Darts… one of the few sports where you can train at the pub!
A sport that is quickly becoming my TV fix. And what is fuelling this you may ask? The Premier League!
Featuring some of the world’s best darts players, it has become the world’s largest indoor sporting event.
With the loud, beer swilling, UK crowds, flashy nicknames and the backing track of Planet Funk’s Chase The Sun, it is quickly becoming a ‘Rock ‘n Roll’ version of darts, and I want to bring it to people’s attention.
The 2013 league has been filled with thrills, upsets and all-star clashes. As the first nine rounds come to an end we see the relegation of the two lowest ranked men, Wes ‘The Warrior’ Newton and Gary ‘The Flying Scotsman’ Anderson.
In Newton’s first year in the Premier League he has shown moments of brilliance with a draw against Scotsman Robert ‘The Thorn’ Thornton and wins over 2011 runner-up Adrian ‘Jackpot’ Lewis and Anderson, but never really got going, only averaging in the 80s most weeks.
Gary Anderson is a name that might sound familiar to followers of darts.
The Premier League champion in 2011 returned after a scratchy 2012 that saw him finish in last place and showed just how hit and miss his game was.
Anderson only managed two wins and a draw in 2013, and looked like threatening after beating current champion Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor in week five followed by a draw with Lewis in week six.
He then only managed 10 legs in the next three matches to finish on the bottom of the table.
Finishing was the big issue for Anderson, averaging higher than four players above him but failing to hit doubles at crucial moments.
Just above these men, only one point away from relegation is the sole Australian hope, Simon ‘The Wizard’ Whitlock.
The runner-up in 2012 has also had an inconsistent season with victories over Anderson, Lewis and the 2009 champion, James ‘The Machine’ Wade.
Things went downhill from there with Whitlock hovering on the relegation zone into the ninth week, relying on losses to Anderson and Newton to keep him alive.
Whitlock now needs to make up five points in the next five weeks if he is to have a chance of making the finals. Basically, he needs to work some serious magic!
It’s been a mixed season for the other previous champions Taylor and Wade.
They recorded a draw when they played each other, and showed through the first nine weeks why they have won before.
Despite having the least amounts of 180s out of all the players, both had fantastic checkout rates. Wade managed above 50 percent.
The only thing separating them is a loss to Taylor in week nine leaving him in fifth position, while Wade finished strong to sit in a three-way tie for first.
The two other Englishmen, Andy ‘The Hammer’ Hamilton and Lewis, sit in sixth and seventh respectively after very different seasons.
Hamilton’s wins were spread through the season. He managed wins over Taylor and Wade, finishing with five wins and four losses.
Lewis, however, started with four straight losses followed by three wins and a draw in the next four weeks.
One of the standouts this season so far has been 2012 UK Open champion Robert Thornton who is in his first Premier League appearance.
With the second highest average (100.16) and the most 180s so far (36), Thornton has managed three draws and a win over Taylor on his way to fourth place, sitting just one point behind the leaders.
But the Premier League this year has been dominated by the Dutch.
After nine weeks, Raymond ‘Barney’ van Barnveld and Michael ‘Mighty Mike’ van Gerwen sit in a three-way tie with James Wade at the top of the table.
These are two men with completely different records. Van Barneveld, in his eighth Premier League, only suffered losses to Taylor and van Gerwen on his way to 12 points.
In contrast, van Gerwen, in his first Premier League appearance following an outstanding 2012, started with two draws and suffered losses to Wade and Lewis. He finished week nine with the second most 180s, the highest average and conceding the least legs of any player, but also had one of the lowest checkout percentages, demonstrating how much of a front runner he has been!
With only five weeks left to decide the final four players to make the finals, and only one win separating the top six players, we can expect enough 180s, thrilling finishes, high checkouts and beer swilling fans to keep everyone happy!
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