NINE-DART BULLSEYE FOR WIFE!
Mardle reveals the home truth behind his iconic ‘I can’t spake’ Final commentary...
FROM the archive of classic sporting commentary box one-liners, Wayne Mardle’s three-word croak will surely be replayed forever.
When Michael Smith’s perfect ninedarter crowned the greatest leg of all time in the PDC World Championship Final at Alexandra Palace last January, millions of viewers feared Mardle was on the brink of hyperventilation.
“That is the most incredible leg of darts you’ve ever seen in your life,” shrieked the Sky Sports commentator. “I can’t spake! I can’t spake!”
On Friday night, Smith returns to Ally Pally to defend his crown at the Paddy Power World Championship, and now the real story behind Mardle’s line for the ages can be told. Already struggling with a croaky voice, he admits he DID have to be replaced in the commentary box before the end of ‘Bully Boy’ Smith’s maiden world-title triumph.
And he revealed that his signature ‘catchphrase’ was NOT a spontaneous reference to his strained voice – but a term he uses at home with wife Donna.
Mardle, himself a five-time world championship semi-finalist, said: “The world of darts had never seen it before – one player, Michael van Gerwen, missing double-12 for a nine-darter, and then the other, Smith, nailing it.
“You can’t possibly see a better leg of darts. To think that it panned out in a world championship final is incredible.
“If it had happened in the first or second round, who cares? We can wax lyrical about it all day, every day, but it is still quite incredible. And, yes, I did lose my voice – though that happened four or five sets later.
“John Part and I weren’t feeling particularly great the day before. He had the day off, but I didn’t. I was a Trojan, I powered through the semi-finals like a true professional!
“But midway through the final, my voice went completely and it was the nine-darter that broke it.
“I actually said to the producer, ‘Look, someone is going to have to take over’. I didn’t feel like it had quite gone at that point but it was going. One minute it was, ‘No, I’m fine’ and the next it was, ‘No, it’s gone’. That’s exactly how it was.
“But when I said, ‘I can’t spake, I can’t spake,’ I meant it. I didn’t want to ramble about how great the moment was and detract from it. I actually say it at home to Donna, so often that it’s just become a thing I say. Donna will do something ridiculous – like making me a coffee instead of a cup of tea! – and I will respond, ‘I can’t spake!’.
“I say it so often I am surprised it hadn’t come out in commentary before. But what I didn’t want to do for that particular leg was absolutely overkill it with superlatives.
“It didn’t need any of us to say how special it was. Everyone watching could see it was out of this world.
“For people to say it could go down in history as an amazing piece of commentary fills my heart with joy.
“But I was just in the right place at the right time.
“Walking down the street, I get people shouting at me, ‘I can’t spake! I can’t spake!’ It’s not far off a daily occurrence!”