From Washington via Istanbul to Göttingen: Crabtree makes a bizarre journey to take part in a Euro Tour tournament

Cameron Crabtree has had a remarkable journey to make it in time for the European Darts Trophy in Göttingen. The Englishman had been in the United States for just a day on holiday when he suddenly received the message that he had to report to Germany. Jonny Clayton had withdrawn from the tournament after the draw, prompting Crabtree to be called up as a replacement.

For the world number 67, that meant a rushed trip of thousands of miles, with missed connections and long waits, just to arrive in Germany on time. He still made it and goes straight into the second round, where he faces Kevin Doets.

Crabtree was on holiday in Washington, D.C. when he got the call. "I have finally landed in Germany via Frankfurt so I'm just waiting for a Bolt to the hotel that should hopefully get me there for 5'o clock which isn't too bad.

The trip to Germany was anything but smooth. The Englishman had to arrange a flight at very short notice and encountered multiple issues along the way. "I might get to nap for half an hour and then head over to the venue. 10 hours from Washington to Istanbul then I missed my connection. Then I waited four and a half hours for a flight to Frankfurt and then that took three hours."

It didn’t end there, because things didn’t go smoothly after arrival either. "It took ages for the bags to come out but finally got my bag. It turned up which I wasn't sure it would." Despite the long journey, Crabtree tried to stay positive. "Now just got to get to the hotel and try to prepare for tonight."

Due to Clayton’s late withdrawal, Crabtree goes straight into the second round of the Euro Tour event. A tough test awaits immediately against Kevin Doets, who has delivered strong results regularly this season.

For the Englishman, it means stepping on stage without real preparation, but that’s no reason to complain, he says. Simply being there is a chance for him to pick up valuable pounds for the world ranking.