The date was the 22nd of June 2015.
This was the day/date when I realised that I had what it takes, not just to be a good pub darts player but potentially a player who could make some waves at local tournaments.
It was by far the greatest darts match I had played up to that point.
It wasn't my near victory over Eric Bristow or my run to the doubles final, but a match that if it needed a headline would be called "Redemption":
We were playing against the Seagull and it was the first time that I had come up against my old team since I left.
It was 16 months in the making and it felt like a shot at redemption and the opportunity to show that I wasn’t the player they thought I was.
Now it should be stated that the Seagull were a VERY good team. They had got promoted to the top league the season I was with them (don’t think they lost) and all their players were of a good standard.
I was Captain at the time and when the draw was being done, in my head I was thinking “don’t draw their Captain, don’t draw their Captain”
Guess what………………I drew their Captain!
Now let me explain, there team was full of good players however their Captain was VERY good (didn’t lose a league game the season I was with them) and took the game seriously. I had watched him give (then) BDO top 30 player Gary Stafford all he could handle (and had darts to win) in the cup when at the Seagull so knew he had a strong game and was a better player than me.
I can remember everything clearly.
I was wearing a bright Dutch orange polo shirt , using 18 gram red dragon featherlite darts, short medium nylon deflectagrip stems in blue and Co Stompe orange Kite Flights.
I was used to ending up going on late (23:00+) however fortunately the draw was kind and I was early in the third match (about 21:00).
My heart was racing, this would be a shot at redemption for me:
He won the bull however I got off to a flyer hitting BIG scores as did he.
He hit 60, I hit 60, he hit 60, I hit 80, he hit 80, I hit 138, he hit 100, I hit 120, he hit 100, I hit 100
I took the first leg taking out D4 after some iffy D16’s, averaging around 80!
He then took the second leg in a close one.
It was now 1-1.
I won the bull to start to start the decider and i again got off to a blinder hitting
140,46, 95,100, 80, to leave myself on 40 after 15 darts and my opponent still back on 270!
At this point my heart was littering beating out of my chest and I botched D20 to end up on 5.
I took out 2-1-d1 to take the decider!
Afterwards even a lot of their team said “great darts”, which was nice.
It was a special moment for me to beat a player of that quality, in that situation, in that way and showed that on my day I could be a match for a lot of good players!
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