"They sacked me because I was away too often for darts": Standout debutant Cam Crabtree goes from clothing shop to darting big time

Cam Crabtree admitted he was “buzzing” after producing one of the biggest wins of his career, defeating former Premier League champion Jonny Clayton on his Grand Slam of Darts debut.

The young Englishman, appearing in his first televised PDC major, delivered a composed and clinical performance, averaging over 102 and not missing a single dart at double — something he only discovered after the match.

“Yeah, I’m buzzing, obviously,” Crabtree said with a smile. “To beat someone like Jonny on the stage… to beat him on the floor is amazing, so to beat him on the stage is even better. It’s something I’m going to keep in my memory for a long time.”

Despite limited TV stage experience, Crabtree looked at ease in front of the Wolverhampton crowd. He credits the Modus Super Series and County darts for helping him build confidence in big-match environments. “I don’t know — County, Modus, I’ve been doing all right there the last couple of years, so maybe that,” he explained. “And on the Euro Tour I’ve played some good games — I’ve played Luke [Humphries], I’ve played Raymond [van Barneveld] — I’ve played some great players on stage. It’s just about being comfortable in yourself and then trying to get on with your job.”

The 22-year-old’s progression into the PDC ranks has been rapid. After missing out on his Tour Card in previous years, Crabtree has now earned his place among the sport’s elite — and he’s relishing every moment. “It’s great — this is where you want to be,” he said. “I love Modus, I love playing ADC and the Challenge Tour, but this is where you want to be as a player. You want to be a professional, you want to be playing in arenas like this, on stages like that, in front of these fans.

“It’s amazing for me, and opportunities like this just make me want to do better so I can get more of them.”

Crabtree insists he didn’t set any lofty targets for the tournament, instead using the Grand Slam as a chance to gain more stage experience before his debut at the World Championship next month.

“Not really,” he said when asked about expectations. “I knew I was coming here about a month ago, but I didn’t set it as an expectation at the start of the year. My goal was to get to the Worlds, which I’ve done, and the Players Championship Finals. This is like an added bonus.

“I wanted to use this as experience so that when I went to the Worlds I wasn’t uncomfortable or nervous. Hopefully I’ll keep playing like that, because that was a good start against a great player.”

Although he appeared composed under the lights, Crabtree revealed that he did feel nerves on stage — but believes it’s part of his learning process as a full-time pro.

“Yeah, I was nervous — I’m glad I didn’t show it, but I did feel it,” he admitted. “Jonny’s a great player, and I’d be nervous playing him on the floor, so on the stage it’s even bigger nerves. There are thousands of people watching, millions around the world potentially, so it does bring nerves. But as I said, this is my job now, so I have to learn to deal with that and overcome it.”

Becoming a full-time professional has changed Crabtree’s daily routine — but he’s embracing the shift in lifestyle and responsibility that comes with it.

“Of course it’s new to me, but it’s something I’ve wanted for a long time, so I’m embracing it,” he said. “It brings a different way of life — it’s not like a 9-to-5. I don’t have to be up at 7:30 every morning, I can get up when I want, but I still have to put the hours in and practise and do the things that are going to get me where I need to be.”

Crabtree’s win puts him in a strong position in Group F, and while he’s not getting carried away, he’s already relishing the next challenge.

“I’m looking forward to playing tomorrow — I’m playing Danny [Noppert],” he said. “Danny’s another brilliant player. His performance at the Europeans the other day was phenomenal, so I’ll just go in and play my game. Hopefully if I play well and he doesn’t, I might have a chance.”

Having come through the Modus Super Series, Crabtree was keen to highlight how vital that platform has been for emerging players.

“It’s a huge stepping stone,” he said. “You look at someone like Jonny — I’m pretty sure he played at the BDO Worlds. I’ve never done anything like that; I didn’t play WDF or BDO.

“I’m very fortunate that I came along at the same time as Modus and got to experience it several times — Champions Nights, Finals Nights, all these big occasions. I owe a lot to Modus.”

Crabtree also praised the impact of teenage sensation Luke Littler, whose rise has helped to inspire a new generation of players and attract new eyes to the sport. “It’s amazing. You look at what Luke Littler’s done for our sport — bringing in big sponsors, putting his name everywhere across the world,” Crabtree said. “It gives kids better opportunities to play darts, whether that’s in England or anywhere else.

“Everyone’s eyes are on darts at the moment. It’s massive — everyone wants to watch it. The kids are coming through because of that. Soon, probably everyone in this field will be under 40 and all the top boys will be wondering what’s going on!”

After being told about his 102+ average and perfect doubling rate, Crabtree laughed off the idea that things could have gone any better. “I didn’t know either of those things, so thank you for that!” he joked. “Probably not, no. I could’ve gone up there and averaged 150, but that’s not realistic, is it? If you’d have told me I was going to go up there and win, I’d have been happy with that — so to hear those stats just makes the win even better.”

He also reflected on what has been a breakthrough season. “Yeah, I’m proud of how I’ve done this year,” he said. “It’s something I struggle with — to look back and be proud — because I just like to focus on the next thing. But it’s important to look back at your achievements.

“I set out to qualify for the Worlds, and I’ve qualified for the Players Championship Finals, the Worlds, and the Grand Slam, which is brilliant. I’ve had a semi-final on the Pro Tour this year, so I’ve not done too bad.”

For Crabtree, one of the biggest changes this year has been being able to call darts his full-time job — something that still feels surreal. “Yeah, it’s nice to wake up in the morning and not have to be up at nine — I’m lucky if I get up at nine! But not to be up at seven or eight going into an office. I can get up, go downstairs and have a throw.

“I’m very fortunate I get to do this. I could be outside digging the road, but I get to throw darts in front of all these people. It’s brilliant.”

That luxury wasn’t always there, though. Crabtree revealed he used to work for a company called Crumbie before being let go because of his growing darts schedule.

“I worked at Abercrombie for a bit — that was okay — but they sacked me because I was away too often for darts,” he laughed. “So I’ve no idea what I’d be doing otherwise. I quite like the idea of finance, so maybe something in that, but I’d probably still be trying to stay as close to darts or football as I could.”

Before darts took over, Crabtree flirted with a potential football career — though his decision to stick with the arrows seems to have paid off.

“I was all right when I was younger,” he recalled. “I went on trial a couple of times and lost in the semi-final of the London Cup with my team when I was 16. I was meant to go on trial at Bromley, but I was averaging 50 in my kitchen, so I decided not to go — which at the time felt like a horrible decision, but after today it maybe doesn’t look so bad!”

With a World Championship debut at Alexandra Palace now confirmed, Crabtree can’t wait to step onto the sport’s most iconic stage.

“I can’t wait — that’s the short answer!” he said. “Every kid that starts playing darts dreams about Ally Pally. Obviously you need your Tour Card to do that, and I’m lucky I’ve got that this year. I can’t wait to get up on the stage at Alexandra Palace and just enjoy it.”