Well sadly, it’s official. Phil Taylor, the undisputed don of darts and proud owner of a trophy cabinet visible from low-orbit satellites, has finally called it a day. After stepping away from the PDC in 2018 – and then spending the next seven years doing exactly the opposite – The Power has now formally hung up his darts.
Well, not so much hung them up as casually slid them back into the case and shoved them in the back of a cupboard, right next to a vast DVD collection of his greatest hits.
On the oche, he racked up an eye-watering 16 World Championships, 16 World Matchplays, 11 Grand Prix titles, 6 Premier Leagues, and 6 Grand Slams – not to mention countless other majors, ranking titles, and nine-darters knocked in for fun. Away from it, he’s popped up in video games, appeared in more documentaries than David Attenborough, and once even had a pub named after him – which, let’s face it, is about as sacred as it gets in darts.
Let’s not understate things, the bloke didn’t just dominate darts – he strangled it, slapped it about, kissed it better, then did it all over again for three straight decades. If darts were a religion, Phil Taylor would be the fella at the pearly gates, checking your three-dart average before letting you in.
Following his first retirement in 2018 – which turned out to be more of a darts sabbatical (and a blessed relief to the rest of the tour) than a farewell – Taylor kept the flame alive through the World Seniors Tour and exhibition nights.
But now, at the ripe old age of 64, Taylor’s finally calling it quits for good. “It’s been an unbelievable journey over the past 35 years,” he said – probably while giving his dartboard one last cheeky wink and whispering, “It’s ever so sad,” as the board quietly exhaled in relief, delighted to retire too before its poor treble 20 suffered yet another daily pounding.
He’s hinted that more announcements might follow – which could mean anything from taking the hot seat at his beloved Port Vale, starring in a Netflix biopic, or popping up on I’m A Celebrity. Whatever’s next, it’s the end of an era. The sport won’t be the same without him.
Thanks for the memories, Phil. You’ve got more than most of us have had hot dinners.
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—–ENDS—–
Images: Main-PDC
