“Maybe he should take a puppy training course” - Sports marketeer comes up with striking advice for Raymond van Barneveld

The future of Raymond van Barneveld remains a talking point in the darts world. The 58-year-old from The Hague endured another disappointing World Darts Championship and faces difficult choices, but for now he has no plans to retire. Financial considerations play a significant role in that decision.

The contrast with the past is stark. When Van Barneveld became PDC world champion in 2007, he received £100,000. That amount pales in comparison to the current Worlds prize fund, where the winner now pockets £1 million. In the early years of the PDC the sums were much lower. Dennis Priestley, winner of the first PDC Worlds in 1994, earned £16,000 at the time. Even that figure is now almost matched by players who go out in the first round.

The growth of the World Championship has accelerated in recent years. The field has expanded to 128 players and the total prize money has risen sharply as a result. While Luke Littler earned £500,000 for his world title last year, the champion’s reward has since doubled.

For Van Barneveld, who achieved his greatest successes when the sport was less developed financially, that gap continues to sting. He has repeatedly stated that financial motives play a part in his decision to continue as a professional. After announcing his retirement at the end of 2019, he returned within a year, partly because his private life took a heavy financial hit due to a divorce and the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sports marketer Chris Woerts raised strong objections to that in De Telegraaf. According to him, money actually hinders sporting performance. “If money is the driving force to play sport, you must stop immediately. You put yourself under such pressure that you cannot compete with it. Winning money matters, but it should never be the main reason. Raymond needs to get that out of his system.”

Woerts believes comparing with the present is disastrous for Van Barneveld’s state of mind. “He’s still stuck in frustration and thinks ‘if I’d been world champion, I would have won this’. I’ve never heard Sjaak Swart complain about being born in a different generation.”

At the same time, Woerts points out that Van Barneveld still earns considerably now. The man from The Hague qualified for the Worlds as world number 35 and amassed over £246,000 in the past two years. There are also earnings outside the circuit. “I think he makes even more from his exhibition matches. He should see those earnings as a base income and everything he wins at tournaments as a bonus.”

According to Woerts, that requires a different mental approach to the game and to life as an elite athlete. “I know him very well and he’s a super nice bloke, but he’s always a bit depressed and negative while life has so many beautiful sides. You have to enjoy it and project positivity. You achieve much more with that than when you appear on TV with a grumpy face. That’s his problem.”

Van Barneveld himself admits he struggles with negativity. In the build-up to the Worlds he chose not to give interviews and to shut himself off completely. “It turns into complaining quite quickly and no one wants to hear that,” he said at the time.

Woerts views that behavior as damaging to the image Van Barneveld projects. “When he loses he turns around and the crowd thinks: what is this nutcase? He’s a five-time world champion and you shouldn’t become a pitiful figure on stage. You need to radiate pride and dignity. He can also go back to PostNL, deliver letters, but I don’t know what gives him more satisfaction.”

Woerts believes Van Barneveld mainly needs guidance and structure. “He’s a bit of a toddler who needs a lot of attention. Or a puppy. Maybe he should go to a puppy course. Everyone still looks at his career with great respect, but if you’ve been great you have to act accordingly.”