On the Oche: How darts went from pub game to cash-rich modern sport – Part five: The birthplace

Many of the professional darts players lighting up our screens on a regular basis have their local pub to thank for honing their skills to an ability to earn thousands of pounds. 

Like snooker, darts is a sport born out of the boozer.

This traditional pub sport has become a phenomenon among the people, with arenas being packed week-in week-out to see the best players in the world take to the oche for enough prize money to make your eyes water.

But is the scene in which the game originated from actually holding the game back from becoming even bigger than it is now?

“To an extent, I’d say it is,” claims sports journalist and darts fan Callum Boyle.

“When you consider that unless you’re lucky enough to have a dart board at home, your only option is to play at the pub.

“And when you’re a young kid wanting to play, that isn’t possible unless you have someone older going with you, of course.”

However, sports reporter Keifer MacDonald believes that darts has hit a ceiling in terms of its growth; a ceiling reached thanks to the pub scene. 

He said: “I’d say it’s not holding the sport back because how further can it go from where it is now? 

“Players are earning hundreds of thousands of pounds and selling out venues across Europe – and that’s come from the ‘pub sport’ background.

“I went to the Premier League event in Manchester a few weeks ago, and couldn’t believe how many people were there just to see games of darts. It’s insane how big it’s got.”

MacDonald added: “If anything, it shows that if it wasn’t for the pub background of the sport, darts would be nowhere near as massive as it is now.”

Morgan Sharp, 22, is a regular darts player in his local pub and he has recognised a boom in a younger generation playing the game – including himself – ever since the popularity of the sport shot up in recent years.

He said: “I only started having a go at playing after watching the World Championship on TV, but since then I’ve loved it!

“It’s great because you don’t have to be an amazing player to still enjoy the game.

“There’s a few of us that play together on a Wednesday night. It’s good fun, and more seem to join us each week.”

Sharp added: “I don’t think it’s the [sport] being held back because what would darts be without the pubs?

“It would be nowhere near as big.”

Neil Muckles is not someone who jumped on the darts bandwagon after its recent increased popularity.

He started playing the game when it was the norm for players to smoke and drink on stage; certainly long before the days of Gerwyn Price flexing his muscles after checking out a big finish.

“My dad used to play, I think I got it from him,” said Muckles.

“I started playing when I was 14, just in the house. But I soon started playing in the pub, obviously not drinking!

“Before I knew it, I was beating my Dad and his friends.

“I had people saying to me that I should play for a team, that sort of thing. That’s what got me into it.”

Muckles even revealed that he was rejected by a popular 80s TV show, thanks to his darting ability.

He claimed: “I got turned down from the show Bullseye, because they said I was too good!”

Muckles is still a regular darts player in his local pub – but not a lot has changed since he was a 14-year-old just starting out. 

“The pubs I go in, nothing changed playing darts,” he said.

“It’s still people my age and a bit older playing on the teams.

“But I’ve noticed a lot more young people watching darts on the TV.”

Darts has certainly become more of a mainstream sport in recent years in the UK.

Sky Sports, in particular, have continued to support the PDC’s live events, as well as increased coverage being shown on ITV.

And when a sport is in the mainstream, it is usually played by young kids. Whether that be inside or outside of school.

Darts is becoming no different.

In ‘gaming zones’ across the country – including a new leisure zone built in Doncaster– have implemented dart lanes to enable people to play outside of their homes, and more importantly, outside of the pubs.

Boyle believes that’s an important step for the sport, when he said: “I think giving people an alternative to playing darts in a pub is massive for the sport. Especially for the young people coming through.

“You never know, it could breed the next darts star.

“It’s something that wouldn’t have happened, I don’t think, if it wasn’t for darts becoming a much more popular sport.”

However, the pub scene is woven into the very fabric of darts in the present day, says PDC major title winner Paul Nicholson.

He said: “If you speak to people on the street and you mention the sport of darts to them, they'll probably still talk about Eric Bristow and Jocky Wilson – and having a drink while you’re playing.

“This is without doubt the biggest challenge that darts will ever face, because that reputation still precedes the modern game.”

It’s no secret that the PDC are trying to move the sport away from the ‘pub sport’ image – and Nicholson believes that the darting stars of now are making great strides to ensure darts is not being held back by its roots.

“We’re very fortunate to have the likes of [Gerwyn] Price, the likes of Peter Wright, and these other people come through,” he said.

“Look at someone like Joe Cullen, who is a lot more athletic, a good looking kid. That's what we need for our reputation 20 years from now to be remembered for.

“This is a big, big change that we need to make happen.

“But it's going to happen slowly – and we need the support of the players as well as the public.”

The change Nicholson alludes to will eventually come. But as it stands, darts and the pub still remain hand-in-hand...