Cluckingham Palace ... how world champ ‘Snakebite’ has become the birdman of darts
PETER WRIGHT never thought he would spend his year as darts world champion counting his chickens.
Nor did “Snakebite” expect to turn 50 under “house arrest” – with his 80 hens laying enough eggs to feed an army.
Nor did he think rival players would be among his most eager customers.
Gerwyn Price, whose fractious world championship semi-final with Wright did not damage their friendship on the Professional Darts Corporation chicken run, and PDC backroom staff always looked forward to their free-range deliveries.
When some of the eggs hatched as chicks, Wright even gave them to fellow Scot and two-time world champion Gary Anderson’s kids as presents.
But Wright cannot wait to resume competitive darts when the coronavirus crisis ends.
“Lockdown is not the way I envisaged turning 50, nor does it match my vision of how I was going to spend the year as reigning world champion,” said Wright, who beat Michael van Gerwen 7-3 in January’s Alexandra Palace final.
“By the time I play darts again, I’ll have gone longer without the Mohawk and war paint than at any time since I was 40.
“Right now, my hair is ‘normal’ and, instead of being away from home five days a week following the Premier League, I can help look after the chickens. In some ways, it’s quite nice being under house arrest.
“Every week I arrive at the next stop on the Premier League circuit with boxes of eggs – ‘Gezzy’ Price and Wayne Mardle are always happy to see me and it’s nice to be so popular!
“I’ve got 14 ducks, 60 to 80 chickens – and there’s an awful lot of laying going on. The PDC guys love ‘em because they are fresh.
“Although we’ve no idea when the next tournament will be, I’m still practising every day.
“Dimitri van den Bergh (of Belgium) has been staying with us for the last 10 days – instead of him trying to get back home, with so many borders closed and flights cancelled.”
Wright added: “The thing I liked most about Premier League nights was MC John McDonald introducing me to the crowds as the ‘reigning champion of the woooorrrrld’ – I’ll never get tired of hearing that.
“And when we get the green light to start again, there’s going to be a lot of tournaments to pack in.”