Chatting Bull with Dan Dawson - Issue #024

The changing of the guard never stops.  It is constant, it is relentless, and it is brutal.  There has been an influx of exciting young talent into the sport of darts in recent years, with the growth of the Development Tour, the advent of the JDC and academies, and the expansion of the game into other countries.  But for every new prodigy or foreign star that breaks through, there is less room at the top for the already established names.

The race for the World Grand Prix concluded over the last fortnight on the European Tour in Budapest and Basel.  One of the biggest events of the year will not feature 2023 World Champion Michael Smith, 2024 UK Open winner Dimitri Van den Bergh, nor reigning European Champion Ritchie Edhouse (who has also failed to qualify to defend his European crown in Dortmund).  A couple of results going the other way would have meant 2022 World Champion Peter Wright would have also missed out.  Smith was the number two seed in the event last year, while Dimitri made the semi-finals.  It is merciless.

Instead, we have the likes of Wessel Nijman, who powered into the field as one of the top qualifiers, and Niko Springer - the young German who sensationally won his maiden PDC title in Budapest in his very first year on tour.  They have both been brilliant, fully deserve their spots in the event, and are expected to go on and do even greater things in professional darts.  But everything they achieve is, by necessity, something that the likes of Michael Smith and Dimitri Van den Bergh cannot.  There is only so much winning to be shared around.

Comebacks are possible: Gary Anderson and Robert Thornton are two standout examples.  “The Thorn” was a top 16 player whose career was put on hold due to a severe case of pneumonia in 2011, only to then bounce back and win the UK Open the following year.  Anderson went from top four in the world, to outside the top 16, and back again between 2011 and 2015; he looked like he might drift out of the sport entirely when he was projected to plummet towards the fringes of the top 32 a couple of years ago.  However, superb form on the Pro Tour, coupled with a successful return to playing European Tour events after seven years away, has seen him revive his career.  These are exceptions though.
When the end comes for professional darts players, it can come swiftly and without sentiment.  Michael Smith may well conquer his ongoing injury problems and return to his best; Dimitri Van den Bergh could rediscover his magic; and even Peter Wright could yet enjoy an Indian summer in the latter stages of his career.  I hope they all do so, but if they do, then the old line of “form is temporary, class is permanent” will be trotted-out and it will not be treated as a surprise.  I am not sure that old cliche is really true.  The strength in depth in the sport has never been greater, and there are dozens of players whom fans “feel” are good enough to be in the top 32 of the world.  Darts, however, does not care about that, nor does it care about reputations.

Issue #024 Quiz Answers

1) 2011
2) 76
3) 5 

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