Like I say it’s been a pretty whirlwind 24 hours. After I published my last blog saying I was doing the second half of the final, things went just a little bit nuts. Then OutSports in Los Angeles released their article talking about the LGBT side of things and that’s when things really went into supersonic mode with media requests and people from all walks of my life getting in touch to wish me the best. Most of the media I’m able to push back until the day after the final, I thought that would be wise, but Michael Bridge would like me for Sky Sports News any time after 4pm, so I book a shuttle for me, Mum and Dad to get to Alexandra Palace for 4.30pm.
Did you know that in 1936 the world’s first ever public broadcasts of television were made from Alexandra Palace? I love how that’s a fact and what’s also a fact is the moment you walk into the venue there isn’t any chuffing phone signal!! I think that’s hilarious but it means I cannot reply to everybody sending me messages hence a big reason for the delay in getting back to everyone! Sky Sports News goes well and then it’s the best part of three hours to kill in the venue because trust me going back to the hotel through that traffic only to come straight back again through the same flipping traffic is NOT the one!
The Players Room gets more and more full as time goes on. When we arrived, Luke and Michael were already in the venue but there weren’t many more in at all, but by the time 7pm comes it’s a lot more busy. I catch up with Winmau who are there for the final, and by the time the clock ticks to 8.05pm we make our way upstairs. Kirk Bevins is refereeing the first five sets so he makes his way backstage whilst I take Mum and Dad to the arena to watch the walk-ons. Once the walk-ons are done I say goodbye to Mum and Dad and watch the first four sets on my own from the referees hut. At one point I step outside and then come back and realise I don’t have my glasses on…..and they’re not hanging from my shirt like they usually do if I’m not wearing them……I’ve lost my glasses!! I’ve lost my glasses…..I can’t go on without my glasses and there’s one set to go before I’m on and I’VE LOST MY GL- oh, nope there they are on the table in the referees hut. It’s fine, no drama here.
So how do you describe refereeing the second half of a World Darts Championship final? It’s going to sound silly, but it feels as if the match is halfway through, which of course it is! That’s the feeling though. The players are settled, the crowd are settled, there’s no walk-ons they’re all done and everybody’s right in the full swing of things and you’re only just starting. So you just have to sync in with everybody else and do the job from there. Both of them are fast players who use the board very intelligently….so you have to keep up with them as best you can! As the floor manager cues me in to start the sixth set, I had a quick thought of “okay here we go”. First three darts? 180 from Luke. Not a bad start. Next three darts from Luke? 180. Kirk said to me afterwards that if he had given me the microphone and the first thing I do is ref a nine-dart leg……..unfortunately Luke just misses with the seventh but it was a heck of a way to start for me! Out of breath and we’re only one leg in! There’s an advert break after the first two sets I referee, and once I come back from that I start to enjoy it a lot more.
Luke runs out a 7-3 winner with a double 16 (having missed it for a 132 Bull-Bull-D16 finish, how cool would that have been?!) and it underlines what a phenomenon this superstar is. Michael is gracious as ever in defeat, what a champion he has been, will always be and will be in the future, I have no doubt about that. We exit the stage pretty quickly but I stay to watch Luke lift the trophy, and once that is done we slowly make our way out of the venue. A couple of drinks in the hotel bar and I’m in bed but can’t sleep so I peel myself off the bed to go on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast at 8.20am. A few hours of admin later and here I am writing this blog to you all.
I really hope everybody has enjoyed reading these blogs giving you a little insight into my stuff and nonsense behind the scenes. I have ten days off now until we fly to Bahrain for the Bahrain Darts Masters and it all starts again. Until then, all my focus is on launching my brand new podcast! Yep, the Tops and Tales podcast is on its way! The idea is to have guests from the darting world, talking about anything and everything (I’m sure there will be a lot of darts chat!) in a relaxed, informal chat. Hopefully it will be an entertaining listen for dart fans so it’s eyes down on launching that this month. There’s also some other projects I am going to be recording for in January which I can’t wait to share with you all, but until then, I hope everybody has a great New Year and 2025 is the best year yet. Take care.
