"It'd be good to get back the old boys and just have a reminisce of old times": Andy Hamilton makes plea to reunite with fellow Stoke stars Taylor and Lewis
PDC
The announced return of Phil Taylor has caused quite a stir in the darts world. The 16-time world champion will pick up his darts again at 66 and step to the oche in November at the MODUS Super Series. There, ‘The Power’ will pair up with his former World Cup partner Adrian Lewis. Andy Hamilton welcomes the comeback of his fellow Stoke-on-Trent native but adds a key caveat: how much remains of the darting quality that allowed Taylor to dominate the sport for years?
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Hamilton reacted on talkSPORT Darts to the news of Taylor coming out of retirement. The former world finalist believes the return will draw major attention regardless. "I think it's great news for darts. The darts at the moment is as high as it'll ever be. So good publicity is good for Phil Taylor coming out of retirement."
Hamilton is particularly intrigued by Taylor teaming up with Lewis again. The Stoke-on-Trent duo were a feared combination for years and won the World Cup of Darts four times together. "I think it's just great for the game. Him and Adrian coming back together, playing World Cup again together, international pairs. So it's going to be interesting to see how Phil Taylor plays."
At the same time, Hamilton is unsure what has driven Taylor to throw seriously again. The Englishman retired from the PDC after the 2018 Worlds and later played on the senior circuit. There, Taylor no longer carried the same air of dominance as in his glory days.
"I don't know the reason why he's come out of his time to do this. Obviously, it's not about money. Also, it's just about probably the publicity to what he can give to the game as well, which is great, I think."
"He doesn't want to embarrass himself"
Hamilton insists on one thing: Taylor will not return just to throw a few show legs. The competitive fire of the 16-time world champion is simply too strong for that.
"But also, he doesn't want to embarrass himself on that, okay. He wants to perform. He wants to compete.
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"And that's just in his nature. So just time will tell. I don't know how he's been playing, what he's been doing darts-wise."
Hamilton suspects the sport’s current popularity may have influenced Taylor’s decision. A new generation has emerged, led by Luke Littler, and interest in darts is huge. For former elite players, Hamilton says, it is hard to watch from the sidelines without feeling the itch again.
"Yeah, definitely. I think any dart player who has it in their life, they just don't want to give in playing darts. Just like myself, I'm turning 60 next year and I still love this game."
Hamilton sees a clear parallel with Taylor. "My hunger's still there. And I believe still as well. But for me, I've not stopped playing.
"So I've just carried on playing through it. And when I retire, that's when I will retire. But when that is, I don't know."
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In that sense, Lewis is an interesting partner for Taylor, according to Hamilton. The two-time world champion still appears regularly at exhibition events and has never ruled out a proper tilt at the top level. "So it's going to be interesting to see Adrian still being competitive on the exhibition circuit. So it might be Adrian's turn to pull Phil Taylor out the bag."
Hamilton also hopes Lewis eventually returns in earnest. "Yeah, there's always rumours flying around there, but you don't know the rumours until it really happens. I think now that it's happened, it's all true. Obviously, sometimes people say things, they're coming out and they're not.
"And obviously, we've heard from Adrian, he wants to get back into the serious now and again, but he's not there yet. So I'm not sure how much you really want to get back in there. Involvement in the competitive side, obviously, while it's fun, it's great."
No Q-School for Taylor?
Hamilton does not expect Taylor to chase a PDC Tour Card via Q-School after his MODUS Super Series appearance. He believes the physical and mental demands should not be underestimated.
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"But for Phil, I don't think they're going to see him at Q School. I just think it's not just about the game itself. It's the added pressure, the week-long of playing darts. And I think it'll take its toll on me."
Hamilton also argues the Q-School standard would test Taylor seriously. "We're getting older. And I just think the competitive side on the Q School, they're all not great players, but also there are some great players who are still really competitive, which will compete with Phil Taylor. I think for the game, they'd love to see him at Q School. It'd be great for the sport and great for people who are darts fans, who want to play Phil Taylor."
Even Hamilton does not know how seriously Taylor is currently training. The two have known each other for years from Stoke-on-Trent, but they have not mapped out any intensive practice schedule.
"No, I talk a lot with Adrian, talk a lot with Adrian, yeah. I think I tried to practise with Phil Taylor. I said to Phil, do you want to practise some time? He just said, no, I'm just practising with my grandson. So I don't know how serious it is for him. So I think time will tell how good he is at the game and his ability to see if it's still shining.
A practice session featuring Hamilton, Taylor, and Lewis would deliver a strong dose of nostalgia. "I think, yeah, it'd be great. It'll just bring back memories as well for all of mine. Like I say, I'm still quite competitive myself and I'm playing OK.
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"So it'd be good to get back the old boys and just have a reminisce of old times as well. So you can just have a bit of fun with it as well."
Taylor won no fewer than 78 major titles in his imposing career.
Taylor versus Littler?
Taylor’s comeback inevitably raises another question: will darts fans ever see a showdown between “The Power” and Luke Littler? The 16-time world champion and the current world number one have never met at the highest level.
A first opportunity may arrive quickly. Hamilton pointed out that Taylor and Littler will soon be at the same event. "Well, as daft as it sounds, obviously now Phil Taylor is coming back into darts. On the 28th of October, there's a big Stoke event. There's me, Adrian Lewis, Luke Littler, Nathan Aspinall and Phil, the Power Taylor."
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Hamilton does stress that we first need clarity on Taylor’s current level. "So who knows? Will you have a game of darts on that night? Hey, tell me, it'd be great for the game.
"And I think everyone wants to see that game and all, but I think we've got to see how Phil's thrown it first."
A cross-generational clash would, in Hamilton’s view, have strong appeal. A large part of younger darts fans never truly experienced Taylor’s dominant era.
"Yeah, yeah, I think like this in any sport, when you get the young and the old together, it's probably the only sport you can do it in, really. And I think it's great. It'd be great to see for the young to see the power, because the proper young kids nowadays don't even know how good Phil Taylor was, unless you see him on the internet. So it'd be good to see him out there in person and just see how he's performing against Luke Littler."
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"No, and I think that's what he might feel short of. I mean, he was talking to the seniors and I think then the seniors, everyone wanted to play Phil Taylor. He's played okay, darts, but nothing really competitive where it worries you, where before he was like a robot, where that's changed now. So I think that's the worrying side too, if he comes out not playing as well as he can."s
Still, Hamilton retains some concern. Taylor was almost unbeatable for years, but during his appearances on the seniors circuit it was clear that his old level didn’t just reappear.
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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- Everyone knows what a fantastic champion Taylor was,but his performances in the seniors were poor. He wouldn't throw littler off stage,as he'd miss these days!!rick6712-11-2026
- He produced some impressive numbers in that qualifying campaign. I'm excited to see him compete at the World Championship once again, even if it will be difficult to replicate last year's success even with an improved performance, with the draw playing a huge role in determining his fortunes.Deduce635811-11-2026
- I often think about this very question. I think they should revive the format. They could even invite representatives from MODUS Super Series, with four series winners from the past year, and the ADC, with finalists from the Global Championship and perhaps other events. Why not throw in eligible representatives from the JDC and even the soft-tip game too?Deduce635811-11-2026
- So what if littler missed out, he doesnt have to enter everythingant10-11-2026
- Good, absolutely no loss if we never see this dancing goof ever again......no that is not fair. He absolutely cannot and has never been remotely able to dance!richieburnettrocks10-11-2026
- Yes Phil,now the money in the game is bigger than ever,you'd play littler. Well so would I! Retire on your memory Phil,and your successful careerrick6709-11-2026
- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026