PDC World Darts Championship (1994-2014) Quiz

Answer: Circus Tavern

For the first fourteen WDC/PDC World Darts Championships, the location of choice for the prestigious event was the town of Purfleet in the English county of Essex. Purfleet is home to Circus Tavern, a modest venue that saw Phil Taylor's incredible rise to dominance. Amazingly, Phil Taylor made it to every single one of the fourteen World Darts Championship finals that took place at Circus Tavern!

Answer: Dennis Priestley

Dennis "The Menace" Priestley was so nicknamed after the well known character from "The Beano". He could regularly be seen dressing in a similar manner to the mischievous comic book character, often donning a red and black top when on the darting stage.

He had a famous rivalry (and friendship) with Phil "The Power" Taylor that was at its peak in the 1990s. Dennis Priestley took the upper-hand in the WDC/PDC world when he beat Phil Taylor 6-1 in the inaugural World Darts Championship final - a rather comprehensive victory! The two met in the final a further four times (1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000) and on all four occasions, Phil Taylor won the battle.

Answer: Phil Taylor

Think of darts and it won't take all that long before Phil "The Power" Taylor comes to mind. Born in the English city of Stoke-on-Trent in 1960, Taylor took up the game of darts in a semi-serious way at what would now be considered a rather late age; he was 26. Compare this background to that of Dutchman Jelle Klaasen who won the BDO World Championship at Lakeside at the age of just 21. That said, it has clearly not impacted negatively on his career; even though he started playing the game at a more mature age than most, he went on to dominate the world of darts throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

Taylor's first World Championships were won at BDO (British Darts Organisation) events held in 1990 and 1992. From there he built on his success under the banner of the PDC (Professional Darts Corporation), winning the World Championship in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2013! The only "blemish" in the extraordinary string of victories from 1995 - 2006 came in 2003 when an unassuming Canadian had the tournament of his life.

Answer: Canada

Canada's John "Darth Maple" Part, who walked on to the darts stage with "The Imperial March" being played, was North America's finest player throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He reached the final of the PDC World Darts Championship three times (2001, 2003, 2008) and on the first two occasions, Part faced Phil Taylor.

In the 2001 final, Taylor whitewashed Part 7-0. In 2003, the Canadian shocked everybody by defeating Taylor to take the world title in the final set of the match. He became the first person to beat "The Power" at the World Championship in nine years. Five years later he beat Englishman Kirk Shepherd to become the second person to ever win the title more than once.

The terrific John Part was inducted into the PDC Hall of Fame in 2017.

Answer: The Artist

I would imagine with a surname like Painter that it wouldn't have taken all that long to have come up with the nickname of "The Artist"! Painter was a consistently good player and often reached finals of the big events in the PDC calendar, but he seldom managed to win the major titles. One such example is where Painter finished as the runner up at the 2004 World Championship, losing 7-6 to Phil "The Power" Taylor.

It may be some consolation to Kevin Painter that the 2004 final was so entertaining that it is still regarded as one of the best climaxes in the history of the competition.

Answer: Alexandra Palace

By 2008, the PDC World Darts Championship had developed a very large and loyal following. TV deals with the likes of Sky Sports were becoming ever more lucrative and the players were consequently playing for ever larger financial rewards. The 2008 move to Alexandra Palace reflected the success and popularity of the PDC offering, allowing more spectators to soak in the atmosphere.

Answer: Nine-darter

The nine-darter, or the nine-dart finish, is not as rare an occurence as it once was, but it is still a major demonstration of skill and seen with sufficient infrequency that it enthrals those that get to see a pro throw nine perfect darts. Raymond van Barneveld was the first to achieve a perfect leg at the PDC World Darts Championship, back in 2009. Once was not enough for van Barneveld as he managed to throw another nine-darter at the World Championship the next year!

Answer: Scotland

It took 18 years for a Scotsman to make the final of the PDC World Darts Championship; Gary "The Flying Scotsman" Anderson lost out to England's Adrian Lewis in the 2011 final but his success in reaching the most lucrative match in the sport began something of a golden age for Scottish darts. Three years after Anderson had led the way, compatriot Peter Wright secured a spot in the final and within a matter of a couple of years both men had won the biggest title in world darts.

Answer: Michael van Gerwen

The Dutch certainly rival the British in their enthusiasm for the game of darts. Michael van Gerwen, from the south of the Netherlands, beat the Scotsman with the funky hair, Peter Wright, in the final of the 2014 World Championship. Michael van Gerwen brought to an end a five year streak of English dominance with this victory.

Answer: Sid Waddell

Sid Waddell, known for his excitable and witty commentary style, came to be known as the "Voice of Darts". One of the more memorable comments uttered during his time commentating on the sport for Sky related to the brilliance of Phil Taylor: "William Tell could take an apple off your head, Taylor could take out a processed pea".

Sid Waddell died of bowel cancer in the summer of 2012 and in his honour the PDC World Darts Championship trophy was renamed the Sid Waddell trophy.