"It's an absolute pain in the backside to get here": Nathan Aspinall will miss the fans but not German Darts Championship

Nathan Aspinall admitted he’ll miss the German fans more than the venue itself after booking his place in the final day of the 2025 German Darts Championship in Hildesheim.

Aspinall averaged 107 in victory over Ross Smith after a superb week that saw him last gasp qualify for the Players Championship Finals. He now moves on at the German Darts Championship albeit he won't miss the tournament. He spoke to DartsNews.com afterwards.

“I will miss the fans,” said Aspinall to DartsNews.com. “I won’t miss the venue. You know, we play Pro Tours here, and I don’t often come to the Pro Tour. I’ve got to get two flights to get here and then an hour on the train — it’s just an absolute pain in the backside to get here. I don’t think I’ve played this Euro Tour for two or three years, so let’s be the last person to win the European Tour in Hildesheim.”

Despite the travel headaches, the former UK Open champion was full of praise for the atmosphere that has followed him throughout the weekend. “The crowd this year have been unbelievable,” he said. “They’re getting better. When I play German players, they’re not giving me that much stick anymore. It’s just an honour to play in front of so many amazing fans.”

Aspinall, who lifted two European Tour titles earlier in the year, says he’s eager to end the season with another trophy on German soil. “It’s been the most successful European Tour season of my career. Let’s finish it off with a bang and win the whole thing.”

The Stockport star believes a small turning point — and a return to exercise — has reignited his confidence in recent weeks. “When you're confident, you're a very, very tough opponent. Especially at my standard, I believe,” Aspinall said. “I’ve lacked confidence for the last four or five months and I’ve been rubbish. Just one little moment can change your season. Hitting that nine-darter in the second round on Tuesday afternoon in Wigan has changed how I feel about darts. Very happy with the performance. Great game of darts, played in great spirit — very happy to make Sunday.”

Reflecting on what’s helped him turn things around, he explained that getting back into fitness has played a huge role. “I look back at when I won the two Euro Tours earlier this year and what I was doing and what I wasn’t doing now. A big part of it, believe it or not, is running — exercise. I stopped doing a lot of exercise,” he said. "I started doing 5Ks as much as I could, and the last two weeks I’ve been back running, doing a bit of gym work. Nothing major — I don’t want to look like Boris Krčmar! But I’ve been doing a little bit of exercise and it’s good for the brain.

“That moment on Tuesday when I hit that nine-darter gave me that belief that you are still good, Nathan. You get a lot of abuse when you’re not playing well, but for me personally that was a big change in my mindset. I’ve been working hard with the people I’ve worked with over the last couple of years, and I’ve got a fantastic family at home. I just feel happy. When Nathan’s happy, Nathan’s confident — and he’s bloody tough to beat. That’s true.”

This weekend also offered Aspinall the chance to secure the top spot in the European Tour Order of Merit ahead of next month’s European Championship in Dortmund — an extra motivation to keep pushing.

“That’s why I’m here,” he said. “I think if I was probably 16th, 17th or 18th, I probably wouldn’t have played this weekend — I’d have had a weekend off. But it’s important for me to go in there with a bit of confidence, knowing that you are the number one of the season. However, my mate won and I might be playing Tuesday, so it’s kind of backfired a little bit! Honestly, for me, it’s just that little bit of an added bonus. I’m all about incentives and bonuses. To know that you’ve topped the ranking system over 14 events is a confidence boost in itself.”

While he’s had a mixed relationship with the European Tour in the past, Aspinall says 2025 has changed that completely. “I think I said to Ross before we walked on — I absolutely love the European Tour,” he smiled. “It is unbelievable. Everything from the production, the way you get looked after, the crowd — it’s amazing.

“I’m not just saying it because I’m talking to you now, it is unbelievable. It’s not to do with her, but honestly, it’s brilliant. Us as players, there are some events that are a nightmare to get to — this being one of them — but we enjoy it when we’re here. They’re amazing.”

And with another deep run in Hildesheim, the Stockport man is embracing the grind of a long final day. “I think I’ve found something — I’ll have to deal with a long day on a Sunday,” he laughed. “It’s very, very tough as a player to get yourself up, down, up, down. But yeah, it’s been the most successful European Tour season of my career.”

Aspinall faces Ireland’s Steve Lennon next, a player he hasn’t met on stage for years — until this week. “I’ve not played Steve for six years, and I played him on Tuesday — mental,” he said. “But yeah, looking forward to it. I’m going to go back and buy my mate a cocktail — Ross. Have a couple of drinks with Ross tonight, I think I’ve earned that tonight. Hopefully get past Steve, and who knows — hopefully it can be number three this year.”

With both Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen absent this weekend, Aspinall believes the fans have found their favourite. “You want the best players in the tournament, don’t you? Michael’s not here either, and I think the people that paid the money — with Luke and Van Gerwen not here — it’s probably disappointing for them. I think after them three, I’m probably the next person they want to win. So for me, if they’re not here, I do feel that the crowd want me to win.”

Aspinall ended by reiterating his affection for the German fans — and his determination to leave Hildesheim with another title. “Let’s be the last person to win the European Tour in Hildesheim,” he smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”