Friday, September 25, 2026
Column 725
The PDC Needs to Take Control of the Crowds
Imagine Rory McIlroy at the top of his backswing. Just as his driver begins its downswing a section of the crowd loudly boos and whistles. Would PGA officials shrug and say, “That’s just the atmosphere”? Would they tell McIlroy to …
Column #725 The PDC Needs to Take Control of the Crowds Read More »
Dartoid's Column
Monday, September 14, 2026
Column 724
The Soulger. the Showman and the Man Behind the Dance
Let’s get the uncomfortable part out of the way first.
I have said Leonard Gates should be banned from darts. I said it publicly. I meant it. But how Gates’ behavior might be dealt with is up to the …
Column #724 The Soulger, the Showman and the Man Behind the Dance Read More »
Dartoid's Column
Monday, August 31, 2026
Column 723
Darts in Nepal
Sadly, it seems now is an appropriate time to rerun this 20-year-old column…
The Indian Airlines Airbus A-340 touched-down gently at Tribhuvan Field outside Nepal. The temperature was a welcome 75 degrees, downright chilly compared to my last stop in the sweltering New Delhi heat. Around …
Column #723 Darts in Nepal Read More »
Dartoid's Column
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Column 722
Celebrating the life of Kelly “Rags” Ragland
I’ve written far too many of these – columns about people from the darts world who were here one day and, suddenly, weren’t. This is one I never expected to write.
Kelly “Rags” Ragland died on August 5. He was only 58 …
Column #722 Celebrating the life of Kelly “Rags” Ragland Read More »
Dartoid's Column
Saturday, August 1, 2026
Column 721
The Absurdity of Banning Lawn Darts While Celebrating Holidays with Explosives
Every Independence Day, millions of Americans celebrate by setting off – or gathering to watch – explosives. It’s a tradition so familiar that few people question it. 
We simply accept the injuries, deaths, fires, pollution, terrified animals, sleepless …
Thursday, July 30, 2026
Column 720
Beat Luke. Win a Half-million Quid!
On October 30, Netflix will give twenty ordinary British darts players the opportunity of a lifetime… or, depending on your point of view, the opportunity to be publicly humiliated.
The concept is gloriously simple.
Beat Luke Littler in a single leg of 501… …
Column #720 Beat Luke. Win a Half-million Quid! Read More »
Dartoid's ColumnSaturday, July 18, 2026
Column 719
John Lowe MBE – the Classiest Man in Darts
I first met John Lowe in the mid-1990s at an exhibition he and Cliff Lazerenko staged on Cape Cod following the Witch City Open. Like just about every player in the room, I was a little awestruck.
At the time, …
Column #719 John Lowe – the Classiest Man in Darts Read More »
Dartoid's ColumnWednesday, July 1, 2026
Column 718
Darts in the Olympics?
Recently, I woke up, poured a cup of coffee, and learned – somewhere between the second sip and my dogs demanding breakfast – that flag football is now an Olympic sport.
Flag football!
In the Olympic Games!
Now, I don’t want to sound unreasonable (at …
Column #718 Darts in the Olympics? Read More »
Dartoid's Column
Monday, June 29, 2026
Column 717
John Part – a memory for your birthday (has it really been 23 years!)
In 1999, I sat down in a bar outside of Toronto to interview John Part. He’d won the Embassy in 1994, was ranked 6th by the World Darts Federation and was holding down the number …
Column #717 John Part – a memory for your birthday (has it really been 23 years?) Read More »
Dartoid's Column
Monday, June 1, 2026
Column 716
The Old Guard, the New Breed… and the Space In Between
There was a time – not all that long ago, though it now feels like it belongs to a different century – when a professional darts player looked like he’d just wandered in from a long afternoon at …
Column #716 The Old Guard, the New Breed… and the Space In Between Read More »
Dartoid's Column