The Official Website of Darts Professional Bob Anderson

BOB'S GETTING MORE EXHIBITION WORK THAN EVER - WHY NOT COME AND SEE HIM ?

Bob has been booked to play in loads of exhibitions over the coming months. Why not have a look at the exhibitions link on the left hand side of this page, to see if he is coming to your area? The exhibitions are usually free to enter, or just a nominal sum, and you can get full details by contacting the organisers.

Over the next few months, Bob will be in Highgate Hill, Blaenavon, Cheadle, Conwy, Sale, Church Stretton, Leicester, Leslie, Newcastle, Newquay, Cheltenham, Colchester, Droitwich and Rickmansworth.

Why

RESURGENCE OF THE LIMESTONE COWBOY

Interview by Patrick Chaplin from Darts World - April 2006 Edition.

When former World Champion Bob Anderson celebrated his victory in the 2006 Tara World Champion’s Challenge in January this year he was elated and told Planetdarts “Boy it felt good!” writes Patrick Chaplin. While admirers of Bob’s darting prowess were doubtless celebrating too there were few people in the darts community who could believe that it was Bob’s first title win in nearly ten years.

But it’s true. It was back in 1996 at the Willows Variety Centre, Salford, that Bob, partnered by Phil Taylor, won the WDC’s Kings World Pairs Championship. Not surprisingly that Bob and Phil were seeded number one for the competition but they didn’t have it all their own way. Bob and Phil beat Chris Mason and Steve Raw 18-15 in an exciting final that went to the wire, after which – and you won’t read this in too many darts reports – Phil Taylor told Darts World “I lost my bottle”; Phil admitting “Bob had to carry me.”

Talking to me recently from his home in Clevedon, Somerset Bob said, “It’s such a long time since I’ve felt the buzz of winning. OK so the Champion’s Challenge doesn’t carry any ranking points nor is it a big tournament but this win has boosted my self-confidence and I’m really looking forward to the year ahead. They say there’s no better medicine than victory. I’ve tasted it again and it taste’s real good.”

It’s not that Bob hasn’t been there or thereabouts in recent times. He’s lost count of the number of semi-finals he’s appeared in and has fallen at the last hurdle in the seven or eight finals he’s reached so Bob is still a force to be reckoned with. He credits his wife Sally for his recent resurgence in major competitions. “There was a time when I was feeling low and Sally gave me the necessary kick in the pants to drive me on” said Bob, adding “The other thing was. I found myself at number 31 in the rankings and didn’t like it. At one stage I gained the distinct impression that people were beginning to write-off The Limestone Cowboy and I wasn’t having any of that.”

Such determination will doubtless reap rewards for Bob as he enters the majority of PDC events throughout 2006 in search of further success and ranking points that will see him back in the PDC top twenty. Bob also continues to hone and maintain his high level of dartsmanship in practice several times a week with Mark Dudridge.

As for the long term, Bob, quoting his golfing hero Jack Nicklaus, told me, “I will compete for as long as I feel competitive” adding, “Although I’m in the winter of my darts career I continue to enjoy playing and believe I still have a lot to give the sport and my fans.” Bob also continues to play exhibition matches and, in addition, is looking to expand his newly-found career as an after-dinner speaker where he utilises anecdotes from his life on the darts circuit to great effect. Bob said, “I thoroughly enjoy after-dinner speaking and would love to do more.”

So any talk of The Limestone Cowboy heading for the last round-up is mere folly. Bob certainly has no intention of riding into the sunset just yet. “It was just great to be called a winner again” he said, “and I’m sure this will mean a great year ahead.” I am certain that all darts fans across the world look forward to Bob lifting more trophies during 2006.

THAT WINNING BUZZ AGAIN.


¼ Final – Bob 4 Paul Whitworth 3	Semi-Final – Bob 4 John Lowe 1	Final – Bob 5 Dennis Priestly 3

On Sunday 29 January, at Shaw near Manchester, Bob took the title in the 2006 Tara World Champions Challenge.

It’s been a long time between drinks but former World Champion Bob has finally tasted a tournament victory after a gap of nearly 11 years!

It is a unique format where the top players in the North West get their chance to play against four darting legends and former World Champions Anderson, John Lowe, Eric Bristow and Dennis Priestley.

The Carlsberg Oldham Open attracted nearly 150 players and the last four got their big chance to take on the big guns in the World Champions Challenge.

It is the second year of the event. In 2005, Bob lost in the final to Eric but this year went one better, beating Manchester’s Paul Whitworth – a former British Gold Cup winner – and then came up against John Lowe in the semi-finals.

John showed all the old magic, but went down 4 legs to 1 to Bob. This was the same result as the 1988 World Championship, where Bob beat John in the final six sets to four.

And so to the final, where Denis Preistley, the 1991 and 1994 Champion, and recent winner of the PDC Players Championship in Gibraltar, took the stage against Bob.

In a very closely contest Bob hit six perfect darts on his way to that magical 9-dart finish but failed with the seventh treble 20.

Bob eventually came out the winner by 5 legs to 3, and took the prize money and trophy.

Unbelievably, Bob’s last tournament success of any kind was way back in 1995, when he won the World Pairs with Phil Taylor.

Afterwards, a very happy Bob said "Let's hope that this is the start of a good run for me. I have lots of opportunities over the next few months in PDC tournaments, and feel I am playing well enough now to win any of them."

“I know this wasn’t a big tournament. I know it doesn’t carry any ranking points but boy it felt good!” he said. “It is a long long time since I felt that buzz of winning.”

“I have probably been beaten in seven or eight finals since then and I have lost count of the number of semi-finals that I was on the wrong end of. It was just great to be called a winner again and I am sure this will set me up for a great year ahead.”

Bob continues to practice several times a week with Mark Dudbridge in the Bristol area – determined to hold on to his place in the World top 20.

BOB GETS REPEAT OF 2005 QUARTER FINAL.

This year’s first round draw has thrown up many mouth watering clashes none more so than a repeat of last year's quarter-final between Bob and Andrew Hamilton. Bob winning 5-1 on that occasion, all at www.limestonecowboy.co.uk hope for another victory this time around in a tournament that Bob has reached the semi-finals in the last two years.

Bob has been practising hard with another south-west based player and good friend Mark Dudbridge at a local hostelry. Many thanks to the Old Inn, Clevedon for giving Bob and Mark the time to finely tune their skills for this years event. Last year's beaten finalist Mark ‘Flash’ Dudbridge will take on American qualifier Darin Young as he bids to go one better this year.

Phil Taylor will begin the defence of his Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship title against David Platt at the Circus Tavern on Monday 19 December.
Taylor will face the Staffordshire-based PDPA qualifier - who previously played in the event three years ago - on the opening night of the tournament, as he bids to win an unprecedented 13th World Championship.

Current world number one Colin Lloyd faces Gary Welding, a qualifier from St Helens, in another intriguing first round clash.

Canadian champion Gerry Convery will face Dave Askew, while Germans Tomas Seyler and Andree Welge take on Jamie Harvey and Alan Warriner-Little respectively on their debuts in the event.

John Kuczynski, the number one in the American rankings, was drawn against Lionel Sams, and New Zealander Warren Parry faces Budweiser UK Open finalist Mark Walsh, another rising star James Wade meets Wayne Jones.

	Full Schedule of Play

	The full schedule of play for the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, which begins at the Circus Tavern on Monday 19 December.

	Monday 19 December
	First Round

	1pm	Alan Caves v Steve Alker
	2pm	Steve Maish v Jason Clark
	3pm	Adrian Lewis v Dave Honey
	4pm	Wes Newton v Yasuhiko Matsunaga

	7pm	John Part v Liu Cheng'An
	8pm	Steve Beaton v Jan van der Rassel
	9pm	Phil Taylor v David Platt
	10pm	James Wade v Wayne Jones

	Tuesday 20 December

	1pm	Darren Webster v Erwin Extercatte
	2pm	Mark Walsh v Warren Parry
	3pm	Dennis Smith v Mark Salmon
	4pm	Lionel Sams v John Kuczynski

	7pm	Andy Jenkins v Patrick Bulen
	8pm	Roland Scholten v Dave Whitcombe
	9pm	Colin Lloyd v Gary Welding
	10pm	Peter Manley v Kevin Spiolek

	Wednesday 21 December

	1pm	Denis Ovens v Geoff Wylie
	2pm	Dennis Priestley v John Magowan
	3pm	Terry Jenkins v Jimmy Mann
	4pm	Matt Clark v Ken Woods

	7pm	Bob Anderson v Andrew Hamilton
	8pm	Wayne Mardle v Brian Roach
	9pm	Mark Dudbridge v Darin Young
	10pm	Ronnie Baxter v Ray Carver

	Thursday 22 December

	1pm	Jamie Harvey v Tomas Seyler
	2pm	Erik Clarys v Winston Cadogan
	3pm	Colin Monk v Andy Smith
	4pm	Dave Askew v Gerry Convery

	7pm	Alex Roy v Alan Tabern
	8pm	Kevin Painter v Dale Newton
	9pm	Chris Mason v Steve Hine
	10pm	Alan Warriner-Little v Andree Welge

	Monday 26 December
	Second Round

	6pm	Sams/Kuczynski v Beaton/van der Rassel
	7.30pm	A Jenkins/Bulen v Wade/Jones
	9pm	Lloyd/Welding v Webster/Extercatte
	10.30pm	Manley/Spiolek v Maish/J Clark

	Tuesday 27 December

	12pm	Ovens/Wylie v Caves/Alker
	1.30pm	Walsh/Parry v D Smith/Salmon
	3pm	Scholten/Whitcombe v Harvey/Seyler

	6pm	Priestley/Magowan v Lewis/Honey
	7.30pm	Painter/D Newton v W Newton/Matsunaga
	9pm	Taylor/Platt v M Clark/Woods
	10.30pm	Dudbridge/Young v Roy/Tabern

	Wednesday 28 December

	12pm	T Jenkins/Mann v Anderson/Hamilton
	1.30pm	Baxter/Carver v Monk/A Smith
	3pm	Warriner-Little/Welge v Askew/Convery

	6pm	Mardle/Roach v Clarys/Cadogan
	7.30pm	Part/Liu v Mason/Hine

	Third Round

	9pm	Lloyd/Welding/Webster/Extercatte v Sams/Kuczynski/Beaton/van der Rassel