I’M GOING OUT IN A BAIZE OF GLORY
DARTS POWER’S CUE TO LEAVE Taylor vows to team up with Rocket Ronnie when he calls time on his competitive darts career at end of year
PHIL TAYLOR is set to hit the road with Ronnie O’Sullivan once he quits competitive darts.
But the 16-time World Champion wants to go out in a baize of glory – and that starts with winning Thursday’s Betway Premier League showpiece.
Taylor will be at finals night at London’s O2 for the last time.
Having announced his retirement from the majors at the end of the year, the 56-year-old is already plotting his next venture.
And The Power and The Rocket are set to team up next year after Taylor confirmed the snooker star wants them to go on a road trip.
He said: “In my first month of retirement I’m doing exhibitions in Australia and New Zealand then more travelling and doing appearances on tour.
“Even Ronnie has been in touch to see if we can work together. And I’m not going to be retiring from work, only from competition.
“Ronnie and I will definitely do a few things next year. I don’t know how we put a snooker table and dartboard into the same arena.
“But maybe I’ll have time now to practise my snooker. That will be a challenge, to smash Ronnie at snooker!
“We can perhaps do a nine-darter and 147 break shoot-out. I’m up to 13 ninedarters, Ronnie’s probably got about 33 147s, so I don’t think I can catch him.”
Taylor though is desperate to add more honours to his glittering CV before he bows out of darts competition.
And winning a seventh Premier League title would be a sensational success.
Despite the gruelling 15-week qualifying schedule, the old man of the game kept fatigue in check to book his spot.
He said: “I didn’t expect to get to the O2. I even booked a flight to Dubai on the Friday because I didn’t think I’d be playing the night before.”
Taylor will be there alright and he’ll face Scots star Peter Wright in the semi-finals.
The Power didn’t qualify for the O2 two years ago but he returned to reach the Final last year before losing to Michael van Gerwen in an 11-3 rout.
However, despite his advancing years and the decision to step down, Taylor is now back to his best.
Victories over van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Adrian Lewis in the final three weeks of the qualifying campaign proves his wellbeing heading to Docklands.
Taylor, who spent Saturday night in Perth with Raymond van Barneveld and yesterday with Anderson in Glasgow doing exhibitions, said: “There was no pressure on me last Thursday.
“But just playing Adie puts you under pressure because if he beats you he phones and texts you 30 times a day to rub it in.
“Six-and-a-half years of my life, I have been playing the Premier League.
“If you count up all the months over the 12 years this tournament has been on, that’s how long I’ve been involved in this league. “I’d love to win it. It’s massive but it’s not the end of the world if I don’t win. I will go there and try to relax. “I’d love to win the Matchplay and Worlds before I retire. I’d love to win the Premier League. I guess I’d like to win them all!” But Taylor is adamant there will be no turning back on his decision to retire – even if he does go through the card over the seven months remaining this year. He added: “Even if I win one of the big majors between now and the end of the World Championships it won’t change my decision to quit, not a chance. “It will just mean that I’ve got more money when I retire!”
CRAIG SWAN