"Barney comes in, taps me on the shoulder, can I have a word?" – Kenny received a visit from Van Barneveld right before a crucial World Championship match
PDC
Nick Kenny will not soon forget his clash with Raymond van Barneveld at the World Darts Championship in 2025. For the Welshman, far more was at stake than a place in the third round. Kenny needed wins to keep his Tour Card and happened to face a player he once watched growing up. In the end, he called it the most important win of his career.
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Kenny opened his Worlds with a 3-0 win in sets over American Stowe Buntz. Van Barneveld awaited next. In the build-up, Kenny found extra motivation from an interview with the five-time world champion.
"So I always get the venue at the Ally Pally because you do it four hours before, maybe even a bit more. And I can remember when I did my interview after Buntz, I'd seen an interview that Barney had done with Phill Barrs. And he basically disregarded me and Stowe Buntz and was looking at playing Humphries in round three," said Kenny on Tops and Tales.
"So after I'd beaten him, I was like, well, Barney thinks he's in round three already. So I'm like, I sort of mentioned it. You know, it's just in the heat of the moment.
"I'm sat there with a group of friends, Barney comes in, taps me on the shoulder, can I have a word? And I was like, yeah, no worries. I'd never said that. I said, I've seen the clip, you've said that. Like I said, what do you want me to say? It was just like, just disregarded your game because he was the seed then when he was 96. And it didn't end in a spat or anything. I just said, oh, okay, all the best today. And that was it."
“I could see he was rattled”
Kenny then started the match with confidence. At the same time, he knew that Van Barneveld at his best would be a formidable opponent. "If Barney turns up and plays his A game, I'm in trouble. There's no doubt about it."
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His main task was to control his emotions. "I just thought, keep your composure because I kept composed for the whole game. Don't let out too much steam because I'm not one for giving it big on, but I think you waste energy really when you do that."
As the match wore on, Kenny sensed the pressure shifting to his Dutch opponent. During a break he saw Van Barneveld tinkering with his setup.
"I don't think on one set up, was it 2-0 up? Maybe 2-0 up. And I could see he rattled. He's swapping his flights. He's swapping his stems. That's what I can remember about it."
Van Barneveld pulled a set back and Kenny felt the tie could still turn. "I thought, if this goes to 2-0, I could be in trouble. But yeah, because he's going to have the momentum. And I'm missing darts."
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At the 2025 World Darts Championship, Nick Kenny shocked Raymond van Barneveld
Huge release
The decisive moment came when Kenny left 61 after 12 darts, with Van Barneveld a long way back. Even then, the Welshman did not make it easy on himself.
"And obviously I miss one at 16. So then three at 16. And I get out last at double four. And my heart at that point was like, oh my God, you can't waste this opportunity."
The crowd added to the pressure. As so often, Alexandra Palace was firmly behind Barney. "The crowd are on my back. They're going Barney Army. They're not whistling, but they're booing and jeering. And woo, all that. And like, I've never been in that experience before."
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Kenny kept his nerve and found double four. What followed was an exuberant celebration he now smiles about as “cringy and epic”. "But the release the other way, where I'm ecstatic really."
Tour Card not immediately secure
Remarkably, Kenny still wasn’t entirely sure he had actually kept his Tour Card at that moment. He initially finished 65th and depended partly on Steve Beaton’s future plans.
"And the thing is, it wasn't guaranteed. Steve Beaton was hearsay to be retiring. So if he hadn't retired, I finished 65th.
"If he didn't pack it in and I didn't go up to 64th, I would have been off. But then there was another one who, I think Rob Owen saved his skin as well."
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Other Worlds results also affected the ranking. In the end, everything fell Kenny’s way and he could finally breathe easy.
The financial leap he made in that period then gave him a far better platform. Kenny says he earned about £58,000 for the ranking that year, compared with just £13,000 in his first year. He had already covered the amount to defend by around March of the following season.
The situation has since shifted again and Kenny must dig in once more to secure his place on the PDC Tour. "So I ended up winning about the same amount of money getting to Ally Pally, having a bit of bad luck with a draw, I suppose, with Justin, the way he played and the way he went on, but fair play to him. And now I'm back to square one. Now I've got to try and defend my card again, like everyone else."
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026
- Fair play to Fallon. But...shows the mockery when a professional players wins what was meant to be an amateur v Pro event, Littlers performance was poor, and what about the players who didn't get a game? Would have been better if the pot was split amoungst all the winners and they all got a leg.BandB31-10-2026