As several new faces burst on to the world darts stage at the Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, at the Grand Slam of Darts, spare a thought for those players unable to resurrect their former darting glory in the West Midlands.
Wayne Mardle, four times World Championship semi-finalist, is currently working as a commentator for Sky Sports. Colin Lloyd is still ranked at number 13 in the PDC world, but narrowly missed out on extending his ever-present status at the Grand Slam. Dennis Priestley has slipped out of the top 32 in the rankings, and despite still showing some world-class form in the recent Championship League of Darts, looks increasingly likely not to qualify for the PDC World Championship, after a run of eighteen consecutive appearances since it began.
As for Peter Manley, the three times World Championship runner up is recovering from serious heath problems, that have considerably sped up his decline. ‘One Dart’ spoke to The Wrong Bed darts podcast recently about his health, his future, and his thoughts on attending qualifying school.