World Darts Championship: Dennis Priestley on Ally Pally favourites and an 'unusual' on-stage experience

The Darts World Championships is rapidly approaching the halfway point and former two-time World Champion Dennis ‘The Menace’ Priestley has tipped Northern-Irish youngster Josh Rock for success on the Alexandra Palace stage, whilst also delving into the drinking culture of the sport, what it’s like to get close to Phil Taylor and dealing with the weirdest on-stage experiences.

The sixteen-day event in London has seen plenty of shocks so far, none more so than Nathan Rafferty who recorded a debut win against Jermaine Wattemina - and despite falling at the next hurdle against Michael Smith, Priestley has tipped them both for future success.

Dennis said: “Josh Rock will do well at the Worlds. Another young lad, Nathan Rafferty, is also up there in the same league as Josh. We have Raymond van Barneveld back too, which is good for the older supporters. 

Despite the influx of young talent coming through the Darts scene, 72-year-old Priestley is still hopeful Michael van Gerwen can cap off what has been an unbelievable year for the Dutchman.

Priestley added: “Michael Van Gerwen is the one to beat. He’s done remarkably well this year. However, we don’t know how good the newcomers are going to be. There are plenty of people to really watch out for. “

Van Gerwen is the 9/4 favourite with SafeBettingSites to walk away with the trophy and mouth-watering £500,000 prize pot, with close rivals Michael Smith (11/2) and Gerwyn Price (6/1) next in the betting.

When speaking about Smith, who won his first major title in November, Priestley was quick to suggest that the St Helen’s star has every chance of adding to his honours at Ally Pally.

He added: “Michael can follow up on his first major title this month, but he will have to be on his toes during the early stages, which is not always good for Michael. The further he progresses, though, the more you have to count him as being one of the favourites to win it. He has a very tough game to begin with.”

Yorkshireman Priestley is no stranger to a rivalry on the oche and voiced that he regrets becoming close with Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, who he had many battles with at the top, claiming that Taylor ‘learnt a lot’ from his former colleague.

Dennis said: “Looking back on the situation, I shouldn’t have really let him get that close to me in terms of friendly wise. I was ten years senior to him, and I was not a teenager in my twenties. I believe he learnt a lot from me but I should have not let him get too close to me; I should have kept him at arm's length with more distance. Although, it did make me more hungry.”

Darting traditions have certainly changed since the days of The Menace, however, he is adamant that one thing still in full swing is the drinking culture amongst the players, especially at Ally Pally.

Dennis explained: "I’m sure there are still players who drink before games. There isn’t a festival as fun as darts. Out of 3,000 people, there are probably only 500 who would want to watch darts in a controlled atmosphere. 

“The other 2,500 people though, are there for dressing up and partying. Fair do’s to them, as they pay the money and enjoy it. People who have never been to a live one will never understand what the atmosphere is like. 

"I remember playing John Ferrell in Blackpool and we were in the practice room. He was well on his way to being really drunk. I couldn’t believe how well he played and he even beat me. I took the game lightly as he was that worse for wear with his drink. It was unbelievable how he sobered up and played so well. It was off-putting as he’d get a 26 or a three and then he would get a 180. It was very unusual.”

The Darts World Championships final will be held on January 3, 2023, at Alexandra Palace, London.

Dennis was speaking on behalf of SafeBettingSites