Phil Taylor says forgotten darts star would have been a 'multi-millionaire' if he'd joined the PDC
Phil Taylor has named the one darts player who he believed could have become a 'multi-millionaire' had he joined the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).
'The Power' was a founding member of what was then known as the World Darts Council in 1993 before being part of a breakaway group of players from the rival British Darts Organisation (BDO),
As a result, the BDO banned all 16 players from completing in their events, with the WDC launching a lawsuit in response over alleged loss of earnings.
A settlement was eventually reached between both parties and a judge later agreed in favour of the WDC stars to lift the suspensions.
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The BDO lost most of its top draws, including Taylor, Eric Bristow and Dennis Priestley, among others.
Raymond van Barneveld and John Part, however, stayed put but they eventually made the move to the PDC, with Gary Anderson, Stephen Bunting and Simon Whitlock also making the switch.
But Martin Adams refused to swap the BDO for the PDC.
Adams, now 68, won six major BDO titles during his career, including three World Championships in 2007, 2010 and 2011.
'Wolfie' was a mainstay on the BDO circuit until 2020, having made his debut in 1988.
He did accept invitations from the PDC to play in the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam of Darts and World Matchplay events, reaching the semi-finals of the latter in 2001.
Speaking ahead of a match against Adams at the World Seniors' Champion of Champions tournament in 2023, Taylor spoke glowingly of his counterpart, claiming he could have earned 'millions' had he joined the PDC.
"He's a player I thought, 'You should have come over [to the PDC]," said Taylor.
"He sticks by what he believes in. But when I look at Martin now, I think, 'You could have been a multi, multi-millionaire'. He might be one, I don't know.
"But he had the talent to get up there and be in the top three in the world.
"Could he have made a splash on the PDC? I don't think he would. I know he would have done. It would have improved Martin and his game.
"He was a good practicer. If you look at his style, I think he probably has one of the nicest styles in darts. He's a good finisher, a good scorer. Very good under pressure."
In an interview with Wayne Mardle on the Club 501 YouTube channel, Adams, who was the captain of the England national darts team between 1993 and 2013, explained why he never joined the PDC.
"I was captain of England, and I didn't want to give that up," he said.
"To get to that position, over the years you've had loads and loads of help from all the different officials. They do their jobs for nothing, and I wasn't going to walk away from them. I wasn't going to let them down.
"I was still captain of England, I was still part of the BDO. Why change?"
Topics: Darts
Nasir Jabbar