Mervyn King (darts)
Encyclopedia
Mervyn King is an English professional darts
player, who made his name in British Darts Organisation
events, twice reaching the World Championship final. He now plays in the rival Professional Darts Corporation
and has been ranked as high as fourth in the rankings. His nickname is The King.
. His first title in the BDO came in the 1996 French Open where he beat Leo Laurens
in the final. King has won several Open titles since he came onto the darts scene in 1995, including the Dutch Open in 1997. He made his debut at BDO World Darts Championship
in 1997 as a 30 year old. He reached the semi final of the event beating Ronnie Baxter
and Roland Scholten
before losing to eventual champion Les Wallace
. He won £8,700 for his performance.
King reached eight major finals whilst playing in the BDO and converted only two of them into tournament victories. It wasn't until 2004 that he claimed his first BDO major title when he won the World Masters in Bridlington
, defeating Tony O'Shea
6–5 in the final having trailed 3–5. His two other major victories to date have both taken place in Holland. The first of these was the 2005 International Darts League
, where he defeated O'Shea again in the final, this time by 13–11 in legs. Later the same year he added the Dutch Grand Masters
beating Martin Adams
5–4 in the final.
His first major final came in the 2000 World Masters where he beat such players as Peter Manley
and Colin Monk
before eventually narrowly falling to John Walton
2 sets to 3. King went into the 2002 BDO World Darts Championship
as number 4 in the event seedings and reached the final, losing to Australian Tony David
. King beat Raymond van Barneveld
in the quarter-finals 5-3 whilst averaging 101.67 before beating Colin Monk
in the semi-finals to reach his first World Championship final. As well as winning £24,000 for reaching the final, he also earned a further £2,000 for a 170 finish, the highest checkout in the tournament.
2003 proved to be a good year for King as he reached two major finals and the semi-final of the World Championships. He began the year with the 2003 BDO World Darts Championship
and was seeded third for the tournament. He whitewashed Colin Monk
5 sets to 0 in the quarter-finals before losing out to Raymond van Barneveld
in the semi-finals, denying him a second consecutive World Championship final appearance He went on to reach the finals of the 2003 International Darts League
and World Darts Trophy
losing out to Raymond van Barneveld on both occasions.
In 2004, King had another successful year as he reached two semi-finals and two finals, winning one, in the four BDO majors. He began the year ranked third in the seedings for the second consecutive year. In the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship, he narrowly beat Ritchie Davies
5 sets to 4 in the quarter finals before convincingly beating Tony O'Shea
in the semi-finals 5-1. Despite this he lost in the final for the second time in three years losing to Andy Fordham
3 sets to 6. After his good World Championship form he went on to reach the semi-finals of the 2004 International Darts League
and World Darts Trophy
narrowly losing to Tony David
and Martin Adams
8-9 and 4-5 respectively. He ended the year winning his first BDO Major in the World Masters as he beat Tony David
in the semi-finals 6-2 before winning the tournament prevailing against Tony O'Shea
in a tight encounter which ended 7-6 in favour of King handing him his first major title after his sixth final.
In 2005, he had his worst World Championship performance in four years, as he made only the quarter-finals, losing out to André Brantjes
2 sets to 3. King spoke of his poor form and prior to the 2005 BDO World Darts Championship
. King's next tournament that year was the International Darts League
. He beat Ted Hankey
, Co Stompé
and Simon Whitlock
before facing Tony O'Shea
for the second time in a major final, and won 13-11 to secure his second major BDO title. Also in 2005, King made the final of the World Darts Trophy
for the second time and on this occasion he was beaten again losing 4-6 against Gary Robson. This was to be King's last major final before his controversial switch to the Professional Darts Corporation
.
In 2006, King's form declined and his best result came in the 2006 World Darts Trophy
where he made the quarter-finals narrowly losing to Michael van Gerwen
4-5. He also made only the second round in the 2006 BDO World Darts Championship
whitewashing Brian Woods
3 sets to 0 before losing to eventual champion Jelle Klaasen
2-4. His last tournament as a BDO affiliated player came in the 2007 BDO World Darts Championship
where he made the semi-finals before losing 4-5 against eventual champion Martin Adams
. King was surrounded by controversy during this tournament following speculation about his future and a possible switch to the PDC. This would prove to be his last tournament as a BDO player.
(PDC) created much debate and controversy. During the 2007 BDO World Darts Championship
there was much speculation that King and three fellow BDO players (Michael van Gerwen, Jelle Klaasen and Vincent van der Voort) would be switching to the PDC after the World Championships. King was angry that rumours had surfaced and even threatened to quit the tournament as the speculation heightened even stating, "I'm really not happy with the treatment I've had today, not just from one person but from a lot of people who I have known for many years". Despite claiming to BDO press officer Robert Holmes that he would "rather pack up darts than play for the PDC" King announced his switch to the PDC on 6 February 2007 in a bid to "further his career". Having reached the semi-final of the 2007 BDO World Championships losing to eventual champion Martin Adams
, King had signed a contract confirming he would play at the 2008 tournament due to a clause in all contracts of BDO players stating that if they reach the semi-finals of the World Championship they are obliged to return the following year, with champions committing themselves to three years. King's switch meant that the BDO threatened legal action against King.
King made his PDC debut at a non-televised event, the Southern Regional Final of the UK Open on March 4, 2007. He reached the quarter-finals before losing to Wayne Mardle
.
During his first year in the PDC, he performed well on the 2007 PDC Pro Tour
, reaching one final, two semi-finals and four quarter-finals. He also gained a place in the 2007 World Matchplay where he reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champion James Wade
. His performances in his first year helped him steadily climb the world rankings and qualify for his first PDC World Championship. In his first PDC World Championship
he fell to Dutchman Roland Scholten
in the second round.
where he lost 7-5 to Phil Taylor.
His first PDC title came at the Scottish Players Championship in Glasgow in April 2008 where he beat Taylor on his way to a 3-0 victory over Mark Dudbridge
. He also won a Pro Tour title in the Netherlands, beating Raymond van Barneveld
. He also had two semi-final appearances in the 2008 World Grand Prix and the 2008 Grand Slam of Darts
losing to Raymond van Barneveld
and Phil Taylor respectively. King ended the year and went into the 2009 PDC World Darts Championship
as world number 13 in the PDC Order of Merit
. His first year performances saw him win the Best Newcomer prize at the annual PDC awards dinner.
, and this turned out to be his best result in the PDC World Championship to date. He beat Barrie Bates
in the quarter-finals before falling to Phil Taylor 2-6 with Taylor averaging 103.44. His performance in the World Championship meant that he moved up to 6 in the PDC Order of Merit
and therefore qualified automatically for the 2009 Premier League Darts
.
King carried on his good form into the 2009 World Matchplay in July. He defeated Mark Dudbridge
, Steve Beaton
and Vincent van der Voort
before meeting Phil Taylor in the semi-final. Taylor prevailed 17-6, averaging 106.54, and went on to win the tournament. In the next PDC Premier event of the 2009 season, the 2009 European Championship, he reached the quarter-final before losing to James Wade
6-10. This was after beating Colin Osborne
in the second round 9-6 recording a 104.00 average. King's successful run in the 2008 Championship League Darts continued into the 2009 tournament
as he reached the semi-final before losing to eventual champion Colin Osborne
1-6.
Also in 2009, King achieved his first televised nine dart finish
. It came in September 2009 at the South African Masters against James Wade
, and was the first ever televised nine dart finish outside of Europe.
. He then went on to record three more victories on the bounce beating James Wade
8-1, John Part
8-2 and Jelle Klaasen
8-4. He then faced defending champion Phil Taylor in Newcastle
, recording a 7-7 draw despite leading 7-5 with both players averaging over 100. King's form then dropped, only winning two more games in Birmingham
and Glasgow
against Mardle and Wade respectively. King was also a controversial figure during the tournament, often letting the crowd get to him and affect his mood and darts. During a 2009 Premier League match with Taylor, he threw a dart over Taylor as he stooped down to pick up his flight. During the post-match interview, neither of them would look at each other. Another Premier League crowd at Newcastle in 2010 appeared to shake him with taunts that resulted in him stopping mid-throw and making gestures towards the fans. Five-time world champion Eric Bristow
claimed that King "needs a strait jacket" after the performance. His final position of 4th in the league was influenced by the illness of Mardle, as he was withdrawn from the competition. Therefore all results that included Mardle were annulled, including King's two victories over Mardle. King's fourth place in the overall league meant that he faced Taylor in the play-off semi-finals at the Wembley Arena
. King won 10-6 to end Taylor's winning streak in Premier League competitions. Despite this victory he was to finish runner-up as he lost the final 13-8 to Wade, who beat Raymond van Barneveld 10-8 in the other semi-final. Wade led King 8-2 before a mini comeback from King but Wade was able to see the game out to claim his maiden Premier League Darts
title.
as number 5 in the PDC Order of Merit. Despite a poor performance in the Championship
where he lost 2-4 in the second round to Co Stompé, he still qualified for the 2010 Premier League Darts
King reached his third PDC major final in the 2010 Players Championship Finals
. Having beaten James Wade, Jelle Klaasen, Wayne Jones
and Colin Osborne in earlier rounds, he narrowly lost in the final to Paul Nicholson
13-11. This was his third PDC Premier event final without victory. King also reached the last 16 in the 2010 UK Open, losing 8-9 to Gary Anderson
. King hit his second televised nine-dart finish during the match.
. His first loss of the season came in Belfast
as he lost 6-8 to Ronnie Baxter
. His rivalry with Phil Taylor continued in Manchester, where King recorded a 7-7 draw. King lost his last three round-robin matches to Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and Simon Whitlock, but he still made it to the semi-finals for the second consecutive year, again finishing 4th in the table. He finished on the same number of points as Baxter, but qualified due to a better leg difference. Just like in the previous year, he played against Taylor in the semi-final. This time, Taylor resoundingly won 8-1, averaging 107.98 in the process Despite losing badly against Taylor, King beat Whitlock in the third-place play-off.
ranked 6th in the PDC Order of Merit. His 2011 World Championship
were ended in the second round, where he was beaten 3-4 by Andy Smith
. After the World Championship, King dropped out of the automatic qualifying places for the 2011 Premier League Darts
, and was not awarded a wildcard. His successful streak in the Players Championship Finals
continued as he again reached the semi-final for the second consecutive year. He lost in the semi-final to Phil Taylor 8-10. He lost in the third round of the 2011 UK Open tournament, losing 9-5 to Mark Walsh. He successfully qualified for the 2011 World Matchplay Darts as the 9th seed., but lost 6-10 against Justin Pipe
in the first round, reporting a complaint of tennis elbow
. At the 2011 European Championship
, he beat Co Stompé 6-1 in the first round, before losing 3-10 to Taylor in the second round. He also qualified for the 2011 Championship League Darts
winner's group by beating Simon Whitlock
6-3 in the final of group five. In the winner's group finished second in the table before losing to Paul Nicholson in the semi-final.
! colspan="6"| Mervyn King 2009 Premier League performances>
Outcome
Week
Average
Venue
Opponent
Score
Win
1
97.63
Echo Arena, Liverpool
England Wayne Mardle
8-1
Win
2
104.00
Royal Highland Centre
, Edinburgh
James Wade
8-1
Win
3
103.09
Ricoh Arena
, Coventry
Canada John Part
8-2
Win
4
97.61
Odyssey Arena
, Belfast
Netherlands Jelle Klaasen
8-4
Draw
5
102.97
Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle
England Phil Taylor
7-7
Loss
6
100.80
M.E.N. Arena
, Manchester
Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld
3-8
Loss
7
89.27
The Centre
, Brighton
England Terry Jenkins
5-8
Win
8
96.24
The NIA
, Birmingham
England Wayne Mardle
8-2
Win
9
86.50
S.E.C.C.
, Glasgow
England James Wade
8-3
Loss
10
87.43
Westpoint Arena
, Exeter
Canada John Part
6-8
Draw
11
97.62
Trent FM Arena, Nottingham
Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld
7-7
Draw
11
95.80
Trent FM Arena, Nottingham
Netherlands Jelle Klaasen
7-7
Draw
12
99.42
AECC, Aberdeen
England Terry Jenkins
7-7
| 13
No Fixture This Week
Loss
14
95.49
The CIA
, Cardiff
England Phil Taylor
2-8
Win
SF
89.86
Wembley Arena
, London
England Phil Taylor
10-6
Loss
F
85.83
Wembley Arena
, London
England James Wade
8-13
! colspan="6"| Mervyn King 2010 Premier League performances>
Outcome
Week
Average
Venue
Opponent
Score
Win
1
101.39
The O2 Arena
, London
England Adrian Lewis
8-5
Win
2
91.26
International Centre
, Bournemouth
James Wade
8-4
Loss
3
97.89
Odyssey Arena
, Belfast
England Ronnie Baxter
6-8
Win
4
98.74
Westpoint Arena
, Exeter
England Terry Jenkins
8-5
Draw
5
99.45
M.E.N. Arena
, Manchester
England Phil Taylor
7-7
Draw
6
92.99
The Centre
, Brighton
, Manchester
Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld
7-7
Loss
7
97.70
The NIA
, Birmingham
Australia Simon Whitlock
6-8
Win
8
95.08
The CIA
, Cardiff
England Terry Jenkins
8-2
Loss
9
94.96
S.E.C.C.
, Glasgow
England James Wade
4-8
Draw
10
94.15
The Arena, Sheffield
England Ronnie Baxter
7-7
Win
11
93.71
Echo Arena
, Liverpool
England Adrian Lewis
8-3
Loss
12
89.98
AECC, Aberdeen
England Phil Taylor
1-8
Loss
13
81.27
Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle
Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld
5-8
Loss
14
90.26
Trent FM Arena, Nottingham
Australia Simon Whitlock
2-8
Loss
SF
90.20
Wembley Arena
, London
England Phil Taylor
1-8
when he reached the semi-final, losing 2-6 to Phil Taylor.
He reached his first BDO World Championship final in 2002
. He narrowly beat Raymond van Barneveld 5-3 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals he convincingly beat Colin Monk 5-1. He lost the final4–6 to Tony David. King spoke on David's performance congratulating him and commented, "I just wish I could have played half as well as he did."
In 2003
, King beat Steve Coote
, Dennis Harbour
and Monk before losing to van Barneveld 5-2 in the semi-finals.
In 2004, King again reached the world final. During his run he beat Rick Hofstra
by 3 sets to 1, Jarkko Komula
3-2, Ritchie Davies
5-4, Tony O'Shea
5-1, before meeting Andy Fordham
in the final. The match ended in a 6-3 victory for Fordham, making it the second time in three years that King had finished runner-up. Again King told of his disappointment commenting "I don't think it was a fantastic game. I just did not turn up.
His last appearance at the BDO World Championship was in 2007
, where he narrowly lost a semi-final to Martin Adams
5-6.
King's most successful PDC World Championship was in the 2009
, when he beat Mark Walsh and Dennis Smith
before beating Barrie Bates
5-2 in the quarter-finals. This run set up a semi-final clash with Phil Taylor. King lost to Taylor 2-6.
, he subsequently blamed the air conditioning for blowing his darts off course. The following year in his first round match against Rick Hofstra
, when tied at 1–1 in sets, King complained that the length of the oche was not right; the players were forced to leave the stage whilst officials measured, King was incorrect. The players returned with the majority of the crowd against King, though he went on to win the match 3–1.
In the 2007 BDO World Championship, King played Mike Veitch
in the second round, winning 4-2. After King had thrown the winning dart, Veitch refused to shake King's hand saying he'd been put off by King shouting whilst collecting his darts from the board.
In the 2010 Grand Slam of Darts, King played then-BDO player John Henderson
in his last group game. Despite winning the game 5-4, he exchanged heated words with Henderson towards the end of the match and was visibly unhappy. Whilst refusing to reveal the precise reason to his actions, it was understood through television analysis that King felt Henderson, after having to move across the oche for a better shot with his third dart, had stepped across the oche line and thrown from a closer distance to the board, thus believing he had gained an unfair advantage. It was also discovered that King had complained to the match referee, George Noble, about the alleged infrigment. Many pundits, most notably Chris Mason
, pointed out that Henderson rarely checks his standing position before throwing, and publicly criticised King for insinuating that Henderson cheated. However, two days later King admitted that he had overreacted after watching the match again on television and apologised to Henderson during a pre-match interview. King was booed by the crowd while attempting to hit a double four to win in the deciding leg of the second round match against James Wade; he failed, and lost.
, King's wife cheered him on accompanied by a crown in remembrance of his father.
King is good friends with and lives close to fellow darts player Peter Wright
and they often practice together. He is also a keen motor enthusiast and revealed that when younger he gave up his chance of becoming a racing driver to continue his fledging darts career.
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
player, who made his name in British Darts Organisation
British Darts Organisation
The British Darts Organisation, or the BDO for short, is a darts organisation founded on 7 January 1973 by Olly Croft, OBE. The BDO is a founder member of the World Darts Federation which was formed in 1976....
events, twice reaching the World Championship final. He now plays in the rival Professional Darts Corporation
Professional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...
and has been ranked as high as fourth in the rankings. His nickname is The King.
Early life
King first took up the game at the age of twelve, playing with an old rolled-cardboard dartboard given to him by his father. His father insisted that he played darts using competition distance and height. By the age of thirteen, he had ambitions to become a professional player as he was playing county darts at Superleague level. His first county A game was at the age of fourteen and he won his local men's singles league at that age.BDO career
King made his professional debut as a 29-year-old in the 1994 World Masters where he lost in the last 32 to Andy FordhamAndy Fordham
Andy "The Viking" Fordham is an English darts player. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship, beating Mervyn King in the final...
. His first title in the BDO came in the 1996 French Open where he beat Leo Laurens
Leo Laurens
Leo Laurens is a retired Belgian darts player who competed in British Darts Organisation events. By the end of 1993, Laurens became number one in the WDF world rankings after all of the BDO's top players broke away to form the World Darts Council...
in the final. King has won several Open titles since he came onto the darts scene in 1995, including the Dutch Open in 1997. He made his debut at BDO World Darts Championship
BDO World Darts Championship
The BDO World Darts Championship is a world championship competition in darts, organised by the British Darts Organisation . It began in 1978, and was the only world championship tournament until 1994...
in 1997 as a 30 year old. He reached the semi final of the event beating Ronnie Baxter
Ronnie Baxter
Ronnie Baxter is an English darts player. He uses the nickname The Rocket for his matches. Baxter is known for his fast, robotic throwing action...
and Roland Scholten
Roland Scholten
Roland Scholten is a Dutch professional darts player who plays for the Professional Darts Corporation and formerly for the British Darts Organisation. He is nicknamed Tripod or The Flying Dutchman and uses Hey Ya by Outkast as his walk-on. He is currently ranked 45th in the PDC...
before losing to eventual champion Les Wallace
Les Wallace
Les Wallace is a Scottish, former World Champion darts player. He currently lives in Midanbury Broadway, Southampton, England. He adopted the nickname McDanger - coming out for his matches dressed in a traditional kilt...
. He won £8,700 for his performance.
King reached eight major finals whilst playing in the BDO and converted only two of them into tournament victories. It wasn't until 2004 that he claimed his first BDO major title when he won the World Masters in Bridlington
Bridlington
Bridlington is a seaside resort, minor sea fishing port and civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a static population of over 33,000, which rises considerably during the tourist season...
, defeating Tony O'Shea
Tony O'Shea
Tony O'Shea is an English darts player who competes in British Darts Organisation events. He was born in Stockport. His squat figure has resulted in the nickname Silverback. His walk-on music is "Hey Baby" by DJ Ötzi...
6–5 in the final having trailed 3–5. His two other major victories to date have both taken place in Holland. The first of these was the 2005 International Darts League
International Darts League
The Topic International Darts League was a darts tournament held at the Triavium in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Raymond van Barneveld dominated the tournament, held in his home country, winning it on three of the five occasions it was held...
, where he defeated O'Shea again in the final, this time by 13–11 in legs. Later the same year he added the Dutch Grand Masters
Dutch Grand Masters darts
The Zuiderduin Dutch Grand Masters, more commonly referred to as the Zuiderduin Masters, is a major darts tournament held in Egmond aan Zee, the Netherlands, run by the British Darts Organisation and the World Darts Federation. It is held in December and is traditionally the last BDO event held...
beating Martin Adams
Martin Adams
Martin Adams is an English international darts player. Nicknamed Wolfie or Mr BDO, he is BDO world ranked number one, three-time and reigning BDO World Champion and three-time World Masters champion...
5–4 in the final.
His first major final came in the 2000 World Masters where he beat such players as Peter Manley
Peter Manley
Peter David Manley is an English professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. He is nicknamed One Dart as he is known for hitting doubles with his first dart...
and Colin Monk
Colin Monk
Colin Monk is an English darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events and formerly played in British Darts Organisation events. He is turning full time professional in January 2010....
before eventually narrowly falling to John Walton
John Walton (darts player)
John Michael Walton is an English darts player who is a former World Champion. He has adopted the nickname The Boy and uses the song Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex as his walk-on theme.-Darts career:...
2 sets to 3. King went into the 2002 BDO World Darts Championship
2002 BDO World Darts Championship
The 2002 Embassy World Professional Darts Championship was held from 5-13 January 2002 at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey. This was the milestone 25th year of the BDO World Championship....
as number 4 in the event seedings and reached the final, losing to Australian Tony David
Tony David
Tony David is a darts player and is the only Australian player to have been a senior singles world champion. David won the 2002 Embassy World Championship. He plays under the nickname The Deadly Boomerang.-Career:David started playing darts at the age of 25 and progressed into the Queensland State...
. King beat Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
in the quarter-finals 5-3 whilst averaging 101.67 before beating Colin Monk
Colin Monk
Colin Monk is an English darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events and formerly played in British Darts Organisation events. He is turning full time professional in January 2010....
in the semi-finals to reach his first World Championship final. As well as winning £24,000 for reaching the final, he also earned a further £2,000 for a 170 finish, the highest checkout in the tournament.
2003 proved to be a good year for King as he reached two major finals and the semi-final of the World Championships. He began the year with the 2003 BDO World Darts Championship
2003 BDO World Darts Championship
The 2003 Embassy World Professional Darts Championship was held between 4–12 January 2003 at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey. Notably, it was the last World Championship to be sponsored by Imperial Tobacco....
and was seeded third for the tournament. He whitewashed Colin Monk
Colin Monk
Colin Monk is an English darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events and formerly played in British Darts Organisation events. He is turning full time professional in January 2010....
5 sets to 0 in the quarter-finals before losing out to Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
in the semi-finals, denying him a second consecutive World Championship final appearance He went on to reach the finals of the 2003 International Darts League
International Darts League
The Topic International Darts League was a darts tournament held at the Triavium in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Raymond van Barneveld dominated the tournament, held in his home country, winning it on three of the five occasions it was held...
and World Darts Trophy
World Darts Trophy
The World Darts Trophy was a darts tournament held each September at De Vechtsebanen in Utrecht, Netherlands between 2002 and 2007. The tournament has a playing format comparable with the two World Championships, the BDO World Darts Championship and the PDC World Darts Championship...
losing out to Raymond van Barneveld on both occasions.
In 2004, King had another successful year as he reached two semi-finals and two finals, winning one, in the four BDO majors. He began the year ranked third in the seedings for the second consecutive year. In the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship, he narrowly beat Ritchie Davies
Ritchie Davies
Ritchie Davies is a Welsh former professional darts player from Aberdare. Davies is most well known for his run at the 2003 BDO World Darts Championship, where he reached the final.-Darts career:...
5 sets to 4 in the quarter finals before convincingly beating Tony O'Shea
Tony O'Shea
Tony O'Shea is an English darts player who competes in British Darts Organisation events. He was born in Stockport. His squat figure has resulted in the nickname Silverback. His walk-on music is "Hey Baby" by DJ Ötzi...
in the semi-finals 5-1. Despite this he lost in the final for the second time in three years losing to Andy Fordham
Andy Fordham
Andy "The Viking" Fordham is an English darts player. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship, beating Mervyn King in the final...
3 sets to 6. After his good World Championship form he went on to reach the semi-finals of the 2004 International Darts League
International Darts League
The Topic International Darts League was a darts tournament held at the Triavium in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Raymond van Barneveld dominated the tournament, held in his home country, winning it on three of the five occasions it was held...
and World Darts Trophy
World Darts Trophy
The World Darts Trophy was a darts tournament held each September at De Vechtsebanen in Utrecht, Netherlands between 2002 and 2007. The tournament has a playing format comparable with the two World Championships, the BDO World Darts Championship and the PDC World Darts Championship...
narrowly losing to Tony David
Tony David
Tony David is a darts player and is the only Australian player to have been a senior singles world champion. David won the 2002 Embassy World Championship. He plays under the nickname The Deadly Boomerang.-Career:David started playing darts at the age of 25 and progressed into the Queensland State...
and Martin Adams
Martin Adams
Martin Adams is an English international darts player. Nicknamed Wolfie or Mr BDO, he is BDO world ranked number one, three-time and reigning BDO World Champion and three-time World Masters champion...
8-9 and 4-5 respectively. He ended the year winning his first BDO Major in the World Masters as he beat Tony David
Tony David
Tony David is a darts player and is the only Australian player to have been a senior singles world champion. David won the 2002 Embassy World Championship. He plays under the nickname The Deadly Boomerang.-Career:David started playing darts at the age of 25 and progressed into the Queensland State...
in the semi-finals 6-2 before winning the tournament prevailing against Tony O'Shea
Tony O'Shea
Tony O'Shea is an English darts player who competes in British Darts Organisation events. He was born in Stockport. His squat figure has resulted in the nickname Silverback. His walk-on music is "Hey Baby" by DJ Ötzi...
in a tight encounter which ended 7-6 in favour of King handing him his first major title after his sixth final.
In 2005, he had his worst World Championship performance in four years, as he made only the quarter-finals, losing out to André Brantjes
André Brantjes
André Brantjes is a Dutch professional darts player currently playing in British Darts Organisation events.Brantjes reached the final of the 2003 German Open, losing to Ted Hankey. He then won the unranked Spring Cup, beating Vincent van der Voort in the semi-finals and then defeating Erik Clarys...
2 sets to 3. King spoke of his poor form and prior to the 2005 BDO World Darts Championship
2005 BDO World Darts Championship
-Women:Women's bracket:-External links:* *...
. King's next tournament that year was the International Darts League
International Darts League
The Topic International Darts League was a darts tournament held at the Triavium in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Raymond van Barneveld dominated the tournament, held in his home country, winning it on three of the five occasions it was held...
. He beat Ted Hankey
Ted Hankey
Edward "Ted" Hankey is an English darts player who is a two-time BDO World Professional Darts Champion. His nickname is The Count and his walk on music is Be On Your Way by DJ Zany. Hankey built up a large following due to his obsession with and resemblance to Dracula...
, Co Stompé
Co Stompé
Jacobus Wilhelm "Co" Stompé , is a Dutch professional darts player who currently plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. Stompé is nicknamed The Matchstick because of his almost bald head and very thin appearance making him look like a matchstick...
and Simon Whitlock
Simon Whitlock
Simon Whitlock is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments, although he did have a spell playing in the rival organisation, the British Darts Organisation. He uses the nickname The Wizard for his matches...
before facing Tony O'Shea
Tony O'Shea
Tony O'Shea is an English darts player who competes in British Darts Organisation events. He was born in Stockport. His squat figure has resulted in the nickname Silverback. His walk-on music is "Hey Baby" by DJ Ötzi...
for the second time in a major final, and won 13-11 to secure his second major BDO title. Also in 2005, King made the final of the World Darts Trophy
World Darts Trophy
The World Darts Trophy was a darts tournament held each September at De Vechtsebanen in Utrecht, Netherlands between 2002 and 2007. The tournament has a playing format comparable with the two World Championships, the BDO World Darts Championship and the PDC World Darts Championship...
for the second time and on this occasion he was beaten again losing 4-6 against Gary Robson. This was to be King's last major final before his controversial switch to the Professional Darts Corporation
Professional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...
.
In 2006, King's form declined and his best result came in the 2006 World Darts Trophy
World Darts Trophy
The World Darts Trophy was a darts tournament held each September at De Vechtsebanen in Utrecht, Netherlands between 2002 and 2007. The tournament has a playing format comparable with the two World Championships, the BDO World Darts Championship and the PDC World Darts Championship...
where he made the quarter-finals narrowly losing to Michael van Gerwen
Michael van Gerwen
Michael van Gerwen is a Dutch professional darts player, nicknamed Mighty Mike. He is the youngest player in history to win a major televised tournament in either the BDO or the PDC, winning the 2006 Winmau World Masters at the age of 17...
4-5. He also made only the second round in the 2006 BDO World Darts Championship
2006 BDO World Darts Championship
-Women:-External links:*...
whitewashing Brian Woods
Brian Woods (darts player)
Brian Woods is an English darts player who has competed in events organised by the British Darts Organisation. He left the British Darts Organisation in 2011 for the Professional Darts Corporation through their qualifying school. He now lives in Aberdeen, and uses the nickname Pecker for his matches...
3 sets to 0 before losing to eventual champion Jelle Klaasen
Jelle Klaasen
Jelle Klaasen is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation and is the youngest darts player to win the World Darts Championship. His nickname is The Matador. He lives in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands...
2-4. His last tournament as a BDO affiliated player came in the 2007 BDO World Darts Championship
2007 BDO World Darts Championship
The 2007 Lakeside World Darts Championship was the 30th Championship and was held between January 6–14, 2007 at the Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green, Surrey....
where he made the semi-finals before losing 4-5 against eventual champion Martin Adams
Martin Adams
Martin Adams is an English international darts player. Nicknamed Wolfie or Mr BDO, he is BDO world ranked number one, three-time and reigning BDO World Champion and three-time World Masters champion...
. King was surrounded by controversy during this tournament following speculation about his future and a possible switch to the PDC. This would prove to be his last tournament as a BDO player.
PDC career
PDC switch and beginnings
King's switch from the BDO to rival organization the Professional Darts CorporationProfessional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...
(PDC) created much debate and controversy. During the 2007 BDO World Darts Championship
2007 BDO World Darts Championship
The 2007 Lakeside World Darts Championship was the 30th Championship and was held between January 6–14, 2007 at the Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green, Surrey....
there was much speculation that King and three fellow BDO players (Michael van Gerwen, Jelle Klaasen and Vincent van der Voort) would be switching to the PDC after the World Championships. King was angry that rumours had surfaced and even threatened to quit the tournament as the speculation heightened even stating, "I'm really not happy with the treatment I've had today, not just from one person but from a lot of people who I have known for many years". Despite claiming to BDO press officer Robert Holmes that he would "rather pack up darts than play for the PDC" King announced his switch to the PDC on 6 February 2007 in a bid to "further his career". Having reached the semi-final of the 2007 BDO World Championships losing to eventual champion Martin Adams
Martin Adams
Martin Adams is an English international darts player. Nicknamed Wolfie or Mr BDO, he is BDO world ranked number one, three-time and reigning BDO World Champion and three-time World Masters champion...
, King had signed a contract confirming he would play at the 2008 tournament due to a clause in all contracts of BDO players stating that if they reach the semi-finals of the World Championship they are obliged to return the following year, with champions committing themselves to three years. King's switch meant that the BDO threatened legal action against King.
King made his PDC debut at a non-televised event, the Southern Regional Final of the UK Open on March 4, 2007. He reached the quarter-finals before losing to Wayne Mardle
Wayne Mardle
Wayne Mardle is a darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation, and former player in the BDO. He now lives in Romford...
.
During his first year in the PDC, he performed well on the 2007 PDC Pro Tour
2007 PDC Pro Tour
The 2007 PDC Pro Tour was a series of non-televised darts tournaments organised by the Professional Darts Corporation . They consisted of Professional Dart Players Association Players Championships and UK Open Regional Finals.-Prize money:...
, reaching one final, two semi-finals and four quarter-finals. He also gained a place in the 2007 World Matchplay where he reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champion James Wade
James Wade
James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007...
. His performances in his first year helped him steadily climb the world rankings and qualify for his first PDC World Championship. In his first PDC World Championship
2008 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2008 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, sponsored by Ladbrokes, was the 15th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation...
he fell to Dutchman Roland Scholten
Roland Scholten
Roland Scholten is a Dutch professional darts player who plays for the Professional Darts Corporation and formerly for the British Darts Organisation. He is nicknamed Tripod or The Flying Dutchman and uses Hey Ya by Outkast as his walk-on. He is currently ranked 45th in the PDC...
in the second round.
2008
2008 proved a successful year for King as he reached two semi-finals in PDC premier events as well as his maiden PDC premier final in the inaugural 2008 Championship League Darts2008 Championship League Darts
The 2008 Championship League Darts is the inaugural edition of a darts competition - the Championship League Darts. The competition is organised and held by the Professional Darts Corporation and has a maximum prize fund of £189,000....
where he lost 7-5 to Phil Taylor.
His first PDC title came at the Scottish Players Championship in Glasgow in April 2008 where he beat Taylor on his way to a 3-0 victory over Mark Dudbridge
Mark Dudbridge
Mark Daniel Dudbridge is an English professional darts player.-Darts career:He started playing in his very early teens, citing Dennis Priestley as one of his heroes...
. He also won a Pro Tour title in the Netherlands, beating Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
. He also had two semi-final appearances in the 2008 World Grand Prix and the 2008 Grand Slam of Darts
2008 Grand Slam of Darts
The 2008 Grand Slam of Darts was the second staging of the darts tournament, the Grand Slam of Darts organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The event took place from 15–23 November 2008 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall...
losing to Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
and Phil Taylor respectively. King ended the year and went into the 2009 PDC World Darts Championship
2009 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 16th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation....
as world number 13 in the PDC Order of Merit
PDC order of merit
The PDC Order of Merit is a world ranking system used by one of the darts organisations, the Professional Darts Corporation . Following the 2007 PDC World Darts Championship it superseded a world ranking system based on points being awarded for performances in ranking tournaments.-Previous world...
. His first year performances saw him win the Best Newcomer prize at the annual PDC awards dinner.
2009
King went into 2009 competing in the 2009 PDC World Darts Championship2009 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 16th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation....
, and this turned out to be his best result in the PDC World Championship to date. He beat Barrie Bates
Barrie Bates
Barrie Bates is a darts player currently residing in Bedlinog, Mid-Glamorgan. He plays in the Professional Darts Corporation and is a regular on the circuit. His nickname is "Batesy"....
in the quarter-finals before falling to Phil Taylor 2-6 with Taylor averaging 103.44. His performance in the World Championship meant that he moved up to 6 in the PDC Order of Merit
PDC order of merit
The PDC Order of Merit is a world ranking system used by one of the darts organisations, the Professional Darts Corporation . Following the 2007 PDC World Darts Championship it superseded a world ranking system based on points being awarded for performances in ranking tournaments.-Previous world...
and therefore qualified automatically for the 2009 Premier League Darts
2009 Premier League Darts
The 2009 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation.The tournament kicked off at the Echo Arena Liverpool which hosted the biggest ever crowd for a PDC event of almost 8,000 in 2008....
.
King carried on his good form into the 2009 World Matchplay in July. He defeated Mark Dudbridge
Mark Dudbridge
Mark Daniel Dudbridge is an English professional darts player.-Darts career:He started playing in his very early teens, citing Dennis Priestley as one of his heroes...
, Steve Beaton
Steve Beaton
Steve Beaton is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation...
and Vincent van der Voort
Vincent van der Voort
Vincent van der Voort is a professional darts player.-Playing style:Vincent is well known for his spasmodic style and machine-gun speed of play which has gained him a reputation in both the BDO and the PDC for being one of the more erratic throwers in the darting world...
before meeting Phil Taylor in the semi-final. Taylor prevailed 17-6, averaging 106.54, and went on to win the tournament. In the next PDC Premier event of the 2009 season, the 2009 European Championship, he reached the quarter-final before losing to James Wade
James Wade
James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007...
6-10. This was after beating Colin Osborne
Colin Osborne
Colin Osborne is an English darts player currently playing in Professional Darts Corporation events.-Darts career:Osborne has won two PDC Pro Tour events and he also managed to hit two perfect nine dart finishes in 2005...
in the second round 9-6 recording a 104.00 average. King's successful run in the 2008 Championship League Darts continued into the 2009 tournament
2009 Championship League Darts
The 2009 Championship League Darts is the second edition of a darts competition—the Championship League Darts. The competition is organized and held by the Professional Darts Corporation and has a maximum prize fund of £189,000....
as he reached the semi-final before losing to eventual champion Colin Osborne
Colin Osborne
Colin Osborne is an English darts player currently playing in Professional Darts Corporation events.-Darts career:Osborne has won two PDC Pro Tour events and he also managed to hit two perfect nine dart finishes in 2005...
1-6.
Also in 2009, King achieved his first televised nine dart finish
Nine dart finish
A nine-dart finish is the ultimate checkout in the game of darts, constituting a perfect game. It is notoriously difficult to achieve, even by the game's top professionals...
. It came in September 2009 at the South African Masters against James Wade
James Wade
James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007...
, and was the first ever televised nine dart finish outside of Europe.
2009 Premier League
King made a great start to his Premier League career as he opened up with an 8-1 victory over Sky wildcard Wayne MardleWayne Mardle
Wayne Mardle is a darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation, and former player in the BDO. He now lives in Romford...
. He then went on to record three more victories on the bounce beating James Wade
James Wade
James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007...
8-1, John Part
John Part
John Part is a Canadian professional darts player, who is nicknamed Darth Maple.Part is one of only five players in darts history to be a three time World Champion...
8-2 and Jelle Klaasen
Jelle Klaasen
Jelle Klaasen is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation and is the youngest darts player to win the World Darts Championship. His nickname is The Matador. He lives in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands...
8-4. He then faced defending champion Phil Taylor in Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, recording a 7-7 draw despite leading 7-5 with both players averaging over 100. King's form then dropped, only winning two more games in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
against Mardle and Wade respectively. King was also a controversial figure during the tournament, often letting the crowd get to him and affect his mood and darts. During a 2009 Premier League match with Taylor, he threw a dart over Taylor as he stooped down to pick up his flight. During the post-match interview, neither of them would look at each other. Another Premier League crowd at Newcastle in 2010 appeared to shake him with taunts that resulted in him stopping mid-throw and making gestures towards the fans. Five-time world champion Eric Bristow
Eric Bristow
Eric Bristow MBE is a British darts player, whose skill at the game in the 1980s helped turn it into a worldwide spectator sport.- Early career :...
claimed that King "needs a strait jacket" after the performance. His final position of 4th in the league was influenced by the illness of Mardle, as he was withdrawn from the competition. Therefore all results that included Mardle were annulled, including King's two victories over Mardle. King's fourth place in the overall league meant that he faced Taylor in the play-off semi-finals at the Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
. King won 10-6 to end Taylor's winning streak in Premier League competitions. Despite this victory he was to finish runner-up as he lost the final 13-8 to Wade, who beat Raymond van Barneveld 10-8 in the other semi-final. Wade led King 8-2 before a mini comeback from King but Wade was able to see the game out to claim his maiden Premier League Darts
Premier League Darts
The 888.com Premier League Darts is a darts tournament which launched on January 20, 2005 on Sky Sports, and is currently the world's largest indoor sports event. The league is now played weekly from February to May, having originally started as a fortnightly fixture...
title.
2010
King went into the 2010 PDC World Darts Championship2010 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2010 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 17th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation....
as number 5 in the PDC Order of Merit. Despite a poor performance in the Championship
2010 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2010 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 17th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation....
where he lost 2-4 in the second round to Co Stompé, he still qualified for the 2010 Premier League Darts
2010 Premier League Darts
The 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation; the sixth such running of the tournament.The tournament began at The O2 Arena in London on 11 February, and finished at the Wembley Arena on 24 May....
King reached his third PDC major final in the 2010 Players Championship Finals
2010 Players Championship Finals
The 2010 Players Championship Finals was the second edition of the PDC tournament, the Players Championship Finals, which sees the top 32 players from the 2009 PDC Players Championship Order of Merit taking part...
. Having beaten James Wade, Jelle Klaasen, Wayne Jones
Wayne Jones (darts player)
Wayne Alan Jones is an English darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments. He uses the nickname The Wanderer for his matches....
and Colin Osborne in earlier rounds, he narrowly lost in the final to Paul Nicholson
Paul Nicholson (darts player)
Paul Nicholson is a British born darts player, who holds Australian nationality. He aims to project the image of the 'bad boy of darts'- 2008-2009 :...
13-11. This was his third PDC Premier event final without victory. King also reached the last 16 in the 2010 UK Open, losing 8-9 to Gary Anderson
Gary Anderson (darts player)
Gary Anderson is a Scottish professional darts player from Eyemouth, Scottish Borders, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation, and a former BDO and WDF world number one. His nickname is The Flying Scotsman...
. King hit his second televised nine-dart finish during the match.
2010 Premier League
King started the 2010 Premier League with wins over James Wade and Adrian LewisAdrian Lewis
Adrian Lewis is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation who is the reigning PDC World Darts Champion...
. His first loss of the season came in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
as he lost 6-8 to Ronnie Baxter
Ronnie Baxter
Ronnie Baxter is an English darts player. He uses the nickname The Rocket for his matches. Baxter is known for his fast, robotic throwing action...
. His rivalry with Phil Taylor continued in Manchester, where King recorded a 7-7 draw. King lost his last three round-robin matches to Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and Simon Whitlock, but he still made it to the semi-finals for the second consecutive year, again finishing 4th in the table. He finished on the same number of points as Baxter, but qualified due to a better leg difference. Just like in the previous year, he played against Taylor in the semi-final. This time, Taylor resoundingly won 8-1, averaging 107.98 in the process Despite losing badly against Taylor, King beat Whitlock in the third-place play-off.
2011
King went into the 2011 PDC World Darts Championship2011 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2011 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 18th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation.Phil Taylor was the defending champion, having won the 2010 tournament...
ranked 6th in the PDC Order of Merit. His 2011 World Championship
2011 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2011 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 18th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation.Phil Taylor was the defending champion, having won the 2010 tournament...
were ended in the second round, where he was beaten 3-4 by Andy Smith
Andy Smith (darts player)
Andrew Smith is a darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events. He uses the nickname Pieman for his matches...
. After the World Championship, King dropped out of the automatic qualifying places for the 2011 Premier League Darts
2011 Premier League Darts
The 2011 888.com Premier League Darts was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation; the seventh edition of the tournament.The tournament began at The O2 Arena in London on 10 February, and finishes at the Wembley Arena on 19 May....
, and was not awarded a wildcard. His successful streak in the Players Championship Finals
Players Championship Finals
The Players Championship Finals is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation...
continued as he again reached the semi-final for the second consecutive year. He lost in the semi-final to Phil Taylor 8-10. He lost in the third round of the 2011 UK Open tournament, losing 9-5 to Mark Walsh. He successfully qualified for the 2011 World Matchplay Darts as the 9th seed., but lost 6-10 against Justin Pipe
Justin Pipe
Justin Pipe is an English darts player currently playing in Professional Darts Corporation events.Pipe first emerged at the 2008 UK Open as a pub qualifier. He defeated Geoff Wylie and Lionel Sams before losing 3-9 to James Wade in the third round...
in the first round, reporting a complaint of tennis elbow
Tennis elbow
Lateral epicondylitis or lateral epicondylalgia, also known as tennis elbow, shooter's elbow and archer's elbow, is a condition where the outer part of the elbow becomes sore and tender...
. At the 2011 European Championship
2011 European Championship (darts)
The 2011 European Championship was the fourth edition of the PDC tournament, the European Championship, which allowd the top European players to compete against the highest ranked players from the PDC Order of Merit. The tournament took place from July 28 to 31, featuring a field of 32 players and...
, he beat Co Stompé 6-1 in the first round, before losing 3-10 to Taylor in the second round. He also qualified for the 2011 Championship League Darts
2011 Championship League Darts
The 2011 Championship League Darts was the fourth edition of a darts competition — the Championship League Darts. The competition was organized and held by the Professional Darts Corporation, with the 2011 edition having a maximum prize fund of £189,000....
winner's group by beating Simon Whitlock
Simon Whitlock
Simon Whitlock is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments, although he did have a spell playing in the rival organisation, the British Darts Organisation. He uses the nickname The Wizard for his matches...
6-3 in the final of group five. In the winner's group finished second in the table before losing to Paul Nicholson in the semi-final.
Premier League performances
Echo Arena, LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
England Wayne MardleWayne Mardle
Wayne Mardle is a darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation, and former player in the BDO. He now lives in Romford...
Royal Highland CentreRoyal Highland Showground
The Royal Highland Centre is the exhibition centre and showgrounds located at Ingliston west of Edinburgh, Scotland, adjacent to Edinburgh Airport and the A8....
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
James WadeJames Wade
James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007...
Ricoh ArenaRicoh Arena
The Ricoh Arena , home to Coventry City F.C., is a stadium complex situated in the Rowleys Green district of the city of Coventry, England containing a 32,609 seater football stadium, a 6,000 square-metre exhibition hall, a hotel, a leisure club, and a casino...
, Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
Canada John PartJohn Part
John Part is a Canadian professional darts player, who is nicknamed Darth Maple.Part is one of only five players in darts history to be a three time World Champion...
Odyssey ArenaOdyssey (Belfast)
The Odyssey Arena is a large sports and entertainment centre situated in Titanic Quarter, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was jointly funded by the Millennium Commission, the Laganside Corporation, the DCAL, the Sheridan Group and the Sports Council for Northern Ireland. The Arena opened in 2000 with...
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
Netherlands Jelle KlaasenJelle Klaasen
Jelle Klaasen is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation and is the youngest darts player to win the World Darts Championship. His nickname is The Matador. He lives in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands...
Metro Radio Arena, NewcastleNewcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
England Phil Taylor M.E.N. ArenaManchester Evening News Arena
The Manchester Evening News Arena is an indoor arena situated in Manchester, England. It is adjacent to Manchester Victoria station near Corporation Street...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
Netherlands Raymond van BarneveldRaymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
The CentreThe Brighton Centre
The Brighton Centre is a conference centre located in Brighton, England. The capacity of the main hall for conferences is 4,500 people and 5,100 for standing concerts.It also has smaller rooms for weddings, banquets etc....
, Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
England Terry JenkinsTerry Jenkins
Terry Jenkins is an English professional darts player who is nicknamed The Bull, having previously used the nickname "Tucker" for his matches...
The NIANational Indoor Arena
The National Indoor Arena is a large indoor arena and is owned by the NEC Group. It is situated in central Birmingham, England and was opened in 1991, as the largest indoor arena at the time in the UK...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
England Wayne MardleWayne Mardle
Wayne Mardle is a darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation, and former player in the BDO. He now lives in Romford...
S.E.C.C.Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre , located on the north bank of the River Clyde, in Glasgow, is Scotland's largest exhibition centre....
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
England James WadeJames Wade
James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007...
Westpoint ArenaWestpoint Arena
Westpoint is a multi-purpose arena, at Clyst St Mary, near Exeter, England. The capacity of the venue is 7,500 people.It hosts local concerts, fairs and exhibitions.It is the venue for the Devon County Show.-External links:*...
, Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
Canada John PartJohn Part
John Part is a Canadian professional darts player, who is nicknamed Darth Maple.Part is one of only five players in darts history to be a three time World Champion...
Trent FM Arena, NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
Netherlands Raymond van BarneveldRaymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
Trent FM Arena, NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
Netherlands Jelle KlaasenJelle Klaasen
Jelle Klaasen is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation and is the youngest darts player to win the World Darts Championship. His nickname is The Matador. He lives in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands...
AECC, AberdeenAberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
England Terry JenkinsTerry Jenkins
Terry Jenkins is an English professional darts player who is nicknamed The Bull, having previously used the nickname "Tucker" for his matches...
The CIACardiff International Arena
The Cardiff International Arena was opened on 10 September 1993, by Shirley Bassey, in front of 5,500 fans. On 1 March 2011, the Cardiff International Arena was officially renamed Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, after the car sales company with a branch in Newport bought the naming rights to the Cardiff...
, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
England Phil Taylor Wembley ArenaWembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
England Phil Taylor Wembley ArenaWembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
England James WadeJames Wade
James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007...
The O2 ArenaThe O2 arena (London)
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
England Adrian LewisAdrian Lewis
Adrian Lewis is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation who is the reigning PDC World Darts Champion...
International CentreBournemouth International Centre
The Bournemouth International Centre in Bournemouth, Dorset, is one of the primary venues for conferences, exhibitions, entertainment and events in southern England...
, Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
James WadeJames Wade
James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007...
Odyssey ArenaOdyssey (Belfast)
The Odyssey Arena is a large sports and entertainment centre situated in Titanic Quarter, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was jointly funded by the Millennium Commission, the Laganside Corporation, the DCAL, the Sheridan Group and the Sports Council for Northern Ireland. The Arena opened in 2000 with...
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
England Ronnie BaxterRonnie Baxter
Ronnie Baxter is an English darts player. He uses the nickname The Rocket for his matches. Baxter is known for his fast, robotic throwing action...
Westpoint ArenaWestpoint Arena
Westpoint is a multi-purpose arena, at Clyst St Mary, near Exeter, England. The capacity of the venue is 7,500 people.It hosts local concerts, fairs and exhibitions.It is the venue for the Devon County Show.-External links:*...
, Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
England Terry JenkinsTerry Jenkins
Terry Jenkins is an English professional darts player who is nicknamed The Bull, having previously used the nickname "Tucker" for his matches...
M.E.N. ArenaManchester Evening News Arena
The Manchester Evening News Arena is an indoor arena situated in Manchester, England. It is adjacent to Manchester Victoria station near Corporation Street...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
England Phil Taylor The CentreThe Brighton Centre
The Brighton Centre is a conference centre located in Brighton, England. The capacity of the main hall for conferences is 4,500 people and 5,100 for standing concerts.It also has smaller rooms for weddings, banquets etc....
, Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
Netherlands Raymond van BarneveldRaymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
The NIANational Indoor Arena
The National Indoor Arena is a large indoor arena and is owned by the NEC Group. It is situated in central Birmingham, England and was opened in 1991, as the largest indoor arena at the time in the UK...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Australia Simon WhitlockSimon Whitlock
Simon Whitlock is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments, although he did have a spell playing in the rival organisation, the British Darts Organisation. He uses the nickname The Wizard for his matches...
The CIACardiff International Arena
The Cardiff International Arena was opened on 10 September 1993, by Shirley Bassey, in front of 5,500 fans. On 1 March 2011, the Cardiff International Arena was officially renamed Motorpoint Arena Cardiff, after the car sales company with a branch in Newport bought the naming rights to the Cardiff...
, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
England Terry JenkinsTerry Jenkins
Terry Jenkins is an English professional darts player who is nicknamed The Bull, having previously used the nickname "Tucker" for his matches...
S.E.C.C.Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre , located on the north bank of the River Clyde, in Glasgow, is Scotland's largest exhibition centre....
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
England James WadeJames Wade
James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007...
The Arena, SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
England Ronnie BaxterRonnie Baxter
Ronnie Baxter is an English darts player. He uses the nickname The Rocket for his matches. Baxter is known for his fast, robotic throwing action...
Echo ArenaLiverpool Echo Arena
Echo Arena Liverpool is the arena half of ACC Liverpool located on the former King's Dock in Liverpool, England, United Kingdom. The BT Convention Centre forms the other half of the complex...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
England Adrian LewisAdrian Lewis
Adrian Lewis is an English professional darts player for the Professional Darts Corporation who is the reigning PDC World Darts Champion...
AECC, AberdeenAberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
England Phil Taylor Metro Radio Arena, NewcastleNewcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
Netherlands Raymond van BarneveldRaymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
Trent FM Arena, NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
Australia Simon WhitlockSimon Whitlock
Simon Whitlock is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments, although he did have a spell playing in the rival organisation, the British Darts Organisation. He uses the nickname The Wizard for his matches...
Wembley ArenaWembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
England Phil Taylor World Championship performances
King has reached two World Championship finals and four semi-finals since making his debut in the BDO version in 1997. He went as far as the semi-final in his debut year, losing to eventual champion Les Wallace. During his run he hit thirty 180s, setting a new record for the tournament at the time. Since switching to the PDC, his best performance came in the 2009 World Championship2009 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 16th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation....
when he reached the semi-final, losing 2-6 to Phil Taylor.
He reached his first BDO World Championship final in 2002
2002 BDO World Darts Championship
The 2002 Embassy World Professional Darts Championship was held from 5-13 January 2002 at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey. This was the milestone 25th year of the BDO World Championship....
. He narrowly beat Raymond van Barneveld 5-3 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals he convincingly beat Colin Monk 5-1. He lost the final4–6 to Tony David. King spoke on David's performance congratulating him and commented, "I just wish I could have played half as well as he did."
In 2003
2003 BDO World Darts Championship
The 2003 Embassy World Professional Darts Championship was held between 4–12 January 2003 at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey. Notably, it was the last World Championship to be sponsored by Imperial Tobacco....
, King beat Steve Coote
Steve Coote
Steve Coote is an English darts player. He is not a full-time professional and works as a fireman.-BDO career:...
, Dennis Harbour
Dennis Harbour
Dennis Harbour is an English darts player.Harbour played in the 1989 Winmau World Masters and lost in the first round to Dave Whitcombe. He returned to the Masters in 1994, again losing in the first round to Mike Gregory...
and Monk before losing to van Barneveld 5-2 in the semi-finals.
In 2004, King again reached the world final. During his run he beat Rick Hofstra
Rick Hofstra
Rick Hofstra is a Dutch darts player.Hofstra reached the quarter finals of the 2001 Belgium Open and the 2002 Swiss Open before making his major debut in the 2003 International Darts League, where he beat Scotland's Bob Taylor in his opening group game before losing to Raymond van Barneveld...
by 3 sets to 1, Jarkko Komula
Jarkko Komula
Jarkko Komula is a Finnish darts player who plays for the Professional Darts Corporation and formerly played in British Darts Organisation events. He is nicknamed Smiley because ironically he rarely smiles.-BDO:...
3-2, Ritchie Davies
Ritchie Davies
Ritchie Davies is a Welsh former professional darts player from Aberdare. Davies is most well known for his run at the 2003 BDO World Darts Championship, where he reached the final.-Darts career:...
5-4, Tony O'Shea
Tony O'Shea
Tony O'Shea is an English darts player who competes in British Darts Organisation events. He was born in Stockport. His squat figure has resulted in the nickname Silverback. His walk-on music is "Hey Baby" by DJ Ötzi...
5-1, before meeting Andy Fordham
Andy Fordham
Andy "The Viking" Fordham is an English darts player. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship, beating Mervyn King in the final...
in the final. The match ended in a 6-3 victory for Fordham, making it the second time in three years that King had finished runner-up. Again King told of his disappointment commenting "I don't think it was a fantastic game. I just did not turn up.
His last appearance at the BDO World Championship was in 2007
2007 BDO World Darts Championship
The 2007 Lakeside World Darts Championship was the 30th Championship and was held between January 6–14, 2007 at the Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green, Surrey....
, where he narrowly lost a semi-final to Martin Adams
Martin Adams
Martin Adams is an English international darts player. Nicknamed Wolfie or Mr BDO, he is BDO world ranked number one, three-time and reigning BDO World Champion and three-time World Masters champion...
5-6.
King's most successful PDC World Championship was in the 2009
2009 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 16th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation....
, when he beat Mark Walsh and Dennis Smith
Dennis Smith (darts player)
Dennis Smith is an English darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation events. He is a stalwart on the PDC circuit, having been playing on the circuit since 1994 but has yet to capture a major title to add to his collection of Open wins...
before beating Barrie Bates
Barrie Bates
Barrie Bates is a darts player currently residing in Bedlinog, Mid-Glamorgan. He plays in the Professional Darts Corporation and is a regular on the circuit. His nickname is "Batesy"....
5-2 in the quarter-finals. This run set up a semi-final clash with Phil Taylor. King lost to Taylor 2-6.
Controversy
King has been the subject of controversy during his career. In 2003 following his semi-final defeat to Raymond van BarneveldRaymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
, he subsequently blamed the air conditioning for blowing his darts off course. The following year in his first round match against Rick Hofstra
Rick Hofstra
Rick Hofstra is a Dutch darts player.Hofstra reached the quarter finals of the 2001 Belgium Open and the 2002 Swiss Open before making his major debut in the 2003 International Darts League, where he beat Scotland's Bob Taylor in his opening group game before losing to Raymond van Barneveld...
, when tied at 1–1 in sets, King complained that the length of the oche was not right; the players were forced to leave the stage whilst officials measured, King was incorrect. The players returned with the majority of the crowd against King, though he went on to win the match 3–1.
In the 2007 BDO World Championship, King played Mike Veitch
Mike Veitch
Michael "Mike" Veitch is a Scottish darts player who competes in events staged by the British Darts Organisation.-Playing career:...
in the second round, winning 4-2. After King had thrown the winning dart, Veitch refused to shake King's hand saying he'd been put off by King shouting whilst collecting his darts from the board.
In the 2010 Grand Slam of Darts, King played then-BDO player John Henderson
John Henderson (darts player)
John Henderson is a Scottish darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation events.-Darts career:Henderson briefly played in the Professional Darts Corporation, playing one tournament in Scotland and then the 2003 UK Open where he lost in the first round having won his Preliminary match...
in his last group game. Despite winning the game 5-4, he exchanged heated words with Henderson towards the end of the match and was visibly unhappy. Whilst refusing to reveal the precise reason to his actions, it was understood through television analysis that King felt Henderson, after having to move across the oche for a better shot with his third dart, had stepped across the oche line and thrown from a closer distance to the board, thus believing he had gained an unfair advantage. It was also discovered that King had complained to the match referee, George Noble, about the alleged infrigment. Many pundits, most notably Chris Mason
Chris Mason (darts player)
Christopher John Mason is an English darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. He uses the nickname Mace the Ace for his matches.- BDO and first PDC spell :...
, pointed out that Henderson rarely checks his standing position before throwing, and publicly criticised King for insinuating that Henderson cheated. However, two days later King admitted that he had overreacted after watching the match again on television and apologised to Henderson during a pre-match interview. King was booed by the crowd while attempting to hit a double four to win in the deciding leg of the second round match against James Wade; he failed, and lost.
Personal life
King used to be married with three children. He is re-married with a daughter. His father was a regular presence at darts tournaments, often cheering King during matches while wearing his trademark crown. He died in September 2010, which King later admitted left him 'devastated', and this led to a loss of form. At the 2011 PDC World Darts Championship2011 PDC World Darts Championship
The 2011 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 18th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation.Phil Taylor was the defending champion, having won the 2010 tournament...
, King's wife cheered him on accompanied by a crown in remembrance of his father.
King is good friends with and lives close to fellow darts player Peter Wright
Peter Wright (darts player)
Peter Wright is a Scottish darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments. He currently resides in Lowestoft and uses the nickname Snakebite for his matches. He represents Scotland due to Scottish grandparentage.He is known for having a mo-hawk hairstyle which changes colour...
and they often practice together. He is also a keen motor enthusiast and revealed that when younger he gave up his chance of becoming a racing driver to continue his fledging darts career.
Awards
- PDC Newcomer of the Year 2008.
- PDC Televised Performance of the Year 2009 (v Phil Taylor, Premier League Darts Semi-Final).
Nine-dart Finishes
| Date | Opponent | Tournament | Method | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 September 2009 | James Wade James Wade James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007... |
South African Masters | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | £10,000 |
| 5 June 2010 | Gary Anderson Gary Anderson (darts player) Gary Anderson is a Scottish professional darts player from Eyemouth, Scottish Borders, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation, and a former BDO and WDF world number one. His nickname is The Flying Scotsman... |
UK Open | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | £5000 |
World Championship Performances
- 1997 (BDO) - Semi Final lost to Les WallaceLes WallaceLes Wallace is a Scottish, former World Champion darts player. He currently lives in Midanbury Broadway, Southampton, England. He adopted the nickname McDanger - coming out for his matches dressed in a traditional kilt...
3-5 - 1998 (BDO) - Round 2 lost to Ted HankeyTed HankeyEdward "Ted" Hankey is an English darts player who is a two-time BDO World Professional Darts Champion. His nickname is The Count and his walk on music is Be On Your Way by DJ Zany. Hankey built up a large following due to his obsession with and resemblance to Dracula...
0-3 - 1999 (BDO) - Round 1 lost to Andy FordhamAndy FordhamAndy "The Viking" Fordham is an English darts player. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship, beating Mervyn King in the final...
2-3 - 2000 (BDO) - Quarter Final lost to Co StompeCo StompéJacobus Wilhelm "Co" Stompé , is a Dutch professional darts player who currently plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. Stompé is nicknamed The Matchstick because of his almost bald head and very thin appearance making him look like a matchstick...
2-5 - 20012001 BDO World Darts ChampionshipThe 2001 Embassy World Professional Darts Championships were held from 6–14 January 2001 at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey. Ted Hankey the number 7 seed was the defending champion. He was the eventual runner-up, losing 6–2 in a one-sided final to John Walton.In 2001, the first...
(BDO) - Round 2 lost to John WaltonJohn Walton (darts player)John Michael Walton is an English darts player who is a former World Champion. He has adopted the nickname The Boy and uses the song Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex as his walk-on theme.-Darts career:...
0-3 - 20022002 BDO World Darts ChampionshipThe 2002 Embassy World Professional Darts Championship was held from 5-13 January 2002 at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey. This was the milestone 25th year of the BDO World Championship....
(BDO) - Runner Up lost to Tony DavidTony DavidTony David is a darts player and is the only Australian player to have been a senior singles world champion. David won the 2002 Embassy World Championship. He plays under the nickname The Deadly Boomerang.-Career:David started playing darts at the age of 25 and progressed into the Queensland State...
4-6 - 20032003 BDO World Darts ChampionshipThe 2003 Embassy World Professional Darts Championship was held between 4–12 January 2003 at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey. Notably, it was the last World Championship to be sponsored by Imperial Tobacco....
(BDO) - Semi Final lost to Raymond Van BarneveldRaymond van BarneveldRaymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
2-5 - 2004 (BDO) - Runner Up lost to Andy FordhamAndy FordhamAndy "The Viking" Fordham is an English darts player. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship, beating Mervyn King in the final...
3-6 - 20052005 BDO World Darts Championship-Women:Women's bracket:-External links:* *...
(BDO) - Round 2 lost to André BrantjesAndré BrantjesAndré Brantjes is a Dutch professional darts player currently playing in British Darts Organisation events.Brantjes reached the final of the 2003 German Open, losing to Ted Hankey. He then won the unranked Spring Cup, beating Vincent van der Voort in the semi-finals and then defeating Erik Clarys...
2-3 - 20062006 BDO World Darts Championship-Women:-External links:*...
(BDO) - Round 2 lost to Jelle KlaasenJelle KlaasenJelle Klaasen is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation and is the youngest darts player to win the World Darts Championship. His nickname is The Matador. He lives in Breda, North Brabant, Netherlands...
2-4 - 20072007 BDO World Darts ChampionshipThe 2007 Lakeside World Darts Championship was the 30th Championship and was held between January 6–14, 2007 at the Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green, Surrey....
(BDO) - Semi Final lost to Martin AdamsMartin AdamsMartin Adams is an English international darts player. Nicknamed Wolfie or Mr BDO, he is BDO world ranked number one, three-time and reigning BDO World Champion and three-time World Masters champion...
5-6 - 20082008 PDC World Darts ChampionshipThe 2008 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, sponsored by Ladbrokes, was the 15th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation...
(PDC) - Round 2 lost to Roland ScholtenRoland ScholtenRoland Scholten is a Dutch professional darts player who plays for the Professional Darts Corporation and formerly for the British Darts Organisation. He is nicknamed Tripod or The Flying Dutchman and uses Hey Ya by Outkast as his walk-on. He is currently ranked 45th in the PDC...
2-4 - 20092009 PDC World Darts ChampionshipThe 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 16th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation....
(PDC) - Semi Final lost to Phil Taylor 2-6 - 20102010 PDC World Darts ChampionshipThe 2010 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 17th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation....
(PDC) - Round 2 lost to Co StompéCo StompéJacobus Wilhelm "Co" Stompé , is a Dutch professional darts player who currently plays in the Professional Darts Corporation. Stompé is nicknamed The Matchstick because of his almost bald head and very thin appearance making him look like a matchstick...
2-4 - 20112011 PDC World Darts ChampionshipThe 2011 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship was the 18th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation.Phil Taylor was the defending champion, having won the 2010 tournament...
(PDC) - Round 2 lost to Andy SmithAndy Smith (darts player)Andrew Smith is a darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation events. He uses the nickname Pieman for his matches...
3-4
Major finals
| Organization |
| BDO |
| PDC |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| Runner-up | 1 | 2000 | World Masters | England John Walton John Walton (darts player) John Michael Walton is an English darts player who is a former World Champion. He has adopted the nickname The Boy and uses the song Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex as his walk-on theme.-Darts career:... |
2-3 |
| Runner-up | 2 | 2002 | BDO World Darts Championship 2002 BDO World Darts Championship The 2002 Embassy World Professional Darts Championship was held from 5-13 January 2002 at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey. This was the milestone 25th year of the BDO World Championship.... |
Australia Tony David Tony David Tony David is a darts player and is the only Australian player to have been a senior singles world champion. David won the 2002 Embassy World Championship. He plays under the nickname The Deadly Boomerang.-Career:David started playing darts at the age of 25 and progressed into the Queensland State... |
4-6 |
| Runner-up | 3 | 2003 | World Darts Trophy World Darts Trophy The World Darts Trophy was a darts tournament held each September at De Vechtsebanen in Utrecht, Netherlands between 2002 and 2007. The tournament has a playing format comparable with the two World Championships, the BDO World Darts Championship and the PDC World Darts Championship... |
Netherlands Raymond Van Barneveld Raymond van Barneveld Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player... |
2-6 |
| Runner-up | 4 | 2003 | International Darts League International Darts League The Topic International Darts League was a darts tournament held at the Triavium in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Raymond van Barneveld dominated the tournament, held in his home country, winning it on three of the five occasions it was held... |
Netherlands Raymond Van Barneveld Raymond van Barneveld Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player... |
5-8 |
| Runner-up | 5 | 2004 | BDO World Darts Championship | England Andy Fordham Andy Fordham Andy "The Viking" Fordham is an English darts player. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship, beating Mervyn King in the final... |
3–6 |
| Winner | 6 | 2004 | World Masters | England Tony O'Shea Tony O'Shea Tony O'Shea is an English darts player who competes in British Darts Organisation events. He was born in Stockport. His squat figure has resulted in the nickname Silverback. His walk-on music is "Hey Baby" by DJ Ötzi... |
7-6 |
| Winner | 7 | 2005 | International Darts League International Darts League The Topic International Darts League was a darts tournament held at the Triavium in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Raymond van Barneveld dominated the tournament, held in his home country, winning it on three of the five occasions it was held... |
England Tony O'Shea Tony O'Shea Tony O'Shea is an English darts player who competes in British Darts Organisation events. He was born in Stockport. His squat figure has resulted in the nickname Silverback. His walk-on music is "Hey Baby" by DJ Ötzi... |
13-11 |
| Runner-up | 8 | 2005 | World Darts Trophy World Darts Trophy The World Darts Trophy was a darts tournament held each September at De Vechtsebanen in Utrecht, Netherlands between 2002 and 2007. The tournament has a playing format comparable with the two World Championships, the BDO World Darts Championship and the PDC World Darts Championship... |
England Gary Robson |
4-6 |
| Runner-up | 9 | 2008 | Championship League Darts 2008 Championship League Darts The 2008 Championship League Darts is the inaugural edition of a darts competition - the Championship League Darts. The competition is organised and held by the Professional Darts Corporation and has a maximum prize fund of £189,000.... |
England Phil Taylor |
5-7 |
| Runner-up | 10 | 2009 | Premier League Darts 2009 Premier League Darts The 2009 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation.The tournament kicked off at the Echo Arena Liverpool which hosted the biggest ever crowd for a PDC event of almost 8,000 in 2008.... |
England James Wade James Wade James Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation . He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007... |
8-13 |
| Runner-up | 11 | 2010 | Players Championship Finals 2010 Players Championship Finals The 2010 Players Championship Finals was the second edition of the PDC tournament, the Players Championship Finals, which sees the top 32 players from the 2009 PDC Players Championship Order of Merit taking part... |
Australia Paul Nicholson Paul Nicholson (darts player) Paul Nicholson is a British born darts player, who holds Australian nationality. He aims to project the image of the 'bad boy of darts'- 2008-2009 :... |
11-13 |