"I pull away in a Mondeo Estate, Taylor pulls away in a Bentley": Wayne Mardle shares remarkable Circus Tavern story

Wayne Mardle has become one of the best-known TV commentators in darts in recent years. As well as being a good commentator, he wasa. darting nearlyman by his own admission reaching the semi-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship four times.

Mardle, who also reached the semi-finals of the BDO World Championship in 2001, reached the semi-finals of the World Darts Championship in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008. In three of those four semi-finals, the World Championship still took place at the iconic Circus Tavern in Purfleet, only the last edition was at Alexandra Palace. Mardle was therefore asked by a viewer on ‘Club 501’ what his fondest memory is of the Circus Tavern, a venue in which he played many matches.

"I used to live about six or seven miles away from the Circus Tavern. I used to live in Romford. The family used to come along to every game. My dad used to drive a Mondeo Estate," said Mardle on William Hill Club 501.

"This blue coloured thing. You could fit Noah's Ark in it. My abiding memory of the Circus Tavern because it was a big car and everyone lived local. We all used to pile in the car. I was always in the boot of the car on my way home from the Tavern. I reached the semi-finals there. So there's a semi-finalist in the back of a Mondeo estate. I pull away in a Mondeo Estate, Taylor pulls away in a Bentley."

But he also discussed what kept him going after all the nearly moments and it was thinking it wouldn't happen again.

"What kept me going is that I thought I'd win one. I absolutely thought after the first World Championship loss yeah I'm good enough to win this. Second I'm good enough, third fourth. It wasn't until I got to the fifth. No-one in the history of darts has lost more semi-finals in a World Championship without winning one. What a record,"

"I thought it will happen. But when I got to the fifth and lost it, it's not like that was the worst one to lose. It was that I didn't feel like I was anywhere good enough to get better and win the event.

"In 2006 when I lost, that was my third. I was the best player in the World Championship. I was throwing better than anyone. I found a way to lose. That's the one that really hurt."