There are many exciting young darts players currently making their way through the ranks.
There are many exciting young darts players currently making their way through the ranks.
Some are known for power scoring. Some are known for their finishing. Some are known for being future stars. Harrison Leigh is known for repeatedly arriving at tournaments with the sort of timing normally associated with James Bond trying to defuse a bomb.
The young St Helens thrower has already built a reputation as one of the brightest prospects around. Sponsored by Harrows, climbing the rankings and producing some seriously impressive darts, there’s plenty to get excited about. Just not his atrocious lack of punctuality.
However, before we discuss all of that, it’s important we address the most significant revelation from this interview. Harrison’s favourite family member isn’t human. It’s a dog. And quite frankly, I totally get it.
THE FAMILY RANKINGS (OSCAR WINS BY A LANDSLIDE)
“I live at home with my Mum, Dad, Sister and my favourite out of them all is my Labrador Oscar.”
Imagine being Harrison’s parents. Years of dedication. Countless lifts to tournaments. Thousands of pounds spent keeping the lad alive. Only to discover you’ve both been comfortably beaten in the family popularity charts by a Labrador. And Oscar can’t even drive.
Poor Mum and Dad.
Oscar meanwhile has probably contributed very little beyond eating treats, sleeping for fourteen hours a day and occasionally barking at a hedge. Yet somehow he’s emerged as the undisputed family champion. Life can be brutally unfair.
The good news is that Harrison appears to have inherited the honesty gene.
“I spend a lot of time with my girlfriend Megan and my favourite interest is football. It is a shame I’m not very good, however this allows me to focus on darts a lot more as I may get somewhere with that.”
That’s magnificent. Most football fans spend their entire lives convinced they were one lucky break away from becoming professional. Harrison looked at his footballing ability, accepted reality and moved on. No excuses. No blaming injuries. No claims of being overlooked by scouts. Just a simple acknowledgement that darts might be the safer option.
MANCHESTER UNITED & OTHER FORMS OF SUFFERING
“I love Manchester United and going to Old Trafford to watch the games is my favourite thing to do to get away from the darts.”
As much I would never advise it, supporting Manchester United is actually excellent preparation for professional darts. You experience hope. Disappointment. Frustration. Confusion. Then a brief spell of optimism before everything falls apart again. Or so fans of every other English team like to see happening to them. It’s basically a Challenge Tour weekend with better catering.
Still, everyone needs something away from darts and Harrison clearly loves his football. Which is fortunate because, according to his own admission, actually playing it wasn’t going to provide much of a career path.
Thankfully, darts appears to be working out considerably better.
HARROWS, SPONSORSHIPS AND POINTY THINGS
A huge moment for any young player comes when a manufacturer decides they’re worth backing. For Harrison, that moment arrived when Harrows came calling.
“I signed my first contract with them at the end of September last year which I was very happy with and the quality of the products have been insane. The darts that they make for me are the nicest darts I’ve ever seen, and they work very well for me.”
Strong review. Although I’d be slightly concerned if his sponsored darts didn’t work very well for him. Imagine the alternative. “The darts look fantastic. Unfortunately they fly sideways and occasionally blind a spectator.”
That would have been a much shorter sponsorship deal. Thankfully, the partnership appears to be flourishing and Harrison clearly loves the equipment. More importantly, the results suggest the feeling is mutual.
THE MYSTERY OF THE UPSTART OPEN
One of the greatest stories in this interview revolves around a tournament called the Upstart Open. An event so famous that neither Harrison nor I had the slightest clue what it actually was.
“I won the upstart open last year which I had also seen you had no clue what it was, well me neither.”
Already we’re off to a magnificent start. Most people seeing an event advertised online would probably do some research. Look at previous winners. Check the format. Maybe find out what the tournament actually is. Not Harrison.
“I was in Tenerife and it kept being advertised onto my Facebook and I said to myself I will go and win that.”
The confidence is absolutely outrageous. Not enter. Not have a go. Not see how things develop. Simply: “I will go and win that.”. Like a man casually deciding to pop to Tesco for a loaf of bread. The really annoying thing is that he actually did exactly that.
“I got home from Tenerife Friday evening went to bed, straight to the Bet365 stadium in Stoke and United won that. So that answers another question, I can do it on a cold rainy night in Stoke.”
There we have it. One of football’s oldest questions finally answered by a darts player from St Helens. Somewhere, several ex-Premier League footballers are absolutely furious.
THE WORLD’S LEAST ORGANISED ORGANISED PERSON
Now we arrive at the nickname. And honestly, this may be the greatest nickname explanation I’ve ever heard.
Usually players acquire names like The Power, Voltage, The Machine or The Bullet. Harrison’s nickname essentially means: “Man Who Consistently Leaves Everything Far Too Late.”
“I like to think of myself as quite an organised and prepared person however no matter what I do and when I try to do it everything about it ends up being last minute.”
That sentence deserves framing. It’s the organisational equivalent of saying: “I’m a fantastic swimmer. The only issue is I keep drowning.” Or: “I’m a brilliant vegetarian who occasionally eats cows.”
The opening half of the sentence is immediately destroyed by the second half. It’s genuinely impressive. The evidence only continues.
“No matter what time I set off or wake up for a tournament I’m always rushing to get in before the registration closes.”
Tournament organisers across Europe just developed a nervous twitch. Because this isn’t a one-off. This appears to be a lifestyle choice. And unfortunately for Harrison, the story that truly cemented the nickname is even better.
THE ISLE OF MAN EMERGENCY
If the previous section didn’t fully convince you that Harrison and punctuality enjoy a deeply unhealthy relationship, allow me to present the story which officially cemented the nickname.
Most players build their reputation through tournament victories, big averages and memorable performances. Harrison built his by accidentally turning every registration deadline into an episode of 24.
“My nickname was solidified in the Isle Of Man a couple of years ago when I was in a pub out of the way and I got a message from someone at the darts saying, ‘where are you, the comp starts in 20 mins’.”
Already we’re in trouble. Tournament starts in twenty minutes. Most players are at the venue. Many are practising. Some are probably worrying they’ve practised too much. Harrison? Sitting in a pub, miles away without a care in the world. Naturally.
“I was 15 mins away from the venue and wasn’t even in my darts attire.”
Of course he wasn’t. That would suggest some level of preparation. And preparation doesn’t appear to be one of Harrison’s stronger hobbies. The truly remarkable part is what happened next.
“We got to the tournament and I got ready and I got into the venue a minute before the deadline, ever since then this has stuck.”
A minute – sixty small seconds. At this point tournament organisers probably monitor Harrison’s location using the same technology NASA uses to track asteroids. Not because they need to. Because it helps them sleep.
EIGHT MATCH DARTS AND A SMALL MENTAL BREAKDOWN
One thing that became obvious during our chat is that Harrison genuinely believes his breakthrough is coming. And honestly, it’s difficult to disagree.
The confidence isn’t based on fantasy. It’s based on results, performances and the fact his game has improved enormously over the last couple of years. However, there was one particular moment recently that would have tested the patience of a saint.
“I came agonisingly close to making the final of the first challenge tour of the previous weekend of them in Hildesheim, missing eight match darts in a horrible game.”
Eight match darts! Let’s just pause and appreciate the horror. Missing one hurts. Missing two stings. By the eighth I’d probably have taken up competitive knitting.
To his credit, Harrison remains impressively calm about the whole thing.
“I don’t mind losing if it will help me win in future and I’d like to think that next time I get the opportunity, hopefully I go a step or two futher.”
Exactly the right mentality. Although not if you risk missing the starting pistol mate.
NINE PERFECT DARTS
Thankfully there have been plenty of highs too. Including the biggest achievement of Harrison’s career so far. A nine-darter. The perfect leg or as some refer to it “The holy grail.”. In fact ignore that last bit – no one ever calls it by that.
The thing every darts player dreams about while freezing in a garage and convincing themselves they’ll eventually become Phil Taylor.
“Yes, this is my biggest achievement so far and this proved to me that I can compete at the highest level.”
Absolutely. A nine-darter at any level is special. One on the PDC Challenge Tour is a statement. It’s proof that the ability is there. Proof that the ceiling remains extremely high. What annoyed me most was how casually Harrison described the whole experience.
“These were the easiest nine darts I have ever thrown, which was weird because there was no nerves whatsoever.”
No nerves. None. Meanwhile if I’d hit six perfect darts I’d require oxygen. After nine I’d probably retire immediately and spend the rest of my life introducing myself as: “The bloke who once hit a nine-darter.”
THE KNEE THAT TRIED TO RETIRE
Towards the end of the interview I asked Harrison for something amusing about himself. His answer began with a warning.
“I am actually not that funny, so this is quite impossible.”
Pressure back on me then. But seconds later he delivered one of the funniest stories in the entire article. Completely by accident.
“The week before Q school this year I was at a tournament and when I went to sit down after a game my knee snapped sideways and completely dislocated.”
Sorry. Your knee did what? That isn’t a fun fact. That’s a medical emergency. Most people would immediately assume Q School was over. Not Harrison.
“Four Hours later waiting for an ambulance this was fixed and it did not look likely for me to be going to Q school.”
Finally. Some common sense. A sensible conclusion. A moment of logic. And then…
“I made sure I did even though it was extremely painful to walk, and all strapped up and a few painkillers I came very close to winning a tour card on first attempt.”
Of course he did. Because apparently common sense and Harrison Leigh travel in completely different vehicles. The truly irritating thing is that he nearly pulled it off. Not only did he turn up and compete, he almost won a Tour Card.
And somehow the story still wasn’t finished.
“I then also hit my 9-darter days later.”
Naturally. At this point I’m starting to think injuries might actually improve his game. I wouldn’t recommend testing the theory again, but the evidence is certainly mounting.
ECCLESTON FC: THE REAL DREAM
Just when I thought we’d covered everything, Harrison revealed what may genuinely be his proudest sporting achievement. And surprisingly, it has absolutely nothing to do with darts.
“I have my own football team with my friends called Eccleston FC, we are not very good and only play games for fun and aren’t actually a real team, but this surpasses anything I have done in darts so far and the memories of playing this football are what I think back to more than anything.”
There is something beautifully British about that answer. Not very good. Not a real team. No trophies. No television coverage. Yet somehow it means more than everything else. I completely understand it.
Long after averages and rankings are forgotten, the daft memories with your mates tend to stick around forever. And then came the greatest answer of the entire interview.
“And I think if I was to make a lot of money playing darts I would hire Old Trafford to play a game on.”
Assuming it’s still standing by then. Looks pretty decrepit to me son! Harrison Leigh wants to make enough money from darts so that a group of average footballers from St Helens can spend ninety minutes misplacing five-yard passes at The Theatre of Dreams – which to be fair, is what fans normally see from their team in a Premier League match.
And honestly? As much I detest Man United, I absolutely love that. It’s ridiculous, unnecessary and not to mention, financially irresponsible. Yet completely brilliant.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The more you speak to Harrison Leigh, the more obvious it becomes why so many people rate him highly. The talent is clearly there. The results are improving. The confidence is growing. And most importantly, he genuinely seems to love what he’s doing.
There’s still plenty of work ahead. There always is. Professional darts has a nasty habit of reminding players how difficult the sport can be. But when you look at the progress Harrison has made over the last couple of years, it’s difficult not to feel excited about what might come next.
He’s already hit a nine-darter. He’s already pushed close to major breakthroughs. He’s already shown he can compete with some of the best young players around. And if he keeps progressing at the current rate, those big stages he talks about may not be very far away at all.
Although whether he actually arrives on time remains anybody’s guess.
Because some things never change. And Harrison Leigh will probably still be sprinting through the doors with sixty seconds to spare.
