SPORT
Toast of
Teesside
‘Duzz’ it
again!
Glen Durrant proudly shows off
his BDO World title trophy in North
Ormesby Working Men’s Club.
Middlesbrough’s
Glen Durrant in
action during the
BDO World finals
at the Lakeside in
January.
Proud Teessider Glen Durrant now wants to
go for third straight World darts title...
BY MARTIN WALKER
G
len Durrant has ruled out any temptation to
chase the Premier League darts dream – and has
instead set his sights on winning the BDO title
for a third year.
Durrant, from Grangetown in Middlesbrough, beat
Mark McGeeney 7-6 in a thrilling BDO darts world final
to retain the title he won at the Lakeside in 2017.
The 47-year-old top seed, known affectionately as
“Duzza”, came from behind in a thrilling finale against
McGeeney – who’d missed two darts for the title – to
retain his crown and bring the trophy back to Teesside
again.
Durrant told Tees Life: “I never thought it’d be better
than the first one – the emotion and excitement of
winning it for the first time – but the competition was
stronger this year, I could and should have been out in
the quarter-final.
“It’s just the whole story. Everyone wants to talk
about this year’s final. Nobody wanted to talk about the
final last year, and the stories I’ve heard about people
screaming at the TV, some not even being able to watch
it.
“It’s been a brilliant experience since I won it. I've just
had the most amazing day at the Boro game – people
coming up wanting to shake my hands, meeting (the
owner) Steve Gibson, it was just the most amazing day
and very humbling.”
Following his victory, Durrant had been widely-
tipped to make the step up to the Professional Darts
Corporation (PDC), the richly-paid Premier League
of darts.
But after picking up the £100,000 BDO prize for
a second year running, Durrant now wants to do it
again in 2019 while continuing his full-time job as a
housing estate manager.
“There’s always the temptation to go over,” he
admitted. “But I signed a contract with the BDO and
I enjoy my day job. It's too much of a gamble to take.
“£100,000 to a man from Grangetown is a lot of
money. I don't worry about money now like I have
all my life. The only ambition I have now is to win
this trophy three times in a row.
“I’ve got a new direction now and I know where
I’m going. I made some fundamental mistakes after
winning it last year, I took too much on and I was
just too busy. I still work 40 hours a week and I was
going into schools, doing exhibition events, I just
tried to do too much and I’ve learned from that.”
We met Durrant at North Ormesby Working
Men’s Club, where the pride of Grangetown has plied
his trade in more recent years.
“This is where I put the hard graft in,” he said.
“I’ve had a lot of top local players, even football
players, come in here wanting to challenge me.
Nobody has beaten me yet.
“But the club is really good to me and have
supported me all the way. I still turn up for them
on a Thursday night. Grangetown St Mary’s Club is
where it all started and I know they're very proud of
me too.
“I’m trying to promote Grangetown as much as
I can. It gets a lot of unwarr anted bad press. I’m
Grangetown and proud of it.”
“Duzza” is certainly proud of Teesside – and
Teesside is proud of him.
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