Interview with Gary Anderson

So Gary, when did you first start playing darts?

The honest story is that I was in the pub and I didn’t have 50p left to play pool, but darts was free so I lifted the darts to play. Someone said I was good and it all started there... I never expected it to be my full time job.

Was there anyone in particular that inspired you to get into the game?

Being Scottish everyone knew of Jocky Wilson, he was from just over the water in Fife. But I never set out to be a darts player, I just fell into it. It only really became my profession when I moved from the British Darts Organisation to the Professional Darts Corporation. I used to have a real job.

What does it take to become a world class darts player?

I don’t know! I’m often asked how to play darts and I can’t really tell people, I just pick them up and throw. I don’t do anything different when I’m winning or losing, so I can’t tell you. Like any sport I suppose the actual darts will make a difference, so I work closely with Unicorn darts to get the grip and points and flights just how I like them. I recently changed back to an old heavier set as they felt better in my hand. But the tools are only a part of it, you need arm and ability and although it’s something I’m not a huge fan of, practice does make perfect!

How did you get your name 'The Flying Scotsman'?

I used to go by “Dream Boy” but Tommy Gilmour, my manager and I decided I was too old for that when I moved over to the Professional Darts Corporation. We threw some names about and The Flying Scotsman is so iconic, it also fitted well with an arrow thrower so we went with that.

What is your favourite venue and competition to play?

My favourite Tournament is the Grand Slam. I don’t know for the venue – Vegas maybe but that might just be the trip! I was gutted we never got to Madison Square Gardens this year, hopefully next year. I quite enjoyed Minehead a few years ago when it was the yellow warning snow storm, it kept the place nice and cool, I’m an East Coaster so I like the cold.

How much of a difference does it make playing with no crowd watching?

I'm not a fan of the fake crowd. You can tell it's false - the oohs, ahhs and boos aren’t there or are in the wrong place and the atmosphere is missing. There is always someone shouting “miss ya Scots…”! I understand why it's been put in, but it’s not for me, I’d rather play in the quiet. When we play normal pro tour events there is no crowd, but they’re different as there are multiple games at the same time and a buzz in the room. But they’re even quieter with no guests at all. It’s all very strange right now.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Winning the Worlds twice, the Premier League twice, Matchplay, Grand Slam, UK Open, the World Cup…. It’s great to win and be able to thank your family and management and sponsors and of course your fans by standing on that stage with a trophy!

During your games you must have to be able to add up your score in your head quite quickly, have you always been good at maths or was this a skill you had to teach yourself?

Have you seen me on stage sometimes forgetting how to add the basics? I was actually good at maths but in darts it is something you can learn. We have a couple of darts academies in Scotland that I work with. One is in a school, set up by a maths teacher who happened to be a darts fan and who could see the potential for kids. The Headteacher wasn't too keen but allowed him to try it. After a month or so even she was very impressed at the improvement in the mental arithmetic of the children involved, and also their behaviour. Darts is a very respectful sport with hand shakes and etiquette including a dress code.

The other youth academy found very similar results in behaviour, confidence and the mathematical abilities of the kids. We do find that even kids who normally struggle with maths can still learn the segments or the combinations required for a good score, for example to gain a score of 170 they would go Triple 20 (60) , Triple 20 (60), Bull (50) so I’d never say that you need to be good at maths to play darts. A good arm is what is needed and you can learn the rest.

What does it mean to you to be a member of Clan Anderson?

I’m a very proud Scot and a proud Anderson. I think being Scottish is in your blood and even though I don’t live in Scotland anymore I’m a Scot. We’re up to visit family as much as we can be and the kids know their roots. We don’t have a Chief for Clan Anderson – I think I’d make a good Chieftain. The clan motto is also "Stand Sure" which I think works well for a darts player, stance is a big part of playing.

Do you enjoy representing your clan and country within the sport?

Of course. As I said I’m a proud Scot. I was sad to miss the World Cup this year as representing my country, and defending our title of World Cup holders meant a lot (it’s not often Scotland can say that we won the World Cup!), but with the pandemic I was not comfortable with the travel and pulled out. My teammate Peter Wright also pulled out, but that just meant that two new Scots were out there representing our wee Country. But in normal tournaments that little Saltire beside my name means a lot.

Do you ever meet fellow Clan members during your competitions around the world?

I often joke with the Australian player Kyle Anderson that we’re cousins – you never know we might actually be. When we do the North American or Australian tournaments you find more people will come and say hello and tell you they’re Anderson's too or have Scottish heritage and that’s great. We've got a bit about us, us Scots.

At ScotlandShop we are obviously huge tartan lovers, why was it important to your that your darts top featured tartan?

It had to have tartan in it, that was a must but I didn’t want it too twee and it had to be the right material and not too much tartan so it took a long time for me to design it. As ScotlandShop will know there are four main Anderson tartans so I chose the modern. We then had to try different materials to see what I could play with. Once I got what I wanted that was me set and I love my shirt. I’ve spoken about updating my shirt but I can’t see that I will – this is my look. The office designed a logo for me which features on some of my merchandise and it uses the Anderson tartan too.

Did you celebrate your Scottish Heritage growing up? And if so, how?

I’m not really sure if we did, we’re Scottish and proud of it, but I don’t know that we did anything different to anyone else. We celebrate Burns night (which is actually my partner, Rachel's birthday too) and I think special occasions require a kilt. Every year at the Darts awards night I’m in my kilt and Tommy wears his Tartan Trews and of course I do love Irn Bru and tablet!