Darts Betting: Massive upset if Wade and Taylor don't meet in final

Darts / Ralph Ellis / 25 July 2008 / Leave a Comment

The success of James Wade and Phil Taylor is, in part, down to healthy lifestyles. Something other darts players should considers, says Ralph Ellis.

For a sport that is starting to attract big TV audiences, and generates a substantial betting market, darts still struggles to receive any sort of serious newspaper space. Maybe that's because sports editors tend to take one look at some of the roly-poly, beer-bellied players and take the view that it simply still isn't actually a sport as opposed to a game. And just to underline that the Sun has finally given a page lead this morning to the World Matchplay Darts championships - but only because TV pundit Rod Harrington has labelled some of the top stars as being too fat and lazy!

Harrington, a former World number one, says Phil "The Power" Taylor is being given a clear run because while he's working in the gym to make sure his stamina holds up under the heat of TV arc lights, too many of the others are working out their right elbow down at the pub.

The man dubbed "The prince of style" during his playing days, is quoted: "The likes of Colin Lloyd and Adrian Lewis have got the scoring power to give Phil a tough game, but they are throwing away their talent. They're simply overweight and not practising enough.

"Phil is getting even hungrier for success and working even harder to maintain his standards. He goes to the gym every day, practises hard, has a strict diet, hardly drinks alcohol and goes to bed early. The other guys need to take a look at Phil and take his example"

The piece comes complete with pictures of Lloyd, Peter Manley and Ted 'The Count' Hankey. And whatever Hankey has been counting it clearly wasn't calories!

Harrington's thoughts reflect the views of James Wade in our own Betfair Big Interview last week. The defending Matchplay champion also talked about the importance of keeping fit and fresh, and it's no surprise that he's through with Taylor into the semi-final line up. Wade is now [5.1] to retain his title, and that looks increasingly good value because The Power has not needed to be at his best so far, and probably hasn't been.

Taylor, who is [1.29] to take the Matchplay crown away from Wade, plays Dennis Priestley in his semi-final, while former Kwik Fit mechanic Wade faces Wayne Mardle in the other. Mardle is as long as [32.0] to win the championship despite beating Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld yesterday. He was 12-7 down at one stage but came back to edge his way through 18-16. "I've proved I've got the bottle to battle", he's told The Sun. He'll need it because for either Wade or Taylor not to make the final would be a massive upset. Priestley is [80.0] to win the event.

Five things you might not know about Phil Taylor

1. Born in 1960, his real middle name is not 'The Power' but Douglas.

2. He was an out of work teenager when Eric Bristow discovered him playing darts in a Stoke pub and sponsored him to the tune of £10,000

3. Taylor repaid the debt and became the first darts player to win more than £1million in prize money

4. He appeared playing darts with Justin Hawkins of The Darkness in the video for Hawkins' solo single 'This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us'

5. His walk on music might be The Power by Snap, but his favourite CD in the car is by Joe Cocker.