BULLY FOR HIM
Gary can’t decide on darts or specs but is still tearing up the Worlds..
GARY ANDERSON doesn’t even know what specs he’ll wear or what darts he’ll use in today’s William Hill World Championship quarter-finals.
But the Scottish hero does know he’s got the game to leather Luke Humphries and stay on course for an Ally Pally hat-trick.
Anderson is producing his annual Worlds display. Despite struggling during the year, he has again come good at the big one.
The 51-year-old struggles to see. He can’t pick what spears to take on stage, yet still he’s in position to reach a sixth final.
Anderson is just pottering along and said: “I did change glasses [against Rob Cross]. I went to my old ones.
“I just did it because they haven’t got this big daft bit at the bottom. They sit on my nose a bit better.
“I prefer the other set but it’s an old lens and it’s a bit far away to the dartboard. My son Tai has about 10,000 sets of darts, I’ll see what he’s got in his box for the next game.
“The thing with the bigger darts is I’m so much more comfortable. They are not going to slip out of my hand.
“You’ll see me sometimes go for doubles, I can be three or four inches off. That’s them just sliding out of my hands.”
Humphries is one of the game’s talented young brigade but the old fox is ready for him.
He said: “We all talk about the youngsters, is he still going to be interviewed in 10-15 years time? Know what I mean?
“They are up and coming but I’ve done it for 25 years now, a good 15 years in the PDC, I’ve been there or thereabouts for 13 years. Now it’s up to them.
“I just throw the darts. I’ll sit back one day and say: ‘Yeah I wasn’t too bad at that.’ I’m not one for blowing my pipe and saying I’ve done this or done that.
“I’ve done well. I’ve actually been in the final five times in the years that I’ve been here. I’ve won it back-to-back.
“All the ones that want to win it, good luck to them. I’ve done my job and I’m just here to play and have a bit of fun. I’m nowhere near my top game. People call me a liar, I’m telling you now, do one.
“You want to see who’s a natural player? Stick us in the Big Brother house for six months, not a dartboard in sight, not a throw. Then bring us out and play and we’ll see how good the other lot are.
“Then you talk about a natural dart player. I’ve spent
so many years playing darts if you don’t know where that treble and double is you better get another hobby.
“It’s all on the night. You can play great darts and next night turn up and not be able to hit a barn door with a hedgehog. “I’d like to win it again. I remember my first Worlds at the PDC in my first year. All the years playing in the BDO and the silent treatment. Just to walk out and see the size of that stage. My first experience was the Premier League. Wayne Mardle stepped out with the mumps, it was myself and Mark Webster. I even got to the venue before anyone was there. And we said: ‘What have we done?’
“I’ve had fun, seen the world, made friends and made enemies. I’ve done alright for an old Jock.”