Wright ready for Glasgow goosebumps

By Phil Lanning

PETER WRIGHT reckons the spine-tingling goosebumps he’ll get from the Dartan Army fans can kick-start his Premier League campaign. 

The Scottish ace has suffered a miserable start to the tournament with two straight defeats in Belfast and Cardiff. 

But two-time World Champ Wright, 52, can’t wait to return to his home supporters in the sell-out 11,000 OVO Hydro tonight (Thursday) and start a winning run.

He revealed: “I need results. Yes, exactly. I have another 14 weeks. There’s no problem and it would be good to get started properly in Glasgow.

“I always love the Hydro. One of my first matches there was against Adrian Lewis. I was first on and the welcome I got was unbelievable.

“Hopefully it’s the same again and that’s why it’s one of my favourite places to go because the crowd are absolutely amazing. They are always behind me and I look forward to it.”

“Obviously, there is a lot of pressure, but I think I am slowly getting better.

“I’ve been struggling with other little bits and pieces away from the oche, but I feel good. I’m trying out different darts and trying to find something. Still experimenting as usual.”

Multi-coloured mohican star Wright faces dancing Dimitri Van den Bergh in his quarter-final, the young Belgian who was his lockdown lodger three years ago. He’s not worried about his his fancy footwork getting the fans onside. 

He added: “I walk-on second anyway, so it doesn’t matter. He can dance as long as he wants and wait for MC John McDonald. He’ll call me on and then I’ll wait for the roar. 

"The goosebumps will go through my whole body and I am looking forward to that.

“He’s turned into a great player and it is going to be a tough game, especially as I haven’t won yet and I need the confidence.

“Hopefully, the crowd will inspire me to play good darts, which they have done before in that game I mentioned against Adie. I think I beat him 7-1. So if I can do that again, I’ll be a happy man.”

Wright also wants to deliver a second night of glory for Scotland after Robert Thornton won the World Seniors Championship for a second time on Sunday night. 

He said: “It’s good to see Rob still playing well, retaining his title and still enjoying it. That’s the main thing. It’s great for him, his family and for Scottish darts.

“It’ll be strange at the Hydro not having Gary (Anderson) there, though. The crowd is always Gary, Gary, Gary, so it’ll be strange.

“But he’s working hard on his game again and, hopefully, he’ll be back up those rankings and back in the Premier League next year where he belongs.”

Order of Play, Sky Sports, 7pm.

Quarter-Finals - Nathan Aspinall v Michael van Gerwen, Peter Wright v Dimitri Van den Bergh, Gerwyn Price v Michael Smith, Jonny Clayton v Chris Dobey.

Images by Taylor Lanning.