13/04/2026
Where do I even begin with this weekend?
What an experience—and what an introduction to the JDC. Many of you probably saw my short post on Saturday night where I briefly summed up how day one went… or didn’t go. In all honesty, it came down to nerves. I tried everything to control them, but on the day, they got the better of me.
I was gutted with how I performed. Frustration kicked in, and like I sometimes do, I took it out on my personal chauffeur for the weekend—my dad. As always, he handled it perfectly. Arm around me, a few simple words: what’s done is done. Back to the hotel, back to the practice board, and come back Sunday ready to prove I belong on that stage.
Back at the hotel, after some food and a bit of downtime, I tried to reset on the practice board—but it just wasn’t clicking. The darts felt heavy, everything was dropping low, and it felt like hard work. That’s when my dad suggested I try his setup.
It was a big change from what I’m used to—but I gave it a go. A couple of hours later, things started to feel right. The weight difference didn’t bother me, but the big difference was the trebles—they were going in, and regularly. That was enough for me. Decision made: I’d go into Sunday with the new setup and see what happened.
Sunday morning came, and I felt good.
I had a bye in the first round, then faced Charlie Fairclough. A tight game, but I edged it 3–2, taking out a 106 finish along the way. That win settled me down—less nerves, more focus—and I wasn’t even thinking about the new darts anymore.
Next up, Theo Farmer in the last 64. He took the first leg, but from there I found my rhythm and came through 3–1, scoring well and finishing cleanly when it mattered.
Into the last 32, I faced Alfie Hill. Another close battle, but I got over the line again, 3–2, averaging close to 62 and hitting key doubles under pressure.
Suddenly, I’m in the last 16.
I was up against Kye Courtney—a previous event winner and a top player. The scoreline says I lost 3–2, but that only tells part of the story. At 2–1 up, I had six match darts… and couldn’t find the double. Kye punished me with a 16-darter in the decider.
That one hurt. But once the disappointment settled, I realised how big a step forward it was from Saturday. A performance to be proud of.
After a short break, it was straight into the final tournament of the weekend.
First round: Leo Rawding. I came flying out, 2–0 up and feeling great—but maybe I relaxed too much. Before I knew it, it was 2–2. In the deciding leg, Leo surged ahead and left double 10 while I was stuck back on 111.
It had to go—and it did.
Treble 20, single 19, double 16. Easily one of the best checkouts I’ve ever hit under pressure.
That took me through, but the next round saw me come up against Max Carter, who simply outscored me. I managed to take a leg, but lost 3–1 to a better player on the day.
By that point, I was exhausted. I probably underestimated just how demanding a full weekend like this would be.
Looking back, after the disappointment of Saturday, I’m really proud of how I bounced back. A strong run in Sunday’s first event—and honestly, with a bit more luck on the doubles, it could have gone even further.
This weekend has been a real eye-opener. It’s shown me the level of commitment needed—not just in practice, but in competing—and also just how much support and investment goes in from those around me.
Now it’s back to the practice board this week. I’ve got a match Wednesday for The Flying Pig in the Halifax Darts League, and we might look at a YDC event later in the week. Going forward, I’ll also be entering ADC Vault events to get more competitive experience under my belt.
One thing’s for sure—this weekend hasn’t put me off. If anything, it’s made me even more determined to improve.
That’s a wrap.
Thanks, as always to my sponsors for your incredible support:
Srcelectrics
Sandwich King UK
MCJ COLLECTABLES
Earths Bounty - Tuna Importers - Martin Cox.
And a huge thanks to the boys at the The Flying Pig, for supporting me on both days.
