“I shouldn't have let him get that close to me in terms of friendly wise” – Dennis Priestley shares biggest regret in thrilling rivalry with Taylor

Dennis Priestley is part of the bedrock of modern darts. The Englishman, nicknamed “The Menace,” is regarded as one of the pioneers of the professional circuit and made history as the first PDC world champion. Yet his legacy is inextricably linked to one other name: Phil Taylor. What began as a close friendship between two elite players grew into one of the greatest rivalries the sport has ever known. In hindsight, however, Priestley looks back with mixed feelings on how close he once allowed Taylor to get.

Priestley, now 75 years old, won the Professional Darts Corporation World Championship in 1994, which at the time still operated under the name World Darts Council (WDC). That title was historic: it was the first PDC world crown ever and also marked the start of an era that would then be dominated for eight years by Phil Taylor. Up to and including 2002, no player other than The Power managed to win the season-ending world title.

The early 1990s marked a turning point in the darts world. Priestley was one of the sixteen professional players who rebelled against the British Darts Organisation (BDO) and decided to go their own way. They founded the World Darts Council, which in 1997 was officially renamed the Professional Darts Corporation. It was a controversial but ultimately groundbreaking step that would lift professional darts to a higher commercial and sporting level.

By then, Priestley had already established his status. In 1991 he crowned himself world champion with the BDO, becoming one of the leading players of his generation. With his PDC world title in 1994, he made history as the first player to win both world titles — BDO and PDC. Years later, Phil Taylor would join that exclusive group after winning his first PDC world title in 1995. Taylor had previously captured the BDO world titles in 1990 and 1992.

Despite their growing rivalry on stage, Priestley and Taylor were strikingly close in the early years. The two Britons shared not only countless finals but also a strong personal bond. So close, in fact, that by their own account they shared prize money at times. In a sport driven by individual performance and mental resilience, that was a rare phenomenon.

In hindsight, Priestley regrets that. He spoke candidly about his relationship with Taylor and the lessons he drew from it. "Looking back on the situation, I shouldn't have let him get that close to me in terms of friendly wise," Priestley said. "I was 10 years senior to him and I was not a teenager in my 20s. I believe he learnt a lot from me but I should have not let him get too close to me. I should have kept him at arm's length with more distance."

That remark says a lot about how Priestley views his role in Taylor’s development. Taylor grew into an unparalleled champion, ultimately with sixteen world titles and a dominance that changed the sport forever. Priestley seems to suggest that he, consciously or not, contributed to that development by sharing his knowledge, experience, and mental approach with his younger rival.

In sporting terms, Priestley and Taylor were without doubt the two dominant forces of the 1990s. "We were without doubt the two outstanding players during the 90s, banging heads together for 10 years consistently in finals, not semis."

It underscores how exceptional their rivalry was. While many players experience peaks and troughs, Priestley and Taylor kept pushing each other to a higher level for years. Their head-to-heads were often of exceptional quality and shaped the face of professional darts in that era.

Yet as the years passed, the age gap began to matter. Priestley was exactly ten years older than Taylor, and by his own account that started to take its toll. "It started to take its toll later on," he admitted. "I don't think I lost my ability really as much as I lost the mental side of it after the late 90s, to be quite honest. I wasn't concentrating as hard."

According to Priestley, the key to his decline was not technique but concentration and mental sharpness. His game was a little slower than many rivals, which meant his focus had to be at the highest level constantly." Unfortunately, my game was a little bit slower than the others and the concentration had to be at its peak and when that started to wane," he stated. "That's when I started to not be as successful."

Meanwhile, Taylor kept developing. While Priestley struggled to maintain his mental edge, Taylor became the undisputed benchmark in the sport. The pupil had not only caught up with the master, he had left him far behind.

What sets Priestley apart is his openness about this period. In a sport where egos are often big, he speaks with striking honesty about his own role in someone else’s success. His regret is not about lost titles or missed chances, but about the closeness he allowed and the lessons he shared.

Yet that regret does nothing to diminish his status. Dennis Priestley remains an icon of darts: a world champion in two organisations, a PDC pioneer, and a player who had the courage to challenge the establishment. His rivalry with Phil Taylor propelled the sport to unprecedented heights and remains one of the most defining chapters in darts history.