By Elliott West
“He had the most beautiful action, so smooth, it looked perfect his throw and I loved watching him play”.
Tony O’Shea
Introduction
Wales has produced so many sporting greats over the years and one player that stands out by a country mile was the highly talented darts player, Alan Evans. This Welshman was a grafter, a man who played in the smoke-filled pub circuit in a darts marathon that lasted ten months to reach the final of the Mecca of the sports’ calendar, the 1972 News of the World Championship. A tournament that was so vital in darting history because it was the first time that a major event was televised. A final watched by a 12,000 strong audience and seven million viewers on television.
When Alan played in the 1970s and 1980s, darts was not about the prize money because this was frankly minimal, it was entirely about the glory. In an era where the beer glasses were bottomless and ashtray groaned under the weight of cigarette butts, this red-shirted legend was supported by an army of Welsh fans armed with leeks.
Career
Born in Ferndale in the Rhondda Valley in 1949, Evans grew up with his parents, living in the Ferndale Hotel and it was here that Alan first found his love for darts. The Welshman whose primary passion was for football dreamed of playing for Cardiff City but these dreams were dashed when he contracted rheumatic fever in his left knee during trials for the club. So his attention turned instead to the tungsten arrows that would consume his future years.
A young talent, Evans would go on to reach the final of the 1972 News of the World Championship, a tournament that wasn’t for the faint-hearted. Here he faced England’s Brian Etherton, a final that was televised on ITV at Alexandra Palace in front of an audience of 12,000 fans. Sadly Alan would lose the final to his opponent 2-0 but the impact of this match was seismic and established him as a recognised player.
Evans would go on to appear on the television programme, The Indoor League, a darts tournament organised by the late and great commentator Sid Waddell. It was a programme that showcased the best darts players from the length and breadth of the country, Alan, one of the first players to appear on the show and made darting history by making the first televised 180 in his semi-final match against fellow Welshman Tony Ridler. Although he never gained any success on this programme, his skill for the game shone through, mainly for his effortless throw and his electric presence on the oche.
The Big Time
The Welshman would go on to win the British Open and World Masters in 1975, a taste for success that would cause him to uproot from his homeland and move to Stockport and set up base at the Midland Hotel. Going on the road, Evans travelled with his wife Jean in the surrounding area, playing a large number of exhibition matches for considerable amounts of money, wealth that he would never have earned on the conventional darts circuit where the top prize money amounted to £1,000.
Alan brought his own panache to his appearances, the height of fashion, inspired by his trips to America and would be accompanied by an electronic dartboard, referee and announcer. Wherever he travelled on the exhibition circuit, he wouldn’t have a hair out of place, visiting his hairdresser for a cut and blow-dry before every appearance. A style that stood out with his wearing of a lucky red shirt, a badge reading ‘Proud to be Welsh’ and holding a leek in his hand whenever he got on to a darts stage.
This flamboyance seemed to do the trick because he was soon rubbing shoulders and making friends with the likes of George Best, Tom Jones and even Muhammad Ali. He once played the boxer in South Shields and Ali beat him, getting a crucial bullseye to win the match.
Friend and Foe
As the game moved onto a new decade of the 1980s, darts would be dominated by the household names of the likes of John Lowe, Jocky Wilson and primarily the force that was known as the ‘Crafty Cockney’, Eric Bristow. Both Bristow and Evans hated each other and their rivalry came to a head at the 1970 BDO World Darts Championship in Stoke-on-Trent where Alan accused Eric of deliberately blowing cigarette smoke in his face to try and put his opponent off. Evans got so worked up by it that he reportedly head-butted Eric after the match. A violation that left him with a ban and a warning was slapped on Bristow.
In contrast, Evans would forge a firm friendship with his fellow countryman, Leyton Rees. Completely different styles of play didn’t separate them and two who literally lived a stone’s throw away from each other in Wales, would travel everywhere together and even share their financial gains. Alan would go on to captain Wales and won 50 caps for his country and won the first-ever darts World Cup in 1977 alongside Rees.
The Latter Years
Alan Evans would go on to return to Wales after suffering health problems caused by a kidney condition and he eventually withdrew from the circuit in 1988. He would make one more appearance as a player in the 1997 Battle of the Champions where he faced Eric Bristow, losing the match 3-0 and this would be his last televised appearance. Alan sadly passed away in 1999 after watching Wales beat England in an iconic rugby match at Wembley 32-31, losing his battle for life the following morning, aged only 49. A player who held the highest finish on the game show Bullseye where he scored an impressive 401 with nine darts. Someone who will always be talked about and never forgotten by the world of darts.
