He is destined for great things in the world of darts and Paul Nicholson deserved all the plaudits after the most magical day of his career.
But Nicholson could only watch on in horror as he was about to board the train at London’s Kings Cross Station bound for Newcastle, the morning after the night before and his terrific triumph.
He takes up the story: “I was asked for my ticket before I got on the train, so put my bag down with the trophy. The next thing I know is a woman rushes by in a hurry, wheeling her suitcase and bumps into us and the winner’s trophy went flying and smashed.”
“I just stood there heartbroken. I couldn’t believe it but I would like to say a massive thanks to the PDC because they are going to provide me with an exact replica, so I am very relieved because that trophy just means so much to me. So a big thank- you to PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter.”
Back home in his native North East, savouring his success and enjoying a rare day off. “I have had over 200 text messages so I am going through all of those and replying to them all,” he said.
“I am still numb with it all. I am sure it will hit me big time over the next few weeks but I am looking forward to watching it all back on Sky+ and DVD!”
“But I will be back on my regime and preparing for Gibraltar and beyond, because I cannot afford to rest on my laurels. I am not being big-headed but I always believed I would have a day like this but I have to admit, it’s come sooner than I thought!”
Nicholson has worked very hard to cultivate a ‘bad boy’ image and make himself one of THE real characters in the sport. He has done just that, except that he has now won over a whole new fan base after his exploits in Purfleet! Not that he’s complaining too much but the dark glasses and persona will stay.
He has battled his way past family and personal problems to create darting history and claim the huge prize of a first ‘TV Major’ after just 18 months in the PDC.
And now the Unicorn star can look forward to a star-studded future, having beaten Phil Taylor, pocketed £60,000, secured a spot at the Grand Slam of Darts for the next two years and claimed a place in the top 16 in the world, after winning the prestigious Players Championship Finals at the iconic Circus Tavern.
Sunday January 31, 2010 will be a day Paul Nicholson never forgets!
The next target for ‘The Asset’ is a place in the PDC Order of Merit top 10….the next stop for Nicholson is Gibraltar for the Players Championship double-header.
Having beaten two former World Champions in Dennis Priestley and Steve Beaton, the pre-tournament 80/1 shot took out Lewis, Taylor and King on a day that darting dreams were made of!
But this was a fabulous achievement, because how many times in the past have we seen players take out Taylor and then fail to win the tournament…..not Nicholson – after that energy sapping and emotional victory over Taylor, he had just 20 minutes to get ready for the final and he held it all together brilliantly to defeat King.
“I didn’t want the win over Phil to go to waste,” he said. “I am not frightened of him. He doesn’t faze me in the slightest because I know there are players who are beaten mentally before they get on the stage to play him.”
Nicholson continued: “I just kept telling myself stay ahead and stay cool. I could tell by his face that my 170 check-out really hurt him. When I missed those two darts at D20 to win 10-8 I wondered whether I would get another chance but I just kept telling myself I was destined to beat him!”
So what about his £60,000 prize money? “The tax man will be paid first,” he said. “The rest will go in the bank but I might just treat myself to a new watch!”
Nicholson added: “I would like to thank Edward and Richard Lowy and everyone at Unicorn for all they have done for me in the past few months. I hope I have managed to repay their faith with what I have achieved.”
So, what does Nicholson want to achieve next?
“My first target is the world’s top 10, then to make sure I qualify automatically for the World Matchplay in Blackpool and I would love to earn myself a spot in the 2011 Premier League. I guess it’s all up to me!”
And you certainly wouldn’t bet against Nicholson achieving all those goals.
By STUART PYKE (Twitter @stuartpykesport)
Photo courtesy Lawrence Lustig / PDC