Only recently, the two MBE’d Lukes have laid claim to what’s now being widely dubbed the Triple Crown – a trio comprising the World Championship, the World Matchplay, and the Premier League.
But let’s be clear: this isn’t PDC-endorsed terminology. It’s a media invention that grew legs and now parades around like scripture. And one man not buying the hype is former Players Championship winner Paul Nicholson.
The Asset recently joined Henry Deacon at the MODUS studios in Portsmouth to unpack the concept – and true to form, Nicholson wasted no time in firing his thoughts straight down the barrel”
“I’m going to stay really relaxed about this,” said Paul.
“The Triple Crown is made up. I don’t really care who came up with it. It’s not a thing.
“We could sit here with another broadcaster, invent something, post it online, and pretend it exists. But as of right now, there’s no classification – and I’ve been banging this drum for years.”
“If I were on the PDC board, day one I’d write: ‘Classification time – do we have a Triple Crown or not?’ It’s not up to broadcasters to make it up as they go.”
And for Nicholson, this isn’t just about this issue – it’s about the wider issue of clarity in the sport.
“It’s not just this Triple Crown nonsense – it’s about majors too. How many majors has Phil Taylor won? You don’t know, do you? But in golf, I know Jack Nicklaus has 18. Tiger Woods has 15. Nick Faldo, 6. Golf has clarity. Darts doesn’t. Because we’ve never officially defined it.”
“This is Matt Porter’s job – along with the board – to say: ‘These are the PDC’s major championships.’ Matt’s more than capable. I just don’t understand why it hasn’t been done. Everyone’s got an opinion, but take those opinions and burn them. It’s that simple.”
When asked by Henry if the Players Championship Finals should count as a major, Nicholson didn’t flinch:
“No. Sorry Kevin Painter – and everyone else who’s won it,” he shrugged, inadvertently including himself in the apology.
Paul then laid out his own major blueprint:
“For me, it’s the World Matchplay – that started in 1994 – the World Grand Prix, which came in a few years later, the UK Open, the Grand Slam, and of course the Worlds. That’s your list. Just my opinion.”
Henry put it to Paul that maybe the concept of a Triple Crown isn’t the issue – it’s just the lack of official ratification.“Exactly,” Paul replied:
“A thousand years ago, if Richard the Lionheart wanted to send something official, he’d put it in a scroll and seal it with wax. That’s what we need now – a rubber stamp from the PDC.”
So, Mr Matt Porter – dig out your quill, draft the scroll, melt the wax, and hand it to a bloke on horseback to deliver to every player. Or, failing that, maybe just send an email.
Either way, Nicholson’s message is clear: unless the PDC puts it in writing, labels like “Triple Crown” or anything else are irrelevant. Just noise. Nice trophies, sure – but until they’re officially defined as a set, you might as well call them the Darting Trinity, the Tungsten Trident, or the Big Three and be done with it.
Win all three, and frankly, you probably don’t care what the rest of us are calling them anyway.
—-Ends—-
Images: PDC
