Darts - the whole freaking lot about fat blokes flinging pointy things at sisal

[nmrfox]

Some performance from Dave Chisnall to crush MvG 5-0. Hoping that Bunting can beat the awful Gerwyn Price in the semi to set up a decent final v Chizzy or Gary Anderson.

[Simon G]

Bunting v Chizzy the dream final for me from here. I just can't see anyone stopping the awful Price though.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

I have a knee-jerk preference for seeing the continental lads do well, so I was disappointed to see them all go out. Ambivalent about who wins now tbh, it might be good fun to see Price wind up whinger Anderson again so they end up having a punch up.

[Ray de Galles]

It will be just my luck for there to be a Welsh World Champion in a year I can't be there and the whole thing is devalued by the lack of a crowd.

I can completely understand people being irritated by Price though.

[Simon G]

Before I read your second sentence I was about to say it's be devalued by the fact this particular Welshman is a bellend.

Why did Mark Webster have to get dartitis - he's a nice Welshman.

[Third rate Leszno]

Can't help thinking Chizzy won't be able to repeat that form again in this tournament - he just blew MvG away, completely rattled him. I'm another who hopes Price doesn't win it, he has his likeable moments when he's being interviewed but some of his celebratory antics just make him look like the sort of coked up dickhead you avoid in a bar because you know he's spoiling for a kick off. It's a shame because he's a great player.

[Simon G]

It's entirely gamesmanship as well. He knows exactly what he's doing and gets away with it time and again.

[Ray de Galles]

GO AND WAKE YOUR KIDS UP, SOMETHING SPECIAL IS HAPPENING HERE TONIGHT. WALES ARE GOING TO HAVE A WORLD DARTS CHAMPION!

[Simon G]

As much as I can't stand him, I have to tip my hat to an absolutely brilliant performance from Price tonight.

Fully deserved his World Championship win.

[Ray de Galles]

He was astounding until the enormity of what he was on the brink of hit him and the yips he got for all those match darts were horrifying to watch.

Glad he did it without anything too ridiculous in his celebrations or all round behaviour too.

So pleased for him, just wish I (or any other fans) could have been there - though the crowd would have been right on his back when he lost his head near the end.

[Simon G]

I think the crowd would have been on his back from the start. Probably for the best that he got the win this year because there's no doubt over the past 12 months he's been the best player in the World and, as much as I wanted him to lose, I would hate for him to be defeated by a booing crowd than someone playing better darts.

Sadly, for PDC darts that has now become the norm.

[nmrfox]

He was astounding until the enormity of what he was on the brink of hit him and the yips he got for all those match darts were horrifying to watch.

Glad he did it without anything too ridiculous in his celebrations or all round behaviour too.

So pleased for him, just wish I (or any other fans) could have been there - though the crowd would have been right on his back when he lost his head near the end.

Agreed. He's been the best player around for the past year and with no crowd (sadly for you), its probably been a bit easier for him without a cacophony of jeers every time he took to the oche.

[Ray de Galles]

Yes, I did mean that the crowd would have been well against him from the start but it would have cranked up to unimaginable levels when his head started going.

My dad thinks he thrives with the crowd against him but I don't agree - certainly the evidence of last year's semi suggests it gets to him.

Hopefully this is something of a reset for him and he doesn't need to play the heel role now.

[Third rate Leszno]

He was astounding until the enormity of what he was on the brink of hit him and the yips he got for all those match darts were horrifying to watch.

Glad he did it without anything too ridiculous in his celebrations or all round behaviour too.

All of that, except the bit about the yips being horrifying - I was quite enjoying that and thought it gave the match an added bit of drama and stopped it being a complete cakewalk.

[Simon G]

Yes, I did mean that the crowd would have been well against him from the start but it would have cranked up to unimaginable levels when his head started going.

My dad thinks he thrives with the crowd against him but I don't agree - certainly the evidence of last year's semi suggests it gets to him.

Hopefully this is something of a reset for him and he doesn't need to play the heel role now.

As long as he's screaming on stage, there'll be idiots ready to get on his back.

EDIT: scratch that, as PDC fans need a pantomime villain, it's going to take someone else coming along before they let him reset. You only have to look at the damage it did to Paul Nicholson. He thought he relished being the villain, then when he hit a run of poor form, the constant booing and jeering eventually helped lead to his semi-retirement.

[Simon G]

FA Cup of darts this weekend with the UK Open. Normally they would have amateur qualifiers from Riley's Snooker club tournaments, but Covid put a halt to that, so numbers have been made up from last year's Challenge tour placings and the top something or other of those who failed to get a tourcard in Q-School.

There's no seeding and every round is drawn at random. The best players don't enter until the later rounds though - Round 4 I think.

One of my favourite tournaments of the year because it can throw up some great early draws and upsets. Really could be anyone's tournament this year as well with MVG and Gerwyn Price struggling to find any form since the World Championships.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Who doesn't enjoy the visceral thrill of an open draw instead of a pre-determined bracket?

[Simon G]

Two nine-darters in the first two rounds. The first from a 17 year old Polish lad who is the first player born after the first PDC UK Open to play in it. His 2nd round opponent has then hit one against him.

I was chuffed at hitting a 180 on my lunch break.

[Simon G]

BDO Darts legend Andy "The Viking" Fordham has sadly passed away aged 59.

Apparently the gentlest of giants, I don't think there was ever a more popular winner of the BDO Worlds than when Andy won it in 2004.

RIP Viking.

[Paul S]

Really sad this and yes he was a popular bloke. His struggles with alcohol and mental health touches a raw nerve at the moment and I have no doubt it played a part in his demise. But being 35 stone isn't great even if it does mean you can compete at the top level of darts. As for the alcohol consumption.....

Sleep well Andy in that nine dart heaven.

[Simon G]

Sad news from Australia this morning. Kyle Anderson has passed away aged 33.

He had a very young family as well so thoughts very much go out to them.

Seems he was an absolute gentle giant judging by the comments from other players and officials on social media.

[Paul S]

Another of the good guys gone, loved by players, fans and ref's alike. Still no cause of death given.

[Simon G]

He had diabetes, and I'm assuming some other underlying health concerns. If I remember correctly, previously he'd been forced to miss events due to health reasons.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

We might have to revise the thread title, if Fallon Sherrock keeps this up. Reached the final of the 16-player PDC Nordic Masters last night before losing to MVG in a final that she led. Her path to the final was admittedly assisted enormously by the withdrawal of no.1 seed Gerwyn Price with injury before their quarter-final but it's still a landmark moment in the sport.

[Janik]

It's been out of date for years. But that isn't unusual on Sport, where threads grind on glacially for years.

Thread title needs a tweak after that, doesn't it?