Latest news with #ProTour
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Darts legend retires from Premier League Darts immediately after Luke Littler vs Luke Humphries final
DARTS icon George Noble has retired from the Premier League. The referee has stepped down after officiating the 2025 final between Advertisement 2 Referee George Noble has quit Premier League Darts Credit: Getty 2 His last Premier League match was the final between Luke Humphries and Luke Littler Credit: PA Noble, 56, has been one of the top callers in darts for the last three decades. He has worked on the PDC Tour since 2007 - prior to that he was part of the BDO team. That means he has witnessed the best in the world over the past three decades, culminating in the two biggest stars fighting it out to win the Premier League. Noble began his career as a referee in 1992 and he has been a regular caller on the Pro Tour ever since. Advertisement READ MORE IN DARTS He called every BDO World Championship final between 1995 and 2007. He joined the PDC Tour later in 2007 , where he called the first ever nine-dart finish in PDC World Darts Championship history when Since then he has been the voice of a total of 21 televised nine-darters - more than any other referee. While he has taken part in 18 World Darts Championships. Advertisement Most read in Darts JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 'The Puppy' already called time on his work as a referee on the European Tour, stepping away after the Dutch Darts Championship last week. After confirming his retirement plans, Noble spoke about the future of refereeing , saying: "I think it's time we had the first female referee at a major tournament…and maybe even the first non-British one, too." Fans sing along to Luke Littler's walk-on song as darts star shares footage from stage
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Clayton wins first Euro Tour title in two years
Jonny Clayton has secured his third European Tour event win with victory over Germany's Niko Springer in the Dutch Darts Championship final. Clayton defeated Springer, who is ranked 93rd in the world, 8-6 and secure his first European Tour event win since winning the Austrian Open two years ago. Earlier in the day Clayton had defeated Ross Smith and Danny Noppert before a 7-5 victory over Luke Humphries. The 50-year-old Welshman had lost to Josh Rock of Northern Ireland in the final of last year's Dutch Darts Championship. "This is a great feeling," said Clayton, who becomes the new world number five following his success in Rosmalen. "I missed out to Josh Rock last year and I've gone one better this year. I've also had a ProTour win in Rosmalen, so this may be my new lucky home! "What a player Niko is. He's got such a big future. He's a great lad with a great attitude, and he shows it on that dartboard. "I came back somehow, and then I managed to get ahead and stay ahead. I'm so pleased to get over the line; it's brilliant."
The Irish Sun
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I was accidentally named after Ronnie O'Sullivan and even play snooker – but I prefer Stephen Hendry
RONNIE SULLIVAN will try to become a professional snooker player this month – and his dream is to face RONNIE O'SULLIVAN. Over the next week, the part-time cueist from South London will be at Leicester's Mattioli Arena, attempting to earn a two-year World Snooker Tour card. 3 Young snooker player Ronnie Sullivan is playing to get on the Pro Tour card this year 3 The 20-year-old was accidentally named after snooker GOAT The Rocket Sullivan, 20, was not named after the seven-time world snooker champion and says his favourite players are Scotsman But should he qualify for the pro ranks – he has to win six matches in a row, all of which are the best of seven frames – then he would love to battle the next season. And hopefully a clash would silence those on social media who reckon he is a CON ARTIST due to the surname similarities! Sullivan told SunSport: 'It's a complete coincidence. My dad only realised when I was born, a couple of days or weeks after he named me Ronnie, about the link. READ MORE IN SNOOKER 'I've seen a picture of my mum in hospital with me, after I was born, and the snooker was on the TV in the background. 'I'm not sure what the tournament was. Ronnie could have been playing! 'My dad had two names to pick, Ronnie and Ozzy, which is my brother's name. Funnily enough I didn't start playing snooker until I was 12 years old. 'Ronnie is not my hero. I like Most read in Snooker CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS 'I get a bit of attention for my name. I'd rather have attention for my playing abilities than that. It's swings and roundabouts. 'I've had a lot of people text me on Facebook over the years, saying: 'You're a scam, you're not Ronnie O'Sullivan, you're a fake account.' It never ends. Ronnie O'Sullivan gives concerning interview despite World Snooker Championship win 'It gets so boring. 'You have the same name as Ronnie but without the O.' Leave me alone. Let me get on with it. 'I hope I can play Ronnie before he retires. That would be unreal. It'd definitely put bums on seats. The referee would have to call us Ronnie 1 , Ronnie 2.' Sullivan – born in November 2004, the year that O'Sullivan won his second of seven Crucible crowns – has met the GOAT of potting before. But the pair spent more time talking about boxing than the intricacies of the sport they both play, albeit to different levels. He said: 'I've met Ronnie on a few occasions. We talked for a good half an hour or hour. Not about snooker once. 'We are similar in that we don't like to talk about the game. We like a break from it. 'We had a little bit of a laugh about our names but not a massive thing. We talked about boxing really.' 3 Sullivan's favourite snooker player is Stephen Hendry Sullivan studied sports and business at college and worked for JJ Antiques & House Clearance firm, clearing homes in Surrey and the South London area. But he is looking for a sponsorship deal for this year, which would help him fulfil his dream of potting balls. The amateur star, whose highest break is 145, faces fellow Englishman Jai Platts on Wednesday morning in round one of Event One of Q School. He said: 'I feel good. The last time I went there, I went for the experience. Since December, I've really got my s** together and practised full-time. Put the hours in. Leave me alone. Let me get on with it. Sullivan 'I had a few things off the table that weren't going okay. I had a little break but have had a fresh start. I feel like a new player. 'The hard work has paid off. I'm confident with my game. It would be great to be professional. 'That would be a massive monkey off my back. I've put so much work into it. I've had more downs than ups in the game. I know I'm good enough. 'I feel I can prove something to myself and go and do it. It would mean a lot. 'I have always wanted to play snooker. My dad said it would be a waste of talent if I didn't try to become professional. I hope I can play my best stuff at Q School.'
Scottish Sun
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Michael van Gerwen's darts woes go from bad to worse with humiliating defeat to little-known prospect
Three-time world champ is hit for six by an outsider as ProTour plight continues TROUBLE DUTCH Michael van Gerwen's darts woes go from bad to worse with humiliating defeat to little-known prospect MICHAEL VAN GERWEN has been sent reeling again - as unwanted stats add up for the Dutch legend in 2025. Outsider Dominik Gruellich inflicted MVG's sixth first-round loss of this year's ProTour. Advertisement 2 Michael van Gerwen's struggle went on with final-leg agony Credit: Rex Such lows are hard to take for the frustrated three-time world champion. Van Gerwen's season has not been a total nightmare. Most notably, he picked up his 38th Euro Tour title at the German Grand Prix in April, with a nine-darter to boot. But the 36-year-old enters night 15 of Premier League Darts in Aberdeen on Thursday this week without a nightly win so far. Advertisement READ MORE IN DARTS DART OF WAR Darts star had 'Barney attack' on stage and smashed trophy in rage Howevger, he's still fourth in the Prem table - just ahead of Nathan Aspinall in the battle for a place in the Play-Offs on May 29. So it's Mighty Mike's ProTour problems that might conceern him most. And at Players Championship 15 he slumped 6-5 to German star Gruellich in the 23-year-old's home-country town of Hildesheim. Yet MVG could consider himself lucky compared to English ace Andrew Gilding. Advertisement However, that was due to Gilding's flight rather than his flights. The 54-year old didn't even make it to the tournament - as his flight was held up. Gilding's social media team blamed "KLM'S last flight... being delayed by two hours". 2 The Dutchman crashed out to German outsider Dominik Gruellich Credit: Getty Advertisement They added: "Andrew would have missed his connecting flight to Hannover." Krzysztof Ratajski went on to win Players Championship 15. The Pole defeated Dave Chisnall 8-4 to scoop the £15,000 top prize.
The Irish Sun
12-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Michael van Gerwen's darts woes go from bad to worse with humiliating defeat to little-known prospect
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN has been sent reeling again - as unwanted stats add up for the Dutch legend in 2025. Outsider Dominik Gruellich inflicted MVG's sixth first-round loss of this year's ProTour. 2 Michael van Gerwen's struggle went on with final-leg agony Credit: Rex Such lows are hard to take for the frustrated three-time world champion. Van Gerwen's season has not been a total nightmare. Most notably, he picked up his 38th Euro Tour title at the German Grand Prix in April, with a nine-darter to boot. But the 36-year-old enters night 15 of Premier League Darts in Aberdeen on Thursday this week without a nightly win so far. READ MORE IN DARTS Howevger, he's still fourth in the Prem table - just ahead of So it's Mighty Mike's ProTour problems that might conceern him most. And at Players Championship 15 he slumped 6-5 to German star Gruellich in the 23-year-old's home-country town of Hildesheim. Yet MVG could consider himself lucky compared to English ace Most read in Darts However, that was due to Gilding's flight rather than his flights. The 54-year old didn't even make it to the tournament - as his flight was held up. Gilding's social media team blamed "KLM'S last flight... being delayed by two hours". 2 The Dutchman crashed out to German outsider Dominik Gruellich Credit: Getty They added: "Andrew would have missed his connecting flight to Hannover." Krzysztof Ratajski went on to win Players Championship 15. The Pole defeated Dave Chisnall 8-4 to scoop the £15,000 top prize.
