“I work there three days a week making burgers” - Henry Coates trades butcher shop for ProTour success while juggling professions
PDCSaturday, 15 August 2026 at 19:00
The 20-year-old took a week off the job to travel to
Hildesheim a few weeks ago in a productive week in Germany that saw him put his
name on the darting map. Becoming only the fifth player to win a ProTour title
without a Tour Card, Coates showcased his scintillating potential against the
best in the world.
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Now one to keep an eye on, he is among an exciting generation
of young darters trying to break into the sport to challenge the world’s elite.
For Coates, it is not easy when having to balance his time practicing and competing
alongside working with his dad in a completely different profession, but so far
it is paying dividends.
From making burgers to playing best darters in the world
Speaking to the Weekly Dartscast, the Englishman opened up
on what he does in this job. “[I’m a] part-time butcher in my dad's business,” he
explained. “So, I work there three days a week making burgers and just doing
general stuff there.”
When he is not working, he is on the oche. “So, I play on
the nights that I'm not working. I probably have a couple of hours. Then I play
three nights in the week as well.”
To have that job is always a positive if the darting career
does not go the way intended. However, Coates has placed himself in a very good
position to kick on. Currently in the provisional qualifying spots for the PDC
World Darts Championship and Players Championship Finals, there is still work
to do to get into those big TV tournaments.
COATES CREATES HISTORY! 🤯
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 28, 2026
That is simply ASTONISHING!
Henry Coates - despite not holding a PDC Tour Card - averages almost 105 to defeat a brilliant Damon Heta and clinch his maiden ProTour title in Hildesheim!#PC25 pic.twitter.com/33Njg7ZJWc
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He is eyeing up theses golden experiences, but if they do
not come to fruition he will go onto the next thing. “If I get in, if I keep
playing well, then it's going to be another new experience gained,” he
admitted. “If I'm not, then there's plenty more years ahead.”
The next step is getting his Tour Card. There is no doubt
that Coates has the ability or the belief to do so, not at least in his mind. “Just having the confidence that I can put in
constant 90 averages plus, dropping the ton-plus when I need it. I think, going
into the future, I'd be confident in getting my Tour Card.”
Lucas MichaelDarts Journalist
Lucas Michael is a darts journalist and reporter based in Cambridge, UK, and has been part of the DartsNews team since 2025. He covers professional darts through reports, analysis, round-ups, and live coverage, with a focus on clear context and accurate reporting across the PDC calendar.
A key part of his work is liveblogging major tournaments throughout the year, providing real-time updates, match coverage, and contextual reporting across the professional circuit. He also reports regularly from events on site and has covered the PDC World Darts Championship from the venue, delivering first-hand insight throughout the tournament.
Within the newsroom, Lucas works closely with the editorial team and supports coverage alongside Chief Content Officer Samuel Gill and reporter Kieran Wood.
Lucas holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. In his work, he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating content promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- It's great to see Mark Webster looking well,he's a top ladrick6715-08-2026
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- I didn't like the bloke,but he was a real wind up merchant. His talent is wastedrick6712-08-2026
- He wouldn't get a tour card if there was a million on it
Amusementman09-08-2026 - This gormless, dull as dishwater nobody hasn't done anything this year and has absolutely no right to be considered for anything other than checking people's tickets on entry and it is likely he couldn't cope with that.richieburnettrocks09-08-2026
- How can PDC players play in streamed events?medinabello04-08-2026
- Great comment, some of the matches were a bit one sided but that was more to do with the quality on show.mikedarts03-08-2026
- I just think Aspinall loves the razzmatazz rather than real darts, goes on about his walk on and the premier league, loves exhibitions and proposed a 'royal rumble' and i'm not sure if it was him that suggested a Ryder Cup style tournament? I think they do need to look at how the ranking tournaments are treated, the UK Open, Euro Championships, Players' Championship all shoe-horned into four or so days rather than lasting all week and giving more players a chance to be on the big stage.Baphomet03-08-2026
- I play at home against myself, sometimes on Dartcounter, never played league or county. My best average on 501 was 107 which I hit last year. Today I was averaging 94 on a few games of 501, no warm up, just a quick chuck after dinner. I imagine it's a bit different up on stage. I play well at home though and do pretty good for only around 20 minutes play per day. 🙂PaulC02-08-2026
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