Rob Cross 7-2 Phil Power, Monday 1st January 2018

‘The record breaking, history making, 16 time champion of the world…’

Welcome to....

Who says I don’t make sacrifices?  Year on year my partner and I watch the darts from Ally Pally on telly…and year on year we say ‘we should get tickets’…and year on year they’re sold out (cos we don’t get our ar5es into gear sooner).  So when I heard the sister of a mate had all kind of tubes hanging out of her and couldn’t therefore make the darts final she had tickets for…of course I’d step in.  Even if it did mean missing the Super Reds (Barnsley) at Sunderland on New Years Day, and a trip home.  Not to worry, I’d had my dad down for Xmas…

Feeling guilty...the sis is a bit of a superfan!

The darts had to be done.  This wasn’t any final, it was likely to involve the biggest legend the game has ever produced, Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor and, provided he won his semi (he did), it would be the final game of his professional career.  You couldn’t script it.  At Xmas, as my partner guessed what ‘surprise’ I’d organised, darts was one guess, a Michellin-starred meal another, and the Crystal Maze experience a 3^rd (‘but you’re problies not organised enough’).  I was – it was the Crystal Maze, but I knew darts would (double) top it.

Fans outside Alexandra Palace

I should say, I was expecting to see plenty of folk in fancy dress on the way there.  In actuality, we never saw anyone till Finsbury Park, and even then it was a group of Austrians.  (Austrians?)  I think most people either drove to Alexandra Palace or walked up the hill from the railway station.   Still, we were early, wanting to enjoy the build up.  Doors opened at 6:15 and we were there for half six.  Good job too, as the queue crawled forwards.  I don’t think the broken turnstiles helped.  A small group of lads practiced their chanting while everyone else huddled together to keep out the cold.
Once in, it was beer token time.  At least you got to speak to a human (as opposed to a nonsensical machine) and drinks’ prices were on handouts, and quick calculations made.  Of course, it’s difficult to know how many beers you’re going to drink when you don’t know how long the match will last.  One of us would have to take it easy too – work tomorrow.  Thankfully that wasn’t me.

Entering the main hall...

You enter via the main hall…which is where I thought the tournament was held.  After all, it looks HUGE on telly, but actually, the match was in a smaller hall to the side.  Inside the darts arena, the centre, or floor area, held the tables, while the outside held about 10 rows of seats.  We were in the 4^th row back, excellent seats as they held a decent view and offered a quick exit for beers and toilets.  I’d sunk one beer (I say beer…it was Strongbow; in a throwback to my teens, I couldn’t possibly imbibe Fosters or whatever the token bitter was…John Smiths?)  I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.

In front of the PDC battlebus.

It was 8:15 and the time had come…the players’ walk on.  The lower ranked Rob Cross came out 1^st, to Hot Hot Hot (by Arrow, Wikipedia tells me).  Terrible.  I guess every other song had been taken.  But you need a counterpoint to Phil ‘the Power’s’ trademark entrance…’The Power’ by Snap.  Takes me back.  But mixed with the lighting and sound effects, makes for one of the world’s great sporting entrances.  Nevermind the crowd joining in…’The record breaking, history making, 16 time champion of the world…Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor’.  The hairs on my arm were on end.  And yet some of my mates think darts is s***.  Unbelievable.

After a few practice throws, we were into the action.  The crowd were right behind Taylor.  I felt a little sorry for Rob Cross, a lion to the slaughter.  I couldn’t make out a chant for him.  But, having beaten world number one Michael Van Gerwen, he wasn’t phased and took an early lead.  The Power meantime was acting the clown, pulling faces at fans and laughing and joking.  If he was trying to psyche out Cross, it didn’t work.  Was Taylor the one feeling the pressure?  At 3-0 in sets (1^st to 7) Cross didn’t look like he had a mistake in him. Phil pulled one back.

The players are on stage.

Then came the highlight of the match.  Phil, a world record holder in televised nine-dart finishes (but amazingly not one at the world championships) gave himself the chance: 8 perfect darts and only double 12 needed.  Sadly, the width of the wire prevented history, though his subsequent collapse (missing 3 further doubles) to lose the leg was the sign the match was out of reach.  Judging by the subdued atmosphere, everyone knew.  There was no ‘Kolo/Yaya Toure’ and only sporadic ‘Stand up if you love the darts’ and ‘Boring boring tables’.  Watching the demise of the greatest was a painful thing.  Did Phil pull a set back at 5-1 or 6-1? I forget.  It was asking the impossible now.  Cross looked cool as you like, outscoring Phil in both averages and doubles ratios.  In fact, I was quite surprised Taylor’s average was so high (102.26) cos Cross was wiping the floor with him (averaging 107.67, the 2^nd highest of the tournament, quite an achievement when the final is over more sets).
So there it was.  Cross cantered to victory, yet the crowd continued to chant Phil’s name, only turning to Cross once Phil’s moment in the after match ceremony was over.  Cross took it like a gentleman, recognising a legend and wanting Phil to share the trophy on stage.  A class act.

The King is dead.  Long live the King!

And at least there was a round of the Toure song at the end. My partner couldn't have forgiven the crowd if not given the chance to join in that one.

The Damage:
£50 ent
£30 Strongbow (6 pints)
£5 prog
= £85

The Champ basks in his glory.

Panorama during the game

After match panorama

The pundits' studio

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The match is about to start.

Phil, interviewed after.

The champ awaits his trophy.

Typical darts' attire.

ps, the Super Reds won at Sunderland.  YOOOUUUUU REDS!!!!!!!!!