🗣️ "I was a total recluse at one point, but darts helped me get out again." From playing in his church band to becoming a televised title winner, Andrew Gilding opens up on his remarkable rise ahead of his latest Ally Pally appearance...
Darts and a church band helped Andrew Gilding get rid of depression: “I was a total recluse at one point''
PDCSunday, 10 December 2023 at 18:30
Andrew Gilding provided one of the best darting stories of the season in early 2023. Out of nowhere, 'Goldfinger' managed to take his maiden major title at the UK Open in March.
In Minehead, Gilding captured his first major title by beating Michael van Gerwen 11-10 in the final. The darter from England's Bungay was trailing 7-9, but with a comeback, he became the oldest new major winner in PDC history. ''That was a massive moment. So many people came up to me and said: ‘I’m glad you won that’. I’m glad it went to the final leg and I managed to put on a good show as well. It was exciting! I’m not sure if it’s sunk in yet to be honest, but I think it’s definitely added some confidence to my game.”
However, there was a time in Gilding's life when he had just little confidence, he reveals in conversation with the PDC. ''Darts has completely changed my life,” he admits. “From my late teens to my early 30s, I was suffering with depression. We have a history of it in my family on my father’s side. My Dad had it, and my Grandad had it."
“I was a total recluse at one point, but darts helped me get out again. I started going to church and I played the guitar in a church band. They even got me up singing at one point which was great preparation for the big stage, because there’s nothing more petrifying than that for me!" Gilding concludes. “I went from not wanting to show my face outside to then joining a local darts team, and I gradually worked my way up in the pub leagues. A few people said: ‘He’s not good enough to make county’, but I think I just had this inner belief, and the rest is history!”
“I feel like I was a little bit fortunate to win it, because I wasn’t going in there and banging in 100+ averages,” he concludes. “Ironically, I made the [UK Open] semi-finals eight years ago and I was doing that. I averaged 108 against Michael [van Gerwen] and lost!"
"These days the averages are a bit lower, but I’m hitting the important doubles and learning how to win. I don’t see why I can’t go on and win another major title. If it happened once, it can happen again!”
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- With the general noise / buzz coming from the crowd can a player seriously believe he can hear darts rattling in the other players hand?Mysstree23-11-2024
- Oh, dear... how will we cope now?MrYnyslas197122-11-2024
- They really are going through an insipid spell - at present.MrYnyslas197122-11-2024
- Well done Mike – good to move on and look to the future. With his talent, and increasing confidence on stage, he'll be a force to be reckoned with in the month ahead.
UndartedWaters22-11-2024 - It's called talent and good on him.medinabello21-11-2024