PDC Championship Betting: Old man MaGowan prepares for the spotlight again

Darts / Ralph Ellis / 26 December 2008 / Leave a Comment

Once a Bullseye contestant, John MaGowan will again grace television screens across the country when he takes on Dennis Priestley on Monday...

If you're good enough, you're old enough. And conversely if you're good enough you're young enough. Sport's the one thing that takes no account of age, colour or creed - only ability. So there'll be a good few active pensioners up and down the country rooting for 67-year-old John MaGowan when the Northern Ireland grandfather is back on the oche at Alexandra Palace on Monday for his second round clash with Dennis Priestley.

On the face of it there shouldn't be too much of a contest. Priestley is a former title holder and the last time they met in the PDC Championship (when it was staged at the Circus Tavern) three years ago he won 3-1 after MaGowan had taken the first set. No surprise, then, that Priestley is [1.53] to repeat the win this time.

But sport has a habit of throwing up odd heroes and could this be MaGowan's time? This morning's papers reveal it would be jolly good, super, smashing if he made it.

MaGowan, it seems, was once a contestant on the cult quiz show "Bullseye" back in the 1980s and he's been telling the tale. He and friend Andy Brunn went on the show, famously hosted by Jim Bowen, and got through to the last stage.

It was a big year for MaGowan because he also made his debut for Northern Ireland, and he recalls: "Andy was a very clever fellow and he answered correctly all the questions to help us win £380 and get to the final. We did okay on the prize board and won a few things, including a camera set which I fancied. But we decided to risk the lot and gamble them for Bully's star prize.

"We were both confident we could get 101 in six darts. But nerves or whatever got the better of us and we ended up failing. We were gutted when Jim Bowen said to us: 'Come and see what you would have won' because the prize was an all expenses paid holiday to Barbados. We still won the £380 and had a great day out, though."

MaGowan reckons that experience - and a few other big matches since - will help him stay calm when Monday comes. He said: "I felt great up there in the first round game. I did not even go for a break. I just waited by the side. Experience brings so much to your game and having played in this championship before you know when you are up there that the crowd starts to get going and you can just blot it out and concentrate."

Already guaranteed £8,000 in prize money by winning his first round match with Chris Mason with a shock 3-0 scoreline, he clearly doesn't plan on being told about "what you would have won" again!

Five things you might not know about Dennis Priestley...

1. Born in 1950 in South Yorkshire he was a coal merchant by trade and didn't start playing darts professionally until he was 39

2. He was picked as England captain in 1993 but was banned from taking the post after becoming a founder member of the World Darts Council when it split from the British Darts Organisation

3. He won the first ever PDC World Championships in 1994

4. When he first started playing professionally he bought a newsagent's shop to help supplement his income.

5. For six years until 2000 he and Phil Taylor used to compete at events but always share their prize money regardless of who won.