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"I've just got boxes upon boxes in the garage": Stephen Bunting says wife isn't happy at new obsession
PDCWednesday, 05 June 2024 at 16:51
Stephen Bunting is a big football fan in addition to darts. The 39-year-old is even an avid collector of football cards.
Bunting collects panini stickers. "When I was a kid getting the packs, I was so excited," Bunting told BBC Sport. "I remember having the sticker books and I was always intrigued with putting the stickers in and trying to fill the books up."
"I'm a massive Liverpool fan, so any Liverpool cards I used to get as a kid - the stadium, the shiny cards and things like that - really got me intrigued and I think that is what gets you hooked."
TikTok
Bunting's love of soccer stickers and cards was rekindled recently after he discovered Ollie Jenks' "Paolo Panini" TikTok channel. That channel has regular livestreams where viewers can buy unopened packs from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s and watch them being opened live.
"I was just scrolling through the channels on TikTok, just looking for content to be honest when you're bored, and I came across Paolo's channel," Bunting said." It took me back to my childhood and I just got involved straight away. I remember putting a comment in the chat and he said 'Is that the real Stephen Bunting?' and he figured out it was. We've become really good friends ever since."
Stephen Bunting won the Masters earlier this year
"If a big-name player comes out, you get a buzz and you feel it in Ollie's voice, the chat room. It's a special place to be when you hit the big cards and being known as the pack king, I've got to keep it up, haven't I?
"It's brilliant, to be honest. They're all putting 'let's go Bunting mental' in the chat and I think I've gained a lot of new followers as well from people who maybe didn't know me as a darts player. My following at the moment is fantastic, I try to do as much on TikTok and social media as I can to show that I am a normal person."
Wife not happy
Still, not everyone is set up with his collecting frenzy. "The missus isn't too happy because I've just got boxes upon boxes in the garage. I wouldn't say I'm addicted to it, but I really enjoy it. It's a great hobby to be involved with and if you did want to make money out of it, there's a lot of money out there.
"For me, it's not about that; it's about passing it down to my son and future generations."
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- Am not outraged and as said above i dont like anyone from any country doing it to anyone from any country. Whoever is going for a double should have best of order.Mysstree17-11-2024
- Say what? It happens in other countries; Littler in January - this year (Holland), go and watch the evidence on YouTube. If it is going to be done to English players, then we are more than entitled to dish the same back when players face off in England. When it happened to Littler in Holland in January... where was your outrage then? ABE attitude.MrYnyslas197117-11-2024
- I dont like individuals or crowds trying to put any player off when they are trying to check out, how anyone can think its okay for the crowd to whistle or shout as someone is throwing for a double is beyond me but it does seem to have become part and parcel of the modern game. I no longer play now, darts is as good as dead at a local level round my way but when i did play many years ago, no matter how intense the rivalry you never shouted out or whistled when an opponent from the other team was throwing for a double.Mysstree17-11-2024
- The pundits glossing over the other factor at play in that match. They appear to be somewhat constrained in what they can say publicly.
UndartedWaters16-11-2024 - So, you don't like Littler, then? I was cheering him on, being a fellow Englishman. Honestly, some of us get far too offended nowadays. If you want to see crowd passion... watch a match when German and Dutch players face off... that can be just as bad if not worse for crowd noises. It happens, I have watched and heard Littler being jeered - Dirk van Duijvenbode in Holland, January this year. Where was your outrage then? Yes, I can clearly see what is going on here.MrYnyslas197116-11-2024