BACK IN THE DAY WITH: Wes Newton: a two-time major finalist who faded away after flirting with darting elite

In this feature, we look back in the day at the career of a particular darts player. Today, we do so with Wes Newton. For many years, he was a regular presence at the top of professional darts. The Englishman, nicknamed 'The Warrior', developed into a player in the 2000s who regularly went deep in major PDC tournaments.

He faced the biggest names of his generation, reached several major finals and even climbed as high as eighth in the PDC Order of Merit. Yet his career would ultimately take a very different direction. Injuries, a decline in form and, above all, a loss of confidence meant that from the middle of the previous decade onwards, Newton steadily slipped further down the rankings.

Wes Newton was born on August 27, 1977, in Blackpool. Newton's first major steps in the PDC came in 2003. He made his debut at a PDC major during the UK Open, but lost 8-6 to Mark Thomson in the last 32. A year later, he qualified for the Las Vegas Desert Classic, where Wayne Mardle proved too strong in the first round. He also made his debut at the 2006 World Darts Championship, but lost 3-0 to Gerry Convery. Notably, his brother Dale was also present at that World Championship. Dale Newton lost his only World Championship match 3-1 to Kevin Painter.

That same year, however, he showed that there was much more to come. At the Las Vegas Desert Classic, Newton reached the semi-finals. Along the way, he defeated players including George Walls, Mark Walsh and Ray Carver, before Phil Taylor ended his run. It was the first clear indication that Newton could compete with the established names.

Shortly after that tournament, his rise suffered a major setback. Newton slipped in the shower and broke his collarbone. The injury kept him out for around three months. Upon his return, he immediately played in the World Grand Prix, but lost to Colin Lloyd in the second round.

The major breakthrough eventually came around 2010 and 2011. In November 2010, Newton won two Players Championship tournaments in the same weekend. He became only the fifth player to achieve the feat. The double victory had major consequences for his position in the world rankings, with Newton breaking into the world's top 16 for the first time.

His performances reached another level in 2011. At the World Darts Championship, he reached the quarter-finals. Newton defeated Darin Young, Brendan Dolan and Mensur Suljović before facing Terry Jenkins, against whom he surrendered a 4-3 lead and lost 5-4. In March, he then climbed as high as eighth in the PDC Order of Merit.

Later that year, Newton reached his first major televised final. He produced an impressive run at the UK Open, defeating players including John Henderson, Michael van Gerwen, Raymond van Barneveld, Dave Chisnall and Denis Ovens. In the final, he ultimately had to settle for runner-up after James Wade won 11-8.

Newton had now firmly established himself as a player to be reckoned with. Shortly after the UK Open, it was also announced that he had appointed three-time World Championship finalist Peter Manley as his manager.

Newton also showed his quality at the World Matchplay. He defeated Andy Smith 10-2 and Justin Pipe 13-8. Against Pipe, he also hit a nine-darter. In the quarter-finals, Phil Taylor awaited and ultimately proved too strong, winning 16-5.

The absolute highlight of Newton's career came in 2012. He won two UK Open qualifying events before reaching the quarter-finals of the UK Open. He was again successful at the World Matchplay. After defeating James Hubbard, Newton hit the first televised nine-darter of his career against Justin Pipe. Despite that spectacular achievement, he ultimately walked away empty-handed. Newton led 9-7, but Pipe completely turned the match around and won 13-10.

Later that year, Newton reached another major final. At the 2012 European Championship in Mülheim, he became one of the tournament's biggest attractions. After victories over Tomas Seyler, Kevin Painter and Andy Hamilton, he faced Brendan Dolan in the semi-finals. Newton appeared to be heading for elimination for a long time, but fought his way back impressively. He won five consecutive legs to overturn a 9-6 deficit into an 11-9 victory.

Simon Whitlock awaited him in the final. However, Newton was unable to produce another comeback and lost 11-5. Once again, he had to settle for a place in the final.

Newton also showed his resilience at the 2012 World Grand Prix. Against Ronnie Baxter, he escaped elimination in the first round after Baxter missed a match dart. Newton eventually won 2-1 in sets. He then defeated Ian White before once again recovering from a deficit against Paul Nicholson in the quarter-finals. After falling 2-0 behind, Newton came back to win 3-2. In the semi-finals, however, Michael van Gerwen proved too strong.

At the end of 2012, Newton was seventh in the Order of Merit. His position among the international elite appeared firmly established.

The year 2013 also began promisingly. Newton reached the quarter-finals of the World Darts Championship and even led James Wade 2-0. Ultimately, however, he lost the match. His first appearance in the Premier League Darts was also unsuccessful. He won just two of his first eight matches and was eventually eliminated after week nine.

Newton managed to bounce back on the European Tour. In April, he won the European Darts Trophy in Sindelfingen. In the final, he defeated Paul Nicholson 6-5. Newton described the victory afterwards as the best win of his career.

However, the disappointments continued to pile up. At the UK Open, he hit a nine-darter against Adrian Lewis, with both players averaging over 100. But Newton eventually lost 9-8 in the deciding leg after missing three match darts.

In 2014, Newton once again reached the quarter-finals of the World Darts Championship, but was unable to go any further. Against Peter Wright, he had opportunities to take a decisive lead, but Wright ultimately came out on top. In the Premier League Darts, Newton was eliminated after week nine for the second consecutive year.

His season was clearly weaker than the preceding years. For the first time since 2007, he failed to win a PDC tournament. Although he reached the quarter-finals of the World Matchplay, his form declined sharply afterwards. He lost his established position among the absolute elite and increasingly had to settle for early exits.

At the 2015 World Darts Championship, Newton suffered a surprise defeat to Cristo Reyes. After falling 2-0 behind, Newton fought back to 2-2, but ultimately lost in a deciding leg. The match was also marred by confusion over the procedure before the final leg. Newton made his frustration clear afterwards, although he acknowledged that Reyes deserved the victory.

Newton's ranking continued to fall. By July, he was already down to 22nd and missed the World Matchplay for the first time since 2008. He also failed to reach the other major tournaments that year.

In 2016, the problem became even more apparent. Newton did qualify for the World Darts Championship and this time defeated Cristo Reyes, but James Wade eliminated him 4-0 in the second round. Newton later revealed that his decline had coincided in part with a shoulder injury. He also admitted that his confidence and form could hardly have been worse.

His ranking eventually dropped outside the top 32. After the 2016 UK Open, he failed to qualify for another major. For someone who had been ranked among the world's top eight just a few years earlier, it was a remarkable decline.

His attempt to qualify for the 2017 World Darts Championship also ended unsuccessfully. Newton lost to Barrie Bates in qualifying, meaning he missed the biggest darts tournament in the world for the first time since 2004. His world ranking had by then fallen to 59th.

Newton did still enjoy a number of memorable moments. In August, he won the inaugural Neon Newport Masters, defeating the likes of Gerwyn Price, Richie Burnett, Andy Hamilton and Mark Dudbridge along the way. However, it did not prove to be the start of a definitive comeback.

In December 2017, it was confirmed that Newton had lost his PDC Tour Card. An attempt to return to the professional circuit through Q-School in 2018 was unsuccessful. He subsequently competed on the PDC Challenge Tour.

His career then took another unusual turn. Newton also switched to the BDO and eventually qualified for the 2019 BDO World Championship. There, he was eliminated in the preliminary round by Paul Hogan.

Newton continued to try his luck at Q-School several more times in the following years, but was unable to regain a PDC Tour Card.

Nevertheless, Newton's later decline does little to diminish what he achieved during his best years. He reached several World Championship quarter-finals, appeared in the finals of the UK Open and European Championship, won a European Tour title and climbed as high as eighth in the world. He also hit multiple nine-darters on major stages.

Wes Newton's career is therefore a story of enormous highs and deep lows. 'The Warrior' was once among the players knocking on the door of the absolute world elite and competed in major matches against names such as Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Raymond van Barneveld and James Wade. His career also shows how quickly the balance of power in professional darts can change. However, Newton said in an interview last year that he had not yet given up hope of returning to the big stage.

From finishing 2012 as the world's seventh-ranked player to losing his Tour Card just a few years later, it was a remarkable development. But with his major finals, nine-darters and European title, Newton undoubtedly left a lasting impression on the PDC circuit.