Mick McGowan qualifies for World Darts Championship

**passinginterest** · 29/12/2006, 9:22 AM

Phil Taylor threatened to quit the PDC Darts circuit after receiving abuse from Chris Mason when he hammered him four nil last night. I've never been a big fan of Taylor, having met most of the pro's in person he's one of the most stand off ish, but it looked like Mason was really having a go and being a very sore looser. It would be a pity if Taylor was forced out of the game by a scum bag like Mason (serious criminal convictions), like him or hate him Taylor is the greatest player to play the game. I'd imagine it's an idle threat, but no one deserves to be abused after winning a match fair and square.

**Clifford** · 29/12/2006, 10:11 AM

I saw the interview with Taylor after it, he was fuming indeed. Think there was also a newspaper article where Mason attacked him also before hand, so he obviously reacted to that. Taylor is right, he's been there and done it so if the other want the respect he brings to the thing then they must earn it.

**samabu92** · 29/12/2006, 10:21 AM

Having also met a few pros doing exhibitions, dont recall one of them having a good word about Taylor(some of them even had bad words against John Lowe

). Richie Burnett was the most ignorant I have come accross as a person though.

**passinginterest** · 29/12/2006, 10:40 AM

Have to say John Lowe was the worst personally, extremely rude and ignorant. John Part an Taylor don't tend to mingle with the crowd or chat as much as many of the others. With Taylor this is fairly understandable, Part just seems arrogant. Best Exhibition player I've seen has to be Bob Anderson, fantastic entertainer. I've played against Alan Warriner and Ronny Baxter in exhibition games and both sound enough. Was also luck enough to see the great Leighton Reese as a child, he lost nearly every game in the exhibition but was a total gentleman. Bobby George is a good entertainer too but never really warmed to him. I used to be a Chris Mason fan, was at the Irish Open when he won it, but wouldn't give him the time of day now. Eric Bristow will always be my hero though, my first set of darts were brass Bristow imitation ones that came with an Eric Bristow Darts book. I still have the book but lost the darts somewhere along the way. Legend.

**samabu92** · 29/12/2006, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by passinginterest

Have to say John Lowe was the worst personally, extremely rude and ignorant. John Part an Taylor don't tend to mingle with the crowd or chat as much as many of the others. With Taylor this is fairly understandable, Part just seems arrogant. Best Exhibition player I've seen has to be Bob Anderson, fantastic entertainer. I've played against Alan Warriner and Ronny Baxter in exhibition games and both sound enough. Was also luck enough to see the great Leighton Reese as a child, he lost nearly every game in the exhibition but was a total gentleman. Bobby George is a good entertainer too but never really warmed to him. I used to be a Chris Mason fan, was at the Irish Open when he won it, but wouldn't give him the time of day now. Eric Bristow will always be my hero though, my first set of darts were brass Bristow imitation ones that came with an Eric Bristow Darts book. I still have the book but lost the darts somewhere along the way. Legend.

Best dart players I ever met are funny enough the 1st and last players I have played. Alan Glazier(ton machine) was the 1st(showing my age

), he was great crack all night. Played Harvey and Stoddart few months before Xmas(it was supposed to be Warriner but he could not make it), 2 fellows were a great laugh all night

**Stevo Da Gull** · 02/01/2007, 10:36 PM

Fair play and congratulations to Raymond Van Barneveld on his 7-6 (sudden death) World Championship Final win over Phil Taylor. Arguably the greatest final of all time, Barneveld threw 21 180's and missed a few doubles for the match before eventually hitting the winner after trailing by three sets to nil. Fair play to Taylor also, but Barney's the champ!

**Superhoops** · 02/01/2007, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by Stevo Da Gull

Fair play and congratulations to Raymond Van Barneveld on his 7-6 (sudden death) World Championship Final win over Phil Taylor. Arguably the greatest final of all time, Barneveld threw 21 180's and missed a few doubles for the match before eventually hitting the winner after trailing by three sets to nil. Fair play to Taylor also, but Barney's the champ!

If it was not the greatest final it was certainly the greatest comeback ever. After Taylor went 3-0 up, sets he won easily, it would have been a very optimistic man that backed Barney at that stage.

In the latter stages, it was great watching Taylor playing 'catch up', something he is not used to doing, and even though Barney missed four darts to take the match, Taylor kept nibbling away. I thought when he scored his 180 in the sudden death leg he had broken Barney, but Barney showed what a great match player he is by coming straight back with 180 and it was those three darts that finally broke Taylor.

After watching the whole tounament and especially the final, it is hard to understand people who still consider that darts is not a proper sport.

**samabu92** · 03/01/2007, 2:39 PM

Did the word "fix" ever cross your minds in the last set. Know of a few lads who thought the same.

**Superhoops** · 03/01/2007, 5:46 PM

Originally Posted by samabu92

Did the word "fix" ever cross your minds in the last set. Know of a few lads who thought the same.

Interesting theory! but not sure who the 'fix' would be in favour of.

If it was fixed for Taylor to win, I could understand Barney missing a few crucial doubles but he missed 4 darts at doubles and then won it by hitting six doubles in the set, harldly the form of a guy looking to throw a match.

. Also, why would he continue to bang in 180's, especially the one in the last leg.

If it was fixed for Barney to win, why did Taylor keep hitting scores/doubles when he was playing catch up in the last set. Why would he have gone for his 180 in the last leg?

He could have easily lost the last set 3-0 or even 3-2 but he kept plugging away. When it went down to the last leg, if you are looking to throw a game you dont go for 180 and hope the other guy is going to follow you.

**samabu92** · 04/01/2007, 8:34 AM

The last leg of the match was the only leg of the last set that they both went for to win. When Barney had the darts in last set he banged in ton+ after ton+ no problem at all, but when against the darts he could hardly hit a treble until Taylor would be on double then he would bang in 140 or 180(some people say that was due to pressure, yet he was never under as much pressure as when Taylor hit 180 in final leg and replyed with 180) Also the 3 darts he had earlier to win it that were miles away

IMO, that final was always going to last leg and then may the best man win, which thank God was Barney