I get sick and tired of the toffee nosed Southern press having a go at one of the most popular participation AND spectator sports in the UK. Every time a big darts tournament is on TV, we don't hear about phenomenal skill, accuracy or talent, instead we hear snobbish comments about the game and the people who play it.
I say this as a big darts player and a big darts fan. It is a game where accuracy, holding your nerve, dedication and talent count for all. It is, after Premiership football and test match cricket, Sky's most watched sport. It is a sport that packs out arenas up and down the country and sells out Alexandra Palace every year for a fortninght. Why, then, do most of the Southern media give the game fewer column inches than a reserve match for their beloved 'rugger'? Why does the game warrant no serious reporting in too much of the press? Why do newspapers seem more fixated on the alcohol intake of of the players/ spectators than about the talent of the players. I believe this can be answered in one word: snobbery.
The reason I mention this is that Phil 'The Power' Taylor became, on Sunday, the first darts player to hold the 'grand slam' of televised titles. A phenomenal achievement in itself. But bear in mind the fact that he has won no fewer than 12 World Championships and has come closer than anybody else to mastering a sport many thought couldn't be mastered. A genuine working class hero, who would be getting ten times the press coverage he is getting if he played in a more middle class sport. The great commentator Sid Waddell compares him to Bradman and Babe Ruth in terms of his domination of the game. That comparison may not be as far out as it first appears.
Couldn't agree more Mr Skelton. Unless you have played the sport yourself seriously, you will never understand the skill, technique, accuracy and bottle needed to play at the top level.
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