Worlds end for Barney
have to start scaling things down.
Wright and the other top players face a punishing schedule of travelling and tournaments across the globe. While it is financially rewarding, it also takes a toll physically.
The Scot became ill before last year’s Worlds and almost missed the tournament so he’s well aware he can’t keep doing it forever.
And Wright plans to ease his schedule after a big push in 2019.
He said: “You can’t stop thinking about darts because the schedule next year is pretty busy.
“I’m going to do everything next year, hit them all. I’ll do all them, try to get myself to No.1 then get to 50 and relax a little.
“It’s very difficult. You have so many tournaments. You are doing a World Series, Europeans, floor tournaments and it’s very hard.
“You need to be an e s p e c i a l l y dedicated person to really do that.
“I’ ll be doing every single one next year – but then watch this space.
“I made the Match Play Final two years ago and I was like a zombie all the way through the tournament.
“But I chose to do those tournaments. That was up to me.
“Phil Taylor decided not to do Majors apart from Gary Anderson and he should have won a lot more. “But it’s Christmas and it’s about going up that Ally Pally hill, seeing that magnificent building and getting butterflies in the belly. “It ’ s time to play dar ts. Everyone is partying, everyone is dressed up. “It’s time for Snakebite to start doing the business.” Matthew Edgar aims to bring the curtain down on Raymond van Barneveld’s epic World Championship show tomorrow night.
The Dutch legend will bow out of competitive darts next year after announcing his impending retirement.
Barney wants a sizzling send-off from the Alexandra Palace by becoming king of darts for the sixth time.
But Englishman Edgar reckons he will provide an early ending to the fairytale farewell.
He said: “This could be his last World Championship and I want to be the guy who has the tag of putting him out of his last event.
“I was a darts fan before I became a player so I always looked up to guys like Phil Taylor and Van Barneveld.
“Having the chance to possibly end his World Championship career is something I want.
“I must have the hardest run in World Championship history. It’s a path of world champions round by round but I feel I will take the Van Barneveld clash.”
Edgar must take care of L i t hu a n i a n Da r i u s Labanauskas today before he can fully set his sights on the Dutchman in his first Ally Pally outing.
The 32-year- old added: “I’m aware I have a lot of work to do before the Van Barneveld match but I don’t know much about Darius.
“I see he wins a lot of titles but who that’s against I don’t know, so it’s hard to go on.
“He had a good run at the Lakeside and a Euro Tour event so I’m expecting it to be tight and a good game.
“But the Ally Pally has been a long time coming. I’ve had many near misses so it’s great to cross the line at last. Now I have, you can expect me to be a regular in the event now.
“I’m looking forward to it and I’m having so much fun.
“Thi s i s the World Championship and a life changing event. But we are in front of a huge audience and my goal is to entertain and put on a show.”