Players to follow in 2025

 With the emergence of so many young players plus the changing faces on the Pro Tour, 2025 promises to be an exciting year in darts. I expect more shock results and more different players putting their names on trophies. This will be across the board, from the Pro Tour, to the Women's Tour, Modus Super Series and further afield. It seems that we are in a real darts peak, with more and more opportunities for all ages to progress. 

The WDF World Championship has already showed the emergence of new talent, particularly in the Women's game, and there is a lot more to come. I've also added a few 'wild card' names to follow. They may not be world beaters just yet, but are interesting names to follow. 

So, here are 21 players to follow:

JDC Alumni

Ryan Branley

A product of the ever-expanding JDC Tour, Ryan Branley has had a breakthrough year. At 16 he is already making an impact in the darts world and he seems to be heading the large pack of young players ready to make an assault on senior darts. Branley played on the Development Tour several times in 2024 and more than held his own. He also made a very impressive Modus Super Series debut, making finals night. On top of that, he had a great JDC World Championship, winning the Luke Littler Legacy Trophy and the JDC World Cup, as part of the England team. I fully expect him to progress and grab even more headlines next year. 

Archie Self

The number one ranked JDC player. Archie Self is just 15 and been ripping the JDC apart. This feat is particularly amazing, as there are some incredibly talented players already in the JDC. He recently won the WDF World Boys Championship, beating top seed Jenson Walker, who himself is a player to look out for. Self has more to offer on the JDC and will be interesting to see if he can dominate again next year. Once he turns 16, he will no doubt be on the PDC Development Tour, and I look forward to see how he performs. Due to his age, surely he can only get better, which is a scary thought for his current peers, and the Pro Tour could be looking over their shoulders soon after. 

Tergel Kherelkhuu

At 14 years old, Tergel Kherelkhuu, is, perhaps, the most exciting prospect in darts. He is a natural talent and has been hitting incredible averages and competing with the best juniors from around the world. He made the semi-final of the JDC World Championship and the semi-final of the JDC World Cup representing Mongolia. If he can get the relevant backing and travel, he will only get better. Certainly one to keep an eye on. 

Chasing Beau!

Women's darts seems to be getting stronger every year. For a few years, there were 4 or 5 players that would usually be challenging for the tournament wins and latter stages. This has definitely changed. Although Beau Greaves is still considered that bit better than the other Women players, there are some pretenders to the throne emerging. 

Paige Pauling

The 2024 WDF World Girl's Champion, Pauling has gone from strength to strength this year. She has won pretty much all there is to win in Girls darts, and made a fantastic start to her Women's Series career, by making two semi-finals, at her first attempt. She doesn't seem to have any fear or nerves and is happy taking on anyone. With a bit more stage experience and Women's Series matches under her belt, a Women's Series title is beckoning and more!

Sophie McKinlay

At the recent WDF World Championships, McKinlay was a runner-up in both the Girl's and Women's Championships. She has been incredible on the Girls and WDF circuit and been a good foil for Paige Pauling. McKinlay has shown real class and seems to be improving all the time. It will be interesting to see if she opts to play on the Women's Series, as she would certainly be a contender.  Like Pauling, she has no fear and will not be long before she is challenging the very best

Gemma Hayter

Just my opinion, but I think she is the biggest rival to Beau Greaves, currently, even above Fallon Sherrock and Noa-Lynn van Leuven. Gemma has been playing for quite some time, but only began a serious challenge on the Women's Series in 2024. This year, she has won 2 Women's Series titles and made the semi-final or quarter final, on many occasions. She has been super consistent and has really broke through. She is considered a contender in each tournament she plays, and has shown real ability in front of the TV cameras. She has appeared on the Modus Super Series several times, making the finals night on one occasion, and in November she beat Fallon Sherrock 4-0 to take the ADC Tour Championship title, again aired on the Modus stage.  I can see 2025 being an even more successful year for Hayter. 

Development Tour Developers

The Development Tour seems to get stronger every year, and this year was certainly no exception. Some players coming through the ranks and performing well on the Challenge Tour and Modus Super Series, to name but a few. 

Dominik Gruellich

Another of the growing crop of players from Germany. Gruellich had a great season on the Development Tour, making mulitple quarter and semi-finals. Although he didn't win an event, it will only be a matter of time, and 2025 could be his year. He has been super consistent and finished 10th on the Development Tour Order of Merit. There is more to come from him and he will build on this year's performances. 

Niko Springer

This is one player that I expect to do big things in the PDC Tour next year. Again, a product of the fantastic German conveyor belt of darts talent. In essence, he went toe to toe with Wessel Nijman all season on the Development Tour. He has a great temperament and is a big scorer. Incredibly difficult to beat.  He was unlucky at times this year, with tournament performances, but he will be ready for 2025, and I expect him to match Wessel's achievements of this year, at the very least. 

Tavis Dudeney

I have been particularly impressed with Dudeney, particularly in the second half of this year. He made 2 Development Tour finals, winning one of them. He played on the Modus Super Series in November, and after a bad start, showed some real class. Although he didn't make the finals night, there was a lot to suggest he has a lot more to show. He seems to be one of those players that flies under the radar, but be assured he will be a familiar name very soon!

North American Hopes

The North American Tour (CDC) is continually growing, and we are getting to know more and more players. I'll be following this Tour (and others around the world quite closely on here), so will be a chance to spot some talent. 

Adam Sevada

 Adam Sevada is a name that has stuck out to me on a few occasions, so I digged a little deeper. In terms of his stats, I'm tempted to say he has been the best player on the CDC in 2024, ahead of the likes of Stowe Buntz and Leonard Gates. Although he didn't finish top ranked, I think 2025 could be his year, if he maintains his form from this year. He has experience in World Series events, so has played against the top players before. He could be a name that we start to see more of . Currently I'm unsure of his PDC Q School intentions, but he would certainly have a very big chance. 

Jason Brandon

If I'm honest, I didn't know a lot about Brandon until the recent WDF World Championship. I do now! He powered through to the semi final, beating former World Champion, Neil Duff, on his way. He was unlucky not to make the final, but will be given a huge amount of confidence going forward. I think he will challenge on the CDC Tour and will hopefully see him in more WDF and PDC World Series action. He may spring a few surprises. 

Jim Long

I suppose it depends on whether Jim Long will go to PDC Q School this year, as to where we will see him have most success. (I will be writing a Q School preview, so will include him there if applicable). Assuming he isn't, then I think we will see him have most success on the Modus Super Series. He seems very much at home on the Portsmouth stage, and I see more event wins and Champions week appearances coming his way. He will be looking to improve on the CDC Tour and I believe he will be challenging for the number one spot. 

Africa Emerging?

For quite some time, Devon Petersen as been the leading force in African darts, and has been instrumental in the game's emergence there. As the interest expands, so does the pool of players. And now it seems that African darts is starting to find its way. Hopefully 2025 raises its profile even more. 

Johan Geldenhuys

Geldenhuys is the real deal. He was unlucky not to qualify for the PDC World Championship, but that just gives him another year to get even better. He had mulitple wins on the African Continental Tour and won the 2024 African Continental Tour Grand Final. He will only get better and I hope he gets the invites needed to raise his profile, as he really has a lot of potential. 

Sarah Makanga

Sarah Makanga is a player I am very excited by. She has been, by far, the best African woman player this year. Hailing from Uganda, she is leading the charge of a crop of African players starting to get to grips with the game. Already there is a strong presence in neighbouring Kenya in Womens darts, and Uganda is not far behind. Makanga has already played in some WDF events and is currently ranked in the top 75. It would be great if she could get the funding to play on the Women's Series, as she could really start to challenge. Definitely keep your eye on her!

Hilton Klein 

In November Hilton Klein made history, buy becoming the first Botswanan player to pay in the Modus Super Series. Despite being the underdog, Klein equipped himself well and didn't look out of place. This is the sort of arena Klein needs to be playing at regularly, and I think he will grow in confidence after November's visit. He looked good enough to show there may be more to come and I will be following his progress closely. Outside of Modus, he may show on the African Tour and/or WDF, so he could be pushing for the higher rankings there. 

The Asian Growth

Paolo Nebrida

Nebrida had a fantastic 2024, when finishing third on the PDC Asian Tour Order of Merit. The standard on this tour continues to grow, so to finish so high, gives a very good indication that this player has talent. Nebrida has been on the World stage a few times and is getting more confident each year. I fully expect him to have a great 2025Asian Tour, but will be looking out for him on a wider global stage, when he gets the opportunity. 

Nitin Kumar

Nitin Kumar is representing the Indian subcontinent in the world of darts and perhaps the best player, currently, from that region. He finished 12th on the Asian Tour, which is no mean feat, considering he missed some tournaments due to travel restrictions. The usual Japan/Philippines domination of the Asian Tour could be shaken up in 2025, as Kumar looks to establish himself further. He had PDC World Cup experience and played on the PDC World Championship stage, so he already has a fantastic base to build on.

Tomoyo Goto

Those inside the sport have been speaking very highly of Goto of late. At 28 years old, he has a lot of experience behind him already. He represented Japan at the World Cup earlier this year, and has been a prolific contender on the Asian Tour, finishing 6th. He has a lot more to come and there could be a breakthrough in 2025.  His main routes to success still lie with the Asian Tour and World Series, but if he makes the most of his opportunities, we could be seeing a lot more of him soon. 

Rest Of The World

Nicole Regnaud

Hailing from New Zealand, Nicole Regnaud is an exciting prospect in Women's darts. At 25, she still has plenty of time to improve. Already she is the best female player in the Oceania area, and could make some very large dents in global darts. She has performed, primarily in Australia and New Zealand, but also appeared at WDF events, including the World Championships. She has already showed a huge amount of talent, and has huge potential to reach the very top. It would be great to see if should get to some Women's Series events, as she would perform well. 

Rashad Sweeting

This Bahamian player lit up the World Championship stage, with his enthusing attitude, but also his quality. He won a lot of new fans and put another country of the global darts map. With a bit of luck he will get invites to competitions and we will see a lot more of him. He has the ability to compete at the top, but needs that stage experience. I will certainly be keeping an eye on him and hope he can get those opportunities he deserves.

Sudesh Fitzgerald

I've added Sudesh Fitzgerald, as I think it will be interesting to see how this part of the world progresses, with Fitzgerald leading the way. Fitzgerald has played at the PDC World Championship in the past, but it was 2024 that saw a lift in his exposure. Guyana qualified for the second year in a row for the PDC World Cup, showing that the game is growing in popularity. Like Rashad Sweeting above,it would be great to see Fitzgerald get some invites to play in bigger competitions. I will be keeping an eye on the South American and Latin tour, and hopefully Fitzgerald will be a big part of this. 

What Opportunities Are Out There For Darts Players? (Part One)

 Having read a poster online about some events the PDC host, it got me thinking about what events in general are out there. From total amateurs, to those wishing to progress to the top ranks, and in between. 

So the pinnacle, I think it's fair to say, is the Pro Tour. Most aspiring players would like to play at this level. The prize money is the highest here, as is TV exposure and the potential to be a full time professional darts player. 

As far a I can see, there are 6 routes to get there. 

1. Q School - This is the simplest way to get to the Pro Tour. The event is open to absolutely anyone, regardless of their ability. The only stipulation is that you must be 16 years old or over to enter.  Every year around 10-15 spots are available at each of the two venues. One in the UK and one in Germany.  There are two stages. Most start in stage one, and if they win enough games over 3 days, or make the quarter final of each day's competitions, then you go through to stage 2. Then in stage 2, will be those that have just lost their Tour card, plus those that have performed well in the Challenge Tour and Development Tour Order of Merits.  Either win one of the 4 stage 2 events, or win enough games over the stage 2 events and you qualify. I've made that seem very easy, which clearly it's not, but you only have to be at your best for 7 days, rather than over a whole season. Any player not receiving a Tour card, can play on the Challenge Tour and try that route. 

2. Challenge Tour - There are a couple of routes via the Challenge Tour. The most straightforward, is to finish in the top 2 positions on the Order of Merit table and the place is yours. The second, which has happened several times, is to win or perform well at tournaments on the Pro Tour. If a player pulls out of a Pro Tour (floor) event, then the next places are offered based on your position on the Challenge Tour. Many Challenge Tour players played, last season, on the Pro Tour, with some performing particularly well. Some players have accumulated enough prize money to make the top 64 in the Pro Tour, and therefore, an automatic place. Connor Scutt did just that this year  By taking chances on the Pro Tour also gives players a chance to qualify for the Players Championship Finals, which has a larger prize pot and TV exposure. By Scutt qualifying automatically, Christian Kist benefitted from finishing 3rd on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit and was awarded a Pro Tour Card.

3. Development Tour - This tour is designed for players  aged between 16-24. Unlike the Challenge Tour, there are no places offered to on the Pro Tour, for those performing well during the season. The reason for this, is that players on the Pro Tour are allowed to enter, as long as they are not ranked in the current top 32 on the Pro Tour order of Merit. So, for example Luke Littler couldn't play due to his rank, but Wessel Nijman and Keane Barry could, as they were lower ranked. The top 2 on the Order of Merit get a Tour card, however, if the top two contains a player already with a Tour card, then it goes to the next place. Due to this, the player in 5th place, Sebastian Bialecki, was awarded a card.

4. UK Open - Another competition open to any player over the age of 16. There are several qualifying events held around the UK, where the prize for winning an event, is to play at the UK Open. If a qualifier is good enough, they can progress through the rounds and even appear on TV, where the prize money is sizeable. The other benefit of the UK Open, is that,from the 3rd round onwards, the draw is random, so you could avoid certain players and make a run deep into the competition. A win, or runner-up position, may be good enough for automatic qualification for Tour card, based on the Order of Merit. Sounds a bit of a 'Hail Mary', but amateur players have progressed well here in the past, such as Rob Cross and Graham Hall. 

5. World Championships - Again, this is a long shot, but a decent run here could earn enough to be placed in the top 64 on the Order of Merit. However you would still have to wait until the next year, before you can play on the Pro Tour properly.  If you did win or was runner- up, then there will be other opportunities such as the Grand Slam. This is a route that is probably more applicable to non-UK and European players, as it gives a chance, albeit slim, to qualify for the Pro Tour, without having to relocate or constantly travel. I'm unaware that this has happened in the past, but there is a lot of quality around the world, and a surprise is possible. 

6. World Series -  A possible route for non-UK players, in the same kind of vein as the UK Open and World Championships. Players from the particular country, in which the World Series event is held, can qualify to play in the tournament proper. Some players have performed quite well, none more so than Damon Heta, who won an Australian Series. Although the World Series is unranked, there is opportunity for invitation places for other events, which can help towards Order of Merit prize money. 

So, these are the routes in order to join the PDC Tour. Players will need quite a lot of good fortune, and bags of ability, however many have made the grade and moved on to become top players in the world.

I will continue this with other routes into winning prize money and TV appearances, without having to go through the PDC. 

Dartsasylum And My Home Venue

 These are basically the same. 

My home venue is the Browns Bar, based in Kingswood, Bristol.  Bristol has a wealth of opportunities for darts players of all standards and experience. There are many leagues in the area, and even more within a few miles radius of Bristol itself. So if you are in the area, there is an abundance of tournaments and leagues to play in. 

One of the best venues, (and I know i'm biased!) is Browns Bar. This is a bar that has also has its own bespoke darts function room. It has four boards and has competitions everyday apart from on Sundays (currently). I play Wednesdays and Thursdays and sometimes Saturdays. 

The venue is also to three exciting junior academies. And already the signs are looking good, with several players performing well on the JDC tours. It does help that one of the people responsible for setting up the academies, (as it is his bar),  is Steve Brown, the chairman of the JDC, so the passion and appetite for youth darts is clear to see. 

The standard of play is also very good too and various pros or ex pros have visited the venue to try their hand. Names such as Mark Dudbridge, Danny Lauby, James Richardson, Dom Taylor are just a few of the players that have frequented tournaments here. 

One of the new additions to the venue is the Dartsasylum shop. There's a large stock of darts and accessories available and a practise board too. The addition of the website www.dartsasylum.com means that you can order online and receive, or pick up the order in quick time. Have a look and see what you think

Welcome to my blog

 Hello! Welcome to the first post in my new blog. 

As briefly stated in my little info paragraph, I have decided to write a blog as I attempt to make something of myself in the world of darts. As the title of the blog suggests, I am trying to make it to 'Q School'. This, for those of you unaware, is the usual qualifying route to playing on the main PDC Darts tour.  It's extremely competitive, so have no illusions on how difficult it will be. But I'm positive and will keep going.  Unfortunately I'm not good enough to enter this year, so will have to stick to practice and local tournaments for the time being.

So the story so far.........

Back in the late 1970s and early 80s, darts was massive, and quite similar to today in terms of the amount of tournaments that are around and on television. My favourite player was Eric Bristow and his style and winning mentality drew me into the game, albeit at just a fun level. I got a board for Christmas when I was about 8 and I would play my dad and brother, usually losing, but I loved the game and like to show off a little, that I could add up quicker than both of them! I improved a little when I had a board put up in the loft and used to spend hours up practicing. So by the time I was a teenager, I could play well enough to give the men down the pub a decent game.

But, this will still just a bit of fun and although could play quite well for a pub standard player, I never really had aspirations of going any further.

I then worked around the country for a few years in my early 20s, and again just played for fun. I played pool for a few local teams, so this became my main focus, but still kept my hand in a few games of darts.

I guess my first inspiration to try and play darts seriously was when I heard an interview ,in 2003, on radio about someone who decided that darts was a game, that with enough practice, could be something that anyone could reach a high standard, and even get to professional level. This struck a chord with me, so I bought a board and new set of darts and looked to do the same. 

I played ok, but this was before the internet took off, so I spent a lot of time trying to find tournaments or leagues to play in, but these were quite scarce. I still loved the game, so kept practicing now and again, but my main focus had now become competitive Quizzing! Yes it does exist and through meeting someone on a TV quiz show we both appeared on, I gave it a go and became ridiculously immersed in this world. I was reading up to four hours a day and getting my knowledge levels up to try and compete with the best.

Quite surprisingly are a lot of similarities with darts and quizzing. You can enter Open competitions against some of the country's and world top players by just paying an entry fee. The opportunities for success are also there if you practice hard enough - for example one of my good friends, Didier Bruyere, started quizzing for fun in 2007. In 2022 he became the World Quiz Champion. This was somebody that I had beaten before, but he applied himself way more and rose through the ranks. Although there are more similarities, the most striking one is that you can play at any age. In the various darts tournaments and leagues I've played in,, the ages vary from 11-85. And there are some outstanding 11 and 85 year old players out there! The same is in competitive quizzing.

The reason I mention this is that this was a massive focus for me. However after the birth of my second child, I found it hard to concentrate on the books like I used to, and eventually faded away from quizzing, although I keep my hand in ever so slightly these days.

So around 2017, I found a void and felt like I wanted to focus on something seriously in my spare time. I still watched darts religiously and could see that the darts world was expanding rapidly.  I decided to give darts a real go. No expectations, just try and see where it takes me. Worse case scenario, I get a good social life!

So I went to Facebook as a first point of call. I searched for 'Darts Leagues in Bristol' and up came the Redfield and District League. I like to follow fate and my gut, so though I'd see if I could join a team. From my practice scores, I was averaging around 40-45 and had hit a few 180s, so mentioned this when asking on the Redfield Facebook Group. If I'm honest, I wasn't sure if this would be good enough. However I was pleasantly surprised to find that several teams were looking for players. They said the average was fine. 

Going with my fate mantra, I decided to join the first team that asked if I would like to play. These were called the LC Pirates, and were bottom of division four. (The league has a Premier Division and four lower divisions). Well, I thought, at least I can only go up from here. And besides it will be less pressure and a good introduction into competitive darts.

Actually the Redfield Darts League is a very good league. It is one of the country's oldest and has had professional players such as Steve Brown, Chris Mason, Mark Dudbridge and Ronnie Baxter among its alumni.

Oh, just an aside. In 2010 I played in an Open competition in Swindon. This tournament included a couple of players that are now in the top 10 in the World, Johnny Clayton and Luke Humphries. My point being that it is possible to be a very good local player and go onto massive things with the right mindset and application. So my thoughts are that I will aim to be a very good local player and kick on from there!

So, back to the story....

I played for the Pirates for a couple of years. After a few nervy matches, I won my first game and this made me think, 'OK, I can handle myself here'. I just need to get my technique right and put in the hours of practice and maybe I can start improving to a higher level. I progressed to be one of the better players on my team and was winning my games most weeks. Also I was starting to compete with players in higher divisions in cup matches.  At this point I started to enter a few Open competitions. Although I had little success, I did claim a few match wins and also got a much better understanding of the levels I need to reach.

2020 and Covid hits. Darts stops. Well competitions and leagues anyway. For the first month or so, so did I. I was adjusting to my work/life balance and generally juggling things around. Eventually I found that I could make time for darts practice, and this also kept me sane during the main lockdown periods.

I could see that some online leagues were created, but I felt they weren't for me. I like the feel of a real life face to face match and online wasn't quite ticking the enjoyment boxes. I created a few games and challenges myself and this seemed to motivate me during practice, so I kept to it. By the end of lockdown, I had improved a fair amount and my average was over 50. This kept my motivation going and at the the same time a place became available on a Division 1 team, so I felt these were steps in the right direction.

Early 2022 and I heard about the Amateur Darts Circuit (ADC) and entered some of their competitions. More about the ADC later, but in essence, they are a series of Open competitions with ranking points on offer. These ranking points can get you into bigger competitions, and also show a measure of your performance on an individual basis. Through playing these competitions, I met a lot of new players, who encouraged me to join a Superleague team. This is the next level up from local league darts and a route in County darts. I found a team and have been playing since September 2022.

So to the present...

I'm currently entering tournaments within the ADC, as well as some non-ADC open events. I'm averaging around 55 and feel I am going in the right direction, albeit a little slower than I wanted. But that's ok, I love the game and will stay motivated and keep going!