that away.
“You walk away with two words
after your name and I don’t really
make a sing and dance about it,
but to have World Champion next
to my name for the rest of my life,
I am still so proud.”
The 66-year-old was one of the
members of the BDO to break
away and form what is now the
Professional Darts Corporation, a
move that is still seen as the move
pivotal day in darts history. He
said: “We formed the PDC, it was
actually the WDC that changed,
after the courts, to the PDC and
it was something that had to be
done.
“We were in the middle of the
recession worldwide and we
had gone from having 13 major
televised
tournaments
a year to just
one. And that
was
under
threat as well.
purpose for the split. He said:
“What we wanted to create was
an avenue for those who were
good enough amongst the amateur
ranks to make a living and a good
living as a professional.
“If you’re on television once a
year, that’s not going to happen
so we created an avenue for
those who were good enough, for
somewhere to go and that’s been
proved time and time again.
“Look at Michael van Gerwen,
Gary Anderson, Robert Thornton,
players who have come over from
the BDO and done exceptionally
well and have continued to do so
and that’s because of the efforts
we made in 1992.”
He added: “I am very proud to
say that I’m a founding member
on how he plays, having gone
through similar things myself. I
know exactly how it affects you.
“But what you’re dealing with
there is a phenomenal talent, a
god given talent if you wish and
then a work ethic to practice that
makes us all look silly and it’s no
wonder to me that he has won 16
world titles and I wouldn’t bet on
him not having another one.
“Simply the finest darts player
that has ever been, I think van
Gerwen will get close but not 16,
that achievement is something
truly incredible and I don’t think
anyone will beat it in my lifetime.
Bob Anderson has had an extremely
eventful, successful and important
career in darts and without him
and the other players from his
era, darts could
have possibly
been a sport
that everyone
would
have
missed out on.
“In 1992 I went on to captain England,
which is the highest accolade anyone
could hope for in sport to captain your
“We
merely country and I was the proudest man His
sporting
pointed out to
background as
the BDO that alive”
a
youngster,
they
weren’t
marketing
the game so we said that we
would market it as players. Their
response was if we did that then
they would ban us from playing.
“So we said go ahead and they
did. It took us three years to get
them to court and the ban was
lifted after two days, but we lost
a lot of money, each and every
one of us lost a lot of money.
“It was a risk and we put our necks
on the block and I firmly believe
if we hadn’t done so, then darts
wouldn’t be in the happy state
that’s in today and believe me
now it is massive!”
The former three-three time
World Master has explained that
the players that broke away from
the BDO wanted to create a better
life for darts players and that the
future of the sport was their main
of that organisation and a
shareholder and I am delighted
with that achievement.
“They practice and they get
better, the standards are going
through the roof and I take my
hat off to them because they are
fantastic.
“They don’t have to go and be a
painter and decorator or go dig
holes in the road they play darts
and that is amazing.”
Having seen first hand, when
he first came on the scene, Bob
believes that Phil Taylor’s record
of 16 world titles is unbeatable
and that he can relate to some of
Phil’s problems that he has had
at the beginning of this year. He
said: “I believe he has had a lot
of problems off the oche, which
will undoubtedly have a bearing
led to lots of
heartbreak
because of injuries, but there was
a light at the end of the tunnel
and because of darts, Bob has
become a respected sportsman
whom many darts players look up
to.
He said: “Without darts, I would
be a retired civil servant having
travelled as far as London in my
entire life.
“All from a throw of a dart, I’ve
travelled the world, made a lot of
friends around the world, made
a few enemies too and the game
has been great to me.
“And I am very proud to say that
that is my darting story.”
Ben Wiltshire