I remember vividly how one day purely by chance I switched on the TV and saw Alan Evans beat Denis Filkins in the semi final of the News of the World championship.
That was in 1972 and I was 18 years old.
When Evans won that semi final, he jumped and run around the stage punching his arm in the air. The crowd cheered, and the atmosphere of Ally Pally and 12,000 darts fans came through the TV screen right at me. Up to that point I had never seen anything like what I was watching, and Alan Evans became my instant hero.
Evans never won the final but nevertheless he imprinted something in me that I will never forget.
I didn’t know Evans of course, and at that time had never heard of him. The board all these players were playing on was on the face of it a little strange to me – I was bought up on a doubles only board, the same as they play on in Yorkshire, with no trebles and no 25 segment.
I was a young naïve and very shy person who had just started playing and had no idea about the News of the World championship, trebles boards, or anything darts wise outside of the town where I lived. I had also never seen anyone raise a salute in victory, jump around, or anything remotely like what I saw Evans do. To me and probably thousands of others who watched this, this was something very new and very exciting.
I can actually pinpoint this exact time in my life that I made it my goal to win this championship. It was a made up dream but nevertheless something to strive for. To make it a reality was another matter, but my interest in darts strengthened a hundred fold after watching Evans in this tournament, and slowly and surely, to follow in his footsteps, I practiced every chance I got, getting better and better as the years rolled on.
17 years after first watching Evans at Ally Pally, at the new home of the News of the World finals – The Hammersmith Odeon, now called Hammersmith Apollo, I won this tournament and my dream, goal, ambition was at an end.
I jumped and raced around the stage doing an Evans, and I can’t put into words how I felt; all I can say is that the memories live with me more than anything else I achieved in darts.
On the day I played Denis Ovens, Jocky Wilson, Arnie Bunn, and in the final Denis Priestley. I don’t think I could have gotten a harder draw and with a format the best of 3 x 501 from 8 feet, you have to score heavy and finish straight away. I did all that and lifting the trophy that I had seen so many others do was fantastic.
During those years in-between watching Evans and actually getting to the final myself, I had of course met and played against Evans many times. Our paths crossed at tournaments, internationals, and the odd promotions events. I always got on with him and I liked him a lot. He had a great sense of humour and was quick witted.
The brash and mouthy Eric Bristow was no match for Evans when it came to verbal exchanges, and that niggled Bristow a lot because without winning the war of words, Bristow became uncertain of his own ability on the board.
Needless to say that when it came to face each other on the oche, Evans was more than a match for the most prolific winner of tournaments of that time.
I thought it great because right from the very first time I had ever met Bristow, I didn’t like him. I did and still don’t have anything personal against Bristow, it’s mainly because we are complete opposites in every way, and I never cared for his attitude when talking down to fellow players. I digress.
Alan Evans not only inspired me but he was my first hero. I never told him but now he is no longer with us I wish I had of done. He was the first player to make darts look cool and exciting on the TV, and I believe his character and charisma helped darts grow. He was a small man in stature but a giant on the stage. He had an air about him when he walked into a room and the first time I met him I was star struck. I met my hero you see and he was everything I wanted him to be.
And if it wasn’t for David Alan Evans, I probably wouldn’t be writing this now.
So how good was Alan Evans then, and how good would he have been compared to players of today?
This of course is not an easy question to answer. If I was to compare Evans with one player of today, I would say he was very much like Gary Anderson. Evans, like Anderson was a high power scorer when on top of his game, but in many instances that spurs on your opponents to play better. Hence, Evans didn’t win anywhere near what he could have done, and I see that in Anderson.
There is no one reason for it, it just happens that way. If everything was cut and dried and go as planned, or to people’s opinions, Evans would have been world champion on more than one occasion. I think it’s sad that never happened at least once, because he was more than good enough at that time.
Today’s play I believe he would have excelled in. If he was a young man today, he would have loved to mix it with the best on that stage, and providing he didn’t get involved with the politics in the game and just concentrated on his darts, he could have been a player nobody wanted to draw.
The PDC Pro Tour would have been right up his street. Playing the best of 9 right at the start on good boards, good set ups, and quality well run tournaments, could have only complimented his ability. I could not imagine that he wouldn’t be out of the top stream of players, especially as the amount of tournaments would have kept him on top of his game.
I am not going overboard here with saying that I believe he could have actually been a world champion now, where he couldn’t win it then. With the amount of tournaments there is today, the huge money involved, and the ability Evans had in abundance, providing he remained healthy and totally dedicated, perhaps we could have had a very serious contender to Mr. Taylor achievements.
No, I am not saying that Evans was as good as Taylor, but like Paul Nicholson proved recently, Phil Taylor can be pushed and he can get a little flustered when the opponent isn’t scared of him.
And I can assure you that Alan Evans was one player that Phil Taylor would have been very wary of.
Only an opinion but that is mine.
Next time: What is this Doublefinish Forum all about?
See you laters….
