There are players who have adapted seamlessly to darts’ modern age, embracing microphones, cameras, podcasts and algorithms as part of the job. Gary Anderson is not one of them. He never has been.
And after defeating Niels Zonneveld in his opening match at the Winmau World Masters, the two-time world champion made that abundantly clear.
For the Flying Scotsman, darts remains a craft, not a content stream. A game learned by throwing darts, not talking about them. And when the subject of the sport’s growing influencer culture surfaced, the Scot responded in a way only he can – blunt, uncompromising, and unintentionally hilarious. Speaking in the press room after his victory, the 55-year old legend said:
“I’m a darts player, I’m not here to sit and talk and tell stories. And when I do, I usually get into trouble. I don’t do YouTube, but I’m watching. We’ve got, what do you call them? Influencers? How to play darts.”
This was not a man feigning outrage for clicks. This was Gary being Gary – an unapologetic traditionalist in a sport racing toward digital polish. A player who would sooner spend a quiet afternoon fishing on one of his lakes than watching a stranger explain grip technique through a ring light. His irritation was not abstract either. It was rooted in standards. In credibility.
“I’ve never seen the bloke in my life, I’ve watched him play darts, he’s absolutely rank at it. So why watch him?”
The comments arrived against a backdrop of influencer culture edging closer to the professional game, including I’m a Celeb winner Angry Ginge openly discussing a potential Q School attempt after striking up a friendship with Luke Littler. For the Scot, this was not romance – it was dilution.
His frustration sharpened further when the conversation turned to young players and the creeping idea that success can be bought rather than earned.
“Kids need to learn they can go buy a set of darts that cost you £10, £20, £40, £50. Instead of spending hundreds of pounds on darts and play the game.”
Then came the line that ensured his rant would live well beyond the confines of Milton Keynes.
“Influencers? What a load of b****cks. Absolutely t*****s.”
It was vintage Anderson. Direct. Comical. Completely unfiltered. But beneath the profanity sat something more sincere – a desire to protect the simplicity of the sport he grew up with.
“It’s a load of rubbish. For young kids, it ain’t good. Just let them play darts and enjoy. Buy a £20 set of darts and go and enjoy your game of darts. End of. Easy.”
In an era of branding decks, sponsored tips and curated personalities, the two-time World Champion remains stubbornly analogue. No tutorials. No narratives. No performative wisdom. Just darts. Thrown quietly. Learned slowly. Earned properly.
And if the future insists on being streamed, he’ll be quite content elsewhere – rod in hand, phone switched off, completely uninterested in how many views it gets.
—–ENDS—–
Images: PDC / T lanning
