Iconic darts referee Russ Bray will make his last appearance at a major televised tournament in the final of the ongoing World Darts Championship. The legendary caller will then do a few more World Series tournaments before retiring for good.
Bray is the best-known active caller in darts because of his trademark, raspy voice. In an interview with Sport Bild, Bray stated that he was able to develop this voice because of years of cigarette smoking.
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"Honestly: I smoked when I was 10," said the 66-year-old Englishman. "In the 1960s everyone smoked. Even in the children's programs like 'Thunderbirds,' everybody had a cigarette in their hand. And I was influenced by that as a child." Bray has since quit smoking for 13 years, but that hasn't changed his voice.
Bray also revealed which player he has enjoyed the most over the years. "I know in the beginning you didn't have as many players as you have now, but Phil has set the bar higher than anyone else." Bray lines him up with icons from other sports. ''Like Tiger Woods in golf, like Lionel Messi in football.''
The caller also had a nice anecdote about a moment when he and Phil Taylor went to a pub during a World Series tournament in Australia. "About eight to nine people walked into the pub and went crazy. 'Oh, wow, The Voice! Can you sign this? Can you do that? Can we get a picture?' Then I looked up at Phil next to me. He was jealous, turned around and said, 'Hey! I'm the world champion here!' But people weren't really interested in that," Bray recalled.
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