It’s the dream final. Lets hope its not an anti-climax after all the hype.
I can’t wait to watch this.
Anyone else excited about it?
Of course. It’s a shame we didn’t have a darts thread this year, there were some absolute belters of matches going on.
Kudos to Sid Waddell for using a Lazy Town reference in a first round match-up as well.
Anyway, yeah, Taylor to win and Chris Mason to cry a little more.
No doubt William shall have a darts thread for the other world championship.
Dennis Priestley vs Per Laursen was a top quality match. I haven’t seen too much this year, but that one alone was worth watching.
Alan Caves vs Wayne Mardle was a fantastic match, I wonder if some bright spark will Youtube the best of the tourney once its over.
Having never had Sky, I’ve never seen the PDC championship. This also means I’ve never seen ‘The Power’ in action, except for the occasional highlights of his BDO win from 1990 (I think) that the BBC show during the BDO tournament. It’s a pity, because I suspect the standard in PDC is almost definitely higher—I’ve been following this year’s PDC on their website, and I think Rico Vonck’s stats against Barney were pretty comparable to the kind that sees people through to the quarters of the BDO, except that Rico didn’t have any checkout stats, because he didn’t take a single leg off Barney in their match.
Thing is... at work, we get Sky Sports. And I’m working 4 til midnight on Monday. Fingers crossed nobody’s wanting to watch Coronation Street instead...
Perhaps, even more significantly, I’ve never heard Sid Waddell commentate on a darts match. John Part really is the best darts commentator I’ve heard in my life. Really.
The standards always been higher. But Barney is as good as anyone else (if not better) on the tour outside of Taylor so the PDC is stronger than ever before because of his move.
I’m really looking forward to this final, I just hope it’s not a letdown. A Taylor vs Barney final is what a lot have dreamt of for years and now here it is. Both players have looked in awesome form too. So it’s all set up for a classic.
The obvious barometer of quality is whichever one Arjen Robben is spotted in the audience at.
i’m not sure about the standard in terms of depth though, there was a match to get into the quarterfinal that i saw the other night, that was possibly the single worst game of darts i’ve seen on the telly...
...what *is* mason’s “beef” with taylor anyhoo?
also, why is taylor getting booed on his way in?
None of these chumps would take a leg off Cliff Lazarenko.
Right, the programme has started, the telly is on the other side of the office from me. Who is silver-topped pundit man?
Please keep me updated as I can’t be arsed walking the 500 yards to the pub, which doesn’t actually look like it’s open anyway. (I shall follow via teh interwebs, but a bit of Swygart reportage wouldn’t go amiss)
If that’s Barney being interviewed, he is wearing a strange and unusual colour of shirt (i.e. pale blue). I smell omens, and they’re not good.
From this distance, that feller sat on the steps talking about Barneveld looks like Paul Whitehouse’s Nosferatu. If he’s an actual darts player, that’s quite some feat.
It’s about to start!
Barney is entering now.
Now comes Phil.
Barney’s back in his usual shirt—Taylor, however, is wearing orange.
Of Holland.
Nervy start from Barney.
Taylor actually won the 1st throw but gave it to Barney. Must be feeling confident.
1st leg to Taylor. Against the throw!
164 check out for Taylor!!!!
1st set 3–0 to taylor. He blew Barney away in that set.
Many years of observation have led me to conclude that there are two types of Ray Barneveld—classic, and crap. On the evidence of that first set, the latter has definitely turned up. His first dart bedded firmly in the 5’s, and he never recovered. After Taylor’s 164, he let slip a nervous laugh, and that spoke volumes. Taylor was hugging the officials at the start, did a little jig—Barney is very, very much aware that he’s in foreign territory, far more so than the old seas of orange at Lakeside, and he’s going to have to get over that very, very fast, or we’re not going to be around for long at all.
ohhh nearly a 167 checkout from Barney
2–0 to Taylor in the 2nd set.
3–0 Taylor.
2 sets to 0
Barney playing badly or Taylor doing well? Worth watching or not?
Also, running commentary of Waddellisms appreciated, that’s half the fun of the darts.
3 sets to 0 for Taylor.
Taylor is playing awesome darts and Barney can’t keep up with him at all.
According to the marvellous scorecard on Planet Darts website, Barney’s hit more 140+s and more 100+s than Taylor. Is it really as one-sided as the scoreline is suggesting? Poor finishing?
Taylor hasn’t gave Barney a sniff of a finish in most legs.
Taylors slowed down in this set and Barney is 2–0 up.
170 check out from Barney !!! He’s won a set!!!
3–1 to taylor in sets
The BBC set-by-set updates are shite and uninformative. Bah. I want proper commentary! I want my local to be open! (perhaps it is and they’ve got the lights off)
2 legs each. The big leg that could decide if we have a game or not.
3–2!!
GAME ON!!!!
Taylor 4–2.
Right, think I’ve hit a fallow period at work, so I think we’re back in business at this end. How’ve things been since the close of the first set?
4 sets to 3. Barney looking great.
Despite being behind. Big set this.
Barney is looking a totally different player from earlier.
He keeps hitting 180s. Is this gonna end up a classic after all? Hope so!
Barney misses the double and Taylor finishes. 1–1
2–2. This is THE BIG LEG
5–3 Taylor.
At 4–3 up, we had classic Barney, again, the kind of player you saw routinely steamroller the Martin Adams and Mervyn Kings of this world, remorseless treble-eater, Taylor couldn’t get a sniff. Then he got cocky—three legs out of five in that last set, Barney deliberately cued up a 156 finish, seemingly just because he could—he passed up shots at treble to take outer bull, always winding up on 156. And it cost—the last one was the one where he had a clear shot at winning the leg, he missed his first key treble 20, and from then on he was out of it. They were both trading tons, 140s and 180s through that set though—Taylor up 5–3, but not clear just yet...
Cheers, William, that the kind of detail I needed. Do you have the commentary on—darts ain’t darts without Sid Waddell.
I’ll leave the rest to William then.
My final word is everytime Barney looks good Phil raises his game just to keep ahead.
7–5 to Taylor perhaps?
Please, keep going—I’m having to clip across the office to get near the telly then back here at intervals.
5–4 Taylor—last set was 3–0 Barney, something of a war of attrition—tons far less frequent, or at least that’s how it seemed, with nerves really starting to creep in. Neither player looks comfy at present, Barney took three shots for his 25 outshot. Far too many shots of Silvia van Barneveld and her horrible lipstick.
wrt commentary—I can’t really hear it, our office needs the phones on constantly so volume has to be right down. What little I do get consists of Waddell shouting, which is vastly preferable to Tony Green.
Right, we appear to be at 5–5. Taylor losing it, or Barney finding his form? Updates please!
6–5 BARNEY! Taylor just isn’t pressing him the way he needs to—Barney seems to have some kind of off switch for his nerves at present, he’ll throw a crap 3 (though no single trio in this match has been that crap, honestly, both players are averaging in the 101’s, with only decimal points separating them) then bang in a 180. Taylor just isn’t having the luck with treble 20’s, and as such he isn’t getting on doubles often enough. He’s too easy to break, because at the moment Barney looks like he wants this more. Much more. Barney leads 6–5, then, but Taylor has the darts.
Barney now in the lead! Why am I not watching this? Why’s no-one posting any more?
xpost!
What a match this is!
1–1 in the 12th set. Barney leading 6–5.
Barney keeps pinging the 180s.
Barney 121 checkout. Leads 2–1 in the set.
Could be the last leg in the match if Barney keeps hitting the maximums.
2–2!
The biggest leg ever coming up!
6–6!!
This the what I dreamt of!!!
This is AMAZING!
Final set...
6–6. Taylor’s eye finally got back in, but it was a bloody close thing—Barney was 2–1 up with the darts, but just couldn’t hold him off—it came down to him having a 164 outshot for the title, but he missed the first dart of it, and from then on it was Taylor all the way—ran away with the last leg, as Barney couldn’t get on a finish, and now it’s all down a final set. Two clear legs, as per.
Thought—for being the greatest of all time, Taylor does get involved in a helluva lot of 7–6 finals, doesn’t he?
Better than the Taylor vs Priestley final in the mid 90s?
My fave final was Jocky Wilson beating Eric Bristow. When Jocky was 5 up and Bristow pulled it back and Jocky won the final set.
I hope this goes to 2 legs each.
Only thing missing is a 9 dart finish.
1–1.
Awesome stuff.
2–1 Barney. Taylor up 1st though.
Bad start by Taylor. barney could be in here.
Barney is gonna have 1st shot at the check out.
Barney needs 120
barney misses double top!
taylor needs 56!
Taylor gets double tops!!
2–2!!!!
Who’s looking nervous? Who’s looking confident? Who are the crowd with? Background! Details!
It could go either way.
The tension is unreal.
whoever wins this leg I think will win it
Taylor needs a 121
taylor hits the 25 and Barney needs 32
Barney hits the double 16 on his 1st go.
3–2 to barney
Barney will have a 131
Taylor with 147 left and is up
Barney left on 40
Taylor needs to check out
He misses
barney fucks up!!
Taylor gets double 8. 3–3
Taylor escapes luckily as Barneys nerves get the better of him.
Barney gets a 180 start though. Taylor gets 100
Barney has had 4 darts for the championship yet its 3–3 in the final set.
Will he regret those misses?
Barney needs 81
Misses.
taylor needs 121
Taylor missed bull
Barney is back in needs 25
Barney up 4 -3
4–4. taylor missed 2 doubles but holds his nerve and makes it with the 3rd.
Taylor needs 136 to take the lead
Barney needs 40 to go 5–4 up
Barney leads 5–4.
Taylor to through 1st to save the match,
*Throw
I really hope this goes to the deciding leg. It would be fitting
Barney needs 170 to win
Oh misses the 2nd treble.
Taylor needs 32
Sudden DEATH!!!!
Closest to the bull will get 1st 3 darts.
Barney hits the bull and goes 1st,
Barney is now the favourite.
100 Barney
180 taylor!
180 Barney!
Taylor 281
Barney 116 left
taylor left with 148
Barney misses double top for the title!
Barney will have double top to win
1st dart! Barney wins!
Amazing final.
greatest ever!
Would you Adam & Eve it—just as they get to 5-apiece, and I get my first actual piece of bloody work for the night, so I miss the last two legs. I could’ve sworn Barney would blow it given the way he missed three darts for a 40 checkout earlier, but I think he really did just want it that bit more than Taylor—The Power was relying on the crowd to gee him up and keep him in it, he needed their reaction to keep him going and it really did work, for a bit.
Grr. Quite pissed off now. Oh well—BDO’s kick off on Thursday. I have two essays due in on Monday, and an exam the Saturday after. Which should leave me nice and free for the final. Hopefully.
Magnificent thread! I’ve just read all of today’s entries in sequence having forgotten about the final—cor! Were the tennis threads on old-ILX ever this exciting for the casual reader? I fear not.
ILX tennis threads are marvellous, and often better than actually watching the tennis. Do not do yourself down, Mr Mike.
Fuck me that was a great match.
BDO’s kick off Saturday, I should say. A thread will arrive, in due course, but it’ll have to go some to beat that one.
I bloody loved the tennis threads, and, as I think my contributions to them made all too clear, I really know fuck-all about it.
I’m still buzzing from this final.
The BDO’s won’t be able to live with that final I’m sure.
(Well, yes, the tennis threads have other qualities, I suppose—I was just wondering whether anyone has ever been gripped [as I was above] by our collective hyperventilation over something like the ebb and flow of Roddick-El Aynaoui in Melbourne a few years ago. I bet not. Especially as they were probably following it on the same website!)
The only thing missing was the camera zooming in on the spot the dart was about to hit.
wow, so sky’s darts thing is actually good these days? last time i looked it seemed to be just Teh Powah with a bunch of jobbers.
It’s the extra bits of information and opinion dotted around the tennis threads by the contributors that make them so readable—it’s a real community effort (which I lurk on because I am scared to contribute because you are all clever and know so much).
t/s: kerr vs. waddell