Multiple Euro Tour champ Dave Chisnall is in danger of missing the cut for the final European showdown in Dortmund this year. In fact, to pinch from Monty Python, he’s not just in danger — he’s in perilous danger.
The St Helens ace has eight Euro Tour titles to his name, stretching back to 2013, but now finds himself wobbling on the edge of the exclusion zone, clinging on to 31st place with a cushion of just £1,500. That’s less a safety net, more a damp paper towel.
Still, there’s a flicker of light in the gloom. Firstly, Chizzy will line up at the two remaining events, starting this weekend in Switzerland. Secondly, one lad snapping at his heels – Joe Cullen didn’t make the Basel line-up so a chance to pull clear of one former major champ. Krzysztof Ratajski is also hovering, but since he’s not even playing the German Darts Championship in October, that might be one less headache and prove crucial. That said, dropouts and reserve lists have a funny way of reshuffling the deck.
If Chisnall does slip out, it would be only the second time he’s missed the big Dortmund showdown since 2011. That’s a staggering record for a bloke who’s spent over a decade as one of Europe’s most reliable nearly-men.
The wider picture, though, hasn’t been all sunshine for the man in yellow. On the bread-and-butter Players Championship circuit, his best effort in 2025 is a single run to a final. On the Euro Tour, normally his playground, it’s been tumbleweed since the Belgian Darts Open, where he reached the quarters. Since then? More early exits than a dodgy fire drill.
Nobody doubts Chizzy’s ability. At his best, he belts out ton-80s like Ariana Grande belts out high notes. But right now, he’s in that dreaded slump every player hits — less Grande, more the anonymous bloke in a boy band drafted in purely to wave his arms around and breakdance.
His mission for the European Championship begins against either Luke Woodhouse or Lukas Wenig. Win that, and the pressure valve releases a touch. Personally, I’d still back him to make Dortmund. Big-match nous counts, and Chisnall has seen his share of major finals. Once he rediscovers his mojo, pity the poor treble 20 — because it’s about to get battered.
——ENDS—–
Images: PDC
