televised event, which he followed up by
winning the first Players Championship
tournament of the season two weeks
later.
Wright’s success on the PDC tour
continued as he finished third in the
Players Championship Order of Merit to
break into the top 16 for the first time.
The Mendham, Suffolk-based thrower
then capped off the 2013 season with a
sensational run to the World Championship
final at the end of last year.
Wright’s darts did the talking throughout
the event, with the highest tournament
three-dart average of 98.93 across his
six matches on the North London
stage. His scoring power could
not be matched as he powered
in 470 scores of over 100
points - over 100 more
than eventual winner
van Gerwen.
Wright’s
new
sponsorship
with
Loudmouth Golf saw
his already-intriguing
appearance step up a gear. A range of
eye-catching outfits worn by ‘Snakebite’
added to the colourful hairstyles and
painted-on hissing snake on the side of
his head meant that he rapidly became
one of the biggest characters in darts.
“The different coloured hair started
seven years ago,” explained Wright. “And
the snake about 18 months ago. It all
came about because my daughter, who
was 14 at the time, was going through
crazy hair colour phases and I thought it
Photo: PDC/Lawrence Lustig
looked cool and wanted to try it myself.”
“So as my wife is a hairdresser she said
she would do it once, and once only, but
seven years later she is still doing it for
me! It gives me the confidence to perform
on stage in front of the big crowds.”
‘Snakebite’ began playing darts over 30
years ago, having been introduced to the
legends of the sport by his father during
his childhood.
“I first watched darts with my dad on the
television when I was 12,” said Wright.
“I watched Eric Bristow, John Lowe and
Jocky Wilson when I was a kid. And a year
later I started playing myself.”
“I bought some brass darts from Deptford
market and started playing with my dad
and his mate at home.”
Although there continues to be a conveyor
belt of younger talent coming into the
sport, the 44-year-old only has his sights
set on continuing to improve his game to
better his achievements of 2013.
“I want to be world number three by the
end of the year,” Wright said. “And to
win a major by the end of the yea Ȼ