Thornton Dubbed "Pit bull" as he Aims to Bite Back

Robert Thornton has revealed his missus calls him her “pit bull” as he aims to find his stage bite again. The Ayrshire ace has suffered a slump in form since winning the World Grand Prix almost four years ago. But The Thorn, 51, remains defiant after a recent Pro Tour win over Michael van Gerwen and a nine-darter showing he’s still capable of big wins. He said: “I’ll be quite happy if I can keep throwing well for the rest of the season. “I think when I play Michael he always tries to get one over on me because I beat him in the Grand Prix final. “Michael is vulnerable, everybody knows he is. Keep on top of him, you can put him under pressure. It’s all on the day. Everyone can be beaten in this game now. “It was great to also hit a nine-darter. I broke my duck there because usually when I hit a nine-darter I lose! “Rob Thornton’s not going anywhere. My wife is on the mend and The Thorn is going to come back. That’s my backbone my missus. She calls me her little pit bull with the heart of a lion but she’s the driving force. “I don’t think I’ll make it to the Matchplay in Blackpool but I’ve set my sights on the Grand Prix again in Dublin. I want my title back. Double start and finish is my game, I love it. “It seems like a long time ago now winning in 2015. But if anyone out there thinks The Thorn is done, I’m certainly not. I’m coming back.” Thornton was also quick to dismiss any thoughts of quitting like the other elder statesman Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld - and hit out at gamesmanship. He added: “I don’t care about these young upstarts coming up and thinking they can beat me. The old boys want to improve just as much as they do. We’ve got as much fire in us as them, trust me. “Look at Steve Beaton, he’s still going strong. The Bronzed Adonis turns up, smile on his face, and churns out the results. We can all do it. “The gamesmanship is good for watching on TV. But sometimes players go over the top and you don’t need to. “Yes give it the big one when you take out a big finish. But not when you hit a 140 or ton, you just don’t need to. It’s silly.” By Phil Lanning (@lannomedia)