Most sports you see have inspirational quotes that inspire generations.
Whether it be athletes, coaches or commentators, they always find a way to inspire the next generation.
Darts… Not so much.
Having said that, we went on a mission to find some quotes from current and former legends of the game to see if they cause inspiration or cringe.
Spoiler – It’s 50/50
10 Best Quotes from Darts Legends
1. Phil Taylor
“Darts players are probably a lot fitter than most footballers in overall body strength.”
Phil Taylor is widely regarded as the greatest darts player of all time, his ability is unquestionable and he is a winner of the absolute highest level.
This quote though is not one that went down smoothly.
For the longest time, darts was a pub sport and the players were seen as pint drinking, pie munching, ‘20 smokes a day’ health risks.
Now darts has come a long way in recent years, with the image improving dramatically and people appreciating the mental strength and stamina needed to compete.
To claim darts players are fitter than footballers though… Maybe the odd Sunday league player but come on Phil, this has to be one of the worst takes of all time!
2. Eric Bristow
“If you’re going to be two-faced, at least make one of them pretty.”
Known for his sharp wit and confidence, Eric “The Crafty Cockney” Bristow’s humour was as legendary as his playing skills.
He was probably the first true personality of the sport and set the foundation for what it’s become today.
We could have picked quite a few quotes from Bristow but this one that has nothing to do with darts caught our eye the most.
3. Bobby George
“Trebles for show, doubles for dough”
Arguably the most famous darts quote of all time. Bobby George was a true character of the game and we’d put him close to being on par with Bristow.
He was seemingly the first darts player to become a millionaire mostly through darts, with his tournament wins, exhibitions and later commentary work. You’d also see him a mile away with kilograms of gold on his wrists, neck and fingers.
Well, for the first player to earn darts riches, it’s pretty apt that he has one of the most memorable and sensible quotes from the game.
4. Raymond Van Barneveld
“It’s like holding something special in your hands, something that can change your life.”
Hmmm, look, we love darts.
It’s both a fun game and also a competitive sport at the highest level. It’s universal in terms of who can participate and it’s becoming enjoyed more and more globally with each passing year.
‘Barney’ is taking it a bit far with this quote though…
It can definitely change your life if you are one of the top 10 players of all-time like he arguably is but we don’t think it’s changing quite so many lives as he’s claiming!
I’ve never held a dart and thought it had some kind of transformative power. The sword of Excalibur, yeah we can see that but a 21g tungsten dart, not so much.
5. Peter Wright
“I like to be different, to be my own person, and darts allows me to express myself.”
‘Snakebite’ is a crowd favourite in darts. His ability is obvious with 2 x World Championship wins (2020, 2022) but it’s not just his ability to play that draws attention to him.
He has the wackiest and most extroverted looks you’d probably ever see.
For pretty much every tournament, he’ll sport a colourful mohawk hairstyle with equally ‘loud’ clothing. Oh, and he changes his darts like most people change underwear 👀
To say darts allows him to express himself would be the understatement of the century.
SEE ALSO – Wright still can’t decide which darts to use
6. Jocky Wilson
“Darts is life. It’s more than just a game.”
Oh my, Jocky Wilson, a two-time World Champion nearly brought a tear to our eye with that quote.
Jocky is one of the most loved players in darts history.
He was everything that darts used to be guzzling pints on stage and having a quick smoke break (also on stage) between throws.
To come out with a quote like that though just shows how much the sport meant to him.
7. Gary Anderson
“You have to be mentally tough. The best players are the ones who can hold it together under pressure.”
Gary “The Flying Scotsman” Anderson emphasises the importance of mental toughness in achieving success in darts.
His consistency over the years is impressive and he definitely holds it together under pressure.
He once knocked out a 180 score in the World Championship final to score 0 and still kept himself composed enough to go on and win.
Did we mention that was also against 16 time champion Phil Taylor, one person you don’t want to score 0 against when the game is tied 4 sets apiece!
Our favourite quote from him however came after the infamous ‘farting’ incident against Wesley Harms with him saying post-match:
“I thought he had s***”
🤣🤣 Classic!
8. John Lowe
“To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will.”
John Lowe is a three time world champion and a real class act and ambassador for the sport. The MBE, along with Bristow and Wilson can stake equal claim for really putting darts out into the mainstream.
He wasn’t that eccentric but he was a solid champion so we’ll take that quote as just some wise words from someone who clearly took action on it.
SEE MORE JOHN LOWE ON DECENT DARTS
👉 Remembering John Lowe’s HISTORIC first televised nine-darter
👉 6 ICONIC moments in John Lowe’s darting career
9. Michael Van Gerwen
“I always believe in myself, no matter what. You have to have confidence to win.”
Michael Van Gerwen’s confidence and belief in his abilities have driven him to multiple World Championship titles and be considered as one of the best darts players of all-time.
He’s the definition of a confidence player and that steely quote just goes to show the kind of relentless mindset that has led him to such heights in the sport.
10. Dennis Priestley
“I made Phil Taylor a monster – the thrashing I gave him made him the player he became.”
Phil Taylor had a lot of rivals – that kind of happens when everyone wants to beat you – but Dennis Priestley probably holds a legitimate claim to being his biggest rival.
Before Taylor went on to basically become unstoppable, Priestley was an initial stumbling block for him.
While Taylor stopped Priestley winning far more than the reverse, there’s likely some element of truth to this Priestley claim.
Taylor beat Priestley 37 times over their careers to Priestleys 6 wins, however, Priestley beat him to claim his first world title in 1991 and then in the first ever PDC World Championship final in 1994.
Two occurrences which actually could have created the ‘monster’.
If you liked these quotes, please feel free to hit one of the share buttons below to share it with your friends.
If you know of some better quotes, let us know down in the comments below 👇 we’d be happy to add it to this article or make a part 2!
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