“I am not just playing for Hayley and myself, but our son too” – Carl Wilson’s PDC dream gains new meaning

English darts player Carl Wilson has been working hard to make his mark within the PDC in recent years. The 37-year-old from Royal Tunbridge Wells is a regular on the Challenge Tour and has also made several appearances in the MODUS Super Series. Although major results have so far eluded him, Wilson believes a genuine breakthrough is within his reach.

Alongside his darts career, Wilson has worked as a roofer for around 15 years, something that regularly prompts surprised reactions.

“I’ve been roofing for about 15 years. A lot of people don’t believe me when I tell them what I do for a living. Tom Lonsdale was one of them. He was saying, ‘No way, you’re an office bod.’ I actually had to send him pictures to prove it,” Wilson told Bang On Target.

A special period in his personal life is also approaching, with Wilson and his partner Hayley expecting their first child. “Well, I live with my partner Hayley. And we are expecting what will be my first child in six weeks. It’s going to be a boy and we’re naming him Koby.”

Wilson’s route towards the PDC began at a local club in Kent and included a long apprenticeship within the county game. “I started at Rusthall Club in Kent. I was playing local league darts from about 18 and then I played county darts for around fifteen years. When I was younger, county darts was everything to me.”

His move towards Q-School required more than simply deciding he was ready. A friend helped create the opportunity, while Wilson recognised an area of his game that had to improve if he wanted to compete at a higher level.

“A friend of mine really helped me on the financial side. He gave me the push I needed. Around halfway through 2023 I realised I needed a much better B-game if I was going to compete when I wasn’t playing my best. Before that, I never really had one. My friend also financed Q-School in 2024 and that gave me the opportunity.”

Wilson has been an ever-present on the Challenge Tour this season, but his best run has ended in the last 32. Pinpointing why stronger performances have not yet produced a sustained tournament run is less straightforward.

“Honestly, I don’t really know. Sometimes it’s concentration, sometimes it’s focus. When I get into a rhythm, I know I can play. I had a cracking victory against Nathan Potter where we both averaged around the ton mark but lost. Then given how well I was playing, I was surprised I didn’t go on to win that event. Then on the flip side, there are games where I just didn’t produce it. I’ve also lost matches where I’ve actually played well, but one poor visit at the wrong time costs you.”

There was considerably less uncertainty when Wilson was asked which player he was most surprised had never earned a PDC Tour Card.

“Andreas Harrysson. I’ve played him a couple of times and his finishing is on another level.”

Competing regularly outside the PDC’s professional ranks has also shaped Wilson’s view of the qualification system. He would double the number of Tour Cards awarded directly through the Challenge Tour, an idea that previously became a talking point in illustrious company.

“On the Challenge Tour, I think the top four should qualify directly for a Tour Card. It actually came up after I made back-to-back semi-finals on there in 2024. At a Players Championship, I was sitting around a table with George Killington, Gary Anderson and Jim Williams when Killer actually told me off because apparently I was making too much sense!”

Wilson would also place a time limit on how long Tour Card holders can continue competing on the Development Tour.

“I think if you earn a Tour Card, you can only still play the Development Tour for year one. After that, you’re unable to play both. You need to knuckle down and focus on the ProTour.”

The MODUS Super Series has given Wilson another opportunity to test himself against established names. His belief that he belonged at that level was first strengthened during lockdown, even if his eventual debut at the Live Lounge brought a fresh wave of nerves.

“I do love it down there. During lockdown, I played loads of online darts. I was in leagues with players like Kim Huybrechts, Jermaine Wattimena and Simon Whitlock. Even though I was playing from my bedroom, it made me realise I belonged at that level. So the MODUS Super Series was always somewhere I really wanted to play. First time down there, I was absolutely crapping myself. Really nervous. But everyone there makes you feel welcome. That week, I won Group A, one that included Neil Duff, Steve West and Darius Labanauskas. Then I went home, chilled Thursday and Friday and came back on the Saturday.”

Asked about his closest brush with a weekly title, Wilson’s answer was brief. “I lost the final of Series 13 to Radek Szaganski.”

Success has already arrived elsewhere, with Wilson twice winning ADC events at Bradmoor Farm. “I’ve won two events at Bradmoor Farm. I beat Jonny Haines on one which, funnily enough, we were both on nine-darters, but each missed the 141 checkout. I defeated Christian Perez in the final on the other.”

His South East London Belt victories have opened two further doors, earning Wilson places at the ADC Global Championship and the MODUS Super Series.

“Well, I won the South East London Belt in May 2025, beating Jason Heaver, retained it against Lloyd Walker to qualify for the ADC Global Championship later this year. Then a couple of months ago, defended it again this May by beating Luke Stallwood, which gives me an automatic call-up to the MODUS Super Series this season.”

Wilson does not believe his results since stepping onto the PDC circuit have matched the standard he has displayed in individual performances.

“Definitely. When I look at how I’ve played in the Vault events and on the ADC circuit, I feel like I’ve missed a trick. I should have won more. It’s frustrating because I know the game’s there. It’s just about putting it all together. If I was to win a MODUS Super Series and perhaps a Challenge Tour title, it would bring out the beast in me. Because now, I am not just playing for Hayley and myself, but our son too.”

Back-to-back Challenge Tour semi-finals in 2024, a MODUS Super Series weekly final and multiple ADC titles have shown Wilson can challenge deep into events. With Koby’s arrival approaching, turning those isolated runs into the breakthrough he wants would now mean considerably more than another line on his darting record.