DART TO HEART
Wright is going from oche to the aisle to give away his daughter... and world title trophy will be on display!
PETER WRIGHT will walk his daughter Naomi down the aisle next week – and place the Sid Waddell trophy on the top table at her wedding breakfast.
The PDC world darts champion celebrated his second title in three years with a cup of tea and a Sticky Rib Pot Noodle at 2am after his 7-5 win against Michael Smith in a tense final at Alexandra Palace on Monday night.
But ‘Snakebite’ admitted the next big date in his diary, in a converted barn, will be even more nerve-racking.
Wright, only the third Scot after Jocky Wilson and Gary Anderson to wear the crown twice, will share the privilege of giving away 28-year-old Naomi with his wife, Jo.
He said: “She wants both of us to do it – obviously, I have been a bad father, not around for so many years because I’ve been away playing darts!
“But seriously, we had the discussion because a woman puts in all the work. So why is the father the one who gives the daughter away?
“It’s the woman who does 90 percent of looking after the child, giving birth, going through all the pain. Why isn’t the mum allowed to walk her daughter down the aisle?”
Wright has already assured the bride he will not be exporting his extrovert dress code on the oche to the altar. He said: “I will have my kilt on, so I hope it is not snowing. I’m sure I will be nervous on the day.”
At 51, Wright believes he can go on to equal arrows legends Eric Bristow and Raymond van Barneveld’s five world titles. Only Phil Taylor (16) has won more, and he added: “I can win another three before I am too old and I will have to get a Zimmer frame to jump across the stage.
“Would I have been this good if Phil was still around? I don’t know. Or if Michael van Gerwen was on the form we know him for? I’d put myself maybe in the top five, nowhere near as good as MVG and Phil.
“But without darts, I’d probably still be working in a garage, fitting tyres and exhausts.
“There’s no question of retirement at the moment – Jo won’t let me! Hopefully I’ll be upsetting a lot of players and trying to win more titles for a while yet.”
While Wright counts his £500,000 winnings, crestfallen Smith must come to terms with an eighth consecutive defeat in a major final on TV.
But he remains defiant that the dam will burst one day, and warned: “Setbacks are there for the comebacks.
“I will keep fighting and keep going until the next one.”