Andrew targets a career in darts

October 2, 2024 5:37 pm

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Edinburgh postman Andrew Davidson has effectively resigned his job to maximise chances of delivering on the major darts stage.

The 29-year-old former George Heriots School student has shot to prominence after winning the Welsh Open, an achievement that has just seen him ranked by Mastercaller website as – wait for It – global number ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY – in the World Darts Federation listings. He is also No 33 in the UK and Ireland rankings and climbing.

Winning the Welsh Open from a field of over 500 at Weston-super-Mare last month convinced Andrew, from the Blackford area of the Capital, to see how far his talents will take him on a full time basis.

“Essentially I have six months to prove myself and if it doesn’t work out I will have a job to go back to” says Andrew who started playing seriously aged 18 or, as he puts it, “as soon as I could legally go into a pub!”

By then he had long persuaded his parents to buy him equipment on which be practised relentlessly.

He adds: “It is not easy finding places around Edinburgh to play with one exception Murrayfield Sports Bar so I compete regularly out of Kirkcaldy and Falkirk while the Ship Inn, Dalkeith, have been kind enough to sponsor me.

“Winning a Super Series event in Portsmouth was a springboard into the Welsh Open and the next step for me will be to chase ranking points in the next few weeks everywhere from Bridlington to Lakeside to Hungary to Latvia so as to try to fulfil my goal of playing in world championships.”

Winning the Modus Super Series netted Andrew £3000 and he reckons he will need to reach the world’s top 64 to make a living and to give himself the best possible chance he says he will have to defy darts’ traditional image.

“Having a few drinks might be fine for some but for me I have to go on stage feeling the best I can be. Top darts players are a lot fitter than many people will think and my job as a postman helped in that respect” says Andrew, who reached the final of the first tournament he ever entered, losing to a former Scotland team captain.