A worldwide phenomenon, darts has snowballed into one of the most exciting sports on the planet and it's progression doesn't seem to be slowing down as we get ready for the 2018/19 William Hill World Darts Championship at the Alexandra Palace next week.
Thousands of fans will flock to London to cheer on the players over the festive period, but the majority of supporters will tune in on Sky Sports to watch the entertainment unfold. But, while the current commentating team still offer the excitement and insight needed to broadcast the action, there's still a huge void left following Sid Waddell's death in 2012.
Dubbed the 'Voice Of Darts', Waddell became synonymous with delightful one-liners that left the audience roaring with laughter and trying to decipher the analogy the former Cambridge graduate had just delivered. However, while his witty puns became famous, Waddell often went into a faraway land with passionate speeches about things certainly not relating to darts, but as a viewer you found yourself in a trance by his unique commentary style and he just added to the entertainment on the oche.
An extrovert behind the microphone, the well-educated Waddell would help project the atmosphere of the match in his own inimitable style, whilst maintaining a professional view on the match taking place on the stage, and Waddell's death six years ago left a gargantuan chasm in the sport itself, and it's only right to see the players battling it out at the World Darts Championship for a trophy named in his honour.
Some of Sid Waddell's famous one-liners at the darts:
"Look at the man go: it's like trying to stop a water buffalo with a pea-shooter. "
"He looks about as happy as a penguin in a microwave."
"His eyes are bulging like the belly of a hungry chaffinch."
"You could hear a blob of vinegar drop on a chip in this hall."
