I think without Barney winning the BDO World Championship, we probably would never have seen the likes of Michael Van Gerwen or Jello Klassen competing on the oche. Darts owes him a great debt of thanks for his involvement and for bringing some great talent into the sport.
It amazes me for everything Barney has done in the game and there still isn't a major in Holland maybe that will happen one day and it will probably be in Rotterdam that seems to be there biggest arena.
Oh and by the way Barney has made a U Turn on his retirement i think it was the heat of the moment after being destroyed by both Gurney and Gerwen that made him retire he will now retire after the World Championship as planned.
Maybe someone suggested the BDO would have him back.
The World final between Barney and Taylor which went all the way to the sudden death leg will always stand the test of time as one of the truly great darts matches. It was compelling.
For that reason I hope he calls it a day at the Worlds as originally planned.
It would be a fitting conclusion.
There is a good documentary about the late Jocky Wilson that is available on BBC I Player called What Jocky Said.. Worth a watch.
Didn't know he was one of the founding members of what is now the PDC
Seems Phil Taylor has had his say about players being fined for things that happen on stage by saying you have to let players have a personality and allow them to express it on stage
Just been reading Bobby George's book. He has some good tales to tell (his ageing mother thinking his new girlfriend was Maria Whittaker; making a gangster film with Teresa May) and it was painful to read his full account of his infamous back injury in '94
BBC2 is showing some PDC event today and tomorrow. Might make a change from more depressing shows elsewhere...
