TURKEY CROWN
Smith’s got the birds – now he wants title
‘BULLY BOY’ Michael Smith keeps turkeys on his farm, and he’s poultry in motion when he’s in full flow on the oche.
But the best player never to win a darts major, despite reaching seven finals, has some bad news for his birds of a feather.
Two of them are destined to meet their Bernard Matthews in a festive carve-up.
Smith, 31, revealed: “I’ve got four turkeys – three female, one male. We’re going to keep one of each, and the other two are called ‘Christmas Day Dinner’ and ‘Boxing Day Dinner.’”
Before he passes the cranberry sauce, Smith is planning an extended run at the William Hill PDC World Championship, which starts at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday, after his secondround defeat against Luke Woodhouse behind closed doors 12 months ago.
He regards farming as his next incarnation beyond darts, but the beaten 2019 finalist has unfinished business with tungsten spears first.
The St Helens nearly man said: “As well as the turkeys, I’ve got two horses, two swans, five dogs, two tortoises, 29 chickens, 17 ducks and four geese. And I’ve just got permission to keep pigs as well.
“We’re looking at farming as a side business because you don’t know how long you’re going to be playing darts, or how far downhill you could go.
“I want to open a cafe where everything is free range and it all comes from my backyard, so by the time we’ve added some pigs we’ll have everything to cover a full English breakfast. I’d probably call it Bully Boy’s – I might as well put my name to it.
“Don’t get me wrong, darts is my main focus and I’m not going to stop until I lift that World Championship trophy.
“I might win the UK Open or the Grand Slam first, but the
World Championship is the one I won’t stop until I’ve lifted it – even if I’m still talking about it when I’m 109.
“But I do know that if I won it this year, it would take five years off my target to retire.
“If I win a world title, I wouldn’t treat myself to a fast car – I’d buy myself a bull.
“We are looking to get one anyway, because you can’t come to Bully Boy’s house and not see a bull, can you?
“I’m sick of being the bridesmaid and I won’t touch the trophy until I’ve won it. I’ll only touch it when it’s mine.
“It is getting a bit frustrating now and when I do get that first one, I’ll be doing what Jonny Clayton has done this year and winning two, three, four of them.
“I’m trying to get rid of the demons of all those near misses.”