the 2006 BDO tournament at Lakeside, the New
Year’s showdown saw the reigning Champions of both
organisations face off in a colossal clash between
two of the sport’s biggest stars.
The Power entered the final on a 21-match winning
streak, having last tasted defeat in the 2003 final at
the hands of John Part, and looking to claim his fourth
consecutive title. However, his newest challenger
clearly had the potential to dethrone the 13-time
Champion and fan hype was almost unprecedented.
Nevertheless, nobody could have anticipated the
Photo: PDC
drama that lay ahead.
Aside from a second round scare against Colin Lloyd
for RvB, both competitors had eased through to
the grandest stage of all. Each player had breezed
through the semi-final stage with 6-0 whitewash
victories with Taylor recording an incredible 3-dart
Of All Time...
average of 106.23 as he demolished Hamilton with
consummate ease.
It was ‘the Power’ who continued that fine form in
the early stages of this epic encounter, winning each
of the first eight legs on route to taking a 3-0 lead
that threatened to install an unexciting one-sided
final. However, van Barneveld was far from finished.
Barney came back by taking the 4th set 3-0. Perhaps
more tellingly though was the Dutchman’s incredible
maximum 170 checkout to complete it. Having finally
found his stride, van Barneveld then took the 5th set
Photo: PDC
3-2 to reduce the deficit to just one.
With both men throwing some exceptional arrows,
this final was really heating up. Sharing the next two
sets by claiming one a piece left the scores at 4-3 in
Taylor’s favour heading into the important 8th set.
When Taylor took it to increase his lead to two, a
fourth consecutive crown looked inevitable.