Manley on notion of disliking rival Phil Taylor: “I wasn’t going to invite Phil for Sunday tea”

Peter Manley was one of Phil Taylor’s main rivals meeting in the PDC World Championship final on three occasions.

Taylor won all three finals, two of them without dropping a set and in an interview with The Daily Star, he dispelled having a huge dislike for Taylor saying he needed to do what he needed to do for himself and it came down to always knowing he could never turn off The Power.

“He used to run left and right, all round the stage without shaking the opponent’s hand [after winning tournaments],” he said to Daily Star Sport.

“There were little niggly things that went on but I was young, I was still learning. I think that was Phil’s seventh or eighth World title. It was my first or second World final. I just wasn't going to give him the pleasure.

“When he hit the double, I started walking off. But he turned round to shake my hand, he didn’t run round the stage like I thought he would. But I wasn’t there, I’d gone.”

“Phil always felt I had something against him or whatever,” he continued. “It wasn’t dislike. At the end of the day, I was just trying to do the best for myself. I wasn’t going to invite Phil for Sunday tea and become close friends.

“He was the only player that I knew, if he’d got his A-game, I couldn’t beat. You didn’t go into the game with that attitude. It’s just the knowledge that appears afterwards when you reflect back on the game.

“You always go into the game to win. I believed I could win at all times. Even the 7-0, there were three or four sets that were 3-2. It’s hard to take but that’s how good he was.”