Step forward and take a bow this week, I say, my Geordie honcho Tommy Cox of the PDC.
Many moons ago Tommy was one of the main pushers of the idea that our tournaments should be ‘different’. OK, the Quadro board went by the way, but the Double Start rule – which Tommy and I played normally in our youth up in Geordieland – has certainly given angst, frisson and big appeal to the World Grand Prix. Without it I doubt if Phil Taylor would have been gunned out three times in Round One. And who can forget The Power running TWELVE consecutive legs on Part in the 2003 final and posting a 108 average in set six?
Which brings me to the Man himself. Since he got the new ‘arrows of desire’ in late February this year – and hit Barney with a 111 average in Nottingham – he has taken the game to new heights. I predict not only that Phil will take the Dublin title, but that he will hit a nine-darter this week. He was brilliant at Blackpool in taking the Matchplay title, and I’ve been boning up on superlatives in my battered copy of Roget’s Thesaurus. Look out for ‘inexorable’ and ‘plenipotentiary’ along with the usual bag of recycled bon mots.
THE CHASING PACK
I think that the main threat to Phil will NOT come from Barney or James Wade. I think that Ray’s two-month lay off might be to do with licking his wounds after losing to Wayne Mardle in Blackpool after being 12-7 up. James, I think, is caught on the knife-edge cusp between relaxing and trying. He has a tough first outing against Tony Eccles.
I think the winner of the Colin Lloyd versus Vincent van der Voort clash will go a long way in the tournament. I also reckon that Mardle will do well if he can handle local phenom Felix McBrearty, who beat Lloyd, Andy Hamilton and Michael Van Gerwen in booking his spot. Alan Tabern has also been on fire recently.
I can’t wait to get the old tonsils rattling. I’ve just holidayed in Australia and have added some Chinese free-form Yoga from an Oz TV show to my breathing exercises.
HELPING THE TOON
Over the past couple of years I have done my bit in print and on telly and radio to help Newcastle United get back on the track to glory. But two weeks ago I did something concrete. My Geordie phrase book TAAK OF THE TOON was bought by Habib Beye and he was walking around the training pitch talking pigeon Geordie! The lad is Senegalese and his mother tongue is French, so look out for this sort of thing next time Habby is on Sky Sports News. ‘Hoy the ball to me kidda and ah’ll borst the net.’ Trans: ‘Take the throw quickly and watch me shoot’.
As Bobby G would say: ‘THAT’S THE WAY TO RABBIT IT’. Bien sur.