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"It was challenging, it was expensive and I had nobody except Joe Cullen" - Devon Petersen recalls Christmases spent in Cullen household after move to UK from Africa
PDCFriday, 20 September 2024 at 10:00
Devon Petersen was active on the PDC Pro Tour for many years, becoming a very recognisable and well liked figure in the process. Late last year, however, the South African lost his Tour Card.
Petersen captured his Tour Card in 2011 and afterwards decided to move to the UK to pursue his dream of earning a living as a professional dart player. "You realise very quickly that the move has to happen," explains Petersen on the latest episode of Sky Sports' Love the Darts podcast. "If you want to play on the Pro Tour, you have to move over to the UK."
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Given the challenges that come with moving halfway across the world, Petersen needed the help of other darters to find his feet in the early days. "It was challenging, it was expensive and I had nobody except Joe Cullen," continued 'The African Warrior'. "I think that, if it wasn't for him, I would not have persisted or been in the position that I was. His family made me feel so welcome and took me on like I was one of their own. I remember spending Christmas with them, his mum bought me a giraffe onesie, his sister got me a penguin onesie."
Devon Petersen in action
Petersen vividly remembers his first encounter with Cullen. "When I met Joe, I saw him the very first night I got to the UK. I went to the Ally Pally to watch and I think he was playing against Terry Jenkins. So I knew what he looked like, but I'd never spoke to him in person," Petersen recalls. "But that chance meeting paved the way for a friendship that we still have to this day!"
Petersen was ultimately active on the Pro Tour for thirteen years and was even in the top 32 of the world rankings for a while. At the World Darts Championship, he reached the fourth round twice. His best performance at a TV major, came in 2020 at the European Championship when he reached the semifinals.
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