Wade pays tribute to mentor Bristow ahead of trophy renaming at Grand Slam: ‘Darts will always be at a loss now’

James Wade has claimed back to back TV titles and will set his sights on a third this weekend.

The Grand Slam but something will be different and that is the Trophy. It will be renamed in honour of the late, great Eric Bristow, someone who mentored Wade. In an interview with the PDC, ‘The Machine’ spoke about his connection with the Crafty Cockney and how much it would mean to him to win the trophy. "It would be lovely to win the first Eric Bristow Trophy, I was lucky enough to be close to him," said Wade. "He was a good man, an honest man and darts will always be at a loss now he's not there, and I will be at a loss because I have lost a friend. "Eric made darts fashionable in the early days and he was probably more passionate about the game than anyone. "He had his biggest influence on my career when I was struggling the most and for someone like Eric to say 'I believe in you, I'm going to take you under my wing until you start winning again' meant so much to me. "Deep down, beneath his hard exterior Eric was one of the softest, most gentle men I've ever met and to have him on my shoulder through the tricky times was a lovely thing to have. "Its a shame he wasn't here to see me win my two recent titles but I'll soldier on and try to add his trophy to my cabinet.”