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Bob Anderson believes the World Seniors Darts Championship would be irrelevant without Phil Taylor

Bob Anderson

The first ever edition of the World Seniors Darts Championship begins on February 3, and has drawn some legends of the sport back to the oche including Phil 'The Power' Taylor.

Former BDO world champion Bob Anderson will be among 24 names battling it out for the inaugural World Seniors trophy.

John Part, John Lowe, Trina Gulliver, Martin Adams and Keith Deller all hold special places in darts history but Anderson believes the tournament would be pointless without 16-time world champion Phil Taylor.

The Power has been given a bye into the second round of the tournament, and will face the winner of the Peter Manley-Deta Hedman match.

"The tournament wouldn't be particularly important if Phil Taylor wasn't playing," Anderson told Planet Sport.

"He is the greatest name in darts history and to have a seniors event without his presence wouldn't mean anything."

The 74-year-old Anderson could face Taylor in the semi-finals if things go to plan, and it has already brought back memories of their previous tussles.

"It would be lovely to play Taylor again. I have played him many, many, many times and he has beaten me many, many, many times. I have managed to get by him five times. I remember the five but he remembers the 30-odd!"

The Limestone Cowboy is playing in his first championship tournament since 2008, and is hoping to cause an upset in the first round when he tackles PDC competitor Robert Thornton.
"I am immensely excited; it has been a long time. The last one I played in successfully was in 2008 when I won the League of Legends, so in some ways I feel a little bit robbed that it has taken so long to get another seniors event on, but I am very happy that it is on, and I am happy to be taking part," said Anderson.

"I think I would be a fool to think that age didn't play a part. Robert has only just come off of the tour, he has been playing consistently all the way through. I haven't played a tournament since 2009.

"The whole world expects me to fail dismally, but I don't feel any pressure going into the match. Conversely, I think all the pressure is on Robert's shoulders."

Thornton last competed in the 2020 PDC Pro Tour and is the favourite to come out on top in the first round duel. But Anderson is in a confident mood.

"The level of expectancy from the general public is that Robert Thornton is going to give me a bit of a thrashing. Well, he might well do that, but I don't feel any pressure at all going into the match. So I am looking forward to playing.

"The odds are very heavily stacked in Robert's favour and quite rightly so. He is a young man, he has only just come off the tour and I am considerably older, but I have got a lot of experience. I've just got to dig very deep to find it."

The experienced Anderson will be looking to rediscover some of his championship-winning form for this title hunt but is realistic about competing in a major tournament at the age of 74.

"It would be nice to play like that again, but the old father time has marched on. My game at times is every bit as good as it was, but those times don't come round too frequently I'm afraid. And I suppose that probably goes the same for the rest of the seniors in the event.

"But being realistic about it, I can't expect to play like I did when I was 40. I'm 74, but I'm going in there and I'm going to give it one hell of a try."

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