PDC referee George Noble: "Unbelievable the amount of last leg deciders I do, I just don't get it"
PDC
PDC Referee, George Noble has been involved in darts since the early 90's going from the BDO to the PDC in 2007 but like players had to adapt to the new normal of Coronavirus and no crowds.
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Welcoming them back this past week, he discussed their return as well as the victor Jonny Clayton.
"It's much better with a crowd back, I think the players enjoy it more, I think it leads to better performances. Just the whole atmosphere, it comes across better on television, it's great for the fans who have been loyal to have the opportunity to come back into the venues now. I thought Jonny Clayton was absolutely superb in lifting the Premier League, he's a serious player now," he said to Weekly Dartscast.
One of the games he refereed saw Jose de Sousa once again have a criminal miscount busting 37 with 47 against Nathan Aspinall and he discussed 'The Special One' also.
"It's just pretty normal for Jose, you can see it coming. I think he hit 17 when he wanted 64, he never really asked. Bless him, he doesn't have a clue what's left anyway. It wouldn't be Jose without that. Outside Jonny Clayton, Jose de Sousa is right up there, his scoring ability is fantastic."
Adams and Nixon
Noble's last in a long line of Lakeside final refereeing appearances was the 2007 epic between Martin Adams and Phill Nixon and he spoke about how he thought it'd be easy going on at 6-0 up, little did he know what was to come.
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"That was my last hoorah refereeing BDO tournaments. I thought I'd played it perfect, when you first start you want to do finals but when it gets on a bit, you don't crave the finals as much. I was thinking I'm going to get three legs here, this is absolute Christmas. I come off stage and I couldn't repeat what was on my phone."
Noble leg
One of the main traits of 'The Puppy' is his tendency to go to last legs also known now as 'The Noble' and he spoke about the initial story behind it all stemming from the European Tour.
"I do a lot of the Euro Tours with Russ (Bray). Lose the toss and you either go first or second. If you go first, you wind up doing the final, if you go second you don't so you end up doing an extra game. We'd done a Euro Tour where he'd done the final and I'd wind up doing 50 legs more than him which sounds impossible. It's a standing joke."
"Unbelievable the amount of last leg deciders I do, I just don't get it."
Role with MODUS Online Live League
His role extends to not only the PDC but also with MODUS and the Online Live League and he discussed that as well as the World Seniors.
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"I don't have too much to do with the World Seniors, I think it's definitely grown legs. There's plans to put it on television. All the big names are in it, all other sports have senior tours, tennis, golf and there's probably room for it. There's a place for it in the game as long as it's done correctly."
"I'm more involved in the Online Live League. It's a great concept for the players who are outside the 128. We want to move the first prize fund from £5,000 to £10,000."
MAD
This includes the new link-up with Modern Amateur Darts who will produce talent to come through and he spoke on the plans for the Live League.
"We need fresh players to come through, the standard is just improving all the time. We're hoping MAD will unearth some unknown talent for us. We want to work alongside the PDC in relation to Challenge Tour events, we don't have any plans to run over Challenge Tour weekends. I think this is a great starting point where they can ply their trade and get practice in to go onto the Challenge Tour."
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"A stepping stone to the Challenge Tour and then onto the PDC Tour is where we see ourselves really."
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
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- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
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