Must see #darts video "Sid Waddell Wacky World of Darts"

Check out the work of the irreplaceable Sid Waddell, RIP Sid.

Snookered by darts?

Why is snooker on the wane, while darts is on the up and up?


I read an article in the Daily Mail recently, which posed this question: Why is the popularity of darts going through the roof, while interest on snooker seems to be on the wane?

It's an interesting point. With the success of the world championship at Ally Pally and packed houses at the Premier League every week, darts has never been more popular. Both sports were in Sheffield this week so it seems like a good time to have this debate.

My personal view is that the success of Phil Taylor is driving darts forward. He is doing things that have been making his fellow professionals gasp in recent times. James Wade (his biggest rival) and Dennis Priestley (now probably his biggest fan) have both commented on how he is raising the bar. (full article...)

The Northern Echo - Video

Darts commentator helps numeracy campaign. Legendary darts commentator Sid Waddell is supporting a campaign to improve adult numeracy and literacy (Video link...)

Voices of reason - Sid Waddell

This week I was very surprised to hear that the sports journalists of the Daily Mail not only named me in their top 50 sports commentators of all time, but ranked me as high as eighth in their list.

I was certainly in some esteemed company in the top 10 alongside the likes of Richie Benaud, Bill McLaren and my old buddy David Coleman whom I used to work with on darts from 1979-80. I was chuffed when I was named Sports Commentator of the Year in 2002, but to be named in the top 50 of all time alongside greats such as those was quite amazing.

My commentary style has been subject to a lot of criticism over the years (the phrase 'Tourette's Syndrome' has been used by some (full article...)

Darts hero Sid Waddell stunned by family secret

When Sid Waddell’s son Dan investigated his family background, he discovered secrets that left the famously talkative commentator speechless. MIKE KELLY reports
Dan Waddell

IT takes a lot to shut Sid Waddell up, but the famously verbal darts commentator was left speechless by stunning news from son Dan’s investigation into the Waddell family.

After trawling through online archives of birth, marriage and death certificates, Dan discovered Sid’s mum Martha was four months’ pregnant with him when she wed husband Bob.

There was more to come. Martha’s mum Mary Jane had also been four months pregnant with her daughter when she wed too. (interview link...)

Learning off by dart

Learning off by dart
Northern Echo, UK
By Catherine Priestley » EMPLOYEES across the North-East faced the quickwitted banter of commentator Sid Waddell when they took to the oche for a darts ...

Sid Waddell aims to help numeracy
Journal Live, UK
Cult darts commentator Sid Waddell hit the mark when he showed how darts can help your maths. Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version ...

Anastasia happy to do her bit for Girl Power after 'fit' Russian fails in bid

Dart and soul: How Sid Waddell turned a pub game into modern culture

The placards held up by superheroes or Smurfs have become as much a part of world championship darts as the tungsten flights of fancy of Sid Waddell.

First lady of darts can't make it as Dobromyslova bows out at the Palace

Anastasia Dobromyslova charmed the Ally Pally audience but could not break into the world of men's darts as she slipped to a 5-3 defeat to Holland's Remco van Eijden.

Anastasia happy to do her bit for Girl Power after 'fit' Russian fails in bid

Anastasia Dobromyslova is happy to be the 'fit bird with the darts', despite failing in her bid to become the first woman to beat a man in a professional tournament.

Waddell arrows in on man responsible for a renaissance

Sid Waddell will be in his element again when the arrows start flying in the PDC World Championship at Alexandra Palace tonight.

The little Geordie, with a voice which might have been specifically designed to wring every last ounce of drama from life around the oche, has become famous for his capacity to snatch metaphors and one-liners out of the air and, even when we spoke, the conversation included references ranging from Lee van Cleef, Harry Potter and the James Bond canon to such disparate individuals as Otis Redding, Sachin Tendulkar and Roger Federer.
(full article...)

Darts: Wit and wisdom of Sid Waddell

The list is almost endless, but here are some of the best Waddellisms.

"Fordham is sweating like a hippo in a power shower."

"Steve Beaton, he's not Adonis, he's THE donis."

"When Alexander of Macedonia was 33, he cried salt tears because there were no more worlds to conquer...Bristow's only 27."

"Keith Deller's not just an underdog, he's an underpuppy!"

"The atmosphere is so tense, if Elvis walked in, with a portion of chips...you could hear the vinegar sizzle."

(source link...)

By Mike Walters 18/12/2008

Sid Waddell: The Lynemouth Lip who always hits the target

The clock has ticked past midday in the Masons Arms in Pudsey, the West Yorkshire market town where Len Hutton, Herbert Sutcliffe and Ray Illingworth all learned their cricketing craft. Sid Waddell is running a little late, understandably so. The Geordie Voice of Darts has been busy penning a 650-word article for the Varsity Match programme – yes, the programme for the annual Varsity rugby union match at Twickenham. There was a time when Waddell could run fast enough to play the oval-balled game for North versus South in the England schools' trial match. He played in it twice, in fact: once as a wing, once as an outside-centre. He was also fast enough to win the Northumberland schools' 100 yards title in 1957. (full article...)

(More Sid...)

Geordie bard of the board

QUESTIONS OF SPORT: Darts commentator Sid Waddell on his famous one-liners and adoration of Newcastle United
Sid Waddell

How did you discover darts? When I was cramming for exams, aged about 16, my history teacher suggested I should get away from my studies for an hour or so every night. So I caught the bus to Morpeth and headed for the Earl of Grey pub, and played against people dressed in stiff jeans and lumberjack shirts. I loved the bright lights and aggressive backchat.

Were you interested in any other sports? Very much so. I played a lot of rugby union as a winger or outside-centre and nearly made the England under-15 team. I was also a very nippy sprinter and ran for Northumberland. At Cambridge University I represented my college, St John’s, at both rugby and football, but then drink and women took over.
(full article...)

Sid lifts the lid on kings of the oche

THE world’s greatest ever darts player has fixed his French doors, Eric Bristow’s Mum once hit him with her handbag, and he has enjoyed some mammoth drinking sessions with heavyweights like Jockey Wilson.

So it is no surprise that Sid Waddell has put pen to paper to share these experiences through his new book, Bellies and Bullseyes, pictured right.

Now the undisputed voice of darts, Waddell has been involved with the game since the 1970’s, when he created the hit TV show Indoor League, through to the Sky Sports-inspired era of today. (full article...)

PHIL TAYLOR'S winning bullseye at the World Matchplay final was the greatest dart EVER thrown.

That’s according to Sky Sports commentator Sid Waddell after the 13-times world champ hit a 132 checkout in his win over James Wade last Saturday.

Waddell said: “Phil Taylor is now defying the laws of physics the way he throws darts.

“Since he changed his darts on March 1 he is a more sophisticated player. He can actually get a dart to change direction just millimetres before it hits the board. (full article...)

REMINISCING ABOUT THE REEBOK - Sid Waddell - uniBlog

Phew!!! I am sitting in my Pudsey garden in 78 degrees of balmy heat just shaking my head in wonder at the great darts fest we had at Bolton.

Keeping tabs on 170 plus darters was difficult and doing 26 hours of live telly was invigorating but it was hour by hour a pure gas.

Looking through my tatty water-spotted notes, here’s what jumps out off the pages…
Unicorn - REMINISCING ABOUT THE REEBOK - Sid Waddell - uniBlog

FUN AND FLAIR AT BOLTON Sid Waddell uniBlog

I’ll start with a joke…

Have you heard the one about the undertaker, the karaoke DJ and the bloke who packs David Beckham’s toiletries?

Punch line: They all reckon they can beat Barney, Taylor, Lloyd, Mason and Wade and Co and win the UK Open at Bolton. They are Nigel Heydon, alias Deadly of Leamington Spa, Disco Ian Walters of Manchester and Fragrant Dave Ladley of Scunthorpe. And therein lies the appeal of this weekend’s Open – the FA Cup of darts, where the minnows meet the sharks.

Since its inception in 2003 the Open has produced some remarkable darts. Phil Taylor did a nine-darter in 2004 and 2005. Adrian Lewis and Chris Mason, both currently in cracking form, had a belter of a match a couple of year’s back in which 19 180s were thrown. Last year bullet-headed Barrie Bates of Wales crushed his way to the final against Barney.

Unicorn - FUN AND FLAIR AT BOLTON Sid Waddell uniBlog

Darts Qoute by Sid

"Barney's as flat as a Dutch mountain range."
Sid Waddell during the Sky Sports commentary on the Premier League Darts semi between Raymond van Barneveld and Terry Jenkins.
BBC SPORT - Fun and Games - Quotes of the Week

Unicorn - Sid Waddell - uniBlog: ONWARD AND UPWARD

Once upon a time darts was played in a corner of a pub with a top whack audience of two dozen and the chuckers sometimes had to ask if the missile was in the right bed. Spectator sport? Don’t make me smile. For the past three months we have had upwards of 5000 punters riveted on ‘pomp darts’, as in ‘pomp rock’, played in massive arenas for the Premier Darts League and big audiences every Thursday night on Sky. Why are the modern masses hooked? In no particular order, here are a few reasons. Unicorn - Sid Waddell - uniBlog: ONWARD AND UPWARD

Unicorn: NOSTALGIA TIME AT CARDIFF Sid Waddell uniBlog

The Premier League swept into Cardiff last week and I was swept through with great memories.

I recalled, happily, for several Welsh newspapers the great days of Alan Evans and Leighton Rees, the two men who really put darts on the map in the late 1970s and early 80s. Their flamboyance, character and skill at the Indoor League and on other telly darts grabbed the public imagination. So I was delighted to get a warm letter from Alan’s daughter Claire and her husband Mark thanking me for keeping his name alive. Take it from me, if there had been a Premier League in 1980 Evans and Rees would have been in it – along with Brissy and Lobo. Who do you reckon would have been the other four?
Unicorn: NOSTALGIA TIME AT CARDIFF Sid Waddell uniBlog

Sky Sports - The Premier League From King George's Hall

The Premier League arrives at the King George's Hall in Blackburn this week and Sid says that after returning to winning ways in Cardiff seven days ago Barney will edge his top three tussle with Dennis Priestley in Lancashire...

Sky Sports - The Premier League From King George's Hall

icWales - Darts: A night of magic darts

JONATHAN ROBERTS goes backstage on darts' big night out in Wales and finds the legendary Sid Waddell speechless for once.

SID WADDELL is a man rarely lost for words. The charismatic Geordie, the voice of darts for nearly 30 years, is renowned for his over-excited, over-the-top and often bizarre brand of commentary.
icWales - Darts: A night of magic darts