SPOTLIGHT BACK ON FALLON

PINK princess Fallon Sherrock leads darts into a brave new world tonight insisting: “I believe it will be safe.”

Sherrock is among the cast of 24 hopefuls at the bwin World Series of Darts finals in Austria – the first tournament played in front of a crowd for six months.

Not since the Premier League meeting in Liverpool on March 12 has the fancy dress corps been admitted to the big top on the Professional Darts Corporation’s travelling circus.

But up to 2,000 fans per session at the Salzburg Arena – split into four quadrants with separate entrances, exits, toilets and bars – will attend the three- day competition featuring reigning world champion Peter Wright and No. 1- ranked Michael van Gerwen.

Administrators and medical experts will be monitoring the fall- out from a major competition in front of a live crowd and the PDC hope it will provide a road map towards their showpiece world championship going ahead – with spectators – in December at Alexandra Palace.

That was where Sherrock ( inset) announced herself last winter with historic wins against Ted Evetts and

Mensur Suljovic. The first lady of darts faces Canada’s Jeff Smith in the first round of the World Series. And Sherrock, who is in the Covid- 19 high- risk category because of a chronic kidney condition, said: “Getting on a plane to play in a tournament again does feel like a step back towards normality.

“This is the first ‘ proper’ darts match I’ve played since lockdown and I can’t wait.

“I don’t think I will have to learn to play in front of a crowd again – it’s not like we’ve been away two or three years – and I tend to thrive on the big stage.”