SHERROCK &
Bobby George: If a woman can win the Grand National, why can’t a lady like Fallon beat the men at darts?
IT’S a right royal seal of approval: the King of Darts has given his assent to the Queen of the Palace.
And as Bobby George, the two-time world championship finalist, assessed Fallon Sherrock’s chances of more glory at the William Hill PDC World Championship, his verdict resonated like a harpoon nailing the bullseye.
“It’s not a battle of the sexes any more,” said George (below). “It’s about whether you can play.
“And if a woman can win the Grand National on the toughest course is horse-racing, why can’t a lady beat the men at darts?”
Sherrock was catapulted into worldwide celebrity two years ago, when she knocked out Ted Evetts and No.11 seed Mensur Suljovic (right) at Alexandra Palace, becoming the first woman to beat
male opposition at the tournament. As tennis legend Billie Jean King led the acclaim from the sporting sisterhood (below), the Bletchley hairdresser went on to draw 6-6 with Glen Durrant at the Premier League in Nottingham two months later.
And Sherrock led three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen 6-4 at the Nordic Masters final in September before the Dutchman recovered to win 11-7.
She has drawn former Lakeside world champion Steve Beaton in the first round at Ally Pally, and the roof will come off if she beats the Bronzed Adonis.
George, now 75, shrugged: “They can’t all be flukes. You can’t win as many games, or play as consistently well as Fallon does, against the top players and be lucky in all of them.
“I wondered if the Grand Slam last month might be a big step up for her, but she was marvellous.
“Her averages were high, I liked the 170 checkout to beat Gabriel Clemens when it was win or bust in that leg, I liked the way she whitewashed Mike De Decker with a 101 average and the way she took care of business against Suljovic.
“Best of all, she went toe-totoe with Peter Wright, one of the best players in the world, and gave him such a good run for his money his wallet was sweating. She frightened the life out of him. To take 13 legs off a former world champion, who is still No.2 in the rankings, is no fluke.
“Years ago, I said there was no reason why the top ladies could not compete at a high level with the men – and she’s proved it.”
Sherrock’s success at Ally Pally in 2019 did not convince everyone she was the real deal.
Did Evetts and Suljovic bottle it when the crowd swung behind the pink princess and turned her into the Queen of the Palace?
George heard the whispers on the grapevine, too.
He said: “When she won those two games, everyone made a fuss, but, in the background, there were comments along the lines of, ‘Ah, but she must have dragged them down to her level’.
“It doesn’t look that way to me. It looks like she has learnt to deal with the pressure of playing on TV and some of her opponents can’t handle it. “Mensur might have thought he caught her on a good night, when he was not firing on all cylinders, at the world championship – but how does he explain losing to her twice?
“At the Grand
Slam, his arms were swinging everywhere, he was tipping over the oche and his throwing action went to pieces.
“Maybe he thought lightning couldn’t strike twice, but Fallon stayed nice and composed while he crumbled under pressure.
“That’s the sign of a top player.
“When the heat’s turned up, she can play under pressure – and good luck to her.
“And when she gets a bit of luck, she’s good enough to take her chances.
“How often do you hear players moaning that their scoring was great, but they couldn’t hit a double?
“Well, finishing is an important part of the game – you have to hit a double, so hit it. And Fallon is good at that.
“If the people who slag her off behind her back because she’s not won anything yet are so clever, go up there and try it.
“None of them can catch a No.170 bus – never mind hit a 170 checkout under
pressure.”