It’s almost time for MODUS Super Series Champions Week. A dozen of the finest amateur arrow-smiths on the planet will compete for the ultimate prize and claim Series 14 honours.
Many came – well, 144 to be exact – now just a dozen remain, all hoping to get their hands on that trophy and a nice fat £25k cheque. Not bad for a bit of amateur chucking down in Pompey.
As always, the action takes place from what David Fatum has christened ‘The Cathedral of Darts’. Why, I hear you ask? Because the MODUS Live Lounge is a refurbished church. Not quite as lavish a religious building as The Scorpion makes it sound, but it’s a great venue – and his name for it certainly sounds more glamorous.
Right, onto the twelve finalists, who will be split into three groups. Half will kick off nice and early on Monday morning, up before the roosters. The others are then divided into Groups B and C, with their campaigns beginning on Thursday.
Just to make it clear, the numbers at the start of each player’s name denote which week of the series they won. Nothing more complicated than that. It just saves me writing out ‘Week ? Winner’ beside each one, which I’ve already effectively done once by explaining this.
Let’s crack on:
1. MIKE HUNTLEY (WALES)
Affectionately known as Babyface, the Welsh tungsten wizard, at 58 years old, looks like he had one hell of a paper round. That said, delivering newspapers around the Valleys would age anyone. On his day, like everyone involved, he is an extremely capable dart player. Defo in with a shout if the consistency in his game is there. And Nigel doesn’t drive him, or he could end up in Aberdeen.
2. NEIL DUFF (N. IRELAND)
The feisty man from the Emerald Isle didn’t have a great time over at the WDF Masters in Las Vegas. Teabags tend to stay in cups longer than he did. But when it comes to MODUS, his record is far better than his temperament. That said, that example isn’t a particularly high bar. Duffman will be hoping that form he showed last week has stayed very much Stateside.
3. HENRY COATES (ENGLAND)
Certainly one for the future, this Derbyshire kid is smashing things up. Most 20-year-olds are trying to get served in bars or nervously chatting up girls. Not this one. He is doing his talking on the oche, and it’s working out very well so far.
4. ARCHIE SELF (ENGLAND)
Talking of young, onto a Berkshire whipper-snapper who couldn’t get served in a pub even if he wanted to. The Archer is only 16 and is probably the only player on the planet who can boast a younger-than-Luke-Littler record. Another with a bright future.
5. ASHLEY COLEMAN (ENGLAND)
Suffolk-based thrower Coleman looks like he hangs out with Dracula and Frankenstein when not lobbing darts. After all, he is nicknamed the Prince of Darkness. A wild stab in the dark could probably predict the kind of music he listens to. I doubt it involves much Steps or S Club.
6. DAVE EVANS (ENGLAND)
Easily the tallest player in the field by some distance. He’s so big, Dave features on Ordnance Survey maps as a blue triangular pillar. However, this tournament won’t be decided by height or lamp-post impressions. If it was, there’d be no point playing. That said, Evans is a very handy arrow-smith. You don’t get this far if you’re not. And let’s not forget, he’s a former professional. You don’t get tour cards in cereal boxes.
7. DEREK COULSON (ENGLAND)
Few dart players in the world have the laid-back demeanour of this Welshman. He’s so chilled, you’d think he’s not remotely arsed, but let me assure you, he very much is. With bags of experience and appearances on nearly all the PDC Pro Tours this season, Derek will rightly start as one of the favourites – if not THE favourite.
8. ALEC SMALL (WALES)
The third Welshman in contention, small he is not. But he’s hardly large either, so he’s your typical human male size really, which is making me digress. At just 26 years old, he has years on the oche ahead of him. Alec may be nicknamed Wildcard, but he’s anything but.
9. JACK TWEDDELL (ENGLAND) – REPLACING BORIS KRCMAR
The reigning ADC Global Champion got in by virtue of big Boris Krcmar having other plans next week. I know what they are, but I’m respecting his wishes to keep them under what I imagine is an enormous Croatian hat. You’d have thought Jack would have gotten in due to the fact he was the one who lost to Boris in the Week Nine final. Nope. It went on the highest losing average of the series, which worked out rather well anyway.
10. JACK ALDRIDGE (ENGLAND)
Another player who has dipped his toe in the PDC Pro Tour waters on several occasions this year – eight to be precise – with his best run being a board final. Yet it’s his excellent Challenge Tour campaign which got him here. And like his famous namesake, John, he’ll be hoping to hit the back of the net on Saturday night.
11. SCOTT TAYLOR (ENGLAND)
The Bolton moniker-less man also has bags of experience at the highest level. As a former PDC Tour Card holder, Taylor once reached a final. That was in Barnsley back in 2018, but you never truly lose it. Well, that’s not entirely true – you do. But not usually at 34 years old. Scott will be hoping for a successful week and to kick on from there.
12. SCOTT ROBERTSON (SCOTLAND)
If you’re going to make it to Champions Week, do it with momentum, and that means arriving as the last player to secure your spot. So, perfect preparation for the Scot, who is the only one from his nation set to compete next week at the Live Lounge, thus completing the full quota of Great Britain representatives. And also giving us back-to-back Scotts – not of the kilted variety, just the named one.
