Really great 9 darter from Taylor. 4 times he has done a 9 darter at the UK Open.

Well, I managed to make it down to Wembley and I think I've recovered sufficiently. Here is a recap of my day.

I left my home at 3:45pm and arrived at Wembley Arena at about 5:15pm. I had never been to Wembley so walking towards Wembley Stadium was an interesting walk. Wembley Arena sits almost right next to Wembley Stadium.

We sat around waiting for the doors to open and we took our seats at around 7pm. If you were looking from the stage, we were on the right, towards the back corner. We were on the front row of a section so we didn't really have anyone in front of us.

Obviously, with it being darts, unless you were in the front few rows near the stage, you wouldn't see the darts at all but to the sides of the stage and on the ceiling heading towards the back were screens projecting the pictures you see on Sky Sports.

To warm the crowd up, John McDonald took the mic. He really is a natural speaker and was having fun before the event started. He gave us some instructions like when he says that we are live at Wembley, we were to cheer. He had the guys play the music that they play before breaks and at the end of matches and got a woman from the crowd to do the walk on to that music. She was at the event with her boyfriend, which got booed inevitably.

There was about 1 minute to go and I had a quick look around. The event was apparently a sell out but I would say it was only three quarters full. A whole corner was empty and there were rows of seats with no one in them.

On the TV, the walk on area looks quite long but it really isn't. It doesn't even go halfway back the tables section. The players come from behind the stage and walk up to the end and when they get announced, they walk onto the stage.

The crowd was very loud for the whole night. The first match was Mardle V Jenkins and, of course, the crowd was behind Mardle but they liked Jenkins too so were polite to him. The match itself was poor. Lots of 40 and 50 scores and no one really got going. Jenkins did check out 116 and there were a few 180s but it was difficult to get into.

It was a bit of a weird experience because you watch it on the TV and the crowd seem a bit quiet and you hear the commentary but in the arena, from where I was sitting, you can just about hear the darts going into the board and see what is going on but it's weird without commentary.

The 2nd match was Manley V Wade. Manley got booed a lot and Wade got booed a fair bit, which I could not understand. Sure, he isn't the most charismatic but you can't argue with the results he gets. It was a decent match and we had seen every possible leg being played so far.

The 3rd match was Barney V Lewis and the crowd were starting to get a bit more self centred. The chanting got a little crude. I haven't had a chance to watch all the event from the TV feed so I don't know if it was audible. Barney hit a load of bullseye shots out and Lewis had a lot of chances and blew them.

The last match was Taylor V Part. I would think most of the crowd were pretty drunk by this point and after the introductions, the crowd mostly were only interested in riling up each other. A few started a conga line going around the seated sections, a few at the back of the arena who were basically starting all the chants were constantly having a go at the tables sections for not singing.

The match itself was very good. We didn't know the averages but Taylor finished on 111 I found out at home and Part was averaging 104 and got stuffed. Unfortunately, a couple of idiots started fighting and the crowd goaded them on. The fight ended when one guy decked the other guy to the ground and they were escorted out of the building as the crowd chanted 'Cheerio'. Taylor actually looked around at the fight.

The event went on a little longer than planned and it resulted in us getting home at past 1am. If you were thinking on going to a darts event, I would recommend that you need to be a person with a lot of energy as I didn't last a couple of matches before I was finished.

Whether I'd go again, I'm not sure. The atmosphere was good to start with but turned in the 2nd half. I also felt like the majority of the crowd were more interested in drinking and chanting rather than watching the darts, kind of like they were more interested in the idea of darts rather than the actual watching of darts.

I suppose the closest comparison would be a football crowd but I've not been to a match so it's only a gut reaction. It's not really a crowd I fit in with as I don't drink and don't have a great deal of energy. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it but I would have liked it more if more of the people there watched the darts inside of the inside of their plastic glasses.

Well, if my health holds out, I'll be travelling down to Wembley for the Premier League Darts tomorrow.

Taylor has hit form again and if he carries it on he'll still be the force he used to be.

Some great darts in the premier league this year, next week there's expected to be a crowd of about 8,000!

If Taylor plays like he did on Thursday when I go in April (tickets came through last week), we are in for some night.

The Premier League well under way now and, if my health improves enough, I should be going to the Premier League event at Wembley in April.

No surprises in the final. Part beat Shepherd convincingly. Shepherd's route to the final has been full of people who are hit and miss. When good, very good, when bad, almost useless.

Terry Jenkins has double trouble when bad and that's why he lost. MaGowan is hit and miss, Manley also misses doubles and Mardle's B game is pretty poor, particularly when he tries to put his opponent off by changing throwing speeds and it wrecks his own rhythm.

Only 4 people have won the PDC title. Priestley, Taylor, Part and Barney.

Hi, anything you'd like to add about the World Darts Championship?

If you just want to chat, General Chat is the place.

hi grandprix

It's funny because Barney and Taylor have been changing things and tinkering with their game to try to get ahead of each other and they've both damaged their game to the point where the others just behind can now knock them out of tournaments.

Grandprix wrote:

> Taylor really is pushing it a bit. Three close matches in a row
> but he's facing a tough opponent in Mardle on Saturday. He can't
> keep playing like he is and win the tournament.

Which he did and is now deservedly out but what a match with Mardle!

I always liked Taylor or Barney to be in the final but now they're both out the excitement hs multiplied ten fold for me with Part the only semi finalist to have won a world title before.

I think the winner of the Painter vs Part match will win the title facing Mardle in the final but Painter winning would be great as both finalists would be battling for their first world title.

Taylor really is pushing it a bit. Three close matches in a row but he's facing a tough opponent in Mardle on Saturday. He can't keep playing like he is and win the tournament.

Well it's all starting up again today in the race to New Years Day not seen any of it today but looking forward to the next week to see if Taylor can make it 14 or Barney can retain his title or if Wade or some other up and coming star can take the title :)

Taylor is looking dodgy at the minute and if he carries on playing like he is he won't be picking up his 14th world title.

Wade is still on top form and has a good chance this year as well.

I felt Walsh didn't have the game to finish Taylor off. Taylor kept pegging Walsh back and at 3-3, there was only one winner.

He'll have to pick up his game considerably, especially as, if he gets past Tabern, he'll have to face Scholten or Mardle.

Taylor once again scraped through against Walsh last night great match I thought Walsh was going to have him.

Starts again boxing day looking forward to it.

The draw for the World Championships is available on the PDC website. The pick of the first round games is Taylor V Van Gerwan. All underway on the 17th December.

Jenkins knocking out Barney again was a surprise but Jenkins seems to be getting better against Barney and Taylor. He just needs to convert that into every other match and he'll be winning titles.

Wade going out opens that half of the draw up but even with a few shock results on the other side, that side is very difficult.

Yes hopefully he'll beat it.

I've been enjoying the darts this weekend but haven't seen any tonight. Have to catch up tomorrow ready for the knock outs on Wednesday.

A statement released today says that Dennis Priestley is suffering from cancer. Hopefully, he'll be okay when he gets it sorted.

Taylor has said he wants to play for 5 more years and go out on a high. I think he knew the time would come when he'd get beaten on a regular basis. He just needs to find his game again and get that air of invincibility back.

The draw was made for the ITV tournament. Tough draws for Barney and Taylor but it is supposed to be the best field.

Wades form in the last 2 tournaments has been fantastic and with Taylor and Barney at their best he's come into form at just the right time.

Got to feel for Jenkins but I don't think it will be long before he wins a major tournament.

Wade is certainly looking like the best player in the world at the moment. With Taylor misfiring and Barney in a little slump, Wade is playing some great darts. Lewis looked relaxed and confident. I'd like to see him do well in the World Championships.

Terry Jenkins coming back from 3 sets down to beat John Part and Wade thrashing a really underpar Barneveld. Wade V Terry Jenkins again but this time in the double start World Grand Prix.

Taylor out in the first round again. Taylor has only won the Premier League on Sky this year and hasn't won a major since the World Grand Prix last year. It's a short format at the start but it isn't masking the problems he is having with his game.

Taylor came through the 8 man field to win. All the South African qualifiers went out in the first round. Terry Jenkins took a 4-0 lead for Taylor to win 6-4 and Barney edged out Wade.

Taylor just nicked it 8-6 with just the 1 break of throw.

World Grand Prix coming up early in October and a tournament in South Africa is being shown on Challenge on the 30th September.

Great win for Wade and yes I agree that Wade is unlikely to become a crowd favourite like Taylor or Barney or like Jenkins has the potential to become especially after his "I can't speak" interview on stage after his win.

That said he deserved his win and at only 24 he has the potential to rise to the top and stay there for many years as long as he doesn't fade like Mardle and Dudbridge have done in the past.

Wade wasn't as good in the final but the way he started just put enough pressure to put Jenkins on the back foot. That was enough to stop Jenkins getting back at him.

Good consistent stuff from Wade though. Never really budged from the 95 average area. I am a little concerned that the crowd won't take to Wade like they have to Jenkins. Wade doesn't look like a play to the crowd kind of guy.

I'm looking forward to it, both players going for their first major title will make it a great match.

I would say Jenkins will win but after Wades performance against Lewis and if he can perform that well tonight it'll be close.

Well, Wade was on fire against Lewis. He really likes Blackpool. Back to back final appearances for Wade at Blackpool now.

He'll play Jenkins, who beat Taylor. Taylor will work really hard now to get back to the top.

Should be a good final.

I think that tournament was a while ago, it was just never shown on UK TV before.

Lewis knocking Barney out of the Matchplay was a big surprise and Scholten played so badly that Taylor thrashed him. It means the Barney Grand Slam is over.

That means it's Wade V Lewis and Terry Jenkins V Taylor.

Barney vs Manley tonight in the final of the England vs UK tournament I expect Barney to win although Manleys comeback against King was spectacular so you never know!

Van Gerwin is also looking like a definite big star for many years to come after his efforts this week.

Barneveld is probably the number 1 guy now. Taylor is just slipping a bit and Barney is just destroying everyone at the moment.

Jenkins makes a 3rd final in less than a year and he should win a big tournament soon.

Matchplay is a couple of weeks and Barney will be favourite now.

No real surprises on the second day. Smith V Priestley was always going to be close and Smith edged it.

Hopefully, Mardle has his game working because he'll need it to beat Barney in the 2nd round.

Wow! Hamilton, Lloyd and Taylor all out on the first day. Dudbridge beating Taylor isn't that much of a surprise in a short match. I think Barneveld should go out and we could have a close tournament.

The Las Vegas Desert Classic starts Wednesday. The tournament is already underway in that some qualifiers have already been played. Barney played in the Players tournament before the Classic and won it. Taylor didn't play in it though.

Barney was unstoppable today and only Taylor on his best form could have beaten him.

I enjoyed the tournament as a whole and next month we have 2 more tournaments starting with the Desert Classic at the start of July before the World Matchplay at the end.

If Barney continues his form I expect him to win both or go very close.

No one looked like beating Barneveld today. He dominated Taylor and that was his name on the title really.

Fantastic 9 darter from Taylor. I think that's the first one I've seen live. I was out when Taylor did his first and missed the other 2 in the UK Open. Didn't see Barneveld's live either.