Pride of Scottish darts and former two time PDC World Champion, Gary Anderson is one of the sharpest to ever grace the oche. Off it, when giving you his opinion – the complete opposite – brutally blunt. Ando’s not the sort to sugar-coat things, polish them up, or worry about PR spin. He’ll tell you straight – whether it’s about his darts, his fitness, his opponents, or just how little practice he’s bothered to do this month. Think of him as the Tartan Van der Voort – but shorter and with far more hair.
At the launch of Unicorn’s 2026 range, the Flying Scotsman was in typical mood when speaking with Online Darts. Now 53, Anderson might not travel as frequently or agonise over his wardrobe choices like compatriot Peter Wright, but he remains a danger to anyone daft enough to underestimate him.
Unicorn revealed his latest set of signature darts, which Anderson greeted with all the enthusiasm of a man unwrapping socks on Christmas morning. “They look good, don’t they?” he grinned. “When will I use them? No idea – maybe tomorrow, maybe next week. They’re basically the same as what I’ve been throwing, just a little tweak on the Noirs I used to win in Blackpool.”
Anderson has never been one to obsess about darts tech. “If Unicorn hand me something new and say, ‘Here Gary, have a go with these,’ then I’ll give them a try. I’m not too fussy – it’s all about how they feel in the hand.” In other words: he’ll throw whatever’s lying around as long as it sticks in the board.
Preparation, of course, has never been his strong suit. He once rocked up to the Pro Tour after a two-month holiday from practice, hit three darts before his match, then promptly missed double 12 for a nine-darter in the first leg.
“Ask Darren Beveridge about that one,” Anderson chuckled. “I hadn’t thrown a dart in ages – maybe three darts before the match – and I nearly hit a nine-darter. But the long days are getting tougher. I need to get fitter if I want to handle it better.”
For someone who goes out of his way to convince people he doesn’t practice, Anderson still goes deep in floor events and regularly bothers the business end of European Tour weekends. But he insists his priorities are different now.
“I still love playing, but I’ve got to split my time properly between darts and family. I’ve had to miss a few events lately because of other things, but hopefully it’ll calm down a bit soon and I can focus again.”
He even turned down an invite to the World Series of Darts Finals – a modern rarity. Why? Because he couldn’t be bothered, basically. “I think I was on holiday,” he shrugged. “And anyway, if I’m not good enough to qualify, they shouldn’t be inviting me. The lads who’ve been flying all over to Australia, Japan and New Zealand – they deserve it. They’ve done the travelling and put the effort in, so good luck to them.”
Not bad, that – in a world of players begging for invites, Anderson casually declines because he’s busy fishing. The notion that darts is a young man’s game gets short shrift from him, too. “I can still average 110-plus on the floor against lads like Ryan Searle. It doesn’t always come out on stage, but the game’s still there.”
What he values most these days isn’t trophies, but laughs. “Being at the floor events with Ian White and the rest of the boys, having a laugh, throwing some good darts – that’s what it’s about for me now.”
Even when results go south, Anderson doesn’t waste energy on tantrums anymore. “Ten years ago I’d have been raging about it. Now, if it’s not happening, it’s not happening. When it’s flowing, great. When it’s not, so be it.”
He even had a nod of respect for Michael van Gerwen’s recent resurgence. “It’s great to see Michael back lifting trophies. Good for him – and good for the Dutch fans too. I actually thought he’d go and win the next one as well, but that’s darts for you.”
But the highlight of his year wasn’t a title – it was sharing the stage with his son, Ty, at an exhibition. “He had a perfect stance and throw when he was about a year and a half old, just playing with a toy board,” Anderson said with pride. “I’ve never pushed him into darts, but he loves it. He swaps darts more often than Peter Wright – every week it’s a new set. He drives me mad sometimes when he misses and starts moaning, but that’s part of it. Seeing him walk out on stage next to me – that really meant something.”
That father-son moment almost makes up for Scotland’s World Cup disaster with Peter Wright. Almost. “We both played rubbish,” Anderson said matter-of-factly. “It happens. We’re not getting any younger.” As for the future? “Maybe it’ll be Ty, maybe Cameron Menzies – ask me again if I’m still standing,” he grinned.
Looking ahead, Anderson’s eye is still on the big ones – Grand Slam, Grand Prix, and of course the World Championship. “I’ve always liked the Grand Slam, but everything really builds towards the Worlds.”
The million-pound prize on offer at Ally Pally this year leaves him typically unmoved. “Good luck to whoever wins it, but I’d rather see a bit of that money go to the early rounds. It’s so expensive for a lot of the lads to play on Tour. Before I’d even thrown a dart in Germany, I was £1,600 down on flights, hotels, transport – it adds up fast.”
Jeez Gary, what are you doing? Hiring a private jet or cleaning out your hotel mini-bar? Onto rumours that the Worlds could one day move away from Alexandra Palace? Don’t even suggest it to him. “Ally Pally is the Worlds – same as Blackpool is the Matchplay. Driving up that hill, seeing the crowd in fancy dress pouring in – that atmosphere’s unique. It’d be a crying shame to lose that.”
Would he like to lift another world title before he calls it a day? Of course – stupid question – who wouldn’t! But in true Gary fashion, he couldn’t sound less stressed about it. “Obviously I’d love to win it again,” he smiled. “But I’m not losing sleep over it anymore. I’m just enjoying the game. If I win – brilliant. If I lose – I’ll be home with the kids before you know it.”
And that’s Anderson in a nutshell: brutally honest, sarcastically funny, and still, even now, one of the most naturally gifted players ever to pick up a dart. However, despite the impression you get after watching his interviews, I assure you, he is in fact a hoot at parties. Just don’t ask him to get up and throw.
——ENDS——
Images: PDC (Main)
