Despite the fact that the darting year is longer than ever before, the summer months are still less demanding if you are not a PDC tour card holder.
This is especially true if things do not go as you might like. The Challenge Tour has not proven a happy hunting ground for me this year and I look forward to putting this right in the coming months.
When you have played within the PDC structure and at the top level it can take some getting used to the idea that you have not been good enough to stay there. It certainly took me a while to accept it.
Nevertheless by being willing to completely rebuild and to work my way back into competitive darts from the ground up I now find myself winning events and competing at the level just below that truly elite level.
Amongst the many chances to keep busy and competitive was the REDSL Wednesday singles league which I have just won, edging out Aden Kirk, after going 6-0,5-1 and 6-0 for my last 3 matches.
I was also pleased to be asked to take part in the Bardon Premier League. A quality field including Aden Kirk, Harry Ward and Chris Wickenden are battling it out over 4 weeks ( 2 matches per night) with a fifth ‘Final Night’ at Bardon Hill Sports Club on November 24th. It’s fair to say I started well and am top of the League with a 100% record so far!
It’s possible that a new dose of direction was needed in order to chase that higher level once more. Perhaps becoming a Grandad, at the grand old age of 48, to a delightful granddaughter might add yet another motivation!
A few weeks ago myself and the small team that I have been working with for the last few years put together some new aims and targets for the next few years and then broke them down into bit sized pieces.
I am off to the Canary Islands once again for next week but upon my return its full steam ahead with the next stage of my development.
There will be plenty of structured practice, live match practice and more varied ranking events for the WDF, ADC and others before returning to the MODUS Super Series.
—–ENDS—–
Colin Osborne is a multiple PDC Pro Tour event winner and was the Champions League of Darts winner in 2009. He is sponsored by Winmau and is a Darts World contributor.
Images: Lustig /PDC
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