EXCLUSIVE BOB ANDERSON INTERVIEW

The Limestone Cowboy is gunning for more glory at the Masters of Darts.

1988 BDO world champion Bob Anderson comes to Whitwick having won the inaugural League of Legends last year that brought together legends of the oche including Eric Bristow, John Lowe and Bobby George.

Anderson bowed out of the PDC circuit last April after three decades at the top of the sport, but his victory at the League of League is proof his competitive fires are still ablaze.

“I haven’t stopped practising just because I retired from the circuit,” said the three-times World Masters champion. “I’m coming to Whitwick to win.

“I didn’t want to lose any matches in the League of Legends and neither did anyone else. In the last few weeks, you could tell that the players at the bottom really didn’t want to be there and were desperate to climb the table.

“There were some interesting comments being made in the players’ room before the games, but not many of them are printable I’m afraid !

“I was hearing the same wind ups I used to hear 25 years ago with Eric Bristow, Bobby George and John Lowe there.

“I suspect they didn’t do that well in the League of Legends because they didn’t practise that much. I bet they practise a lot harder next year !”

Anderson is one of darts’ greats. He was a founder member of the PDC and has been a major part of its growth into the multi-million pound sport it is today.

Bob admits he misses being involved with the PDC.

He said: “I was watching the draw being made for the world championships last December and I was waiting for my name to be drawn out !

“I had been in the last 25 world championships and it felt a bit strange not being in the draw.

“But I knew the time was right to bow out. I had been on the circuit for 30 years and couldn’t commit to it 52 weeks of the year any more. That’s what you have to do if you want to succeed in the PDC.”