Betfair Big Interview: Mervyn King

/ Ralph Ellis / 03 March 2010 / Leave a Comment

Mervyn King hopes to return to winning ways in the Premier League on Thursday night

"I’ve been playing some good darts, had some excellent results, and it’s been really positive stuff."

When Betfair set up a chat with darts star Mervyn King it was because he'd just become only the fourth player ever to win both PDC events in one weekend. By the time we met this week, though, he'd been knocked out in double quick time from two more . . .

Hi Mervyn, and sorry this is not quite the chat we were planning!

That's darts, though, isn't it, you take the rough with the smooth. Funnily enough I didn't play badly this weekend, it just wasn't good enough. I met two people who were both on great form and you just have to hold your hands up and say you'll try harder next time.

I'd rather dwell on the week before and the season as a whole - I've been playing some good darts, had some excellent results, and it's been really positive stuff.

How much of that is down to your new darts? You designed them yourself.

They've been good - my first weekend with them was in Gibraltar and I got to the semi-finals, and then I had a great game against Adie Lewis in my first Premier League outing with them, then the two wins in Swindon.

We read they've got extra grip?

Not really, the grip is exactly the same, but we've just moved the scallops slightly and the balance of the dart is slightly different, and they are a lot thinner.

So what's the process designing them? Do you sit with a pencil yourself?

It's more about talking to the technical people, explaining what I want, but I put an awful lot of time into it. The original ones I did I spent quite a while with somebody talking through the ideas as well as trying different bits he made. With these I already had the idea in my head of what I wanted, and I spent 11 hours just altering things and trying different aspects until I found what was right.

So if somebody buys Mervyn King darts they know you really created them rather than just put your name to something?

Yes, and I suppose that's quite pleasing for me. I've got used to that sort of shaped dart over the years, so I didn't want to go away from it too much, but I wanted to create a shape that would help you hold the dart in the same place every time. It just means you get a consistency to your throw.

Back in action with them in the Premier League in Exeter on Thursday night, then. Those matches have become great events.

Yes, we had 10,000 at the 02 Arena which was brilliant, we've got the audiences and they are great to play in. You have to be grateful just to be involved.

Does the regular standard of competition help you?

To be honest, actually probably not. At times I think it's too much, I have one day at home a week now with the Premier League and all the tournaments at weekends so it's very, very tiring. I think it's too much - but then you have to do it while it's there.

It must help to keep tasting that atmosphere, though?

To me it doesn't actually make a difference. I think it's more a case of treating every game the same, whether it's a floor game, a stage game, a Major or whatever. It's all about preparing in the right way and trying to be the best I can every single time.

Darts is going through a real boom time. Will snooker get the same sort of feel good effect now Barry Hearn is involved in that too?

It's probably not the answer I'm supposed to give, but to be I'm not sure. I think maybe snooker had its heyday, and there was too much of it at one time. You can't keep getting a particular sport on TV all the while otherwise it gets drenched and loses that attractiveness. You have to get between the two of overdoing it and not doing enough, you have to get the happy medium.

Ever played snooker?

Not seriously. Golf and fishing are my two relaxation sports, but there's not even enough time to play golf at the moment, and that takes even less time than fishing

Do you fish in competitions?

Just for pleasure. The best I've caught was a 35lb mirror carp, a 31lb pike, a catch of 22 tench between five and 10lb in four hours, so I've had some good ones in my time

Well, we hope you've got nothing to carp about in Exeter this week! Sorry for the fish gag, but we've got a £50 bet for a favourite charity to make up for it.

Thanks, the winnings can go to CLICSargent for children with cancer. I'm trying to spread the word about them - and I'll back Raymond Van Barneveld to beat Phil Taylor on Thursday at [8.0]. I think Barney's running into form.