the famous Winter Gardens. You can get ready for one of the highlights of the darting year with our special preview publication. "I watched a program about bodybuilders, and they never ate out of restaurants when they were ready for a competition, just in case they got food poisoning. So, I thought, 'That's clever. They're right.' I'd go to the butcher and buy fresh meat and fresh eggs, things like that, and cook my own food. "I watched cyclists and saw what they did. A cyclist would take a mattress topper wherever they went and make their bed exactly how they would at home. I thought, 'That's bloody clever, that.' "Then, I'd go out and buy three or four pairs of the same shoes. So, I'd wear one pair on the Monday, because the soles would be fresh and then wear another pair on Tuesday, Wednesday, and then revert back to the first pair. Just little things like that might give you that one per cent extra." Despite the Winter Gardens gifting Taylor a great deal of memories that will last a lifetime, one particular victory at the iconic venue's oche stands out. "I think my favourite win there of all time has got to be the last one when I was retiring," he admitted. "Because that was, I think, the hardest rounds I've ever played." Before The Power stepped away from the PDC in early 2018, he made what was expected to be his final appearance at the Matchplay in July of 2017, and, aged 56, he didn't disappoint. "It was Gerwyn Price in the first round. Raymond van Barneveld, Michael Van Gerwen, Adrian Lewis and then the final was Peter Wright. It was a tough," added Taylor. The Power swept through the field eight years ago, and added one last notch to his Matchplay belt by destroying Wright 18-8 in the final, averaging a whopping 104. "I think the odds were about 40 or 50 to one to win the tournament. Then coming back and doing that, winning it. I won it quite easily, to be honest!" he quipped. "I was relaxed. I never felt under pressure there. Never once felt anything. The weather was fantastic. You'd just toddle down the venue in the afternoon, and then just have two or three hours' practice, then go on stage. It was lovely." In light of his affinity for the Matchplay, the competition's silverware was renamed the Phil Taylor Trophy after his PDC swansong in 2018, but physical accolades aren't really The Power's thing. When asked where he was when he found out the PDC would rename the Matchplay trophy after himself, Taylor lightheartedly replied: "I don't know actually. I'd probably have been at home! "It's lovely, though. Absolutely lovely," he continued, touching on having the accolade named after him. "They gave me the original Matchplay trophy, you know, which Target [the manufacturer who sponsors Taylor] have got. "Because I don't really have trophies or anything. My grandkids have got them, or my daughter's got them, or somebody's got them. But I haven't got any trophies. Barry Hearn always used to say to me, 'You can't eat trophies.' He'd say, 'Money's better in the bank. You can eat with that. You can buy food with that.'" In May, Taylor officially hung up his darts for good, stepping away from all forms of throwing. Looking back on his career, though he won all there was to win, he still feels he could have been triumphant more often. "I did all right [at the Matchplay]," he joked. "I did okay. Looking back now, I think I could have been better. You know, once you're retired, you can look back at your career and think, 'Do you know what? I wish I'd have tried that, I wish I'd have tried this.' "But, it's too late now, it's been and gone. But I always think I could have done better. Definitely [could have won more] World Championships. I probably could have done 20, I think. But we did okay. "I haven't even got a set of darts now. Or a dartboard. I've got a dartboard in the back room. But it's still in the box. I was so dedicated and everything. I've never missed darts once, though, honestly," he continued. "I couldn't perform like Phil Taylor could perform. So it broke my heart a little bit. My body had changed. "I mean, I'm 65 this year. It got harder and harder for me, and I couldn't perform. And people were paying money to come and see me, all these supporters and everything. It broke my heart not to perform like I can. And I thought, 'I can't do this anymore. This is not right.' If I do something, I have to do it properly. I'm a bit of a perfectionist. "So, I do other things. I enjoy my life now. I see my grandkids a lot more. And the best thing in the world is staying and sleeping in your own bed. Which I'd never been able to do for 30 years, and I love it!"
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Two-time world champion, 40, to make emotional darts return after over TWO YEARS away for live TV event
ADRIAN LEWIS will next month make his return to televised darts – after a near two-and-half year absence. The two-time world champion last threw competitive darts in front of the cameras at the PDC's UK Open in 2023 at Butlin's Minehead. 3 3 Yet after that tournament, he decided to walk away from the sport – and eventually lost his professional tour card – for family reasons and having fallen out of love with the game. Lewis' wife Sarah has 'an incurable kidney disease' and his son 'has autism and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)', which has meant his full-time concentration and care. However, SunSport can now reveal he plans to make a comeback at the MODUS Super Series in Portsmouth at 10pm on Thursday August 28. It will be shown live and free on the MODUS Super Series Darts Channel on Pluto TV The Stoke star, 40, will represent Team England in a special 'International Pairs' week alongside Steve Beaton, 61, the 1996 Lakeside world champion. The finals night will be on Saturday August 30 provided the English duo qualify. It sees Lewis, a four-time World Cup of Darts champion, represent his country for the first time since 2017. And he will also be reunited with his old sparring partner and mentor Phil Taylor, the 16-time world champion, for a special event. Should he rediscover his form in the coming months, then there is a chance he may wish to return to the pro ranks but it would have been through Qualifying School in January 2026. Darts supremo Barry Hearn does not plan to give him a special wildcard entry even though Lewis is a decorated and popular figure within the sport. Adrian Lewis doesn't hesitate naming the three darts stars who are bigger villains than him 3 Lewis said: 'The MODUS Super Series is the perfect platform for me to gauge where my game is at. 'I've been practicing well and have played well in a lot of exhibitions. 'It will be something very different for me but I've been watching the MODUS Super Series on Pluto TV and the standard is incredible. 'There are some brilliant players and I don't expect it to be easy. Nothing is easy in darts these days. 'I've taken time out to focus on my family life. I told Barry Hearn back when I made that decision that I don't expect any freebies if I do decide to make a comeback. 'I'm willing to work for it and maybe this can be the first step. 'It hasn't been easy over the last few years. My wife has to live with an illness and my son has autism and ADHD. 'I found myself travelling to events but not wanting to be there and wanting to be at home with them instead. 'I think I lost a bit of love for the game. I wasn't happy and my performances suffered as a result. 'I'm not making any long-term plans but I still have a lot to give and if this goes well then we'll take the next step at the right time. 'The main thing is I'm happy and looking forward to playing competitive darts on my own terms, in my own time, without the demands of the tour, for now at least.'
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Luke Littler aiming to join elite group of just four darts legends by winning World Matchplay to complete triple crown
LUKE LITTLER admits he is focused on joining the oche elite as a triple crown champion at the World Matchplay. The World No.2 picked up a Premier League title back in 2024 and followed it up by Advertisement 1 Luke Littler admits he is focused on becoming a triple crown champion at the World Matchplay Credit: Getty 'The Nuke' now needs to win the iconic major at the Winter Gardens to add his name to another list of icons. Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, and most recently Luke Humphries are the only four players to have completed the prestigious feat. Taylor, 16-times world champion, is still the only player to have completed the 'Triple Crown' in a singular darting season. Teen sensation Littler is focused on making sure he picks up that first-round win against Ryan Searle on Sunday to start his path for what would be another history-making victory. Advertisement He said: 'I am looking forward to going back. 'Obviously my debut didn't go how I wanted it to go, a tough first round against Michael. 'I am just looking forward to that first game and getting a win at the iconic Matchplay. 'It definitely motivates me to try and get the win and try and go far in what has been an up-and-down season so far. Advertisement Most read in Darts CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS 'Hopefully I can just win that first game and see what goes on from there – I just want to get a win at the Winter Gardens.' He added: 'The World Cup did not go to plan for me and Luke [Humphries]. It was tough conditions that we couldn't do much about, but now the Matchplay, you are on your own, not in a team, and can battle it out with the best in the world. 'This is why we play darts indoors' - Video of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries struggling in new tournament emerges 'The Matchplay is a different breed and it is going to be tough if I want to go all the way. Advertisement 'If I win it, I join that 'Triple Crown' group, so that is obviously what I am focusing on – win the Matchplay and then I will have all three. 'I didn't even realise properly that the 'Triple Crown' was a thing, I thought it was another major added to the list. 'But with only Luke, Phil, Michael, and Gary doing it, it would be a massive achievement.' List of all-time Darts World Champions BELOW is a list of darts world champions by year. The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions. That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once - Barney also won four BDO titles - and none of Eric Bristow's five BDO titles are included. 1994 - Dennis Priestley 1995 - Phil Taylor 1996 - Phil Taylor (2) 1997 - Phil Taylor (3) 1998 - Phil Taylor (4) 1999 - Phil Taylor (5) 2000 - Phil Taylor (6) 2001 - Phil Taylor (7) 2002 - Phil Taylor (8) 2003 - John Part 2004 - Phil Taylor (9) 2005 - Phil Taylor (10) 2006 - Phil Taylor (11) 2007 - Raymond van Barneveld 2008 - John Part (2) 2009 - Phil Taylor (12) 2010 - Phil Taylor (13) 2011 - Adrian Lewis 2012 - Adrian Lewis (2) 2013 - Phil Taylor (14) 2014 - Michael van Gerwen 2015 - Gary Anderson 2016 - Gary Anderson (2) 2017 - Michael van Gerwen (2) 2018 - Rob Cross 2019 - Michael van Gerwen (3) 2020 - Peter Wright 2021 - Gerwyn Price 2022 - Peter Wright (2) 2023 - Michael Smith 2024 - Luke Humphries 2025 - Luke Littler Most World Titles 14 - Phil Taylor 3 - Michael van Gerwen 2 - John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright 1 - Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler
The Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Luke Littler aiming to join elite group of just four darts legends by winning World Matchplay to complete triple crown
LUKE LITTLER admits he is focused on joining the oche elite as a triple crown champion at the World Matchplay. The World No.2 picked up a Premier League title back in 2024 and followed it up by becoming the youngest ever world champion in January. 1 'The Nuke' now needs to win the iconic major at the Winter Gardens to add his name to another list of icons. Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, and most recently Luke Humphries are the only four players to have completed the prestigious feat. Taylor, 16-times world champion, is still the only player to have completed the 'Triple Crown' in a singular darting season. Teen sensation Littler is focused on making sure he picks up that first-round win against Ryan Searle on Sunday to start his path for what would be another history-making victory. He said: 'I am looking forward to going back. 'Obviously my debut didn't go how I wanted it to go, a tough first round against Michael. 'I am just looking forward to that first game and getting a win at the iconic Matchplay. 'It definitely motivates me to try and get the win and try and go far in what has been an up-and-down season so far. 'Hopefully I can just win that first game and see what goes on from there – I just want to get a win at the Winter Gardens.' He added: 'The World Cup did not go to plan for me and Luke [Humphries]. It was tough conditions that we couldn't do much about, but now the Matchplay, you are on your own, not in a team, and can battle it out with the best in the world. 'This is why we play darts indoors' - Video of Luke Littler and Luke Humphries struggling in new tournament emerges 'The Matchplay is a different breed and it is going to be tough if I want to go all the way. 'If I win it, I join that 'Triple Crown' group, so that is obviously what I am focusing on – win the Matchplay and then I will have all three. 'I didn't even realise properly that the 'Triple Crown' was a thing, I thought it was another major added to the list. 'But with only Luke, Phil, Michael, and Gary doing it, it would be a massive achievement.' List of all-time Darts World Champions BELOW is a list of darts world champions by year. The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions. That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once - Barney also won four BDO titles - and none of Eric Bristow's five BDO titles are included. 1994 - Dennis Priestley 1995 - Phil Taylor 1996 - Phil Taylor (2) 1997 - Phil Taylor (3) 1998 - Phil Taylor (4) 1999 - Phil Taylor (5) 2000 - Phil Taylor (6) 2001 - Phil Taylor (7) 2002 - Phil Taylor (8) 2003 - John Part 2004 - Phil Taylor (9) 2005 - Phil Taylor (10) 2006 - Phil Taylor (11) 2007 - Raymond van Barneveld 2008 - John Part (2) 2009 - Phil Taylor (12) 2010 - Phil Taylor (13) 2011 - Adrian Lewis 2012 - Adrian Lewis (2) 2013 - Phil Taylor (14) 2014 - Michael van Gerwen 2015 - Gary Anderson 2016 - Gary Anderson (2) 2017 - Michael van Gerwen (2) 2018 - Rob Cross 2019 - Michael van Gerwen (3) 2020 - Peter Wright 2021 - Gerwyn Price 2022 - Peter Wright (2) 2023 - Michael Smith 2024 - Luke Humphries 2025 - Luke Littler Most World Titles 14 - Phil Taylor 3 - Michael van Gerwen 2 - John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright 1 - Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler
