In an exclusive interview with BOYLE Sports, Darts legend Raymond van Barneveld has spoken honestly about his future in the sport and what his remaining goals are.
The Dutchman had plenty to say about the influence of increased money on Darts, how that will impact the players and controversially opens the idea that the World Championships are moved to where the money is!
Elsewhere, he gives his thoughts on whether there could be some Darting crossovers with the English Premier League or F1, the growth of the sport and if England’s dominance will continue.
van Barneveld: My Remaining Goals
My targets are to get in all the majors. I’m struggling with that on the tour. Euro Tour not so well. Pro Tours not so well. I’m not really a morning person. I can’t eat that great, and the Pro Tours start at 1 pm in the afternoon. I know I have to work harder than ever.
Normally, I have a natural throw. Wherever I was, I was always fine. But now, more and more, I notice that it hurts. It hurts a lot because you can’t think about why this is happening, why I’m not winning anymore.
Sometimes you have to deal with defeat 3 to 4 times a week. It doesn’t make it easier. Your head is thinking, stress will come. Sometimes I think, what is a good thing to do? Still carry on with this, winning a couple of rounds, or winning one round and then going home again? It’s tough.
I still want to try to qualify for all the major tournaments and do well there. Still get in the top 32, top 16 if possible. But is it realistic? I’m not sure, but not with my current game. I need to improve more, find ways to get in shape and get more energy.
I’m a diabetic, and we saw a lot of players in the past with diabetes who never could come back: Jamie Caven, Andy Hamilton and Colin Lloyd. They were suffering from it. It’s a killer, it’s a sniper. We’ll see this year the World Championship, then next year, and then I’ll make a decision if I still like it or not.
Maybe I’ll do exhibitions, maybe online training. I’m pretty okay with all of it.
Moving The World Championships? Go Where The Money Is!
I would say Holland, but in all honesty, where? It’s always good to have your own crowd, but I don’t want to get it out of London, because I love England, I love London, it’s a great venue. Not that I had my best results ever in Alexandra Palace, because I did better in the Circus Tavern, of course, I won the tournament there.
But to see the crowd in England, there’s nothing better than being in England at Christmas time in London. It’s a very great time, but full of pressure. They were busy selling it to Saudi Arabia, but I never believed in that.
But darts needs to go where the money is. If someone turns up and says, put it here in Germany, or America, and you can earn hundreds of thousands of pounds or millions, the PDC will think about it. In the Netherlands, maybe the Johan Cruyff Arena. As long as a lot of spectators can come in.
Even at the Worlds, 3,000 can go in, but on Premier League nights, we see Leeds, the arena in Leeds holds 13,000. I don’t see why the PDC doesn’t go there. They can sell many more tickets.
Investing in Liverpool
One English football club? Well, Liverpool at the moment, they’re doing really well. They’re in a flow. Last Sunday, again with that penalty at the end.
Sometimes you have luck on your side, and you can still beat Burnley 1-0 despite not playing well. They’ve got a good coach in Arne Slot, the guy’s Dutch, he was working for Feyenoord in Holland, and now he’s working for Liverpool. He won the Champions League last year.
Could Littler Assist Manchester United?
They’re two different sports. Being one person at that level requires being mentally strong, and you can’t compare it with a team sport. But you have to believe in dreams. Many footballers believe in dreams, and they go for their own careers, like Messi and Ronaldo.
But as a team, you can maybe have one or two individuals who have a dream, but maybe the others, for them, it’s just about the money. You have the same in darts. This year, 128 players are going to compete in the World Championship, but how many of these 128 really believe they can win the £1million? Maybe 32 or 40, that’s it.
It’s the same with football. Some players really want to set goals, to win this, to win that. Others don’t. It’s hard to compare with an individual sport, but mentally, Luke Littler is one of the best.”
The Growth Of Darts
I think so. Darts is growing big time. If you speak to Barry Hearn, he will tell you that. He does multiple sports, fishing, snooker, boxing, but he says darts is the best-selling at the moment. So why not?
All over the world, it’s not so huge. In South America, it is not really popular, but in Eastern Europe, it’s getting better. Belgium is coming up, Germany is huge. Spain, not so much. The sport needs to grow, and that’s why the World Series is there all over the world, even in Poland.
Last time in Poland, there were 13,000 visitors just for the World Series, which is crazy. So maybe in 3 to 5 years, worldwide, we’re going to have more nationalities in the sport.
Max Verstappen Darts Career!
I don’t follow Formula 1, but I was told that Max Verstappen was in England for the Grand Prix, and he played some games, I think against Littler. He was playing well. I don’t know the results, but I would say Max then.
Darts Can Help Team Spirit!
Definitely! If you put up a dartboard, that’s what footballers would love to do. I have had contact with Robin van Persie and Davy Klaassen at Ajax and Arjen Robben in the past. Rafael van der Vaart, too, they all love the game. If you hang one in the canteen at the football club, when these guys hang out off training, competing makes fun. That’s good for the quality in the group. Why not?”
England’s Darting Dominance
I never understood how England dominates sport so much. The only fair answer I can give is that darts in Holland, and in the rest of the world, has been well known for maybe 30 or 40 years.
In England, it goes way further back, in the pubs. Because the country is huge, more players are playing it, so you get better players easier.
It’s the same with football. If you look at France and England, you’ve got better players compared to a tiny little country. The history of darts in the UK goes back many years. In the 70s, no one in Holland knew what darts was. Suddenly, they put up a dartboard in a pub in The Hague, and players were curious. We couldn’t follow English TV. Later, when we could see BBC2 and the old Lakeside, everyone wanted to get involved, to get better.
At the moment, we have really good Dutch players. On the Pro Tour, 128 players, and I think 25–28 are Dutch, which is a big number. I also think English players are better on doubles. I noticed that. Do they play in a certain way, like 301 Double Open or something? I have no clue, but I noticed English players are far better at hitting doubles than overseas players.
Money Will Change Darting Landscape
I could see more players pulling out. That’s one of the big fears the PDC must have. You see, Gary Anderson not showing up on Euro Tours. That’s his decision, but I don’t think the PDC or PDC Europe are happy with that. They think I don’t make money with exhibitions, I want a Euro Tour, I’m qualified for the European Championships, I earned enough on the Pro Tour.
The biggest fear is that some people earn so much money, like winning a million at the World Championship, that they say, ‘I’m safe for the next two years. I’ll do the Premier League, I’ll do the World Series, and that’s it. I’m in the majors anyway.
That could happen. Money can change everything. If players earn a lot, they might say,
I’m going to skip the next one, I’m going on holiday with my wife and kids.’ That could make a really big change.”
Darting Reflections: “I Can Still Do This”
My toughest opponent were always Phil and Michael. It looked like they always had an extra gear against me. They knew if they played me, they had to go into that gear. Nine out of ten times, that happened. Sometimes I was leading Michael 7–5, and he still beat me 10–9, many times. I don’t know where they get it from, but they always seemed to have that extra dart.
Phil Taylor and I had many battles, and most of them I lost, but I also won really important ones, and I’m proud of that. Also, once against Michael.
Littler, I didn’t play that much, only twice, it’s one each now. Humphries is also quality. But in my head, I know I can still do this. Otherwise, I would have given up. It’s tough at the moment, especially travelling with planes, delays, taxis and hotels. You don’t get much rest.
Sometimes, if you’re not playing your A-game, you want to rest, you want to practice for 2–3 weeks, but you don’t find the time. Tomorrow I fly to Manchester to do the launch for the new darts.
Thursday, I’m on the plane again to Budapest. A week later, Basel. A week later, the Grand Prix. It doesn’t stop. You have to prepare yourself well and take rest when you’re at home, but those moments are really rare.
I think Michael was tougher to beat than Phil. He always seemed to work it out. Many times, he came away with it. Sometimes I was leading 5–1, and he still beat me 6–5, and I’m thinking, this is not possible. What he’s doing is bizarre.
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