12/07/2024

"Roy 'The Grumbler' Keane" - Ian Wright, Gary Neville and Jill Scott talk love of darts and give brilliant nickname to United legend

Many darters are also big football fans and vice versa. Former top football players Ian Wright, Gary Neville, Jill Scott and Roy Keane are currently in Germany reporting on Euro 2024, but in between they also had a little time to talk about darts and even come up with a nickname for Keane.

Wright, a successful striker at Arsenal for many years, particularly remembers a magical moment at the 2023 World Darts Championship. "It's magnificent is the darts," Wright begins on The Overlap. "It is a bit rowdy but to watch that... Like remember last year when they were both on for the nine darter! Watching that in the moment, it was watching perfection. Two guys at the very highest level, the peak of their performance, one of the most exciting things I've ever seen."

"Don't get annoyed because a 9-darter is more difficult than a 147!" - Wayne Mardle and snooker legend Mark Williams debate the age old question of 147 or 9-darter

"I'd like to go to the darts but I think it'd be a bit rowdy. 'Neville you're a wanker, Neville you're a wanker,'" adds former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville, concerned about the crowd's chanting towards him if he were to turn up at the darts. "My kids love the darts. My girls, they're obsessed."

Roy Keane, former Manchester United midfielder, looks at it in a typically sobering fashion. "It's all about practice. We could all become darts players if we practiced," the Irishman assesses.

Finally, Neville, Scott and Wright choose a nickname for Keane, who is renowned his somewhat grumpy and bleak persona. "Roy 'the Killer' Keane," Neville suggests. "Roy 'the Grumbler' Keane," Wright fires back.

By the way, the 2024 European Football Championship reaches its conclusion this weekend and it also does affect the 2024 World Matchplay. To give fans and players the opportunity to watch England in the final against Spain, the World Matchplay schedule has been adjusted. Both the afternoon and evening sessions have been brought forward so that everything should be ready by 8 p.m, with the PDC even lifting its no football top rule just for the night and showing the game on the big screen after the darts concludes for all those in the Winter Gardens.