"That would mean not being able to throw again": Health issues may force Tony O'Shea to retire

For more than four decades, Tony “The Silverback” O’Shea has been one of the most recognisable and loved faces in darts. But now, the Stockport star admits he may be forced to put down the arrows for good as a long-running battle with arthritis threatens to end his playing days once and for all.

Speaking to Online Darts in Northampton, O’Shea revealed the true extent of the problems that have kept him away from competitive action for the last 18 months — and the devastating consequences that surgery could bring.

“It’s arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis,” O’Shea explained. “They’ve offered me an operation, but that would mean not being able to throw again. So basically I’m trying to get through it with medication at the moment. I’ll see how the next few months go, but I can see myself having to stop because of it.

“The joints in my middle finger and index finger need fusing together to stop the trouble, but if you hold your dart a certain way — which everyone does — you can’t throw with a straight finger. I tried it when they first offered me the operation, taped my finger up, and I couldn’t even hold a dart, never mind throw it.”

O’Shea, who pulled out of the 2023 World Seniors Championship due to the issue, admits it would be heartbreaking if he could never throw competitively again.

“It’s all I’ve done for 45 years — 25 of them professionally — so yeah, it’s a big thing. When the day comes, if it does, I’ll be gutted because I won’t even be able to do exhibitions. I’ll just have to walk away from darts completely. It’ll be a tough decision to make, but there comes a point where you just can’t carry on.”

Despite his ongoing health issues, O’Shea was in good spirits as he joined close friend and fellow legend Darryl Fitton at a Modus exhibition in Northampton, catching up with old mates and fans alike.

“Pretty good at the moment, yeah,” he smiled. “I’ve had a rough 18 months but I’m getting there.

“Over the last 20 years, my bread and butter’s been presentations and things like that. But these last few years, doing a lot of the big Modus shows, they’ve always been fun. It’s amazing how many people you see over and over. I love these — they’re good fun.”

The pair’s friendship goes back decades, and O’Shea laughed when asked how many times they’ve faced each other.

“We were joking with Nathan earlier about how many times we’ve played — we don’t even remember. It’s literally in the hundreds! It’s not the first and probably won’t be the last.”

While he’s no longer chasing ranking points, O’Shea says simply being able to pick up a dart again has brought him joy.

“I’ve not been to a ranked event, I don’t even play local league anymore. Over the last 12–18 months I’ve done the odd exhibition, nothing like I used to. To come here today is brilliant, and actually I’ve been throwing alright in the practice room.”

Looking back on his illustrious career, O’Shea reflected on one of the biggest what-ifs in darts — his decision not to switch to the PDC during the 2000s.

“Back then I turned down seven wildcards for PDC tour cards,” he admitted. “It was slightly different — there wasn’t Q-School. If you got to the semis of a BDO major, you’d get an offer. I got to a few finals and turned seven down because at the time I honestly thought I had the game to win Lakeside — or the Embassy, as I still call it.

“If anyone’s got a time machine, there’s a drink in it for them, because I’d go back to about 2010 and give it a go. But you make your decisions, and at the time I totally believed 100% I was going to win Lakeside. I’ve had a good career anyway, so it’s not a problem.”

While others made the leap to the PDC, O’Shea says he was motivated by something different — the pride of representing his country.

“We could see the PDC was better than what we had, but I was a bit of a dreamer,” he said. “I loved playing for England. I ended up captaining England — I’m the second most-capped England player after Martin Adams. When you look at the players behind me — your Bristows and your Lowes — I think, ‘Wow, a little lad from Stockport did that.’

“Playing for England was one of my biggest ambitions. Martin’s life revolved around that, and I wasn’t far behind him.”

Even now, he wonders what might have been had that famous trio — O’Shea, Fitton, and Adams — made the switch.

“All the players around then — the game’s moved on a million miles since — but there were some great characters in the PDC. Me and Darryl go way back with Adrian Lewis — he came through the ranks at 12 with Cheshire, so we’ve known him forever. It would’ve been lovely to play with those lads in the PDC.”

O’Shea also praised fellow Stockport thrower Nathan Aspinall, who continues to shine on the PDC stage.

“Oh yeah, definitely. He’s had one or two issues with his elbow, but he looks like he’s getting better and better. Even with those problems, he’s been as good as ever these last few months. It’s brilliant to see.” And like so many in the game, he’s in awe of the “Luke Littler effect”.

“A lot of us from the northwest knew of Luke six or seven years ago. The last time I played for Cheshire, he was in the men’s A team — he must have been about 14. He’d sit down playing his Game Boy, get up, hit a 180, a 170, then sit down again! In the match he’d go up and average 106. That was six years ago — I was looking around going, ‘Oh my God.’

“He’s just kept getting better. He’s changed darts forever, probably. I’ve never seen so many academies pop up, and every one of them has a ‘new Luke Littler’. It’s changed the game completely.”

Like many veterans, O’Shea laments the decline of the traditional grassroots system that once produced England internationals like himself. “Back in the day there was a proper system — local league, super league, then county. No one ever dreamt of playing for England! Now there are so many other options, and they involve winning prize money.

“The county and super league system just costs you money. You look at the ADC, the JDC — these kids are winning money now, and that gives them hunger. They all want to be like Luke Littler, and it’s left the old systems behind a bit.”

Reflecting on more than four decades in the game, O’Shea knows he’s already achieved more than most could dream of. “The game’s changed a lot. I thought I was alright back in the day — and I probably was for that era — but eras change. I had a good career and won quite a bit of money. If I’d done the same now, I’d have been retired ten years ago!”