Darts: Anderson signs up with big boys in PDC

AFTER months of speculation, former local darts player Gary Anderson has finally taken the plunge and signed up with the ^big boys^ in the PDC (Professional Darts Championship).

Anderson, who comes from Eyemouth, is a former world number one in the BDO (British Darts Organisation) and WDF (World Darts Federation), and has been rumoured to be thinking about joining the Barry Hearn promoted PDC ranks ever since his exit from the World Darts Championship at The Lakeside in early January, after which he symbolically threw his darts into the lake at Frimley Green.

But the switch was only confirmed last week when ^Dreamboy^ signed a contract in front of the Sky TV cameras at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh, where the second round of the lucrative 2009 Premier League event was being staged.

In front of a sell-out crowd of 3,500, Anderson was interviewed on Sky TV when he said: "It has been a long time coming.

"I^ve thought about it and I^ve come to the stage now when I^m thinking that darts is a business now more than a sport, so I think this is the right time for me to come across.

"With the Phil Taylor^s and Raymond Barneveld^s around of course it^s a challenge. It^s also a challenge for me as well coming across and trying to carry on where I left off in the BDO."

Anderson admits that watching the likes of Mervyn King and Robert Thornton doing well after making the move encouraged him to follow suit.

King is making his Premier League debut this season after just a couple of years, and as he sampled the Edinburgh atmosphere Anderson admitted that is where he wanted to be.

"I^m here tonight and I wish I was playing, but I^m not unfortunately," he added.

"Mervyn King^s done well and Rob Thornton has done well too so hopefully I can follow in their footsteps."

The 38 year-old has already tasted the big-time atmosphere that the PDC circuit has to offer, as he has twice reached the semi-finals of the Grand Slam of Darts, which is a competition open to players from both codes.

With several tournament wins to his credit, at home and abroad, Anderson, who is a Scottish international, is highly regarded by many of his fellow professionals, and some have predicted that he could be part of the Premier League scene within two years.

Meanwhile, Anderson is set to meet five-times world champion Raymond van Barneveld in a special charity exhibition later this year.

The event is being held in Alloa on April 3 and is aimed at raising funds for the Rachel House Kids Hospice in Kinross.

Anderson said: "During the year, myself and Gary Robson (his ^G-Force^ partner) will try to raise as much money as we can through the Men in Black team and we hope we have some success again in Alloa. I hope there will be a massive crowd."

For ticket details, visit the website www.MIB180.co.uk.

Story by: The Berwickshire News