Biography
He is now one of the best 10 players in the world of darts – an achievement which has seen Colin Osborne deservedly promoted to the ‘Maestro’ category of Team Unicorn.
A winner of a ‘Major’ after beating the great Phil Taylor to be crowned king of Championship League darts in 2009.
And a fantastic run to the final of the 2009 UK Open at Bolton has finally seen Colin emerge as a major player in the world of the Professional Darts Corporation
And the magic of Unicorn’s very own ‘Wizard’ is set to cast a spell over the wide world of darts for many years to come.
The next targets are a place in the top four in the world, an automatic spot in the Premier League and another big TV victory…..big goals but all very achievable for the man who was a reluctant darts star when he first hit the professional road just a few short years ago.
“I am very happy to have achieved so much in a relatively short space of time,” he said. “And I always have to set myself goals, so yes, I can definitely achieve those targets.”
He added: “Of course at Unicorn, there is only one category above ‘Maestro’ and that is the World Champions! I have to believe that one day, it is in my destiny to win the Worlds!”
There is no doubt that Osborne has the ability to go on and win many more ‘Major’ darts titles.
And 2010 kicked off with a run to the last four of the Players Championship Finals at the Circus Tavern, where he was edged out 10-8 by Mervyn King but a cheque for £15,000 would have cushioned the blow.
Osborne has achieved all this success in tough times after the sad death of his father, while he was in Dublin for the World Grand Prix in October 2009.
“It had a big effect on me. We knew it was coming and it was a blessing when he passed away. I know he would have been proud of me because just a couple of weeks later, I beat Taylor to win CL Darts and that was as much for him as it was for me,” he revealed.
“The backing of Unicorn has been so important to me – on and off the oche and I will forever be grateful to everyone at the company,” Osborne added.
The career defining moment for ‘The Wizard’ came at Crondon Park Golf Club in Essex, when he won Championship League darts – beating Taylor 6-4 in a thrilling final.
Osborne reached the final of group five in Essex but lost to Mardle…..however, he won the next day beating Jelle Klaasen to set him up for his ‘Perfect Day’!
In the winner’s group, he actually finished second behind ‘The Power’ then brushed aside Mervyn King 6-1 in the semi-finals.
Osborne set the tone in the final with a 129 finish in the opening leg….he was 3-1 and 4-2 in front before back-to-back 11 darters from Taylor made it 4-4.
But then came one of the biggest moments of Osborne’s career so far, as he nailed a brilliant 142 finish to go 5-4 up and a 68 finish handed him the title and a fantastic victory over the great man.
Osborne also pocketed nearly £25,000 from the event!
It was also revenge after Osborne was beaten by Taylor after reaching his first ever ‘Major’ final. That was in June 2009 at the UK Open in Bolton.
He had a terrific run – beating Jason Clark, Wayne Jones (9-7 with a 150 finish!), Raymond van Barneveld, Jamie Caven and Kevin Painter.
Taylor won the final by 11 legs to 6 but Osborne was 3-0 in front.
“That gave me the belief and it was important to make my mark in a big TV event and that’s what I did at Bolton,” he said.
But he will be the first to admit the last couple of years have been a mixed bag.
Defeat in the 1st Round of the 2008 World Championship to Dutchman Erwin Extercatte was the low point of his career, although he only lasted to round two at the Ally Pally in 2009, losing to Vincent van der Voort and of course at the 2010 World Championship, he lost the ‘Battle of the Wizards’ to Simon Whitlock in the 1st Round.
On the Pro Tour in 2009, there were Players Championship tournament wins in Barnsley and Irvine over Gary Anderson and Michael van Gerwen respectively.
In fact, Osborne was one of THE best players on the floor – reaching another final, a further nine semi-finals and five more quarter-finals, which is some record.
But in between his triumph at Championship League darts and the final of the UK Open, he also suffered on TV – losing in the 1st Round at the Circus Tavern, Las Vegas, World Matchplay and World Grand Prix and failed to get out of his group at the Grand Slam of Darts.
That was another disappointment, because he needed to win his final group match against Brian Woods to qualify for the knock-out stages in Wolverhampton, but from 4-1 up, he managed to lose 5-4.
To be fair though, there have been many more highs than low’s in the darting career of Colin Osborne.
Other career highlights include hitting THREE 9-darters in competition – quite an achievement. They came in Pro Tour events in Glasgow, Hayling Island and the Isle of Wight….and Osborne also won the prestigious German Darts Trophy in 2008, when he beat Spain’s Carlos Rodriguez in the final.
It took him until 2009 to reach that first big ‘Major’ final at Bolton – but he should have achieved that feat two years earlier, also at the Reebok.
It was in 2007 that he should have reached his first ever major final but missed darts to win a thrilling UK Open semi-final and lost in a deciding leg to Vincent van der Voort, who over the years has become Osborne’s nemesis!
But there is no doubt that he is a winner and Unicorn moved quickly to sign Osborne after his brilliant debut in the last ever World Championship at the Circus Tavern, when he got through to the quarter-finals before being edged out by Andy Jenkins.
He is also a multi-talented sportsman – the Teeside boy, who had set his sights on becoming a professional footballer and is now in the darts world’s top 10.
He played for Middlesboro’ Boys but that wasn’t the only string to his bow. Osborne was an England Table Tennis Champion, a British yo-yo champion and is a great golfer, as well as being a handy snooker player!
“I guess I have good hand-to-eye co-ordination,” he said. “I enjoy all sports but the yo-yo success is wearing a bit thin now!” he joked.
And it could all have been so different for Osborne!
It’s hard to believe that he had to be persuaded to enter his first big tournament… PDC marker Scott Giblin told Osborne he had nothing to lose, so he entered the UK Open South West Regional in Portsmouth a few years ago
“It was an unbelievable experience,” he said. “I beat Peter Manley, Kevin Painter, Ronnie Baxter and Barrie Bates, before losing in the quarter-finals to Andy Jenkins – but it gave me the taste and I haven’t looked back.”
His performance earned Osborne a trip to Bolton for the 2005 UK Open Finals and he got all the way to the quarter-finals, eventually losing to Roland Scholten but his performance at the Reebok was the shape of things to come.
His progress has been rapid in this day and age of big-time darts, because it is getting harder as the tour gets tougher! But top 32, top 20, top 16 and now top 10
“I have no fear,” Osborne said. “I am certainly more mature and experienced and I handle it all much better these days.”
It was that 2007 World Championship where it all started to fit into place. Osborne had to qualify but enjoyed that rollercoaster ride all the way to the quarter-finals. He beat Unicorn’s Kevin Painter and Wes Newton, then Roland Scholten. He lost his quarter-final to Andy Jenkins by 5 sets to 4 and is still kicking himself today for missing chances to go 4-1 up!
Colin lives in Derby with wife Sarah and children Colin and Alfie and his new neighbour is Unicorn stablemate Andy Hamilton.
The pair are best of friends and now regular practice partners, and the new regime has paid dividends for both players as far as results are concerned.
Colin Osborne is setting his sights high….so far, he has achieved all he goals he has set himself in his darts career…..expect him to keep winning and achieving in the years to come.