A Power Cut
Alex Crouch Examines Phil Taylor’s Year So Far
No individual sportsman has dominated a sport The 2012/13 football season saw United win their
like Phil Taylor has dominated darts. But is his 20th league title by 11 points, whilst Taylor won the
World Championship for a 16th time, UK Open for
time up?
When Taylor lost to Michael Smith at the World
Championships last December it seemed like one
of those anomalies that sport throws up once in a
while.
a fifth time, World Matchplay for a 14th time and
sixth consecutive time, World Grand Prix for an 11th
time, Championship League for a fourth time and
third consecutive time, the Masters and Grand Slam
of Darts for a fifth time.
His world title and number one spot were inherited
by Michael van Gerwen and the darting Gods decreed
that MVG and Taylor would meet again on Premier
League opening night, a repeat of one of the best
matches of 2013, the league final itself.
Since 1990 Phil Taylor has won: 16 World Darts
Championships, 14 World Matchplays, 11 World Grand
Prixs, five Grand Slams and six Premier League titles.
He’s won 80 major darts championships in total.
But seven legs
and 13 minutes
later, the once
almost invincible
Power had been
shut off and shut
down by the
Green Machine.
Under Sir Alex Ferguson United won: 13 Premier
League
titles,
five FA Cups, four
League Cups and
two
Champions
Leagues. All in
all, Ferguson won
49 trophies in his
managerial career.
When Taylor lost to Michael Smith
at the World Championships last
December it seemed like one of
those anomalies that sport throws
up once in a while
All good things
must come to an end. This is especially true in the
world of sport. Pelé had to retire. Ali was too old to
keep winning. Senna was cruelly taken away.
But there have been great sporting comebacks too:
Kim Clijsters at the US Open, Michael Jordan’s return
to basketball from baseball and Team Oracle during
last year’s America’s Cup.
Manchester United have two or three great
comebacks in their history, and the start of the Louis
van Gaal-era may trigger another.
During the last quarter of a century there seem to
have been two sporting constants in this country Manchester United will win football titles, and Phil
Taylor will win darts tournaments.
But 2013/14 has been a total annus horribili ˂