An Audience with Phil Taylor… ⚡️🐐 – Full Interview with Phil Taylor

Phil Taylor took a trip to the Live Lounge recently to talk all things Darts with an intimate audience, now you can be part of the fun!

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[Music] [Music] So, here we have it, a 16 time world champion, Phil the Power Taylor. Um, Phil, players winning one world championship in any sport is incredible. to win 16 times. How does it feel when you when you hear that? I think winning one tournament is easy as such. Uh to defend it is is the problem. That’s the hardest bit because you’re not just defending a world championship. You defending your prize money and that’s the hardest part especially after you know it’s a million pound. Whoever wins it this year for a million quid is going to go up the rankings and then two years time they’ve got to defend it. So you can be up there and then down there it’s it’s literally but to defend it is is it’s brilliant obviously but it’s hard work. Yeah. 16 time takes a lot of dedication. Incredible, isn’t it? Everyone 16 time world champion. Um I can see that we’ve got a few a few kids in the audience today. Obviously they’ve seen the million pounds and there be some millionaires in here today. I tell you we watch. But let’s take us back to the beginning for you. Phil, tell us about before the world titles, before the fame. What was life like for Phil Taylor? It was normal really. I lived in a terist house. Well, I lived in a council house in the beginning. The first house my mom and dad when I was I think I was about 2 years old already a year old. Um my mom and dad bought a tennis house in a place called Tonsl and it was £100 but it was it was under compulsory purchase. So they knew if they could scrape this £100 up and buy it cash then we’d get a council house. So we lived there for about a year and you couldn’t go upstairs because the ceilings were coming down in case the ceilings come down. Sorry. The the the sink was in the yard. But I can remember actually I was only two but I can remember me dad going outside and cracking the ice on the baths on the taps sink outside. The toilet was at the bottom of the yard. I mean none of you youngsters will know this honestly. And then for a bath we had a Tim bath. Have you ever watched the old cowboy films where they having a bath in a tin bath? It’s like that. So mother, mom and dad used to have to boil boil water and put it in the bath. How old are you again? 65 in August. Getting into darts. As you say, these kids are getting into a young age. But you didn’t really start playing darts till what, your mid-enties? No, I was young when I played darts. Um, but never really took it serious. I mean, darts wasn’t wasn’t on TV when I was a kid. It was only I think it was indoor league and odd tournaments then that when do first came on and I but the first time it was a bit of an antilimax for me because I’d qualified for a tournament in Middlesbury called the Dry Blackthornne the first one I’d ever qualified for TV. played Dave Wickham and I thought all the players had been like multi-millionaires and they weren’t cuz they didn’t earn the money in them days probably the black dry blackthorn probably 5,000 for the winner which still was a lot of money but it wasn’t like it is now the sport has just gone poof and I can see it climbing as well. Um you’ve spoken about having a mentor of kind in in Eric Bristo. How crucial was he in bringing you on at the beginning? Well without Eric I would never have the money to travel. I was entering tournaments um like Staffordshire Open or Darbisher Open, Lincolnshire Open, Yorkshire Open, London, you know, the British Open. So, whatever tournaments were on, I was I was playing in them. I started to win them, but the money then was probably 700 to 750 to a,000 quid for the winner, which was still good money when you pay 7 a half thousand for your house. But it literally was to make a living. I didn’t want to play darts for fun. I wanted to make a living out of it because I had three jobs. I was working on a factory. I was working in ceramics then. And then I used to come home and repair cars. I used to have a lot of car traders then. Remember the old car traders? Spares and repairs and all this business. So I used to do theirotes for them. And then I used to work behind a bar Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. They’ll tell you exactly what I got. How old would it be then? 24. So it’s 40 odd years. I got 22 quid for four nights work behind a bar. And it was a busy bar as well, which that £22 though was my pocket money. So, uh, and if anybody bought me a drink, I used to have to write it down. 40p. It was 40 p a pint and then 40p a pies. I went down the local the other day, a couple days ago, a pint of madri was £480. I gave him five, he gave me 20 p. I went, where’s me other two quid or whatever it was worthy. It’s £480 for a pint of bloody l. How could you make a living playing darts then? Because the world champion wasn’t getting a million. It wasn’t really about making a living for me. Well, for do it like full-time. The only way you could do it because it was the BDO then is to get your yourself into the tournaments to get points. So, the only way you could do it is go the tournaments, which was like Finland, um, Sweden, Belgium, America, Canada. So, you had all these opens and Eric decided he’s going to sponsor me. It was morning flowers. So he sponsored me. The the the figure was around £10,000 and that’s for flights, hotels. I mean, you pay that for one one tournament now. So he said, “Look, I’ll sponsor you, but whatever you win, you pay me back to the amount I’ve sponsored you, which is say, let’s say 10,000 as an outside figure.” And I’d won America. I won the pairs America with Sharon Kliff. And he Eric Eric used to be side bottom the stairs there. Thank you very much. And put it in his pocket. The first one was a Canadian £4,000. $4,000. Never seen $4,000 in me life. And I’d gone Canada with about 20 quid in me pocket. And Eric standing at the bottom of the stairs. Thank you very much. And uh I haven’t even seen the check. It’s like giving your mother. You mean you come home from from work and your mother said, “Where’s your wage packet?” It was exactly the same as that. Give me that money. So um but he he did make me into a winner. That’s what Eric did. He he like he didn’t like practice with me where he’d show me how to win. He he just take the mickey out of you and motivate you in different ways. And you would have to win right to make a living. It’s the way you talk to people. I mean, you can go in a shop and somebody can say something to you. You can go in another shop and that person will get you back up. They say they say the same thing, but they say it wrongly. And Eric was was a master at telling you something and getting you getting your temper up. Look, you very quickly started to climb up the rankings. Everyone else was losing money really, weren’t they? Only the winners were making money at that time. The winners. Yeah. If he went to America like like they’re in America now and they’ll probably get 20,000 or 25,000 for just for going plus free flights, brush free accommodation, we had to pay his own flight, his own accommodation, no prize money unless you got to the final. If you got to the final, you got your money back. If you won it, you you made a bit of money. At what point did you start to realize that not only can you play the game, but you could dominate this game? I realized by being around the players, I was in awe of them. See, they were all like icons of the you know, you’re watching them on TV. And then when I was around them a lot, I thought, you’re not professional. You’re not, you know, a lot of them were big drinkers and standing at the bar a lot and and not doing not practicing and taking it as a jolly up really where I wasn’t like that. So I I used to keep myself to myself a little bit. I’d be in my room, I’d be practicing. I wouldn’t be drinking with them. And you know, I was a bit of a loner. And I thought, you’ve got four kids at home. You got to go home and make money. I couldn’t go back home and say to me wife, I can’t pay the gas bill, electric bill. Cuz cuz I was on the on the drink with this lot. So I used to ignore myself. I used to say, “I haven’t got the money. I can’t afford it. Go on. I’ll buy a drink.” Said, “No, I don’t want it. I’m going to stay in and win the tournament. Then go home and then enjoy yourself.” That was my but my my enjoyment really wasn’t nightclubing or things like that because I was 30 years old you know I mean I’d done all that was 18 years old so I wasn’t interested in it so it made life a little bit easier for me. You mentioned Eric what were the sort of icons that you used to play back in the day started to bring out the best in you competitions? Yeah. Which players? Oh Eric Lowey uh Jockey Jockey was about then some of these youngsters you probably never heard of these players. Jockey Wilson and whatnot. There was a fellow named Big Cliff. Keith Delhi was was there and thereabouts. Mike Gregory was another one. They were they were good players but they just to me they weren’t good enough. So you devise a way of beating them. Did you feel a different challenger sort of every few years that would just come and you later on you’d have Barney, Michael Van Goen, you saw them all off in the end. You start off respecting people and then you you realize that you’re not as professional as what I thought you are. So you then you lose the respect and you’d lose your fear of him. You know Loey when I first played Loey and Eric me my hand was shaking then eventually I thought you can’t beat us because you’re not dedicated enough plus you’re getting too older and this is where the advantages of like young Litland and Lumprey is young people and they’re not fear you know they don’t fear anybody they don’t need to because they know they’re capable of beating anybody. The only the only problem I see in the future with the with the two Lukes and some of the other players where they were dedicated and they were practicing daily in the bedrooms or made their own dart rooms up. Now they’re traveling, they’re traveling, they’re traveling, you’re playing, you’re doing your media, your social media, this that and the other. Your time’s limited. You know what I mean? So you’re not you they’re shattered. Most of them are all all time. I was when I was playing, you know, you try and get your rest in. You’re jetlagged all the time. I mean, they’ve been in America now. They were back from America and they’ll be jetlagged. But they’ll be straight into the match play. So you imagine you’ve been on holiday, some of you, and you know what it’s like when you can’t sleep. So that’s what they’re going to be like when they get back. And then you’ll watch somebody in the match play say he played rubbish. I know why he played rubbish cuz he’s he’s not slept. You didn’t play rubbish there very often. 16 world titles. I’ve mentioned 16 world match plays as well. That’s that’s coming up. That was a really special tournament for you, wasn’t it? The match play was my favorite one. here because the venue was lovely. It was a Victorian building and it’s it’s just beautiful to be inside there. But it was also summer whereas the world championship even though it’s the biggest tournament, it’s winter so you’re stuck in a hotel. You you know you can’t go walking around London. It’s freezing. So plus you work nighttimes so you spend your time in a hotel. That lockdown during the during the um COVID was like normal life for me. So it was easy because that’s the way I live me life. So it didn’t make any difference because you know you’re stuck in hotels. If you went out you you know if like Premier League time there’s thousands of people want autographs and photographs so you you you can’t go out. Look you’ve won everything multiple times. How did you keep the hunger to to keep on winning? I paid myself a wage. I still do. I paid myself £1,000 a week which is good money for me. And I never knew what I was worth. Now, I’ve got a lot of properties and things like that, but that goes in a bank account. I don’t even look at it. And I pay myself a small wage in comparison to what I could pay myself. And so, everything then is is make sure you get up and practice. And I think it stems back from when you were young and when you when you first, you know, your parents. My mom and dad never let me lie in bed. You had to get up and go to school and get up and go to work. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] What about the pressure that comes with being the player to beat? How did you deal with that? It just come natural really. It just I was just used to it. It’s it’s strange in the beginning. It’s like you’re talking is as if as if you’re talking about somebody else. It’s not you there, you know. I give you an instance, especially the youngsters. When I was 16, I started work at 15 and a half and then it got to about 16. I was working seven days a week and I decided I’m gonna have a day off. Can you remember your mom shouting you up for work in the morning? Phillip, get up. I used to be banging me. I’m up banging me foot on the ceiling as if I’m walking about. You’re banging your foot again. She come through the door with a bucket of water, freezing cold water, and chucked it all over me. And I was never late for work ever again after that one. So, I’m up. I’m coming up now. tacky the tack running thinking I’m getting up and that was how much did your upbringing and that working life that you had before becoming a professional dart player impact the success that you went on to have both parents embedded in to me that you got to get up you got to pay your way pay your bills make sure you keep a roof over your head that’s the major thing pay your taxes because you don’t want them knocking on your door because you don’t want extra pressure you know you see these players now I’ve drilled on about pay your tax and your VAT and And they’re still doing it now. They’re still one of them’s just been obviously he’s £450,000 in debt. Why would you like wake up tomorrow and be £450,000 in debt and then get on that stage and play darts and he lost 6 nil last night to an American mental should never happen. Pay your bloody bills. Do you know what I mean? Is that you don’t One thing to take away the dread knock on the door. Do you know what I mean? I’ve seen it too many times. Look, certainly not. You obviously won a lot of money over your career as well. had to manage your finances, but where the game’s gone to now. You mentioned at the start, a million pounds. Oh, mate. Now, if I was L, I I mean, I’ve got a lot of properties. I’ll be investing in property straight away because they’re not building any more land. So, invest in your land because it’ll just go up and up and up. Always will. I used to buy a lot of gold and precious metals and that day I made a lot of money out of that. So, it’s all about protecting, not not wasting your money. Did you ever think darts could get this big and how proud are you of the part that you’ve played in that? No, I thought when I was playing, I thought that would be the biggest dart she’ll ever get. I did. Honestly, I remember when we first broke away with a PDC and the sky was saying to me, “Do you know any venues where we get to have big ceilings?” Cuz them big cameras, remember that a boon stick up in the air, so the ceilings behind. I said, “I’ll have a look for you.” Well, there’s a club called Middleport Club. If you ever watch a series on TV called the Pottery Throwdown, it’s Middleport Pottery. The club was was across the road from there where all the all the people that worked on the factories went you know the clubs working men’s clubs so they asked me they were struggling a little bit is anything you could do for us Phil I said I can I think sky after venues and your ceilings are high I said I’ll get somebody come down and have a look and see if it’s suitable it holds about 2,000 people it’s quite big oh brilliant this is the steward I’ll have a word of the committee can I have a meeting with you next week I said Yeah, of course you can. So before I made the phone call to Sky, I thought I’ll wait first. I went in. He said, “Phil, all the committee there, thank you for for what you’re going to do for us. It’s fantastic.” I said, “I can’t guarantee anything, but I will ask.” He says, “But we got one request. Can you play the darts in between the bingo?” You knew what I was going to say, didn’t you? You imagine Jockey Wilson double tear in a minute. We’ll just do a quickie. I said, “No.” He said, “We don’t upset the regulars.” I said, “You haven’t got any regulars.” They were terrified of losing what they got. You know what I mean? So, we never happened. Um, it has come a long way. You bowed out in 2018, that final year. I just want to talk about particularly the getting to the World Championship final. Um, what was that like being on that stage in your last ever game? I thought, you know, I thought I was going to win it. I didn’t really want to play in it. I was strange. We’re going down the M6 onto the M1. I’m saying to Bob, I I don’t want to go. I don’t want to play in it to be honest with you. I’d had enough. And then you play the first round and you win it and you think, “Oh, I played all right there.” And then you play your second round and you win it. Then you want to win it then. So you just play each round as it come. And then got Rob Clauss in the final and in my mind I’m thinking he’s going to bottle this cuz I got that much attention on me. It was my last game. He’s never been in the in in a tournament in his life and he threw absolutely brilliant. He finished fantastic. You did go on to play in the world seniors after that. That retirement, did you ever think about cancelling it, going back playing again? Because if you can still win the match play and reach the world final in your last year, you were still good enough. I should have done really. Barry, he he he got annoyed with me because I wouldn’t do what he said. He said, “Why don’t you just play your card out? Just enter the tournaments that you want to play in. If you win, you win. If you don’t, you don’t. But you still get your first round prize money, which would have been a lot of money, but I’d had enough. I went I went I finished um January, played Rob in January and I went straight to New Zealand, Australia, little island called Venuatu, um Tasmania. So I did a tour of all all around their area and it was absolutely brilliant. It was Do you miss anything about playing professional darts? No, not now. Not now. I’m quite happy to be honest with you. I do I do me properties. I do painting and decorating. I do a lot of cycling. I still can’t lose any bloody weight though. I honestly I watched that video and then I’ve just realized I’ve been on a diet for 30 odd years. So I keep trying all this different stuff. I kept doing it when I was playing dart. So I thought right, one meal a day. That’s the answer. So I had no breakfast, no dinner and I’m going to have something for me tea time. So then I go out on me bike at one of these electric bikes. You have to pedal. So I do about 25 mile on me bike. Come in. can’t take me shirt off. Ringing in and sweat thinking yes, I’ll have me tea and I’ll go to bed. Get up in the morning, get on the scales. I put a pound on. I’m thinking I just I don’t know what’s going on here. I think it’s your body changes as you get older. I do want to ask you about the current crop of dark players as well. Um we’ve spoken a little bit and I’m sure there’ll be questions from every era from the audience, but what do you make of players like Luke Litler, Luke Humphrey’s, Michael? Oh, brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I’d have loved I mean you can’t compare different sports from years ago. Would Georgie Best be the best player today? He’d have been there and thereabouts because he it changed with the times. Um and I’d love to see like people like Eric and Jockey with with you with these people. But again, it’s all changed. You know, you go in a practice room now, nobody speaks. They’ve all got earphones in or iPods or whatever you call them in their ears and nobody talks. Where when we were there, everybody’s having a laugh and a joke and taking the mickey out to each other. Is that a good evolution or a bad one? That’s good. I think it’s good for them. I wouldn’t like it, but obviously they’ve all got their own people with them who they have a talk to. Um I mentioned before very serious now. Yeah. And I don’t blame him. For a million pound, I’d be serious as well. And it’s the seriousness is starting a lot younger, isn’t it? There are lots of dartsmies around and things like that. Do you think we’re going to see the sport get even bigger and move to a more professional standard? I think he’s got to do I think they’ve got to go more professional like the tennis where they don’t bother with anybody. They have their own teams. I mean, if you ever talk to a tennis player, they have massages with them. They have their own chefs. They have managers. They have agents. Everybody travels with them. They have a strength coach, they have a fitness coach. I mean, it’s a proper organization. And that’s whether you get a D player have a fitness coach and a strength coach and this that and the other. I don’t know. or if if you want to be professional, then you should do it. Have we got anyone in the audience who’s got aspirations of being a professional dance player? A professional darts player. There we go. We’ve got Well, we’ve got a couple. Too late. You’ve given your advice to that gentleman. 10 years. What would What would your advice be to this young man here starting out on the pursuit of professional? How old are you now? Perfect age. Perfect age. Have you done all your you know, you’re working out? Yeah, that’s the main thing. One of the main things. Make sure you got the right dots, but your body’s going to change. So, you’re going to get taller and then you’re going to get better looking. Then you’re going to discover girls. So, you have to um you have to go through all that. But the main thing is is just keep practicing and make sure look at some of the styles of different players. The best players will always have the best style. So, you got John Low. He was he was one of the best styles. I would I had got a bad style, but I wasn’t as good as John’s. Luke Little has got a nice style. It’s about keeping your body straight, keeping it still so you’re not jerking. And then just follow right through. But don’t don’t overexert. Just just do it like as if you’re cutting a knife through butter. Dead easy. Simple. Make it as easy as you can. That’s what you got to do. And then bank the money and pay your taxes. Yeah. And if his parent could come and see us at Don’t rent any houses. Pay cash. all cash. If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it. Uh, back to yourself. We mentioned the World Seniors. You did play on that for a few years. Just talk us through that experience and why you decided to call it. For me, it was heartbreaking because I couldn’t do what I used to do. You know what I mean? I couldn’t be dedicated like used to do. Me body, it just couldn’t do what I used to do. So, it wasn’t for me. It’s it was I enjoyed it. I love being in it, but I I didn’t like the people that were paying good money to come and see me and I’m not performing. So, it was time to walk away. And you’re now a pundit and an ambassador, work with us here on Pluto TV as well. How much you enjoying sort of sitting back? I mean, you’re still on the exhibition. It’s good because it’s it’s not too bad. Like, I’ll work I’ll work on the show tomorrow and then I’m off them for nearly three months. So, I can do whatever I want to do. So, I’ll be going on holiday. I’m going to go Tenneref, Spain. I might go Greece. I’ve never been Greece, Italy. But just do a little bit of whatever you want really. Spend a bit more time with the grandkids cuz I I see a lot of the grandkids now. where I didn’t before. So, it’s nice. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Um, look, it’s bloody great. Well, good. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] I’ll ask you to reflect on a few moments. You’ve got so many. We’re not going to have time to go into them. So, I’ll ask you some sort of more direct questions. Um, toughest opponent that you ever faced? There’s been a few toughens. Um, but Danny Priestley was probably one of the toughest people he’ll ever play because he was good. Very good. I’ I’d love to seen Dennis Priestley play him now at his best and he was slow. So you had to work out Dennis because when you were playing Dennis and he’s he’s got his first start and he’s like this you’re behind him thinking freaking hell and then you think what shall me tea after this or shall I go on holiday you know what I mean I haven’t had holiday for ages but you’d be thinking different things in your mind so you have to and it was Loey John Low said you know the drink table over there walk around it then by the time you come back he’s finished so you’re not thinking about that. You’re thinking them all and not falling off the stage. So yeah, just something simple. You have to work out how to beat these players and once you get them, you get in their head then. See, is there one moment when you think about your career that always comes to the front of your mind? Whether that be winning a tournament, a war, missing the third, nine dart, that’s the one I’m gutted about. Premier League final. Yeah. Or should have got that third one because I I know young Luke will do two and I think Luke Humphrey’s maybe will do two, but three is going to be a bit more difficult. So I’m gutted about that one. Two nine darts in one match, a Premier League final. Nearly hit the third as well. Um talk about the Premier League as well because where darts crowds have gone since you started. Um filling up arenas, fancy dress, having a great time. I know. What’s it like to be playing on stage when you’ve got all that going on behind you? It’s it’s easier actually than a small crowd. You know what I mean? You not got a big crowd in to tonight maybe 90 people and it’s harder to play in front of them than it is to play in front of 15,000 16,000 because it becomes a buzz sort of buzz where when you’re here you can hear every word everybody says and that’s more off but watching it is being in arena. Uh do you enjoy watching darts now? I do. I do. I’m I’m a bit of a early riser now. I’m up about 5 half five and I’m I’m in bed by about half 7. So what I do, I wake up about maybe four or five o’clock and I put YouTube on. So I watch all the highlights. I’m I’m I’m bored with TV if that makes sense. I bet ladies are my MS doesn’t even put TV on. It’s all music and she’s a clean freak honestly. She every time I bloody look at she’s got a mop or something in her hand. So um she just likes music. So she doesn’t put television on. I put TV on sometimes if I’m not working. I’m watching Bargain Hunt. I’ve seen it 25,000 times. I even bought the things they buying on Bargain Hunt and then I’m watching Four in a Bed, which I’ve seen about 50 times. So, I just I put YouTube on and I catch up on everything then. See? Um, do you have one night in your career that you you wish you could relive do it again? Oh, I could relive a few nights. One when I slapped Peter Manley, I didn’t punch him. I’m kidding. Um, the Barney final. I wish I’d have played that one again. The John Park final, even though that was like a relief for me cuz I’d won it eight years on the trot and people getting bored with him. So, it gave me a break from it and then people were on me side again then. It’s interesting though that the ones you remember are the ones that you lost. Yeah. You don’t remember the ones you win then that’s gone because you have to do what you have to do and then you know as soon as you come home you have about a week of press and whatever else. It’s probably worse now. And then it’s h get ready for your next one. How would you sum up your career? Brilliant. What could have done better? I knew that was coming. You remember me at school and you used to get them little shields at the end of the week. Do you remember a card from your teacher and each class had a remember them? I’ve got some honestly I could show you. You’ll have to get them out. And it says Phil did really well this week with his English. He’s well behaved for a change. Could have done better. And that’s just come in with this little shield. I was dead proud. Mother’s g over there to take it back. I think he did pretty well. Don’t you l 16 world titles, hundreds of tournament wins. And look, um, it’s pretty much all I’ve got, so it’s going to be over to you now. Um, Robbie is going to be in the arena any second with a microphone. There he is. And if anyone’s got any questions, just alert Robbie. Robbie Williams there. For the next half an hour or so, Phil’s going to uh answer your questions best he can. Uh, my name’s Dexter. Where did you get your nickname from? Like the power. It was given to me by a fellow what worked for Sky named Peter George. And they have a war what you call a walk-on manager. And he he did all the walk-ons. He used to do the walk-ons. I don’t know if you remember Nigel Ben and Chris Eubanks. You’ve heard of Chris Eubanks Jr. The boxer. Prince Nasim. No. God, I feel old. No. So he was the one Sky were just evolving then and he wanted to make the darts a little bit like you know the WWF wrestling with all the flashy lights and everything. He says darts is an old person sport so we need to revamp it and make it more exciting. Get the kids involved. Get the audience younger because the average age was like 45 to 85 where now it’s like six years old to 25 years old. It’s the ideal age groups for the sponsors cuz that’s the the the target audience that they want cuz obviously the teenagers have got a bit more money in the pocket so they got more money to spend. So that was the thingy. So it was a fail and he tr on a CD cuz Sky then there was CDs. It’s all all digital now and it was a it was a a CD called Snap the Power. That was how I got it. Fluke. Anyone else? It’s a unique opportunity to ask a question to the greatest darts player of all time. Let us know your name and your question. You have my head as big as me. We’ll keep saying that. Hello, I’m James and um if you could if you went back in time and knowing what you know now, would you all do it over again? Yes, but I’d done it better and I wouldn’t have earned 10 million. I’d have earned 100 million cuz I’ had a proper team around me. You know what I mean? There’s more ways of making money now. It’s not all about money, don’t get me wrong, but you’ve got to set yourself up so you you you you don’t have to worry for the rest of your life. And look after your parents. You know what I mean? I’ve got kids. They’ve all got houses and cars and things like that. So, give him a nudge, Dad. Don’t forget. Look after your dad. So, that’s what you got to do. But again, more dedication. I could I could have been better. Yes, Doug. Yeah, I think we got another one at the front. Hi, my name’s Danielle. Are there any plans or talks of you making a little comeback to have a little game with Luke Little? No. No. That we we played Jenga. That’s what it was. It was April the 1st. It was a joke. So they built it up. Didn’t you not get the joke? Who? We played Jenga. He plays Jenga. I’ve never I didn’t even know what Jenga was. So he beat me. But I’m going to practice now and get him back. But he’s a lovely lad, you know. I know he you know people say he’s coming over cocky. Trust me, don’t change. If they don’t like it, that means you’re doing something right. Eric Bristo once years ago when I first started and he shouted me across says, “Phil, come here. See all these lot talking to me, Big Cle and John Low and all them lot.” I said, “Yeah.” He says, “They wouldn’t talk to me 10 years ago.” ignored me. He says, “You know what that means, don’t you?” What? He says, “I’m no good anymore. Me forms dropped.” And that happened to me because all the players 80 my gut as soon as I walked in the room they were complaining like the pro tours. I used to enter one pro pro tour or two Saturday and Sunday win them and that qualified me then for say bolt and then it moved down to mined. So I only played in one weekend and I I could miss the next album. There was 14. So the players complained. It’s not fair. Phil Taylor only turns up for one and he’s he’s qualified. So Barry F you’ve got to play into three now. you got to play three tournaments. I said, “All right, then.” I said, “Put me in everyone.” I said, “I’ll play everyone now and I’m going to write piss them off.” And I won the first 13 out of 14. They complained about that then. So, you can’t win. And it was exactly the same. And all the players then started talking to me. I thought Peter Mley, Kevin P is talking to me. I thought I can’t have this. You better get on that practice board. So, you have to watch the size a little bit. Do you know what I mean? Keep sticking your hands up and Robbie will come and find you. We’ve got one at the front here, a couple more there. Let us know your name and your question. Hi, my name’s Lyall. Do you think any Kyle Lyall? Oh, Lyle. Ly. Do you think anybody is ever going to beat your 16 world title record? They could do. I think they can. If I can do it, then they can. But staying dedicated, isn’t it really? Do you know what I mean? I was in the final 20 odd times. So, young young Luke’s got to stay dedicated. I mean, he’s got a relationship now. He’s gonna want to spend time. He won’t he doesn’t practice a great deal which will catch up on him. Trust me, you can’t keep doing it. So, um tiredness, whether he gets fed up with it, it’s like having steak for your tea every night. You’re going to get fed up with it. And that’s that’s the one thing you keeping motivated. That’s the hardest part. That’s one thing Ronnie Sullivan always asks me. How would you keep motivated all the time? Because I’m I like me money. I mean I if a pound roll down the down the street I’d run after it and that’s what Barry used to say. He say you got he used to call me he said you got a council house mentality which is great. Do you know what I mean? Stay motivated. Forget about how much money you got. Keep going cuz you’re only as good as your little next game. What do you guys think? Will anybody else ever get near winning 16 world titles? You never know. It standards too high now though. But the dart board’s a lot better. When we first started, if you have a look, you got these big round wires and they used to have bounce outs nearly every three darts where now the bigger trebles because the wires are very small. I’d love playing on them now, trust me. Look at that. Beautiful. Hi Phil, my name’s Bill. Is it not bad? I was just wondering whether whether you’ve been backstage and it’s kicked off or um once I think twice the f the first week was always having fun fun with them. Yeah, it’s good. It’s good fun. I’d tell them I was I was very straight with them and I’d tell them if if they were, you know what I mean? If they’ve taken a Mickey kind of thing. I get Peter right to telling off once, which I which I regret in a way because he it upset him. Um Peter Manley have had a go at M King have had a go at. You do often mention the time when Peter Manley took the dart board off. That upset you, didn’t it? Didn’t upset me. It it what it did is I I was in Blackpool and I used to take the darboard off the wall and sign it and get the player to sign it and give it to one of the youngsters. In fact, over the years I’ve had somebody tap me on the shoulder, turn around, there’s a lad standing there about 6’5. Remember me? I was that little lad you give that door to. I was only seven then says I’ve I’ve never forgot it now. He’s a big man if you know what I mean. Um but yeah, we’ve had a few dust up but it it soon gets blown out the water. You can’t you can’t stay like that for too long because you you’re with each other ne next week and the week after and the week after [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Hello. Um, I’m Sunny. Sunny? Yeah. Sunny now. Bloody hell. Yeah, it is. Yeah. Uh, what happened with the Daryl Gurnie incident? What was that about? With the water or something? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That was just a wind up. That was when I went on stage cuz normally you go on stage if you go on first there’s two glasses. You pour some in that one and pour some in that one. So I just thought I mark it. That was it. He didn’t speak to me, you know, for about four months. It was lovely. It’s about respect. Respect goes a long way. Doesn’t cost nothing as well. Please and thank you as well is another one which a lot of youngsters don’t do anymore. But do it because don’t caution out. We got one there. I felt them, James. I know you are. A couple of weeks ago, of course, we had the World Cup of darts and the media like to vilify the Lukes after they lost to Germany. Do you remember have any similarities when you and James Wade lost to Spain in the first World Cup? I can’t bloody remember to be honest with you. I don’t know. We played well. The Spanish the Spanish Peters, didn’t they? They played really well. The lads did, but it was the first one. So, I don’t I think the pressure was off a little bit. But I think the two Lukes were really really up against it. They were a little bit like a rabbit in a headlight, weren’t they when they first walked on, but I did think they’d win it. I thought I thought they’d walk it, but um just didn’t I thought the Germans played well. I watched that game and they finished well, didn’t he? I will follow up on that, Phil, because you had a lot of success in that tournament with Adrien Lewis, who obviously you knew very well. How important is it to click as a team when you’re playing? Well, it’s it’s a pairs is a game you don’t play much of now. where we used to play pairs tournaments and mixed doubles and mixed trebles all the time when I was in the BDO. It’s so changed. I mean, we go can Canada or America and you’d have a tournament start at 8 in the morning. It’ be the mixed pairs that be played which which was about 250 people in it. And then about 2:00 there’d be the mixed the men’s pairs and then during the men’s pairs they’d start the men’s singles, the ladies singles. There was tournaments going on and sometimes I won everyone and it was two o’clock in the morning when you finished and then you got get up again the next morning, start all over again. That’s how it was. Um, but you had to do it to earn a living. It was it was hard work. And the the the American one was best of three 301 and bull up every leg cuz Americans were good at bulling up. They were used to it. So you bull for the first first leg. So best of three and it was double in double out 301 and then you bull up again and then you bull up again if it was one each. But hard work that one was. And that was all the way through to the final. I believe that man’s got another question. What title meant the most to you? And why? The world championship. Which one? First one. The first one. Why? Cuz you’ve done it. That’s your dream. What’s your dream now? Be world champion. So when you win your first one, you’ve done it. Then you can work on it then. Get your million quid bell and then you get invited to different places then and you’ll get into more tournaments. So that sets your career up then and it it secures you a little bit as well. So pay your mortgage off. I mean it’s all about to me it’s making your life simple. So don’t I mean Young Luke now is renting somewhere. Buy one. Don’t be giving your money away. So and you also you’ll gain money on it then as well because it’ll go up in value. Can you still remember that feeling of winning that first world title? I do. Yeah. 24,000. I got me dad a little car. We put ribbons on it. little um Austin Maestro it was. He was lovely. And then I bought him a Merc after that. I got him a new Merc. Well, second. It was only a few months old. And he used to work on a tile factory on Johnson’s putting the patterns on the tiles called Mottlin. And he used to go work half an hour earlier shining the badge up on the B. He had the one with the badge on. Remember the old Merc? He had one of them. So he bit of a snob. Morning message on he come in and ask her dad’s got a Merc. Have we got any more questions? A couple at the front. Three at the front. Hi. If you were back in your prime right now, how well do you think you’d do against the current players? Brilliant. And one other question. If you could change one rule in darts, what would it be? And one rule in darts? Yeah. I don’t know. I’ll think about that one. The one thing I would stop when we used to play on stage, even if it was winter, the people that smoke used to be outside by the back door here with the back doors wide open. So when you’re on stage, there was a breeze, wasn’t there? And it made it cold. All the cold air is coming in. So that’s one thing I would have stopped straight away. And I used to say to him, and another one is, it’s not a rule, but the stage, this one’s solid, but a lot of the stages used to be bouncy. So if you’re playing somebody who’s a little bit heavier like like Aiden was a big lad about 20 stone when they walked back when you’re when you’re aiming you were like this because the stage were bouncing. I used to say to the people pulling the stage up get a couple acros and a couple of scaffolding planks and just boost it up there. That’s all you got to do. But they wouldn’t do it. Yeah. Set the stage up. Just go down the town enjoying theelves. There was an incident when James Wade complained about Adrian. Yeah. There’s loads of it. That that happens all the time. How many uh hours a week do you think for like youngsters around sort of 12 13 they should be? Now I would say when when when I was practicing properly I practice very very serious though. I only used to do about an hour but it was serious practice. So when I finished I was I was my eyes were tired and I knew then I’d had a good session. So I never I never practiced just playing at the board. It was always as if I was in the final of world championship. So what I did on the practice board, it was easier up here than when I was practicing. So I made it hard work for myself and that’s all you need. And that I used to follow other sports. My mate was a bodybuilder. Kerry Kay’s used to look after Ricky. And he had a picture. He was like Mr. Britain. Fantastic body. I said, “How long did you train Kerry?” You know, per day. He said 40 minutes. He said, “It’s not the amount of time you practice, it’s what you do in that practice.” And I thought that’s clever. I like that. And it’s about recuperation as well. So, and and darts is like any sport where you know snooker you your mind’s got to be fit and healthy and and wide awake. So, you need your rest. And that’s again you say to Aiden, make sure you get get your rest in because if you’re tired, you can’t perform because AD said Phil never told me anything. Only go to bed early, which I did. Uh we’ve got about 10 more minutes. So, don’t be that person who thought I’m going to ask Phil Taylor a question and then didn’t do it. You’ve still got a chance to do so. So, do it. Do it. hands in the air. Uh we’re obviously here because there’s the women’s week finishing off later tonight in the modus. Um hopefully that Bo Gre will hopefully get a tour card next year. Do you think she could ever get anywhere close to the final stage of the of the main Prehip without a shadow of a doubt she can? She’s a hell of a player that that lady is. She’s really really good. Nice nice person as well. So and she’s one I’d like to to do well for her. You know what I mean? She’s she deserves to do well. She’s a good girl. Um, and it it would be great for TV, honestly. They’d go mad if she ever does it. She will she’ll make some money. I tell you that now. And she’ll be dead famous. She’ll probably be knited. If Alen Sherick can get her MBE, you know what I mean for her career, then I think she could get even better. So, it’s brilliant. I’m proud of the ladies. I think they’ve come on fantastic. It’s good, good, good for the sport as well. And of course, we have got, as you mentioned, that women’s week finals coming up this evening. up. You’re all staying behind for that. We might have a couple of the players in the audience. Uh Robin Burn and and Sophie McKinley. I don’t know about you. Look, I’m absolutely sweltering. Um any more for anymore? Oh, no. I’ve just get up then. There’s always one, Phil. There’s always one. Not not dance related. Since uh your mate Robbie’s been over doing his tours, have you met up with Robbie and his dad or Pete? See Pete all the time? He lives lives in one of my bungalows. Yeah, he’s all right. Pete is he’s a lot better. He’s having a bit more care now. Yeah. So he’s he’s seemed to spruced him up a little bit. I shall see him on Tuesday now. He’s all right. Yeah. Robbie Williams is talking about not this Robbie here with the microphone. I thought about him. Yeah. How how much how well do you know that William’s family? Because you mentioned very very well. Yeah. Yeah. His mom’s in a care now. So I don’t see Jan. I used to see Jan quite regular. I don’t see her now at all. Peter I see all the time or speak to him most most days. And I heard a little rumor that you’re the inspiration for one of Robbie Williams’ songs. Is that right? Me and him together called Better Man. It’s called Better Man. And and the lyrics about 30 odd seconds. And he says they said it was leaving me. The magic was leaving. I don’t think so. And that was about me and him because everybody said his career was finishing and mine was finishing. So we he got a a lyric out your song. I believe our Robbie said it was leaving. I believe our Robbiey’s got a question for you as well. Someone asked you a really good question about do you think your 16 world titles will ever be beaten and most people shook their head that’s not going to happen but you said you actually think it’s really possible. It is possible. Do you silly question maybe do you hope that happens knowing that you’ve laid that foundation and that that probably wouldn’t have been possible but for your input in the sport. I don’t know. I’m I’m I’m 50/50. If it does see every time Luke Lley does well or Luke Humphre does well it gives me more publicity. It’s ever so strange. It keeps you in the limelight. It’s because everybody starts forgetting about you and all of a sudden Phil Taylor’s record. Phil Taylor’s record and that’s all you ever hear. It’s It’s strange because you’re sitting at home watching YouTube and then you’ll be getting mentioned all the time. It’s ever so It’s ever so weird. No, but I think I think Luke Humphre or Luke Ller are young enough and dedicated enough to to break records. I think that’s what they’d be after anyway. If I was them, I would be, but it would be difficult because, you know, Luke Lumpre didn’t win it this year. Luke Blitler won it. Then you’ve got next year, so that’s two years you’ve you’ve lost. So, it’s going to be difficult to make at least 20 20 maybe 22 23 finals and win 16 of them. So, it’s hard especially the way and Barry’s improving the field, isn’t he? He’s making it more harder for people. So, you’re going to have to be down there for longer. plus the World Series and the World everything else with that many World titles now. It’s it’s going to be difficult to keep your stamina up and to keep your form up for so many months. You got to be 12 months on the you know good now. If you notice the world pairs which is nothing really but they get slated because they lost and if they lose the world match play they’ll get slated about that. So the pressure is on all the time which I know how it feels but they aren’t used to it yet. So, it’s even worse now. I mean, it’s in the I read the news every day, Google news, and it Luke Little’s in there every day. Not much about Luke Humphrey’s, but Luke Litler every day. Luke Litler only gave his misses a cuddlies in the papers. Hello, I’m Mandy. What made into darts? Sorry. What made you actually get into darts? Money and that was it. No other sport. No, I enjoyed it. No, I did enjoy darts. Did you do any other sport? I tried other sports. Did the only sport I was ever decent at was cricket. I played county cricket when I was a kid. I was a good bowler. Was rubbish at batting, but I was a good bowler. I used to practice bowling all the time and that I think given me the skill for the darts. Seriously, I love cricket. I wasn’t in love with cricket though. Found it a bit boring. Do you know what I mean? I didn’t like fielding. I didn’t want to be on the ed with the ball even though I think you think I have. But uh football I was just normal normal kid. But uh oh I love badminton. I used to love badminton squash believed it or not but I wasn’t quick enough. Even when I was fit I wasn’t quick enough. If if you could change your walk on song, what would it be? I’m too sexy for my If you could just pass a mic straight a song by Chubby Brown had a cheesy too, but I’m not telling you what it is. Yeah. Uh uh and we all know you’re a big Port Vale fan, Phil. Is wellish. Yes. I like football. Yeah, it’s true. Yes. Well, I’m a Huddersfield fan, so we’ll be playing each other next season. But what do you think Portville might do next season? Hopefully, we’ll be mid table. Stay up there. That’s the main thing. I think they have spent a bit of money, I think. So, we’ll have to see what happens. I only went one game last year and we won 5-nil. It was the best. I know. Best game I’ve been. It was soon as I sat down, I was back up again. They’re all singing and dancing. Let’s hear it one more time. Fulfill the power. Taylor [Music] [Music]