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Mervyn King (born 15 March 1966) is an English professional
darts Darts or dart-throwing is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small sharp-pointed missiles known as darts at a round target known as a dartboard. Points can be scored by hitting specific marked areas of the bo ...
player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tournaments. Nicknamed The King, he has reached seven PDC major TV finals and reached a peak of No. 4 in the
PDC Order of Merit The PDC Order of Merit is a world ranking system used by one of the darts organisations, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). Following the 2007 PDC World Darts Championship it superseded a world ranking system based on points being awarded f ...
.


Early life

King first took up the game at the age of 12, playing with an old rolled-cardboard dartboard given to him by his father. His father insisted that he played darts using competition distance and height. By the age of 13, he had ambitions to become a professional player as he was playing county darts at Superleague level. His first county A game was at the age of 14 and he won his local men's singles league at that age. Additionally, King hit his first ever nine-dart leg of 501 aged 14 in a practice match with his father.


BDO career

King made his professional debut as a 28-year-old in the 1994
World Masters The World Masters, known for sponsorship reasons as the Mita/Sky World Masters, was a snooker tournament held between 13 and 26 January 1991. Conceived by promoter Barry Hearn, the tournament had a similar format to the Grand Slam events in tenn ...
where he lost in the last 32 to
Andy Fordham Andrew Fordham (2 February 1962 – 15 July 2021) was an English professional darts player, commonly known as The Viking. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship and the 1999 Winmau World Masters. Darts career Fordham made his first ap ...
. His first title in the BDO came in the 1996 French Open where he beat
Leo Laurens Leo Laurens (born 30 July 1952) is a professional Belgian former darts player who competed in British Darts Organisation (BDO) events. At the end of 1993, he was number one in the WDF world rankings after all of the BDO's top players broke away ...
in the final. King has won several Open titles since he came onto the darts scene in 1995, including the Dutch Open in 1997. He made his debut at
BDO World Darts Championship The WDF World Darts Championship is a world championship competition in darts, organised by the World Darts Federation. It would previously organised by the British Darts Organisation (BDO), who held it 43 times from 1978 to 2020. The champion ...
in 1997 as a 30-year-old. He reached the semi final of the event beating
Ronnie Baxter Ronnie Baxter (born 5 February 1961) is an English former professional darts player who competed in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He used the nickname "The Rocket" for his matches. Baxter was known for his fast robotic throwing a ...
and Roland Scholten before losing to eventual champion
Les Wallace Les Wallace (born 22 February 1962) is a Scottish retired professional darts player. He adopted the nickname "McDanger", coming out for his matches dressed in a traditional kilt. He won the 1997 BDO World Darts Championship which is one of th ...
. He won £8,700 for his performance. King reached twelve major finals whilst playing in the BDO and converted only three of them into tournament victories. In 2004, he claimed his first BDO major title when he won the World Masters in
Bridlington Bridlington is a coastal town and a civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is about north of Hull and east of York. The Gypsey Race enters the North Sea at its harbour. The 2011 ...
, defeating
Tony O'Shea Tony O'Shea (born 9 May 1961) is an English professional darts player. His squat figure has resulted in the nickname "Silverback". O'Shea has reached the finals of seven British Darts Organisation (BDO) major darts tournaments, but to date ...
7–6 in the final having trailed 3–5. His two other major victories to date have both taken place in the Netherlands. The first of these was the 2005 International Darts League, where he defeated O'Shea again in the final, this time by 13–11 in legs. Later the same year he added the Dutch Grand Masters beating
Martin Adams Martin Adams (born 4 June 1956) is an English professional darts player who plays in World Darts Federation (WDF) events. Nicknamed "Wolfie", he is a three-time BDO World Champion and three-time World Masters champion. He represents Cambridges ...
5–4 in the final. His first major final came in the 2000
World Masters The World Masters, known for sponsorship reasons as the Mita/Sky World Masters, was a snooker tournament held between 13 and 26 January 1991. Conceived by promoter Barry Hearn, the tournament had a similar format to the Grand Slam events in tenn ...
where he beat such players as
Peter Manley Peter David Manley (born 7 March 1962) is an English former professional darts player who played in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events from July 1996 until 2017. He won one major title, the Las Vegas Desert Classic, in 2003, and twic ...
and
Colin Monk Colin Monk (born 29 September 1967) is an English former professional darts player who played in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and British Darts Organisation (BDO) events. Career Monk won the Winmau World Masters in 1996, where he ...
before eventually narrowly falling to John Walton 2 sets to 3. King went into the 2002 BDO World Darts Championship as number 4 in the event seedings and reached the final, losing to Australian
Tony David Tony David (born 11 September 1967) is an Australian former professional darts player, who played under the nickname The Deadly Boomerang. He is the only Australian player to have been a senior singles world darts champion, having won the 200 ...
. King beat Raymond van Barneveld in the quarter-finals 5–3 whilst averaging 101.67 before beating
Colin Monk Colin Monk (born 29 September 1967) is an English former professional darts player who played in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and British Darts Organisation (BDO) events. Career Monk won the Winmau World Masters in 1996, where he ...
in the semi-finals to reach his first World Championship final. As well as winning £24,000 for reaching the final, he also earned a further £2,000 for a 170 finish, the highest checkout in the tournament. 2003 proved to be a good year for King as he reached two major finals and the semi-final of the World Championships. He began the year with the 2003 BDO World Darts Championship and was seeded third for the tournament. He whitewashed
Colin Monk Colin Monk (born 29 September 1967) is an English former professional darts player who played in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and British Darts Organisation (BDO) events. Career Monk won the Winmau World Masters in 1996, where he ...
5 sets to 0 in the quarter-finals before losing out to Raymond van Barneveld in the semi-finals, denying him a second consecutive World Championship final appearance He went on to reach the finals of the 2003
International Darts League The Topic International Darts League was a darts tournament held at the Triavium in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Raymond van Barneveld dominated the tournament, held in his home country, winning it on three of the five occasions it was held. Gary Anders ...
and
World Darts Trophy The Bullit World Darts Trophy was a professional darts tournament run by the British Darts Organisation and the World Darts Federation. Held each September from 2002 to 2007, it took place at the De Vechtsebanen in Utrecht, Netherlands. The tou ...
losing out to Raymond van Barneveld on both occasions. In 2004, King had another successful year as he reached two semi-finals and two finals, winning one, in the four BDO majors. He began the year ranked third in the seedings for the second consecutive year. In the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship, he narrowly beat
Ritchie Davies Ritchie Davies (born 27 November 1971) is a Welsh former professional darts player from Aberdare. He is best known for his run at the 2003 BDO World Darts Championship, where he reached the final. Career Davies made his World Championship debu ...
5 sets to 4 in the quarter finals before convincingly beating
Tony O'Shea Tony O'Shea (born 9 May 1961) is an English professional darts player. His squat figure has resulted in the nickname "Silverback". O'Shea has reached the finals of seven British Darts Organisation (BDO) major darts tournaments, but to date ...
in the semi-finals 5–1. Despite this he lost in the final for the second time in three years losing to
Andy Fordham Andrew Fordham (2 February 1962 – 15 July 2021) was an English professional darts player, commonly known as The Viking. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship and the 1999 Winmau World Masters. Darts career Fordham made his first ap ...
3 sets to 6. After his good World Championship form he went on to reach the semi-finals of the 2004
International Darts League The Topic International Darts League was a darts tournament held at the Triavium in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Raymond van Barneveld dominated the tournament, held in his home country, winning it on three of the five occasions it was held. Gary Anders ...
and
World Darts Trophy The Bullit World Darts Trophy was a professional darts tournament run by the British Darts Organisation and the World Darts Federation. Held each September from 2002 to 2007, it took place at the De Vechtsebanen in Utrecht, Netherlands. The tou ...
narrowly losing to
Tony David Tony David (born 11 September 1967) is an Australian former professional darts player, who played under the nickname The Deadly Boomerang. He is the only Australian player to have been a senior singles world darts champion, having won the 200 ...
and
Martin Adams Martin Adams (born 4 June 1956) is an English professional darts player who plays in World Darts Federation (WDF) events. Nicknamed "Wolfie", he is a three-time BDO World Champion and three-time World Masters champion. He represents Cambridges ...
8–9 and 4–5 respectively. He ended the year winning his first BDO Major in the
World Masters The World Masters, known for sponsorship reasons as the Mita/Sky World Masters, was a snooker tournament held between 13 and 26 January 1991. Conceived by promoter Barry Hearn, the tournament had a similar format to the Grand Slam events in tenn ...
as he beat
Tony David Tony David (born 11 September 1967) is an Australian former professional darts player, who played under the nickname The Deadly Boomerang. He is the only Australian player to have been a senior singles world darts champion, having won the 200 ...
in the semi-finals 6–2 before winning the tournament prevailing against
Tony O'Shea Tony O'Shea (born 9 May 1961) is an English professional darts player. His squat figure has resulted in the nickname "Silverback". O'Shea has reached the finals of seven British Darts Organisation (BDO) major darts tournaments, but to date ...
in a tight encounter which ended 7–6 in favour of King handing him his first major title after his sixth final. In 2005, he had his worst World Championship performance in four years, as he made only the quarter-finals, losing out to André Brantjes 2 sets to 3. King spoke of his poor form and prior to the 2005 BDO World Darts Championship. King's next tournament that year was the
International Darts League The Topic International Darts League was a darts tournament held at the Triavium in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Raymond van Barneveld dominated the tournament, held in his home country, winning it on three of the five occasions it was held. Gary Anders ...
. He beat
Ted Hankey Edward Hankey (born 20 February 1968) is an English former professional darts player and convicted sex offender. Nicknamed "The Count", he won the BDO World Darts Championship in 2000, was runner-up in 2001, and won the title for a second time ...
,
Co Stompé Jacobus Wilhelmus "Co" Stompé (born 10 September 1962) is a Dutch former professional darts player. He was nicknamed The Matchstick because of his almost bald head and very thin appearance, making him look like a matchstick. He was also one of ...
and
Simon Whitlock Simon Whitlock (born 3 March 1969) is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tournaments, having also played in the British Darts Organisation (BDO) between 2004 and 2009. He uses the nickname ...
before facing
Tony O'Shea Tony O'Shea (born 9 May 1961) is an English professional darts player. His squat figure has resulted in the nickname "Silverback". O'Shea has reached the finals of seven British Darts Organisation (BDO) major darts tournaments, but to date ...
for the second time in a major final, and won 13–11 to secure his second major BDO title. Also in 2005, King made the final of the
World Darts Trophy The Bullit World Darts Trophy was a professional darts tournament run by the British Darts Organisation and the World Darts Federation. Held each September from 2002 to 2007, it took place at the De Vechtsebanen in Utrecht, Netherlands. The tou ...
for the second time and on this occasion he was beaten again losing 4–6 against Gary Robson. This was to be King's last major final before his controversial switch to the Professional Darts Corporation. In 2006, King's form declined and his best result came in the 2006
World Darts Trophy The Bullit World Darts Trophy was a professional darts tournament run by the British Darts Organisation and the World Darts Federation. Held each September from 2002 to 2007, it took place at the De Vechtsebanen in Utrecht, Netherlands. The tou ...
where he made the quarter-finals narrowly losing to
Michael van Gerwen Michael van Gerwen (; born 25 April 1989) is a Dutch professional darts player. He is currently ranked number 3 in the world, having been number 1 from 2014 to 2021. He is also a three-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2014, 2 ...
4–5. He also made only the second round in the 2006 BDO World Darts Championship whitewashing Brian Woods 3 sets to 0 before losing to eventual champion
Jelle Klaasen Jelle Klaasen (born 17 October 1984), nicknamed The Cobra, is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and World Darts Federation (WDF) events. In 2006, he became the youngest darts player to win ...
2–4. His last tournament as a BDO affiliated player came in the 2007 BDO World Darts Championship where he made the semi-finals before losing 4–5 against eventual champion
Martin Adams Martin Adams (born 4 June 1956) is an English professional darts player who plays in World Darts Federation (WDF) events. Nicknamed "Wolfie", he is a three-time BDO World Champion and three-time World Masters champion. He represents Cambridges ...
. King was surrounded by controversy during this tournament following speculation about his future and a possible switch to the PDC. This would prove to be his last tournament as a BDO player.


PDC career


PDC switch and beginnings

King's switch from the BDO to rival organization the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) created much debate and controversy. During the 2007 BDO World Darts Championship there was much speculation that King and three fellow BDO players (Michael van Gerwen, Jelle Klaasen and Vincent van der Voort) would be switching to the PDC after the World Championships. King was angry that rumours had surfaced and even threatened to quit the tournament as the speculation heightened even stating, "I'm really not happy with the treatment I've had today, not just from one person but from a lot of people who I have known for many years". Despite claiming to BDO press officer Robert Holmes that he would "rather pack up darts than play for the PDC" King announced his switch to the PDC on 6 February 2007 in a bid to "further his career". Having reached the semi-final of the 2007 BDO World Championships losing to eventual champion
Martin Adams Martin Adams (born 4 June 1956) is an English professional darts player who plays in World Darts Federation (WDF) events. Nicknamed "Wolfie", he is a three-time BDO World Champion and three-time World Masters champion. He represents Cambridges ...
, King had signed a contract confirming he would play at the 2008 tournament due to a clause in all contracts of BDO players stating that if they reach the semi-finals of the World Championship they are obliged to return the following year, with champions committing themselves to three years. King's switch meant that the BDO threatened legal action against King. King made his PDC debut at a non-televised event, the Southern Regional Final of the
UK Open The Cazoo UK Open is a ranking major darts tournament held annually at the Butlins Minehead Resort by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) in England. Often referred to as the "FA Cup of darts", the UK Open replicates the abolition of seedin ...
on 4 March 2007. He reached the quarter-finals before losing to
Wayne Mardle Wayne Elliot Mardle (born 10 May 1973) is an English former professional darts player who played in events of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and British Darts Organisation (BDO). He was runner-up in three PDC majors, losing to Phil ...
. During his first year in the PDC, he performed well on the 2007 PDC Pro Tour, reaching one final, two semi-finals and four quarter-finals. He also gained a place in the 2007 World Matchplay where he reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champion James Wade. His performances in his first year helped him steadily climb the world rankings and qualify for his first PDC World Championship.


2008

In his debut at the 2008 PDC World Darts Championship, he fell to Dutchman Roland Scholten in the second round. 2008 proved a successful year for King as he reached two semi-finals in PDC premier events as well as his maiden PDC premier final in the inaugural 2008 Championship League Darts where he lost 7–5 to Phil Taylor. His first PDC title came at the Scottish Players Championship in Glasgow in April 2008 where he beat Taylor on his way to a 3–0 victory over
Mark Dudbridge Mark "Flash" Dudbridge (born 11 January 1973) is an English professional darts player. He appeared in the 2005 Premier League Darts after reaching the final of the 2005 PDC World Darts Championship. He also is a former World Master and has rea ...
. He also won a Pro Tour title in the Netherlands, beating Raymond van Barneveld. He also had two semi-final appearances in the 2008 World Grand Prix and the 2008 Grand Slam of Darts losing to Raymond van Barneveld and Phil Taylor respectively. King ended the year and went into the 2009 PDC World Darts Championship as world number 13 in the
PDC Order of Merit The PDC Order of Merit is a world ranking system used by one of the darts organisations, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). Following the 2007 PDC World Darts Championship it superseded a world ranking system based on points being awarded f ...
. His first year performances saw him win the Best Newcomer prize at the annual PDC awards dinner.


2009

King went into 2009 competing in the 2009 PDC World Darts Championship, and this turned out to be his best result in the PDC World Championship to date. He beat
Barrie Bates Barrie Bates (born 17 October 1969) is a former Welsh darts player who played on the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) circuit. His original nickname was Batesy, but since 2007, he was known as Champagne. Career Bates made his PDC televised ...
in the quarter-finals before falling to Phil Taylor 2–6 with Taylor averaging 103.44. His performance in the World Championship meant that he moved up to 6 in the
PDC Order of Merit The PDC Order of Merit is a world ranking system used by one of the darts organisations, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). Following the 2007 PDC World Darts Championship it superseded a world ranking system based on points being awarded f ...
and therefore qualified automatically for the 2009 Premier League Darts. King carried on his good form into the 2009 World Matchplay in July. He defeated
Mark Dudbridge Mark "Flash" Dudbridge (born 11 January 1973) is an English professional darts player. He appeared in the 2005 Premier League Darts after reaching the final of the 2005 PDC World Darts Championship. He also is a former World Master and has rea ...
,
Steve Beaton Steve Beaton (born 5 April 1964) is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He won the BDO World Darts Championship in 1996 and is a former World No. 1. Background Beaton was born in Co ...
and
Vincent van der Voort Vincent van der Voort (born 18 December 1975) is a Dutch professional darts player on the PDC circuit. As of the 2012 PDC World Darts Championship, his nickname is the "Dutch Destroyer", although he used to go by "Grease Lightning". He is bes ...
before meeting Phil Taylor in the semi-final. Taylor prevailed 17–6, averaging 106.54, and went on to win the tournament. In the next PDC Premier event of the 2009 season, the 2009 European Championship, he reached the quarter-final before losing to James Wade 6–10. This was after beating
Colin Osborne Colin Osborne (born 19 June 1975) is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. In 2009, he won the Championship League and reached the final of the UK Open. Darts career Osborne has won tw ...
in the second round 9–6 recording a 104.00 average. King's successful run in the 2008 Championship League Darts continued into the 2009 tournament as he reached the semi-final before losing to eventual champion
Colin Osborne Colin Osborne (born 19 June 1975) is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. In 2009, he won the Championship League and reached the final of the UK Open. Darts career Osborne has won tw ...
1–6. Also in 2009, King achieved his first televised
nine dart finish A nine-dart finish, also known as a nine-darter, is a perfect leg or single game in the sport of darts. The object of the game is to score a set number of points, most commonly 501; in order to win, a player must reach the target total exactly an ...
. It came in September 2009 at the
South African Masters The South African Masters was one of the most prestigious golf tournaments on the Sunshine Tour. It was last played in 2011. Before its discontinuation, it had a prize fund of 1.2 million rand and was held at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club on ...
against James Wade, and was the first ever televised nine dart finish outside of Europe.


2009 Premier League

King made a great start to his Premier League career as he opened up with an 8–1 victory over Sky wildcard
Wayne Mardle Wayne Elliot Mardle (born 10 May 1973) is an English former professional darts player who played in events of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and British Darts Organisation (BDO). He was runner-up in three PDC majors, losing to Phil ...
. He then went on to record three more victories on the bounce beating James Wade 8–1,
John Part John Part (born June 29, 1966) is a Canadian former professional darts player and current commentator. Nicknamed Darth Maple, he is a three-times World Champion, having won the 1994 BDO World Darts Championship on his world championship debut, a ...
8–2 and
Jelle Klaasen Jelle Klaasen (born 17 October 1984), nicknamed The Cobra, is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and World Darts Federation (WDF) events. In 2006, he became the youngest darts player to win ...
8–4. He then faced defending champion Phil Taylor in
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
, recording a 7–7 draw despite leading 7–5 with both players averaging over 100. King's form then dropped, only winning two more games in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
and
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
against Mardle and Wade respectively. King was also a controversial figure during the tournament, often letting the crowd get to him and affect his mood and darts. During a 2009 Premier League match with Taylor, he threw a dart over Taylor as he stooped down to pick up his flight. During the post-match interview, neither of them would look at each other. His final position of 4th in the league was influenced by the illness of Mardle, as he was withdrawn from the competition. Therefore, all results that included Mardle were annulled, including King's two victories over Mardle. King's fourth place in the overall league meant that he faced Taylor in the play-off semi-finals at the
Wembley Arena Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500-s ...
. King won 10–6 to end Taylor's winning streak in Premier League competitions. Despite this victory he was to finish runner-up as he lost the final 13–8 to Wade, who beat Raymond van Barneveld 10–8 in the other semi-final. Wade led King 8–2 before a mini comeback from King but Wade was able to see the game out to claim his maiden
Premier League Darts Premier League Darts is a darts tournament which launched on 20 January 2005 on Sky Sports. Now played weekly from February to May, the event originally started as a fortnightly fixture in small venues around the United Kingdom. The tournament ori ...
title.


2010

King went into the 2010 World Championship as number 5 in the PDC Order of Merit. Despite a poor performance in the tournament, where he lost 2–4 in the second round to Co Stompé, he still qualified for the
2010 Premier League Darts The 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation; the sixth such running of the tournament. The tournament began at The O2 Arena in London on 11 February, and finished at the Wembley ...
King reached his third PDC major final in the 2010 Players Championship Finals. Having beaten James Wade, Jelle Klaasen, Wayne Jones and Colin Osborne in earlier rounds, he narrowly lost in the final to Paul Nicholson 13–11. This was his third PDC Premier event final without victory. King also reached the last 16 in the 2010 UK Open, losing 8–9 to Gary Anderson. King hit his second televised nine-dart finish during the match.


2010 Premier League

King started the 2010 Premier League with wins over James Wade and
Adrian Lewis Adrian Lewis (born 21 January 1985) is an English professional darts player currently playing in the PDC. He is a two-time PDC World Darts Champion, winning in 2011 and 2012. He is nicknamed Jackpot, as he won a jackpot gambling in Las Vegas ...
. His first loss of the season came in
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
as he lost 6–8 to
Ronnie Baxter Ronnie Baxter (born 5 February 1961) is an English former professional darts player who competed in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He used the nickname "The Rocket" for his matches. Baxter was known for his fast robotic throwing a ...
. His rivalry with Phil Taylor continued in Manchester, where King recorded a 7–7 draw. King lost his last three round-robin matches to Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and Simon Whitlock, but he still made it to the semi-finals for the second consecutive year, again finishing 4th in the table. He finished on the same number of points as Baxter, but qualified due to a better leg difference. Just like in the previous year, he played against Taylor in the semi-final. This time, Taylor resoundingly won 8–1, averaging 107.98 in the process Despite losing badly against Taylor, King beat Whitlock in the third-place play-off.


2011

King went into the 2011 World Championship ranked 6th in the PDC Order of Merit. His World Championship campaign was ended in the second round, where he was beaten 3–4 by Andy Smith. After the World Championship, King dropped out of the automatic qualifying places for the
2011 Premier League Darts The 2011 888.com Premier League Darts was a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation; the seventh edition of the tournament. The tournament began at The O2 Arena in London on 10 February and finished at the Wembley Aren ...
, and was not awarded a wildcard. His successful streak in the
Players Championship Finals The Players Championship Finals is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament originally featured the top 32 players from the Players Championship Order of Merit, a separate ranking system that only takes int ...
continued as he again reached the semi-final for the second consecutive year. He lost in the semi-final to Phil Taylor 8–10. He lost in the third round of the 2011 UK Open tournament, losing 9–5 to Mark Walsh. He qualified for the 2011 World Matchplay Darts as the 9th seed., but lost 6–10 against
Justin Pipe Justin Pipe (born 9 November 1971) is an English former professional darts player who has played in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He was a former top 10 player. Playing career Pipe was a boxer in his youth, and, as a staunc ...
in the first round, reporting a complaint of
tennis elbow Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis or enthesopathy of the extensor carpi radialis origin, is a condition in which the outer part of the elbow becomes painful and tender. The pain may also extend into the back of the forearm. Onse ...
. At the 2011 European Championship, he beat Co Stompé 6–1 in the first round, before losing 3–10 to Taylor in the second round. He also qualified for the 2011 Championship League Darts winner's group by beating
Simon Whitlock Simon Whitlock (born 3 March 1969) is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tournaments, having also played in the British Darts Organisation (BDO) between 2004 and 2009. He uses the nickname ...
6–3 in the final of group five. In the winner's group finished second in the table before losing to Paul Nicholson in the semi-final. At the
Players Championship Finals The Players Championship Finals is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament originally featured the top 32 players from the Players Championship Order of Merit, a separate ranking system that only takes int ...
in December, he beat Colin Lloyd 6–4 to meet Phil Taylor in the second round. King produced his second victory over Taylor in major competitions with an 8–5 win. However, he lost in the quarter-finals to eventual winner
Kevin Painter Kevin Painter (born 12 July 1967) is an English retired darts player, known as "The Artist". He is arguably most famous for finishing as the runner-up to Phil Taylor in the 2004 PDC World Championship final, now widely credited as one of the ...
.


2012

King played
Geoff Kime Geoffrey "Geoff" Kime (born 9 January 1958) is an English–Australian former professional darts player. Career Kime won the 2009 WDF World Cup men's pairs alongside Anthony Fleet. Kime won the 2011 Oceanic Masters to qualify for the 2012 P ...
in the first round of the 2012 World Championship and outplayed his opponent, winning 3–0 without dropping a leg. However, he was knocked out in the second round for the third successive year as he was beaten 1–4 by
Michael van Gerwen Michael van Gerwen (; born 25 April 1989) is a Dutch professional darts player. He is currently ranked number 3 in the world, having been number 1 from 2014 to 2021. He is also a three-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2014, 2 ...
. At the
UK Open The Cazoo UK Open is a ranking major darts tournament held annually at the Butlins Minehead Resort by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) in England. Often referred to as the "FA Cup of darts", the UK Open replicates the abolition of seedin ...
King beat his old BDO rival
Ted Hankey Edward Hankey (born 20 February 1968) is an English former professional darts player and convicted sex offender. Nicknamed "The Count", he won the BDO World Darts Championship in 2000, was runner-up in 2001, and won the title for a second time ...
and Gareth Cousins, before losing 7–9 to van Gerwen in the last 32. Due to dropping out of the top 16 in the PDC rankings, King was due to play seed Phil Taylor in the first round of the 2012 World Matchplay. Despite a strong performance where he hit eight maximums to Taylor's one, King crucially missed three darts to lead the match 9–8 and instead lost 8–10. At the World Grand Prix in October, King reached his first major final in two years. In his first round match against
Terry Jenkins Terry Jenkins (born 26 September 1963) is an English former professional darts player who was nicknamed The Bull, having previously used the name "Tucker" for his matches. He reached number three in the world rankings and was a runner-up in nin ...
, King survived five missed match darts from his opponent to edge the game 2–1 in sets, and then saw off
Dave Chisnall Dave Chisnall (born 12 September 1980) is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He began his career in the British Darts Organisation (BDO) and was the runner-up in their World Champion ...
(3–1) and Robert Thornton (3–0 in 31 minutes) to meet home favourite
Brendan Dolan Brendan Gabriel Dolan (born 2 August 1973) is a Northern Irish professional darts player from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He is best known for becoming the first player to hit a ...
in the semi-finals. King came back from 0–2 down in the first set to take it and from there was in control of the match as he won 5–2 and met
Michael van Gerwen Michael van Gerwen (; born 25 April 1989) is a Dutch professional darts player. He is currently ranked number 3 in the world, having been number 1 from 2014 to 2021. He is also a three-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2014, 2 ...
in the final. King led 3–0 and 4–1 in the final, but from there on only won three more legs as he lost the match 4–6. King afterwards admitted he was unhappy with the crowd, as they were loudly booing his starting and finishing doubles, but the £40,000 runner-up prize saw him climb to 13th in the world. King won all three of his group games at the
Grand Slam of Darts The Grand Slam of Darts is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation and is known as the Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts for sponsorship purposes. The PDC also invited the best performing players from its rival, the British Dart ...
, but was defeated by
Kevin Painter Kevin Painter (born 12 July 1967) is an English retired darts player, known as "The Artist". He is arguably most famous for finishing as the runner-up to Phil Taylor in the 2004 PDC World Championship final, now widely credited as one of the ...
5–10 in the last 16. After all 33 ProTour events of 2012 had been played, King was 20th on the Order of Merit, comfortably inside the top 32 who qualified for the
Players Championship Finals The Players Championship Finals is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament originally featured the top 32 players from the Players Championship Order of Merit, a separate ranking system that only takes int ...
. He reached the quarter-finals, where he lost 7–10 to
Justin Pipe Justin Pipe (born 9 November 1971) is an English former professional darts player who has played in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He was a former top 10 player. Playing career Pipe was a boxer in his youth, and, as a staunc ...
.


2013

King lost in the first round of the PDC World Championship for the first time in its
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
edition 2–3 to
Dean Winstanley Dean Winstanley (born 10 February 1981) is an English professional darts player. He first took up darts as a two-year-old, stopped playing at the age of 12, and then started playing again when he was 22. He turned professional in 2008 and won ...
. The match has been described as a classic with both players missing darts to win before Winstanley took the deciding set 6–4. His first final of the year came at the eighth UK Open Qualifier in April, having won seven games including defeats over James Wade,
Wes Newton Wesley Newton (born 27 August 1977) is an English professional darts player. Darts career Newton's first PDC major was the 2003 UK Open where he lost 8–6 to Mark Thomson in the last 32. He was beaten in the semi-finals of the Eastbourne Ope ...
and Robert Thornton, but he was then whitewashed 0–6 by
Michael van Gerwen Michael van Gerwen (; born 25 April 1989) is a Dutch professional darts player. He is currently ranked number 3 in the world, having been number 1 from 2014 to 2021. He is also a three-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2014, 2 ...
. He was the seventh seed for the
UK Open The Cazoo UK Open is a ranking major darts tournament held annually at the Butlins Minehead Resort by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) in England. Often referred to as the "FA Cup of darts", the UK Open replicates the abolition of seedin ...
itself. King reached the final of the Austrian Darts Open by beating Joe Cullen 6–0 in the quarter-finals with an average of 103.66 and
Steve Beaton Steve Beaton (born 5 April 1964) is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He won the BDO World Darts Championship in 1996 and is a former World No. 1. Background Beaton was born in Co ...
6–5 in the semis. He faced van Gerwen once more in the final and was defeated 3–6. He also played van Gerwen in the third round of the
UK Open The Cazoo UK Open is a ranking major darts tournament held annually at the Butlins Minehead Resort by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) in England. Often referred to as the "FA Cup of darts", the UK Open replicates the abolition of seedin ...
and was defeated 5–9. King's second European Tour final of the year came in September at the German Darts Masters where he edged past Peter Wright 6–5 in the third round, whitewashed James Wade 6–0 in the quarter-finals and beat Wayne Jones 6–4 in the semis. He faced
Steve Beaton Steve Beaton (born 5 April 1964) is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He won the BDO World Darts Championship in 1996 and is a former World No. 1. Background Beaton was born in Co ...
and with the final on throw with Beaton 4–3 ahead King incredibly burst his score when on 134 as he hit a treble 20 with his last dart instead of a single to leave 40. Beaton replied by finishing 160 and, even though King fought back to take the match into a deciding leg, he never had a dart for the title as Beaton won 6–5. King could not replicate his performances at the World Grand Prix from last year as he was defeated 2–0 in sets by Wayne Jones in the first round.


2014

King overcame
Darin Young Darin may refer to Places *Darin, Anbarabad, a village in Kerman Province, Iran *Darin, Jebalbarez-e Jonubi, a village in Kerman Province, Iran *Darin, Sistan and Baluchestan, a village in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran *Darin, Yazd, a villa ...
and Ricky Evans to face
Adrian Lewis Adrian Lewis (born 21 January 1985) is an English professional darts player currently playing in the PDC. He is a two-time PDC World Darts Champion, winning in 2011 and 2012. He is nicknamed Jackpot, as he won a jackpot gambling in Las Vegas ...
in the third round of the 2014 World Championship. He lost nine of the first eleven legs and could never recover as he was beaten 4–1 in sets. King's first final of the year came in February at the Dutch Darts Masters, but he was defeated 6–4 by
Michael van Gerwen Michael van Gerwen (; born 25 April 1989) is a Dutch professional darts player. He is currently ranked number 3 in the world, having been number 1 from 2014 to 2021. He is also a three-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2014, 2 ...
whilst averaging 107.40. Despite playing with a bad sciatica in his back, King reached the semi-finals of the
UK Open The Cazoo UK Open is a ranking major darts tournament held annually at the Butlins Minehead Resort by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) in England. Often referred to as the "FA Cup of darts", the UK Open replicates the abolition of seedin ...
for the first time in his career. He fell 3–0 down to Lewis and was denied a place in the final with a 10–6 defeat. In the first round of the World Matchplay, King was 5–4 ahead of
Kim Huybrechts Kim Huybrechts (born 16 November 1985) is a Belgian professional darts player currently playing in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He made the final of a major TV event, the 2012 Players Championship Finals, losing to Phil Taylor 1 ...
and then won five legs in a row to advance 10–4 with an average of 101.06. He could not replicate his form in the next round however, as he averaged 89.59 in a 13–8 loss to Lewis. In September, King ended a run of three defeats in European Tour finals to win the European Darts Grand Prix by beating Michael Smith 6–5. In a tight match in the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix, King was defeated in a final leg decider against Van Gerwen as he was unable to checkout 120. He went a stage further at the European Championship, but lost 11–8 to
Terry Jenkins Terry Jenkins (born 26 September 1963) is an English former professional darts player who was nicknamed The Bull, having previously used the name "Tucker" for his matches. He reached number three in the world rankings and was a runner-up in nin ...
. King continued his fine form at the Masters by beating
Simon Whitlock Simon Whitlock (born 3 March 1969) is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tournaments, having also played in the British Darts Organisation (BDO) between 2004 and 2009. He uses the nickname ...
and
Justin Pipe Justin Pipe (born 9 November 1971) is an English former professional darts player who has played in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He was a former top 10 player. Playing career Pipe was a boxer in his youth, and, as a staunc ...
and then produced a superb performance to exact revenge over Van Gerwen 11–9 with a 121 finish on the bull. He built on his momentum in the final against James Wade to lead 5–0 after the first session with an average of 110 and was also 9–2 in front. Wade rallied to trail 9–6 before a 158 finish from King saw him stand one leg away from his first PDC major title. However, he would miss a total of eight championship darts as Wade completed his comeback with an 11–10 win. The misses didn't seem to affect him at the
Grand Slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...
, as he punished every mistake from Gary Anderson in a second round 10–4 win and then beat
Stephen Bunting Stephen Bunting (born 9 April 1985) is an English professional darts player who competes in events of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). Nicknamed The Bullet, Bunting won the 2014 BDO World Darts Championship and is a twice former Wor ...
16–9 to face Phil Taylor in the semi-finals. King couldn't keep pace with Taylor as he fell 12–2 down and, though he briefly rallied, was eliminated 16–9. Taylor also knocked King out of the
Players Championship Finals The Players Championship Finals is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament originally featured the top 32 players from the Players Championship Order of Merit, a separate ranking system that only takes int ...
, 10–7 in the second round.


2015

King suffered a surprise 3–2 defeat to German teenager
Max Hopp Max Hopp (born 20 August 1996) is a German professional darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. Career Hopp reached the final of the 2011 WDF World Cup boys' singles, and won the boys' singles event at the 2012 ...
in the first round of the 2015 World Championship. He lost 10–3 in the first round of the Masters to James Wade. King showed his best battling abilities at the
UK Open The Cazoo UK Open is a ranking major darts tournament held annually at the Butlins Minehead Resort by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) in England. Often referred to as the "FA Cup of darts", the UK Open replicates the abolition of seedin ...
to defeat Gary Anderson 9–8 after being 8–4 down and surviving 13 match darts from Anderson. He then overturned an 8–5 deficit against Nathan Derry to win 9–8 and emerged successfully from a deciding leg for the third game in a row by beating Kyle Anderson 9–8 to reach the quarter-finals. He met
Stephen Bunting Stephen Bunting (born 9 April 1985) is an English professional darts player who competes in events of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). Nicknamed The Bullet, Bunting won the 2014 BDO World Darts Championship and is a twice former Wor ...
and the first 12 legs went on throw, before Bunting took four unanswered legs to inflict a 10–6 defeat on King. The rest of 2015 proved to be disappointing for King as he was eliminated at the first round stage of the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, European Championship and
Players Championship Finals The Players Championship Finals is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament originally featured the top 32 players from the Players Championship Order of Merit, a separate ranking system that only takes int ...
and could not get out of his group at the
Grand Slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...
.


2016

After edging out Russia's
Aleksandr Oreshkin Aleksandr Lvovich Oreshkin (russian: Александр Львович Орешкин; born 15 July 1961) is a Russian former professional darts player who played in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. Career Oreshkin qualified for the ...
3–2 in the first round of the 2016 World Championship, King lost 4–2 to
Jelle Klaasen Jelle Klaasen (born 17 October 1984), nicknamed The Cobra, is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and World Darts Federation (WDF) events. In 2006, he became the youngest darts player to win ...
in round two. He won through to the semi-finals of the Dutch Darts Masters, which included recovering from 5–0 down to
Benito van de Pas Benito van de Pas (born 18 January 1993) is a Dutch professional darts player. Career BDO Van de Pas reached the semi-finals of the 2011 PDC Under-21 World Championship, losing 1-4 to Michael van Gerwen. Van de Pas won the 2011 German Open. Th ...
in the quarters to win 6–5, and was beaten 6–2 by
Michael van Gerwen Michael van Gerwen (; born 25 April 1989) is a Dutch professional darts player. He is currently ranked number 3 in the world, having been number 1 from 2014 to 2021. He is also a three-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2014, 2 ...
. He lost 9–7 to Van de Pas in the third round of the
UK Open The Cazoo UK Open is a ranking major darts tournament held annually at the Butlins Minehead Resort by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) in England. Often referred to as the "FA Cup of darts", the UK Open replicates the abolition of seedin ...
. King inflicted James Wade's first ever first round defeat at the World Matchplay by beating him 10–5 and then saw off
Brendan Dolan Brendan Gabriel Dolan (born 2 August 1973) is a Northern Irish professional darts player from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He is best known for becoming the first player to hit a ...
11–8 to play in the quarter-finals of the event for the first time in seven years. In an extremely tight match he narrowly lost 16–14 to Phil Taylor, with the 16-time world champion stating that it was the best he had seen King play for two or three years. He lost in the opening round of both the World Grand Prix and
Players Championship Finals The Players Championship Finals is a darts tournament organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament originally featured the top 32 players from the Players Championship Order of Merit, a separate ranking system that only takes int ...
and
James Wilson James Wilson may refer to: Politicians and government officials Canada *James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada * James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Quebe ...
edged out King 10–9 in the second round of the European Championship.


2017

King was on the brink of being knocked out in the first round of the 2017 World Championship as he was 2–0 down in sets to Steve West. In the third set, West was on 36 for the match, but King took out a 136 finish, won the set and levelled the match at 2–2. In the deciding set West missed two match darts and King would win 3–2 and was in tears on stage afterwards. In the second round Michael Smith missed five darts to beat King 4–1. King then hit a match saving 130 checkout to help him close to 3–3 and Smith missed three more match darts in the deciding set, but eventually got over the line to edge King out 4–3. King reached his first final since 2014 at the third Players Championship and was defeated 6–5 by Rob Cross.


2018

At the 2018 World Championship, King lost 3–2 in the first round to
Zoran Lerchbacher Zoran Lerchbacher (born 30 May 1972) is an Austrian professional darts player from Graz, Austria currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation. Career Lerchbacher qualified for the 2014 PDC World Darts Championship and won 4–1 in ...
.


2019

At the 2019 World Championship, King lost 4–2 in the third round to
Brendan Dolan Brendan Gabriel Dolan (born 2 August 1973) is a Northern Irish professional darts player from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He is best known for becoming the first player to hit a ...
. He reached the quarter-finals of the World Matchplay, beating defending champion Gary Anderson en route, before losing to Michael Smith.


2020

At the 2020 World Championship, King lost 4–1 in the third round to
Simon Whitlock Simon Whitlock (born 3 March 1969) is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tournaments, having also played in the British Darts Organisation (BDO) between 2004 and 2009. He uses the nickname ...
. In November he reached his first major final in 6 years at the Players Championships Finals, where he eventually lost 11–10 to defending champion
Michael van Gerwen Michael van Gerwen (; born 25 April 1989) is a Dutch professional darts player. He is currently ranked number 3 in the world, having been number 1 from 2014 to 2021. He is also a three-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2014, 2 ...
.


2021

At the 2021 World Championship, King lost 4–1 in the fourth round to eventual champion
Gerwyn Price Gerwyn Stephen Price (born 7 March 1985) is a Welsh professional darts player and former professional rugby union and rugby league player. Nicknamed "The Iceman", he competes in events of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), where he is cu ...
. At the Masters, he lost 11–8 in the final to
Jonny Clayton Jonny Clayton (born 4 October 1974) is a Welsh professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. Nicknamed The Ferret, he was half of the Welsh team that won the 2020 PDC World Cup of Darts before winning his ...
.


2022

At the 2022 World Championship, King had his best run since 2009 by beating
Ryan Joyce Ryan Joyce (born 20 September 1985) is a professional English darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. Career BDO In 2014 he reached the Last 48 of the World Masters. He took part in the 2016 BDO World Trophy, he ...
,
Steve Lennon Stephen Brendan Lennon (born 25 November 1993) is an Irish professional darts player who plays in events of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). Career Lennon played county darts for Kilkenny and Kildare. Lennon has played professional dar ...
and Raymond Smith, but was eventually whitewashed 5–0 in the quarterfinals by James Wade.


2023

At the 2023 World Championship, King began his campaign with a 3–2 win over
Danny Baggish Daniel "Danny" Baggish (born 19 August 1983) is a Guamanian–born American professional darts player. He had a PDC tour card from 2021 to 2022, after being the only American player to win one at Q-School in 2021. He is a sponsored by Target ...
.


World Championship performances

King has reached two World Championship finals and four semi-finals since making his debut in the BDO version in 1997. He went as far as the semi-final in his debut year, losing to eventual champion Les Wallace. During his run he hit thirty 180s, setting a new record for the tournament at the time. Since switching to the PDC, his best performance came in the 2009 World Championship when he reached the semi-final, losing 2–6 to Phil Taylor. He reached his first BDO World Championship final in 2002. He narrowly beat Raymond van Barneveld 5–3 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals he convincingly beat Colin Monk 5–1. He lost the final 4–6 to Tony David. King spoke on David's performance congratulating him and commented, "I just wish I could have played half as well as he did." In 2003, King beat
Steve Coote Stephen Coote (born 19 September 1970) is an English professional darts player. He won the German Open in 1999. He is not a full-time professional and works as a fireman. BDO career Coote made his televised debut at the 1999 Winmau World Maste ...
,
Dennis Harbour Dennis Harbour (born 28 June 1961) is a former England, English darts player. His nickname was The Harbour Master. Career Harbour played in the 1989 Winmau World Masters and lost in the first round to Dave Whitcombe. He returned to the Master ...
and Monk before losing to van Barneveld 5–2 in the semi-finals. In 2004, King again reached the world final. During his run he beat
Rick Hofstra Rick Hofstra (born 21 April 1977) is a former Dutch professional darts player. Career Hofstra reached the quarter finals of the 2001 Belgium Open and the 2002 Swiss Open before making his major debut in the 2003 International Darts League, wh ...
3–1,
Jarkko Komula Jarkko Komula (born 13 March 1976) is a Finnish former professional darts player who played in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He is nicknamed Smiley because he rarely smiles. Darts career BDO Komula reached the final of the 2001 ...
3–2,
Ritchie Davies Ritchie Davies (born 27 November 1971) is a Welsh former professional darts player from Aberdare. He is best known for his run at the 2003 BDO World Darts Championship, where he reached the final. Career Davies made his World Championship debu ...
5–4,
Tony O'Shea Tony O'Shea (born 9 May 1961) is an English professional darts player. His squat figure has resulted in the nickname "Silverback". O'Shea has reached the finals of seven British Darts Organisation (BDO) major darts tournaments, but to date ...
5–1, before meeting
Andy Fordham Andrew Fordham (2 February 1962 – 15 July 2021) was an English professional darts player, commonly known as The Viking. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship and the 1999 Winmau World Masters. Darts career Fordham made his first ap ...
in the final. The match ended in a 6–3 victory for Fordham, making it the second time in three years that King had finished runner-up. Again King told of his disappointment commenting "I don't think it was a fantastic game. I just did not turn up". His last appearance at the BDO World Championship was in 2007, where he narrowly lost a semi-final to
Martin Adams Martin Adams (born 4 June 1956) is an English professional darts player who plays in World Darts Federation (WDF) events. Nicknamed "Wolfie", he is a three-time BDO World Champion and three-time World Masters champion. He represents Cambridges ...
5–6. King's most successful PDC World Championship was in the 2009, when he beat Mark Walsh and Dennis Smith before beating
Barrie Bates Barrie Bates (born 17 October 1969) is a former Welsh darts player who played on the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) circuit. His original nickname was Batesy, but since 2007, he was known as Champagne. Career Bates made his PDC televised ...
5–2 in the quarter-finals. This run set up a semi-final clash with Phil Taylor. King lost to Taylor 2–6. However, since then he has been knocked out in the second round every year to
Co Stompé Jacobus Wilhelmus "Co" Stompé (born 10 September 1962) is a Dutch former professional darts player. He was nicknamed The Matchstick because of his almost bald head and very thin appearance, making him look like a matchstick. He was also one of ...
, Andy Smith and
Michael van Gerwen Michael van Gerwen (; born 25 April 1989) is a Dutch professional darts player. He is currently ranked number 3 in the world, having been number 1 from 2014 to 2021. He is also a three-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2014, 2 ...
in 2010, 2011 and 2012 respectively.


Controversy

King has been the subject of controversy during his career. In 2003 following his semi-final defeat to Raymond van Barneveld, he subsequently blamed the air conditioning being on. The following year in his first round match against
Rick Hofstra Rick Hofstra (born 21 April 1977) is a former Dutch professional darts player. Career Hofstra reached the quarter finals of the 2001 Belgium Open and the 2002 Swiss Open before making his major debut in the 2003 International Darts League, wh ...
, when tied at 1–1 in sets, King complained that the length of the oche was not right; the players were forced to leave the stage whilst officials measured, King was incorrect. The players returned with the majority of the crowd against King, though he went on to win the match 3–1. In the 2010 Grand Slam of Darts, King played then-BDO player John Henderson in his last group game. Despite winning the game 5–4, he exchanged heated words with Henderson towards the end of the match and was visibly unhappy. Whilst refusing to reveal the precise reason to his actions, it was understood through television analysis that King felt Henderson, after having to move across the oche for a better shot with his third dart, had stepped across the oche line and thrown from a closer distance to the board, thus believing he had gained an unfair advantage.


Personal life

King's father died in September 2010, which King later admitted left him 'devastated', and this led to a loss of form. At the 2011 PDC World Darts Championship, King's wife cheered him on accompanied by a crown in remembrance of his father. King is good friends with and lives close to fellow darts player Peter Wright and they often practice together. He lives in Bradwell in Norfolk. He is also a keen motor enthusiast and revealed that when younger he gave up his chance of becoming a racing driver to continue his fledgling darts career. King currently travels and practices with upcoming darts player and 2012 World Youth Champion James Hubbard, who King has described as a player to watch in the future. During the first
lockdown A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison ...
of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom in 2020, King undertook work as a delivery driver for online retail company
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...
, and in 2021 set up a construction company.


Awards

*PDC Newcomer of the Year 2008. *PDC Televised Performance of the Year 2009 (v Phil Taylor, Premier League Darts Semi-Final).


World Championship results


BDO

* 1997 – Semi-finals lost to
Les Wallace Les Wallace (born 22 February 1962) is a Scottish retired professional darts player. He adopted the nickname "McDanger", coming out for his matches dressed in a traditional kilt. He won the 1997 BDO World Darts Championship which is one of th ...
3–5 * 1998 – Second round lost to
Ted Hankey Edward Hankey (born 20 February 1968) is an English former professional darts player and convicted sex offender. Nicknamed "The Count", he won the BDO World Darts Championship in 2000, was runner-up in 2001, and won the title for a second time ...
0–3 * 1999 – First round lost to
Andy Fordham Andrew Fordham (2 February 1962 – 15 July 2021) was an English professional darts player, commonly known as The Viking. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship and the 1999 Winmau World Masters. Darts career Fordham made his first ap ...
2–3 * 2000 – Quarter-finals lost to
Co Stompé Jacobus Wilhelmus "Co" Stompé (born 10 September 1962) is a Dutch former professional darts player. He was nicknamed The Matchstick because of his almost bald head and very thin appearance, making him look like a matchstick. He was also one of ...
2–5 * 2001 – Second round lost to John Walton 0–3 * 2002 – Runner-up lost to
Tony David Tony David (born 11 September 1967) is an Australian former professional darts player, who played under the nickname The Deadly Boomerang. He is the only Australian player to have been a senior singles world darts champion, having won the 200 ...
4–6 * 2003 – Semi-finals lost to Raymond van Barneveld 2–5 * 2004 – Runner-up lost to
Andy Fordham Andrew Fordham (2 February 1962 – 15 July 2021) was an English professional darts player, commonly known as The Viking. He won the 2004 BDO World Darts Championship and the 1999 Winmau World Masters. Darts career Fordham made his first ap ...
3–6 * 2005 – Second round lost to André Brantjes 2–3 * 2006 – Second round lost to
Jelle Klaasen Jelle Klaasen (born 17 October 1984), nicknamed The Cobra, is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and World Darts Federation (WDF) events. In 2006, he became the youngest darts player to win ...
2–4 * 2007 – Semi-finals lost to
Martin Adams Martin Adams (born 4 June 1956) is an English professional darts player who plays in World Darts Federation (WDF) events. Nicknamed "Wolfie", he is a three-time BDO World Champion and three-time World Masters champion. He represents Cambridges ...
5–6


PDC

* 2008: Second round (lost to Roland Scholten 2–4) * 2009: Semi-finals (lost to Phil Taylor 2–6) * 2010: Second round (lost to
Co Stompé Jacobus Wilhelmus "Co" Stompé (born 10 September 1962) is a Dutch former professional darts player. He was nicknamed The Matchstick because of his almost bald head and very thin appearance, making him look like a matchstick. He was also one of ...
2–4) * 2011: Second round (lost to Andy Smith 3–4) * 2012: Second round (lost to
Michael van Gerwen Michael van Gerwen (; born 25 April 1989) is a Dutch professional darts player. He is currently ranked number 3 in the world, having been number 1 from 2014 to 2021. He is also a three-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2014, 2 ...
1–4) *
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
: First round (lost to
Dean Winstanley Dean Winstanley (born 10 February 1981) is an English professional darts player. He first took up darts as a two-year-old, stopped playing at the age of 12, and then started playing again when he was 22. He turned professional in 2008 and won ...
2–3) * 2014: Third round (lost to
Adrian Lewis Adrian Lewis (born 21 January 1985) is an English professional darts player currently playing in the PDC. He is a two-time PDC World Darts Champion, winning in 2011 and 2012. He is nicknamed Jackpot, as he won a jackpot gambling in Las Vegas ...
1–4) * 2015: First round (lost to
Max Hopp Max Hopp (born 20 August 1996) is a German professional darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. Career Hopp reached the final of the 2011 WDF World Cup boys' singles, and won the boys' singles event at the 2012 ...
2–3) * 2016: Second round (lost to
Jelle Klaasen Jelle Klaasen (born 17 October 1984), nicknamed The Cobra, is a Dutch professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and World Darts Federation (WDF) events. In 2006, he became the youngest darts player to win ...
2–4) * 2017: Second round (lost to Michael Smith 3–4) * 2018: First round (lost to
Zoran Lerchbacher Zoran Lerchbacher (born 30 May 1972) is an Austrian professional darts player from Graz, Austria currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation. Career Lerchbacher qualified for the 2014 PDC World Darts Championship and won 4–1 in ...
2–3) * 2019: Third round (lost to
Brendan Dolan Brendan Gabriel Dolan (born 2 August 1973) is a Northern Irish professional darts player from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He is best known for becoming the first player to hit a ...
2–4) * 2020: Third round (lost to
Simon Whitlock Simon Whitlock (born 3 March 1969) is an Australian professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tournaments, having also played in the British Darts Organisation (BDO) between 2004 and 2009. He uses the nickname ...
1–4) * 2021: Fourth round (lost to
Gerwyn Price Gerwyn Stephen Price (born 7 March 1985) is a Welsh professional darts player and former professional rugby union and rugby league player. Nicknamed "The Iceman", he competes in events of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), where he is cu ...
1–4) * 2022: Quarter-finals (lost to James Wade 0–5) * 2023: ''Ongoing''


Career finals


BDO major finals: 12 (3 titles, 9 runners-up)


PDC major finals: 7 (7 runners-up)


Career statistics

(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Prel.) Preliminary round; (DNQ) Did not qualify; (DNP) Did not participate; (NH) Not held


Performance timeline

''PDC European Tour''


Nine-dart finishes


References


External links


Mervyn King Official Website
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Management website
{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Mervyn English darts players Sportspeople from Ipswich 1966 births Living people Professional Darts Corporation current tour card holders British Darts Organisation players People from the Borough of Great Yarmouth PDC ranking title winners Darts players who have thrown televised nine-dart games