Ahead of the 2018 Grand Slam of Darts, which starts this weekend in Wolverhampton, lets relive the moment James hit his first televised nine-dart-finish during the same competition ten-years ago.
The event was shown live on ITV4 – the first time a nine darter has been seen live on free-to-air television in the UK.
What a week it’s been for James Wade, his family and #TeamWade fans around the world.
Following on from his success last weekend in Austria, where he was named European Champion. James went on to win his second major title this weekend at the bwin World Series of Darts Finals at the Multiversum in Vienna.
As play began on Friday afternoon for James it was a 6-3 win against Ross Smith that saw him safely move through to Saturday’s second round match against Mensur Suljovic and another 6-3 win to make it through to Sunday’s final day.
As the stage was set for the quarter finals it was James’ 10-5 win against Jamie Lewis that had #TeamWade fans believing that he could be bringing this home again.
As the semi-finals approached it was Wadey v’s Barney, following Raymond’s success and a 10-8 win against Michael van Gerwen in his quarter final match.
As they stepped up to the oche, our left-handed champion proved to the world of darts, he truly has new found motivation and a determination to reach the top with an incredible win 11-2 and a ticket to the finals once again.
As the scene was set it was fellow Englishman Michael Smith who was to be James’ opponent for the final match who, like James, had played some incredible darts over the course of the weekend, making his own way through a who’s who to reach the final stage.
As the match began, you could hear the cheers as James took an early 3-0 lead. Michael then proved, he too meant business, levelling the playing field to 5-5 at the second break.
As the legs continued, once again it was neck and neck at 7-7 before James landed a 112 check out to take the lead 8-7. Michael responded and went on to take the lead for the first time in the match 9-8.
As the final legs of the match began, it was clear that both men were determined not to give up without a fight. James was to lead the charge and turn the final back around breaking Michael’s throw to take a 10-9 lead.
As the competition was drawing to a close it was an incredible end to the match when James bust 121 and Michael levelled 10-10.
It was the gripping final leg that then brought fans to their feet and home and abroad – it was just too close to call and then… Wadey did it… double 18 for the win!
Daddy really can play darts Arthur and is bringing you home another trophy #justforarthur
James ranks sixth in the PDC Order of Merit. He will next be playing at the Grand Slam of Darts, where he reached the final in 2016. The match will take place in Wolverhampton in November and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. For more information click here
Since James and his wife Samantha announced the birth of their son, there can be no denying that Wadey has some new-found motivation – commenting in interviews since Arthur James was born earlier this month “I have someone to play for now”.
That statement was never truer this weekend, when he proved there is no messing with ‘The Machine’ as he was crowned winner of the Unibet European Championship in Dortmund.
The tournament began for James on Friday afternoon, when he faced Martin Schindler, winning 6-3.
Saturday evening’s last 16 round saw Ricky Evans face our champion. Fans saw Ricky break the first leg, but James was to follow this up with seven straight legs, including four 14-dart finishes, and an overall 10-5 win to secure his place in the quarter finals.
It was England v’s Wales as James and Gerwyn Price stepped up to the oche on Sunday afternoon. A neck and neck performance was to follow but it was the dramatic decider that clinched the deal for Wadey 10-9.
It was then onto the semi-final’s where James was to meet Max Hopp. As play began, #TeamWade fans were wondering if the dream may be over as Max took a 9-5 lead. James fought back with style, winning six of the final seven legs and going on to take the overall win of 11-10.
As the scene was set for the final, Wadey was to meet Simon Whitlock, who had also played some very impressive darts and won some battles over the course of the weekend to win his place on this particular stage.
As play began, ‘The Wizard’ made a strong start with a 3-1 lead. ‘The Machine’ responded with three successive legs and a 4-3 lead before the leg by leg battle commenced resulting in 8-8.
It was then #TeamWade fans watching at home and abroad saw the true determination and concentration in James’ eyes to ‘do this for his boy’ by pushing forward with successive 13-dart legs.
With victory in sight, he did it, hitting the double ten to clinch his eighth major title.
Arthur, that one was for you! #forArthur … and your Mum of course.
James now ranks sixth in the PDC Order of Merit. His success this weekend has also secured his spot at the Grand Slam of Darts, where he reached the final in 2016. The match will take place in Wolverhampton in November and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
James will next be playing this weekend, at the World Series of Darts Finals which takes place between November 2-4 at the Multiversum in Schwechat, Vienna and will be broadcast live on ITV4 and on PDCTV-HD. For more updates on this weekend’s championship, click here
Following a weekend of impressive wins at the European Darts Trophy in Germany, Sunday night saw James reach his fourth PDC ranking final of the year. This time, there was a new member of #TeamWade supporting James – his son, Arthur James Wade, who James and his wife Samantha announced had been born earlier in the week.
It was clear that Arthur was his inspiration with the world left handed champion commenting during interviews “I have got someone to play for now”.
James’ impressive performance began on Saturday evening when he beat Toni Alcinas 6-4 seeing him safely into Sunday afternoon’s third round match against Darren Webster, where he secured his place in the quarter finals, winning 6-3.
There was no stopping Wadey in the Quarters against world champion Rob Cross, which again saw James win 6-3.
As evening play continued, it was Richard North who stepped up to the oche to face James in the Semi-Finals with James winning 7-4.
As the finals approached, for the second time this year in the European Tour, it was James to play against world number one Michael Van Gerwen.
As the match began, Wadey fans were treated to an early leg lead when he landed a 95 finish to take a 2-1 advantage. As play continued, a bullseye-19-bullseye finish saw MVG go 4-2 up swiftly followed by an 82 finish from James to narrow the gap to 4-3.
An overall victory wasn’t to be for James as Michael then proceeded to take four legs back to back which saw James lifting the runner-up trophy.
James will next be playing this weekend, October 20-21, in the Players Championship double-header at the Barnsley Metrodome which will be broadcast live on PDCTV, for more updates on this weekend’s championship, click here
Today yet again saw some outstanding performance from James as he took part in the Players Championship at The Barnsley Metrodome.
Our world-leading left hander began the day with a 6-2 win against John Part, followed by a 6-1 win against Kevin Burness.
Next to face James was Paul Rowley, with Wadey’s steady wins of the day continuing when he took the win 6-2 and then went on to beat Wayne Jones 6-0.
It was seven-time televised title winner Wadey’s nine-darter against Michael Smith that raised the roof in the quarter finals, securing him a place in the semi-finals against Daryl Gurney, who finally ended the day as runner up in the final against Peter Wright.
James will next be playing this weekend in the Dutch Darts Championship which takes place at MECC in Maastricht, Netherlands.
The draw bucket will be held on 6th September and James’ first Match will take place in Saturdays Round 2, which will be broadcast live on PDCTV, for more updates on this weekend’s championship, click here
James and Samantha Wade were among a host of famous faces today at the annual PDC Fishing Championship held at Gold Valley Lakes in Aldershot.
The invitation only competition, which is in its 6th year, is made up of 32 men and woman from the World of Sport, Television and Celebrity.
This important event raises thousands of pounds for charity to ensure the PDC’s chosen charities can continue their outstanding work.
For updates on the event go to: http://www.pdcfishing.co.uk/
#TeamWade who had travelled to Las Vegas to watch ‘The Machine’ live on stage in the William Hill U.S. Darts Masters at Mandalay Bay and the Wadey fans watching on ITV from the comfort of their sofas were not disappointed this weekend as James, threw some great darts all the way to the semi-finals.
Friday’s opening game saw James take the lead from Danny Lauby 6-5.
The Machine proved he still has what takes producing one of his most dominant displays on the World Series stage at the quarter-finals.
James took an initial 5-0 lead over Michael van Gerwen and went on to deliver a crucial 161 finish to beat the world number one with an 8-3 victory.
It was game on in the semi-finals against Gary Anderson with James leading 6-2 before Gary levelled the playing field and it was back to our famous left hander to take it to 7-6 up.
As Wadey narrowly missed a 140 checkout and victory, it was once again neck and neck 7-7 before Gary took the deciding leg.
It was all the way to the finals this weekend for James in this year’s European Darts Grand Prix held at the Glaspalast Sindelfingen Arena in Germany.
Play began for James on Friday evening, where he saw off Max Hopp 6-4.
Success continued for James on Saturday evening, where his 6-4 win against John Henderson secured his place in the third round.
There was no stopping Wadey, who was on top form as he beat World Champion Rob Cross 6-5.
A 6-3 win in the quarter finals against Simon Whitlock and semi-final success against Danny Noppert 7-3 meant it was Wade v’s van Gerwen in Sunday night’s final.
A similar picture from last weekend’s semi-finals in Wigan, the two world top players took to the stage once more. Fans were on the edge of their seats following a tense start and a game which saw some impressive darts from both players.
A magnificent 121 checkout on the bull from James brought fans to their feet, but it was Michael’s 161 finish that clinched the title.
It was all the way to the semi-finals again this weekend for James on the PDC ProTour Players Championship Nine at Wigan’s Robin Park Tennis Centre.
Once again #TeamWade had reason to celebrate as James led his fans to the semi-finals with some impressive wins along the way:
James Wade 6 | 1 Jason Cullen
James Wade 6 | 5 Zoran Lerchbacher
James Wade 6 | 4 Gerwyn Price
James Wade 6 | 4 Ryan Joyce
James Wade 6 | 3 Daryl Gurney
As the stage was set for the semi-final’s it was time for two of the worlds best players to come face to face as James and Michael van Gerwen stepped up to the oche.
After a close run battle in the early stages of the game, Michael tipped the lead to the final with a 6-4 win.
This Easter Weekend saw the winning pattern for James continue once again as the second round of the European Tour began in Munich.
James’s first match on Saturday evening saw a 6-2 win against Madars Razma and a 6-4 win against Jelle Klaasen on Easter Sunday.
Monday’s impressive third-round 6-1 game against Michael Smith led James to the evening’s quarter-finals where he went on to beat Max Hopp 6-3.
The competition continued into the evening, where once again it was Wade v’s Wright in the semi-finals which saw Peter secure his place in the final in the best of 13 legs match 7-3.
Six was the magic number for James this weekend in the first European Tour, which took place at the Ostermann Arena, Leverkusen, Germany.
James defeated his first four opponents winning six legs each time and securing his place in the semi-finals.
James’s first match on Friday saw him take a 6-3 win over Steve Beaton.
This was a pattern that was set to continue in Saturday’s match against Jelle Klaasen where again, James won 6-3.
Sunday afternoon’s round three saw James win against Michael Smith, 6-4 which led him through to the evening session where he was to meet Mervyn King in the Quarter-finals.
A 6-4 win for James saw him take his semi-final oche position against Peter Wright, who went on to win the best of 13 legs match 7-4.
James will next play Easter Weekend 30th March – 2nd April in the second European Tour, which will be taking place in Munich, Germany and broadcast live on PDC TV.
Following on from his success in February in the first two European Tour qualifying rounds, success continued for James today as he took the double to secure his place in rounds three and four of the Darts Open taking place in April in Germany and Austria respectively.
James, who is ranked number 10 in the PDC Order of Merit, and is a two-time winner of the Open, initially secured his place in the German Darts Open with a 6-4 win over John Bowles and then went on to firm up his place for the Austrian Darts Open with a win against Ricky Williams, again 6-4.
Butlin’s Minehead Resort was the place to be this weekend for all darts fans, which hosted this year’s Coral UK Open Finals.
Play began on Friday, with James Wade stepping up to the oche for his first match during the third-round evening session, which saw him take a 10-6 win over Simon Stevenson.
Play continued for James on Saturday afternoon which after an impressive match, saw him defeated by David Pallett 10-6.
James will next play in the European Tour UK Qualifying rounds Three and Four, taking place in The Barnsley Metrodome on March 9th.
It was a treble celebration for James, who was back on top form last weekend at the Barnsley Metrodome.
On Friday, two-time European winner James defeated both Paul Nicholson and John Part (6-4) to qualify for 2018’s first European Darts Open taking place between March 23-25 in Leverkusen.
He then went on to make it a double beating Martin Lukeman (6-4) and Matthew Edgar (6-1) to qualify for the German Darts Grand Prix taking place in Munich over the Easter weekend.
On Saturday, celebrations continued when James reached the final of the Players Championship which saw him named runner-up to Michael van Gerwen (6-4).
James’s run to the final started with a last leg victory over Paul Rowley (6-5) followed by a run of excellent darts seeing him beat Toni Alcinas (6-2) and Chris Dobey (6-1). A brilliant average of 111 secured a further win against John Henderson (6-0).
In the quarter finals it was all to play for when James met World Champion Rob Cross, winning 6-5 a victory he was to repeat in the semi-finals where he won 6-4 against Ryan Joyce.
James, who was the UK Open champion in 2008 and 2011 will once again be appearing at the Coral UK Open TV Finals next weekend (March 2nd) at the Butlin’s Minehead Resort.
As one of the top players in the UK Open Order of Merit, James will begin his matches in the third round, taking place on the evening of Friday 2nd March which will be broadcast live on ITV.
James Wade, winner of the 2014 Masters, will be joining the other top players in the world this weekend to compete in the Unibet Masters, at Arena MK in Milton Keynes.
In the first round, best of 19 legs, James, will meet Simon Whitlock at the oche in day two of the competition, taking place on Saturday 27th January at 7pm and broadcast live on ITV4.
The quarter finals, best of 19 legs, will begin on the afternoon of Sunday 28th January at 12:45pm, with the semi-finals and finals, best of 21 legs, starting at 7pm, again all broadcast on ITV4.
For the full schedule, click here to visit the PDC website https://www.pdc.tv/news/2018/01/08/2018-unibet-masters-draw-schedule
Sale has been launched in James’ official shop. 50% off all T-Shirts while stocks last click here
In 2008, James made Grand Slam History with the first nine-darter relive the moment …
“Most people know me as James Wade who throws darts for a living, but…”
In 2011 James was diagnosed with Bipolar, at the time, he was in his late twenties. James feels sure that had he been diagnosed when he was younger or got the help and support he needed, much of his life experiences would have been very different.
In the UK, it takes an average of ten and a half years to reach a correct diagnosis of bipolar and James’ experience will be familiar to many people.
Since being diagnosed, James has been actively involved in Bipolar UK and in 2015 became a patron of the charity. In the Summer of 2017, James became one of the faces of Bipolar UK’s ’I am’ campaign, giving further support and raising awareness of this important cause and one which is very close to his heart.
Today, (Tuesday 3rd October 2017) is Bipolar Awareness Day in the UK – to show your support, or for further information, please visit www.bipolaruk.org
James Wade, two-time World Grand Prix winner, will play his first game in day two of the first round of this year’s Unibet World Grand Prix on Monday 2nd October.
In the first round, James will meet Steve West at the oche and the game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
The Unibet World Grand Prix, the 32-player tournament, is unique for the double-start format where all legs have to begin and end with a double.
The second round will be split across Tuesday and Wednesday, with the quarter-finals on Thursday and semi-finals on Friday.
The final will be played on Saturday 7th October.
For the full schedule, click here to visit the PDC website https://www.pdc.tv/news/2017/09/18/2017-unibet-world-grand-prix-schedule
James Wade, 6th in the World Series Rankings Order and two-time World Series Finalist, has been confirmed in the line-up for the 2017 German Darts Masters being held at the Castello Arena in Dusseldorf on October 20-21.
The 16-player tournament, which will be televised live on SAT.1 and ProSieben Maxx has visited Germany.
The German Darts Masters will begin on Friday October 20 (8pm local time) with the eight first round matches. Quarter-finals will take place on the afternoon of Saturday 21st October with semi-finals and final taking place on Saturday night.
2017 German Darts Masters
PDC Representatives (in World Series Rankings Order)
1 Gary Anderson (Scotland)
2 Michael van Gerwen (Netherlands)
3 Phil Taylor (England)
4 Peter Wright (Scotland)
5 Raymond van Barneveld (Netherlands)
6 James Wade (England)
7 Daryl Gurney (Northern Ireland)
8 Kyle Anderson (Australia)
James Wade, the third most successful player in the history of the PDC, has made it a double reaching a semi-final for the second time this month in the Darts Masters currently taking place in Australia.
James secured his place in this weekend’s semi-final of the Perth Darts Masters with an average of 101.05 and five 180’s during the game which concluded with his 10-5 win over Michael Smith.
“It’s always hard playing a friend and Michael is certainly a friend. I have my critics and I know I bite sometimes when I shouldn’t but it is nice to answer them every now and again,” said James.
“I know how good I am and I know what I do wrong at times. There’s only a handful of players who have won what I’ve won but there are players more dedicated than others these days. If I was the most dedicated player, would I be the best in the World? Possibly.”
James will play Gary Anderson in the semi-finals in Perth following Gary’s 10-5 win over Simon Whitlock.
James Wade has reached the semi-finals of the Auckland Darts masters after defeating Daryl Gurney 10-7.
“That was a bit of the old James Wade magic, important checkouts and some solid scoring,” said James.
“Daryl’s disappointed with how he played there but he’s got a massive future and has loads of chances to win tournaments in the future.”
James will play Kyle Anderson in the semi-final on Sunday 13th August – the final day at the Auckland Darts Masters after Kyle beat Simon Whitlock 10-9
I’m sure many of you will have already seen, due to the slight changes on James’ shirts. We are delighted to announce that we have teamed up with WeWantAnyCar. The great news is that both James and Sammi will be brand ambassadors for WeWantAnyCar for 2017, and we hope long into the future. This news is an excellent way to start 2017 for Team Wade, and both James and Sammi would like to thank Nigel Fletcher, Managing Director of WeWantAnyCar for the opportunity to be brand ambassadors.
James at WeWantAnyCar HQ
2017 looks set to be a fantastic year, and our partnership with WeWantAnyCar is exciting times for everyone. Across the year we have some very special things planned with Nigel and the team, we think all the Team Wade fans will love some of the opportunities coming in 2017. You will have the chance to meet and greet James and Sammi, along with the opportunities to watch James play in some of the biggest arenas in darts.
Follow James on social media
James moved into the quarterfinals of the World Championships, as he beat Michael Smith by four sets to three. James came back from the edge of defeat, having trailed Smith 2-0 and 3-1 at Ally Pally. James showed why he has won seven PDC majors, showing true grit to get the better of Smith. James had missed two darts to make it 2-2 in sets, as Smith punished a rare mistake from the Machine. From that moment James went through the gears taking the next three sets with some fantastic darts.
Match Stats
Average – 94.01
100+ – 42
140+ – 23
180- 5
High Chceckout – 121
Checkout Percentage – 41.18%
James will now Peter Wright in the Quarterfinal #TeamWade
James moved into the last 16 of the World Championships with a 4-1 win over Steve Beaton. The first three sets James was well over the 107 average, as the former Lakeside didn’t have any answers. Beaton won the fourth set 3-2 as the set went on throw. The final set of the match saw James wrapped up the match by three legs to one
“I’m very happy with the way I played this afternoon, my game is in a great place at the moment and can’t wait for the next match. Huge thank you to all the fans; the atmosphere was fantastic in here today.”
LAWRENCE LUSTIG PDC
Match Stats
Average – 99.39
100+ – 31
140+ – 20
180s – 5
Highest Checkout – 104
Checkout percentage – 50%
James is back in action this afternoon against Michael Smith.
#TeamWade
After an exciting week of Darts in Wolverhampton, the Grand Slam has come to an end. Again James has done us all proud by reaching the final; sadly it wasn’t to be, and James would finish runner-up to Michael van Gerwen. Over the week James played some fantastic darts, no more so than beating world champions Gary Anderson in the semifinals.
Group Games
James 5-3 James Wilson
James 5-3 Jamie Hughes
James 3-5 Dave Chisnall
Last 16
James 10- Benito van de Pas
Quarterfinal
James 16 – 5 Chris Dobey
Semifinal
James 16- 14 Gary Anderson
Final
James 8-16 Michael van Gerwen
James will next be appearing at the Player Champions finals at Minehead this weekend.
James played in the Unibet European Championships at Hasselt at the weekend. James reached the semi-final before narrowly losing out to Michael van Gerwen. James was handed the toughest first round game, as he had to play world champion, Gary Anderson. James was in stunning form as he beat Anderson 6-0, this result gave James the springboard for the rest of the weekend. In the last sixteen James would play the German number one Max Hopp, the Machine never gave the youngster a chance as the world number 6 was too strong for the young German running out 10-3 winner.
The final day of the European Championship James was first on against a very much inform James Wilson. Our James found himself 4-2 behind before a five leg blitz saw him race into a 7-4 lead, which included ton plus finishes of 106 and a breathtaking 161. James would go on to win the match 10-7. In the semi-final, James would lose out to MvG, but taking seven legs off the world number one was the most anyone managed all weekend.
Following his run this weekend James is back up to world number 6 after he dropped down to world number 7. James will be back in action this weekend in Glasgow for the World Series Finals, where he will play either Benito van de Pass or Michael Smith.
Find James on Facebook or Twitter @JamesWade180
James is now the proud owner of a Guinness World Record, for the most inner and outer bullseyes in one minute. James set the record on the 23rd of September at the Motorpoint Arena, the Machine hit 15 in just 60 seconds. The top 8 of the PDC all attempt the record, but it was James who set the World Record.
After James said “It’s a great honour to set a Guinness World Record, a moment that I’m very proud of”
James reached the semi-final of the HappyBet European Darts Trophy at the weekend. James was forced to miss the precious Euro Tour event, as he recovered from a virus picked up in Australia. On Saturday James had to dig deep against Justin Pipe, and that’s what the Machine did. James won a deciding leg to take the match 6-5.
On a busy final day, it was Andy Jenkins first for James, as the world number 6 saw off Jenkins 6-3. In the quarter-finals, it was Michael Smith up next for James, and this was a huge game as Michael is only just behind James in the world rankings. James was cool calm and collected like normal. All 11 legs went with the throw as James won 6-5, putting further space between him and Smith in the rankings.
In the semi-final, James would lose out to Mensur Suljovic 6-3. Overall it was a fantastic weekend for James, after being taken ill in Australia. James will be back in Germany this weekend, for the final in this treble header of European Tour events. So remember folks all over the weekend its #TeamWade
James had a mixed run at this weekend European Open in Dusseldorf. First up James would play Andy Boulton in the second round. In a tight match James would edge out Boulton 6-5, and head into Sunday’s final day to play Jelle Klaasen. In a scrappy game from both players, it was Jelle who won the game 6-3. James had his chances but just wasn’t the Machines day.
James will be at the weekend’s Pro Tour Barnsley, before heading to Australia for the next leg of the World Series. James will be playing in the Sydney and Perth Masters.
#TeamWade
After two great days of darts, James was runner-up in Shanghai Masters. On the final day, James won a thriller against double world champion Gary Anderson. The game went to a final leg showdown, and it was James who kicked off with back to back 180s to seal the match. In the semi-final, James would have to play the 16 times champion of the world Phil Taylor, and it was the machine who outscored Taylor to win 8-6.
Match Stats
James Wade 8-6 Phil Taylor
24 100+ 18
13 140+ 10
0 170+ 0
5 180 3
98.79 Average 95.13
101 High Finish 138
3 Breaks of Throw 2
8/25 – 32% Checkout % 6/17 – 35%
In the final James just fell short as Michael turned on the style with a 138 finish in the opening leg. James replied with an 116 finish of his own, but couldn’t peg Michael back. MvG won the final 8-3
Match Stats
James Wade 3-8 Michael van Gerwen
19 100+ 14
9 140+ 10
0 170+ 1
1 180 1
94.69 Average 100.54
116 High Finish 138
1 Breaks of Throw 3
3/7 – 43% Checkout % 8/20 – 40%
James would like to thank all the fans for their incredible support and to all his sponsors.
Follow James on Twitter @JamesWade180 or Facebook
James is through to the semi-finals of the Auckland Masters after stunning world number one Michael van Gerwen. James was simply sensational this evening averaging 107.45 in a 10 -6 victory. The Machine raced into a 4-1 lead, with a combination of devastating scoring and cynical double hitting. The world number one never looked like reeling James in, as the Machine kept his tempo and composure. This is one of James best performances in the last few years, and will stand him well for the rest of the Auckland Masters and the rest of the year.
James will now play Raymond in the semi-final tomorrow. He would also like to thank his sponsors for their continued support, and of course all of his fans for all their well wishes.
Match Stats
Average – 107.45
180s – 6
140 – 16
100 – 17
Highest Finish- 130
Doubles 9/16, 56.25%
Follow James on Twitter here @JamesWade180
James kept his playoff hopes alive, after drawing with world champion Gary Anderson. In a thrilling game on the south coast, James battled back from 6-3 behind to snatch a point at the BIC in Bournemouth. The first seven leg all went with the throw as Gary lead 4-3. In the eight leg James missed a dart at double 12 form a 141 finish, but Gary punished him to break the throw and lead 5-3. Gary then held throw to lead 6-3 and looked set to take all the points, but the Machine had other plans! James held throw to reduce the lead to 6-4, the Machine then broke the world champion to put the game back on throw. In a final tense leg, both players missed darts at double, but it was James who held his nerve to take a point.
Next week the Premier League goes to Birmingham, where James will be looking to get into the top four.
James would like to thank all his fans for their well wishes, and the crowd in the BIC were amazing. Also, James would like to thank his sponsors for their continued support.
Match Stats
Average – 99.71
180s -2
140 – 10
100 – 21
High Finish – 78
Check outs 6/13 46.15 %
Follow James on Twitter here
Or Facebook here
James lost in a thrilling game against Adrian Lewis in Belfast. The Machine lost 7-5, in a match that had just about everything. James had won the opening leg before Lewis ran into a 4-1 lead. James wasn’t finished as he ran off four legs of his own, with finishes of 101 and 121 giving him the lead. The Adrian produced a fantastic nine-dart finish to level at 5-5, he then broke to lead 6-5. In the final leg, James wired the bull for a 161 finish, but Lewis took the leg to win 7-5.
James would like to thank the fans as they were amazing tonight, and to all his sponsors for their continued support.
Follow James on Twitter @JamesWade180
And Facebook here
Match Stats
Average – 95.95
180-1
140- 9
100 – 19
High Finish – 121
Check Outs – 5/9 55.56%
It was a mixed night for The Machine in Sheffield, as James won one and lost one in the steel city. James played Raymond Van Barneveld, in a game that was settled by just one break of throw. The pair were locked at 4-4 until The Machine ran off three legs on the spin, including a 13 dart leg to break the Dutchman’s throw. It was James finishing that again stood out hitting 7/11 goes at a double.
In James second game of the night, he faces the 16 times champion of the world Phil Taylor. In a cagey first few legs Taylor went into a 4-1 lead, James then git a foothold in the game and got to within two legs of Taylor at 6-4. Taylor won the match 7-4, but only after James weird double 10 for a 140 finish.
Match Stats
v RvB
100+ – 15
140+ – 14
170+ – 1
Average – 97.25
High Finish – 101
Checkouts – 7/11 64%
v Taylor
100+ – 21
140+ – 6
180 – 3
Average – 91.50
High Finish – 101
Checkouts – 4/13 31%
Twitter @JamesWade180 #TeamWade
James pick up a point against the double world champion, Gary Anderson on Judgement Night. James raced into a 4-1 lead with some pinpoint double shooting. Anderson power scored his way back to 4-4. The pair then traded legs, before Anderson broke to lead 6-5. James showed his class by breaking straight back with a 12 dart leg.
James is nicely placed in the table, only a point off the top four. Next week the Premier League heads to Sheffield where James will play Raymond.
Match Stats
Average – 95.18
100- 18
140 – 8
180 – 3
High Finish – 86
Check outs 6/16 38%
James beat the five times champion of the world Raymond Van Barneveld, in a thrilling game in Nottingham. The Machine raced into a 4-1 lead with some three figure finishing, included 121 on the bull. Raymond battled back and got the scoreline to within one leg, but James checked out 82 to seal a 7-5 win. After James had told Skysports “Really happy to have won, I should have got the job done sooner but pleased to have won.”
James would like to thank all his sponsors for their continued support, and to all the fans the arena was electric this evening.
Match Stats
Average – 100.50
180 – 3
140 – 12
100 -14
High Finish – 121
Checkouts 7/11 63.64%
James now heads to Barnsley for the Pro Tour this weekend.
#TeamWade
James bounced from disappointment in Aberdeen, with a vintage preference against Dave Chisnall in Exeter. Dave took the opening leg, but James held his throw with a 121 finish. The pair then held throw to be locked at 2-2. In the 5th leg, a stunning 161 from James broke the Chizzy throw. James powered into a 6-3 with some big scoring, with his average well over the 100. An 180 in the final leg put James in the driving seat, as he sealed the match winning 7-4.
After James said,” I’m happy, very happy with that.” “The 161 was key, think that hurt Dave. Playing a close friend is always hard but it’s what we have to do.”
James now heads to Minehead for the UK Open this weekend.
After James thanked his sponsors for their continued support, and all the fan for their kind words.
Match Stats
Average – 102.25
100s- 22
140s – 9
180s – 3
High Finish – 161
Checkouts – 7/16 43.75%
See you all tomorrow. #TeamWade
James lost a thrilling game in Aberdeen against Adrian Lewis. In a close game, Lewis won a restless last leg to win 7-5. In a high-quality game, we saw nine 180s with James hitting 5. James looked all set to move 5-3 in front until Lewis hit a 142 finish. The pair then shared the next two legs; Lewis then held throw to move 6-5 in front. Both players missed doubles in the final leg, but it was Lewis who got over the line.
James Match Stats
Average – 97.27
High Finish – 121
100s- 15
140- 10
180- 5
Doubles- 5/19 26.32%
Until next week #TeamWade
James had to play twice on night two of the 2016 Premier League, due to illness to Robert Thornton. First up James was in the first game of the evening, where he would play ‘BullyBoy’ Michael Smith. In a close game, the pair shared the first eight legs of the match. James edges in front 5-4, before securing an important break of throw on double ten. James went on to take maximum points with a 7-4, leaving him top of the table.
Match Stats
100+ x 19
140+ x 8
Average – 93.12
High Finish – 120
Checkouts 7/23 30%
In his second match of the night, James played Phil Taylor. The shoreline doesn’t reflect on the part James played in a great match. Phil took the first the opening two legs of the game before James took out 78 to get a foot in the game. Leg four was like a dagger in the heart for James, leaving just 41 after nine darts on the Taylor throw. The 16 times world champion took out 122 to break James’ heart. After that the game seemed to go Taylor’s way, James played brilliantly, but Taylor kept on taking out big numbers at big times. A 7-1 win for Taylor doesn’t reflect on how much James contributed to the match.
Match Stats
100+ x 9
140+ x 8
180 x 1
Average – 102.11
High Finish – 78
Checkouts 1/2 50%
James leaves Newcastle in the top 4 of the Premier League, as he heads for Dublin next week. James would like to thank all the fans for their amazing support, and kind words on social media. Also to his sponsors for their continued backing.
#TeamWade
James made a dramatic start to the opening night in the Betway Premier League. Trailing world number one Michael Van Gerwen by three legs to nil, James then won the next four legs to shell shock Van Gerwen. James continued to heap pressure on the world number one by taking out 121, with Michael sat on tops. James had all parts of his games in tandem, as he out scored the Dutchman by 5 to 3 in the 180s. James was back to his brilliant best on his doubles hitting 7/13 giving him 53.85%.
Talking after James said it was like 2 bonus points by beating Michael. As now the rest of the pack may have to beat the world number one, if they are to avoid relegation. James would like to thank all his fans for their kind words of support , and to all his sponsors for their continued support.
Match Stats
Average – 97.43
100 – 15
140 – 7
180 – 5
Doubles 7/13 53.85%
#TeamWade
James moved into the last 16 of the World Championships, with a straight set victory over Wez Newton. The seven times major winner was averaging well over 100 for the first two and half sets. The last set and a bit Wez came back into to the game but the Machine still had too much. James only dropped three legs in the match. James finished with a 93 average hitting 5 180s, and finished with 12/23 52.17% on his doubles. James will now play Jamie Caven in the last 16 of the World Championship. more
James booked his place in the quarter-final of the World Championships, with a 4 sets to victory over Jamie Caven. James raced into a two sets lead with some big 140 hitting. Caven pulled a set back at the break. James took control of the game with a brilliant 141 finish on double 12. The final set went the distances, with James holding throw to seal the match and book a quarter-final with either Gary Anderson or Vincent van der Voort.
James booked his place in the quarter-final of the World Championships, with a 4 sets to victory over Jamie Caven. James raced into a two sets lead with some big 140 hitting. Caven pulled a set back at the break. James took control of the game with a brilliant 141 finish on double 12. The final set went the distances, with James holding throw to seal the match and book a quarter-final with either Gary Anderson or Vincent van der Voort.
James finished with a 93.89 average hitting 3 x 180s and 24 x 140s, a checkout percentage of 40.63 hitting 13/32 on the outer ring.
After James refused to blame his cold for patchy performance, but was pleased to be in the next round. James would like to thank his sponsors for their continued support, and of course the army of #TeamWade fans out there. You can follow james on Twitter here @JamesWade180.
James moved into the last 16 of the World Championships, with a straight set victory over Wez Newton. The seven times major winner was averaging well over 100 for the first two and half sets. The last set and a bit Wez came back into to the game but the Machine still had too much. James only dropped three legs in the match. James finished with a 93 average hitting 5 180s, and finished with 12/23 52.17% on his doubles. James will now play Jamie Caven in the last 16 of the World Championship.
After James said “ Happy with the first two and half sets, but will need to tighten up on the last bit as Jamie will punish me if i do that again.” James would like to thank all his fans for their overwhelming support on social media, and to his sponsors for their continued support. You can follow James on Twitter here @JamesWade180 #TeamWade
James sailed into the second round of the World Championships, with a 3-0 victory over John Michael. James had to wait till after the prelim round, to see who he was going play in the first round. James broke Michael in the first set to take the darts, and win the set 3-2. The second set was straight forward on his own throw sealing the set 3-1. A few missed darts at tops stopped the machine sealing a 3-0 legs victory in the final set, but made do with 3-1 and a 3-0 sets victory. James finished with a 95.77 average hitting ten 140’s and three 180’s, after missing a few darts at doubles the Machine still finished up with 405m on his checkouts.
When talking after James said “ I’ve worked harder than i never have in the build up to the World Championships, I’m ready this year.” “ I’m not going to sit here and say that i will win it but i certainly can win it.” James would also like to thank everyone for their kind words in the build up to this evening games, and thank his sponsors from their continued support.
Follow James on Twitter @JamesWade180 #TeamWade
James has topped Group F with maximum points winning all three games. Booking his place in the knockout stages. In this first group game James made light work of Michel van der Horst winning 5-2. In his second game James produced one of the performances of the Grand Slam so far. James beat Mark Webster 5-2 with a stunning 105.83 average, finishing the match with an eleven dart leg. James finished last night playing Keegan Brown and again topped the 100 average. James sent the youngster home winning 5-2 averaging 103.68. The Machine’s finishing was back to his brilliant best, hitting 5 from 11 giving 45% checkout stats.
It’s a day of rest of James on Tuesday. The 8 times major winning will be back in action on Wednesday night where he will play Raymond Van Barneveld for a place in the quarterfinals. James would like to thank all his sponsors : Unicorn Darts, MAN Truck & Bus UK, Eze Group and SBAT for their continued support. Also James would like to say a special mention to the fans who have been just brilliant. You can follow James on Twitter @JamesWade180
Till Wednesday #TeamWade
James is off and running in this years Unibet European Championship. He beat Unicorn stable mate Terry Jenkins 6-3. James was yet again superb on his double doubles, hitting 6 out 10. After James said ” I’m happy with the win but will need to play better tomorrow.”
James also thank all the fans for their kind words on Twitter in the build up to match. You can follow James on twitter here @JamesWade180 James will be back in action tomorrow. Like alway #TeamWade
James gets his World Grand Prix underway tonight. James plays Mensur Sulijovic at round 20:30. James is looking forward to this evenings match and is hoping to go one better than last last year when he was runner up to Michael Van Gerwen.
You can find James on the SBAT bet of the day for tonight.
Thank You all for your continued support #TeamWade
James ended Phil Taylor’s 8 year unbeaten run at the Winter Gardens by dumping out the defending champion to book his place in the World Matchplay final. Taylor started the better of the two and broke james throw to win the first session 3-2, James came back after the break and broke the Taylor throw to get back on track and win the second session 3-2. Taylor then broke James throw again to lead the machine 7-5 before james hit a purple patch and won 5 legs on the spin to shock the power, the pair then traded legs before the machine produced a superb 12 dart leg to break Taylor again to lead 13-10. From there James found his best darts and found himself in a 16-12 lead, needed one more leg James missed 8 match darts and let the power off the hook but started the next leg on his own 140 174 to close out the match and book his place in tomorrow’s final where he will play either Michael Van Gerwen or Peter Wright.
James averaged 97.85 but it was his doubling that stood out tonight taking out big shots at key times to hurt Taylor. After James thanked the Winter Gardens for their amazing support and for everyone kind on social media, you can follow James on Twitter here @JamesWade180 and we will see you all tomorrow …..#TeamWade
James was back to his very best best this weekend when he won his second Pro Tour of 2015 at Wigan this weekend, the machine looked in great touch when he only dropped 1 leg in the opening 2 games when he beat Steve Douglas and Dirk Van Duijvenbode. He then went on to beat Dave Ladley 6-5 in the board final, the left hander then beat Vincent van der Voort 6-3 in the last 16 to set up a quarter final clash with Ian White. James won this 6-4 and would now meet the World Youth Champion Keegan Brown in the semi finals, James made light work of the youngster winning 6-1 in quick time to set up a final with the Belgian ace Kim Huybrechts, James found himself 5-3 behind but the king of comebacks did it again by winning the last 3 legs to win Pro Tour 13.
James is heading to the World Matchplay in Blackpool in great form and full of confidence as he will be looking to add this title to his PDC majors list , James would like to thank all the fans for their kind words on social media. #TeamWade
James narrowly lost to world champion Gary Anderson 10-8 in The Duty Free Dubai Masters, in a close game where nothing between the players it came down to two world class finishes from the world champion with a 170 and a 147 with James sat on a double to take the match
James had a 100.8 average
180 x 4
140 x12
8/18 44.44 % on the doubles
Like normal after James would like to thank his fans from all round the world there support and of course his sponsors as now he sets his sights on the world match play in Blackpool
Remember you can follow James on Twitter @JamesWade180 #TeamWade
James picked up a good point in Newcastle against a very inform Barney, in a game that went one way then the next James showed great character to win the last 2 legs. The Machine hit 4 180s and the biggest one was in the last leg to set a chance of 121 which he narrowly missed but came back and his favorite double ten was there for him
Afterwards James thanked his sponsors and all the fans for their unbelievable support and james will be back in action at Brighton next week. #TeamWade
Match Stats
James Wade 6-6 Raymond van Barneveld 21 100+ 17 9 140+ 5 0 170+ 1 4 180 3 95.28 Average 94.55 121 High Finish 80 2 Breaks of Throw 2 6/13 – 46% Checkout % 6/12 – 50% League Table
After Week 14 P W D L Legs +/- LWAT Pts Michael van Gerwen 15 10 2 3 +30 35 22 Dave Chisnall 15 10 1 4 +30 35 21 Gary Anderson 15 8 2 5 +6 25 18 Raymond van Barneveld 15 7 3 5 +5 30 17 Adrian Lewis 15 5 4 6 -9 22 14 Phil Taylor 15 5 3 7 -2 26 13 James Wade 15 3 6 6 -11 25 12 Stephen Bunting 15 3 5 7 -15 26 11 Peter Wright (E) 9 1 4 4 -17 10 6 Kim Huybrechts (E) 9 1 2 6 -17 7 4
James drew 6-6 with Stephen Bunting in Birmingham last night but a point wasn’t enough for either player in the end as other results didn’t go the right way.
James started well by taking the opening leg the pair then traded leg, James broke the Bunting throw for the first time in leg 5 but the former world champion broke straight back. Both were then very strong on their own throws as the legs kept going with throw as James finished 62 to lead lead 6-5 and guarantee a point but then missed 3 darts to win allowing Stephen the chance to checkout 120 to grab a point which he took.
After james thanked his sponsors for their continued support this season and paid a big thank you to the crowed and his fan on social media for all the messages of support in the build up to the game #TeamWade
Match Stats
| James Wade | 6-6 | Stephen Bunting |
| 17 | 100+ | 17 |
| 9 | 140+ | 6 |
| 0 | 170+ | 0 |
| 3 | 180 | 5 |
| 94.95 | Average | 93.15 |
| 62 | High Finish | 120 |
| 1 | Breaks of Throw | 1 |
| 6/22 – 27% | Checkout % | 6/15 – 40% |
LEAGUE TABLE
| After Week 13 | P | W | D | L | Legs +/- | LWAT | Pts |
| Michael van Gerwen (Q) | 14 | 10 | 2 | 2 | +32 | 33 | 22 |
| Dave Chisnall (Q) | 14 | 9 | 1 | 4 | +24 | 32 | 19 |
| Raymond van Barneveld | 14 | 7 | 2 | 5 | +5 | 28 | 16 |
| Gary Anderson | 14 | 7 | 2 | 5 | +4 | 24 | 16 |
| Phil Taylor | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 26 | 13 |
| Adrian Lewis | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | -11 | 19 | 12 |
| Stephen Bunting | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | -9 | 26 | 11 |
| James Wade | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | -11 | 23 | 11 |
| Peter Wright (E) | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | -17 | 10 | 6 |
| Kim Huybrechts (E) | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | -17 | 7 | 4 |
James Drew 6-6 with World Champion Gary Anderson last night in Aberdeen, the machine raced into a 2-0 lead but Anderson raced back to draw level.James then hit a purple patch and his class on the doubles showed racing into a 6-2 lead taking out a brilliant 170. Anderson then held throw then broke James with a brilliant 11 darter, Gary managed to win the last 2 legs to scrape a point.
After James said “it feels like defeat on one hand but on the other i was lucky to be 6-2 up when Gary missed doubles” Both players agreed that any point in this years Premier League.
James would like to thank his fans and sponsors for their continued support this season and the machine will be back in action next week at Cardiff.
#TeamWade
Match Stats
| James Wade | 6-6 | Gary Anderson |
| 17 | 100+ | 11 |
| 10 | 140+ | 13 |
| 1 | 170+ | 0 |
| 3 | 180 | 5 |
| 101.65 | Average | 104.27 |
| 170 | High Finish | 81 |
| 3 | Breaks of Throw | 3 |
| 6/11 – 55% | Checkout % | 6/17 – 35% |
League Table
| After Week 11 | P | W | D | L | Legs +/- | Pts |
| Michael van Gerwen | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | +24 | 18 |
| Dave Chisnall | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | +23 | 17 |
| Gary Anderson | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | +10 | 14 |
| Phil Taylor | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | +3 | 12 |
| Adrian Lewis | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | -3 | 11 |
| James Wade | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | -4 | 10 |
| Raymond van Barneveld | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | -4 | 10 |
| Stephen Bunting | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -15 | 8 |
| Peter Wright (E) | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | -17 | 6 |
| Kim Huybrechts (E) | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | -17 | 4 |
* James Wade is above Raymond van Barneveld on Legs Won Against Throw (Wade 22, van Barneveld 19)
It was double heartbreak for James in Sheffield this week as he lost both games.
James was first on where he faced Adrian Lewis, James started slowly and Jackpot won the first 3 legs on the spin, the Machine raced backed into the match and the pair were then tied at 4-4. With Lewis 6-4 up James narrowly missed the bull for what would have been a stunning 161 checkout but Lewis won the match 7-4
Match Stats
| Adrian Lewis | 7-4 | James Wade |
| 12 | 100+ | 20 |
| 7 | 140+ | 10 |
| 0 | 170+ | 0 |
| 5 | 180 | 0 |
| 96.77 | Average | 97.02 |
| 110 | High Finish | 106 |
| 3 | Breaks of Throw | 2 |
| 7/20 – 35% | Checkout % | 4/10 – 40% |
James then took on an in form Dave Chisnall who had already beaten world champion Gary Anderson earlier in the night.
Again Chizzy was in amazing form and James ran into him with a 114 average. Although James wasn’t at his best Chizzy was brilliant and ran out 7-1 winner.
Match Stats
| Dave Chisnall | 7-1 | James Wade |
| 11 | 100+ | 7 |
| 5 | 140+ | 6 |
| 0 | 170+ | 0 |
| 5 | 180 | 0 |
| 114.17 | Average | 87.12 |
| 87 | High Finish | 62 |
| 3 | Breaks of Throw | 0 |
| 7/12 – 58% | Checkout % | 1/2 – 50% |
James sits just out of the top 4 as we head to week 11
LEAGUE TABLE
| After Week Ten | P | W | D | L | Legs +/- | Pts |
| Michael van Gerwen | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | +28 | 18 |
| Dave Chisnall | 11 | 8 | 1 | 2 | +27 | 17 |
| Gary Anderson | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | +10 | 13 |
| Phil Taylor | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | -1 | 9 |
| James Wade | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | -4 | 9 |
| Adrian Lewis | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | -8 | 9 |
| Raymond van Barneveld | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -8 | 8 |
| Stephen Bunting | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -10 | 7 |
| Peter Wright (E) | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | -17 | 6 |
| Kim Huybrechts (E) | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | -17 | 4 |
After James thanked the fans for their support and sticking by him, after he said congratulated Adrian and Dave and said sorry to the fans “ I’m sorry guys I’m not well I’m mentally exhausted and just not right” but promised to be back next week. #TeamWade
James lost out to world number one Michael Van Gerwen on Judgment Night in Manchester, Michael raced into a 3-0 lead James got his first leg on the board before the pair traded legs. James then took out 132 on the bull to break the Van Gerwen throw but the world number one broke straight back both players then held throw before Van Gerwen took the match 7-4.
James remains in the playoff places as he heads off to Germany this weekend. After he thank his sponsors for their continued support and the fans as always were fantastic again tonight #TeamWade
Match Stats
| Michael van Gerwen | 7-4 | James Wade |
| 16 | 100+ | 13 |
| 6 | 140+ | 10 |
| 0 | 170+ | 1 |
| 3 | 180 | 1 |
| 100.97 | Average | 100.64 |
| 65 | High Finish | 132 |
| 2 | Breaks of Throw | 1 |
| 7/11 – 64% | Checkout % | 4/8 – 50% |
LEAGUE TABLE
| After Week Nine | P | W | D | L | Legs +/- | Pts |
| Michael van Gerwen | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | +26 | 16 |
| Dave Chisnall | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | +17 | 13 |
| Gary Anderson | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | +14 | 13 |
| James Wade | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | +5 | 9 |
| Phil Taylor | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | +4 | 9 |
| Stephen Bunting | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -8 | 7 |
| Adrian Lewis | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -11 | 7 |
| Raymond van Barneveld | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -13 | 6 |
| Peter Wright (E) | 9 | 1 | 4 | 4 | -17 | 6 |
| Kim Huybrechts (E) | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | -17 | 4 |
James moved into the playoff places after a commanding win over Peter Wright in an electric 3 arena in Dublin, James started well and soon broke the Wright throw and moved into a 3-1 lead hitting a brilliant 124 finish on the way,the pair then both held throw before the machine reeled of the last 3 legs to round off a 7-3 win.
The score line did James leg difference the world of good as he leapfrogged Phil Taylor, as we now head into the business end where the players will play 2 games a night ever leg could make the difference in the closed Premier League we have had in years.
After James said thanked the loudest crowd he’d played in front for their unreal support , James will be back in action next week at Judgement Night in Manchester where he will face the world number 1 Michael Van Gerwen
Match Stats
| Peter Wright | 3-7 | James Wade |
| 20 | 100+ | 19 |
| 8 | 140+ | 9 |
| 0 | 170+ | 1 |
| 1 | 180 | 0 |
| 87.81 | Average | 92.15 |
| 40 | High Finish | 124 |
| 1 | Breaks of Throw | 3 |
| 3/17 – 18% | Checkout % | 7/28 – 25% |
LEAGUE TABLE
| After Week Eight |
P |
W |
D |
L |
Legs +/- |
Pts |
| Michael van Gerwen |
8 |
6 |
2 |
0 |
+23 |
14 |
| Gary Anderson |
8 |
6 |
0 |
2 |
+14 |
12 |
| Dave Chisnall |
8 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
+14 |
11 |
| James Wade |
8 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
+8 |
9 |
| Phil Taylor |
8 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
+7 |
9 |
| Stephen Bunting |
8 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
-8 |
6 |
| Peter Wright |
8 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
-14 |
6 |
| Raymond van Barneveld |
8 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
-13 |
5 |
| Adrian Lewis |
8 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
-14 |
5 |
| Kim Huybrechts |
8 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
-17 |
3 |
James was first on last night in the Betway Premier League and got the show off to a great start but could only pick up a point against Adrian Lewis with the pair tied at 6-6, James took the first leg with some power scoring of his own hitting 140, 174, 137 to leave 50 after 9 darts taking the leg in 12 darts, Jackpot responded with back to back legs. James then steamed into a 4-2 but Lewis again replied with a brilliant 138 finish and we were all square again the pair then traded the next 4 legs on their own throw to finish 6-6, both had over 100 averages the point keeps James just outside the top 4.
Match Stats
| James Wade | 6-6 | Adrian Lewis |
| 13 | 100+ | 11 |
| 8 | 140+ | 12 |
| 1 | 170+ | 0 |
| 5 | 180 | 4 |
| 103.79 | Average | 102.00 |
| 68 | High Finish | 138 |
| 2 | Breaks of Throw | 2 |
Latest League Table
| After Week Seven | P | W | D | L | Legs +/- | Pts |
| Michael van Gerwen | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | +18 | 12 |
| Gary Anderson | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | +11 | 10 |
| Dave Chisnall | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | +9 | 9 |
| Phil Taylor | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | +4 | 7 |
| James Wade | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | +4 | 7 |
| Stephen Bunting | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -5 | 6 |
| Peter Wright | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | -10 | 6 |
| Raymond van Barneveld | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -8 | 5 |
| Adrian Lewis | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | -9 | 5 |
| Kim Huybrechts | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -14 | 3 |
After James said a big thank you the the Glasgow crowd who were fantastic and thanks again for all the support from my sponsors and from everyone on social media . James will be back in action this weekend in the Gibraltar Darts Trophy. #TeamWade
What a great weekend for James this weekend in Barnsley in the first Player Championships of 2015. On the Saturday James got all the way to the final, in a tight final world champion Gary Anderson beat James 6-5 in a match that went all the way, on his road to the final the machine beat Mark Cox, Mark Forst, Kevin Thomas, Dean Winstanley, in the quarter-finals he overcame Magnus Caris in a last leg decider, James played Ian White in the semi-final and again had to go to the 11th leg to to book his place in the final.
James came into the Sunday full of confidence after getting to the final on the Saturday, James got off to a great start by beating Jay Foreman 6-3 then Mensur Suljovic 6-4 to reach the last 16, James then had to face Kevin Thomas who he had beaten the day before and gain the machine came out on top winning 6-5, the quarter-final James steamed past Gerwyn Price 6-2 the semi-final was a tight game with one break of throw enough to get past Michael Smith 6-4. The final James took on Peter Wright and halfway through Wright looked in control leading 4-2 but the machine wasn’t finished and forced the last leg shootout which he took to seal a fantastic weekend.
James would like to thank all his sponsors for their continued support and all the fans kind words on Twitter over the weekend #TeamWade
James will be back in action this Thursday night in the betway Premier League in Glasgow where he will play Adrian Lewis
James met the defending champion Raymond Van Barneveld in Nottingham and the machine heaped more pressure on the 5 times world champion who now finds himself in the bottom 2, James was in control from the start and found his range very early with normal service on this favored tops and tens put him 5 legs clear. Barney won back to back legs to bring the score back to 6-3 but James got the job done to round off a great 7-3 win to keep his playoff hopes well and truly alive. James finished with a 97.84 match average 46.67% on the double hitting 12x 100s, 12x 140s and 1×180.
James would like to thank all the fans for their great support yet again as the machine now heads Barnsley this weekend for the first players championship of 2015 before heading to Glasgow for the Premier league next Thursday
Latest League Table
| After Week Six | P | W | D | L | Legs +/- | Pts |
| Michael van Gerwen | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | +15 | 10 |
| Dave Chisnall | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | +12 | 9 |
| Gary Anderson | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | +9 | 8 |
| Phil Taylor | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | +7 | 7 |
| James Wade | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | +4 | 6 |
| Stephen Bunting | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -5 | 5 |
| Peter Wright | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | -10 | 5 |
| Adrian Lewis | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -9 | 4 |
| Raymond van Barneveld | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -11 | 3 |
| Kim Huybrechts | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -12 | 3 |
James started his Uk Open out on stage 4 on Friday evening where the 2 time Uk Open champion took on Joe Murnan, the machine wasting no time in getting the job done and booking his place in the draw for round 4 with a 9- 3 win, in the live televised James drew young emerging ace Nathan Aspinall.
James was back on the main stage on Saturday afternoon as the machine continued his bid to complete a hat-trick in the event with a fine 9-4 win over Nathan Aspinall, the youngster shared the game’s opening eight legs, but paid for missing a dart at double seven to break Wade’s throw in the next as the left-hander edged 5-4 up on tops before hitting the same bed to break and lead 6-4.
In round four James was drawn against Andrew Gilding on stage 2, in the early legs James missed darts as doubles and this would prove costly has he trailed 4-1 at the break, Gilding came back after the break and raced into an 8 -3 lead but James should his class and fighting spirit and broke the Gilding throw and got the match back to 8-6 before Gilding held throw to knock James out of this years Uk Open, after James thanked the fans for their excellent support like normal.
James will be back in action this Thursday night in the Betway Premier League where he plays Raymond Van Barneveld in Nottingham
James narrowly lost 7-5 to Phil Taylor in Exeter tonight, in a close one break of throw was the difference with both players averaging over 100 James finishing with a 104.42 and was 5/8 on the doubles tonight, James broke the Taylor throw early with a great 121 finish but the power came roaring back with an 11 dart leg.
Although James lost his performance was pleasing and with the Uk Open starting tomorrow he will take a lot of heart from tonight as he looks to add to his major collection this weekend.
Match Stats
| James Wade | 5-7 | Phil Taylor |
| 14 | 100+ | 19 |
| 16 | 140+ | 8 |
| 0 | 170+ | 2 |
| 1 | 180 | 1 |
| 104.42 | Average | 106.48 |
| 121 | High Finish | 140 |
| 1 | Breaks of Throw | 2 |
| 5/8 – 63% | Checkout % | 7/11 – 64% |
James lost his unbeaten recored in this years Betway Premier League losing 7-4 to world Champion Gary Anderson, James lead 3-2 but some power scoring from Anderson got him back into the game.
James will look back a few missed double but the Machine will be back strong next week as he plays Phil Taylor in Exeter, Once again James would like to thank you all for the support #TeamWade
Match Stats
| Gary Anderson | 7-4 | James Wade |
| 15 | 100+ | 10 |
| 6 | 140+ | 8 |
| 2 | 170+ | 0 |
| 4 | 180 | 2 |
| 98.64 | Average | 94.60 |
| 92 | High Finish | 84 |
| 2 | Breaks of Throw | 1 |
| 7/20 – 35% | Checkout % | 4/8 – 50% |
James today has signed a sponsorship deal with Man Trucks.
Man Truck and Bus offer a comprehensive range of commercial vehicles,buses,coaches and industrial engines to operators and companies in the UK. They are proud to be part of the well respected Man group, an organisation committed to quality engineering and technological excellence at all times.
For more information visit www.mantruckandbus.co.uk
James remains unbeaten in this years Betway Premier League after drawing 6-6 with Dave Chisnall at the Echo arena in Liverpool, both players will feel they should have won this match but will also be pleased they didn’t lose. In 12 legs of darts we saw 34 tons 18 140s and 4 180s was a great show of scoring from both, James had a 30% on the doubles tonight.
James is now in the play-off places after week 3 in Liverpool and he will be looking to stay there and book his place at finals night . Next week James will Play World Champion Gary Anderson in Belfast
Match Stats
| James Wade | 6-6 | Dave Chisnall |
| 17 | 100+ | 17 |
| 12 | 140+ | 6 |
| 0 | 170+ | 0 |
| 0 | 180 | 4 |
| 90.19 | Average | 93.27 |
| 142 | High Finish | 63 |
| 2 | Breaks of Throw | 2 |
| 6/20 – 30% | Checkout % | 6/22 – 27% |
James crashes out of the German Master losing 6-4 to Vincent Van Der Voort this afternoon, missed doubles cost the machine missing 6 clear darts in the first leg of the match and finishing with a 26.67% on the checkouts. James still averaged 95 even with the doubles letting him down this afternoon.
James wishes his friend Vincent all the best for the rest of the tournament, James will be back in action this coming Thursday in Liverpool in the Betway Premier League
James moves into the third round of the German Masters with a 6-3 over Terry Jenkins, the Machine followed up Thursdays great performance in the Premier League with yet another good performance to continue a good start to 2015, he got the better of the Bull with a 99.95 average with 3 180s and 8 140s and get again James finishing was good with a check out percentage of 37.5%
Jame will be back in action tomorrow afternoon as he looks to add the German Masters to his long list of PDC titles
James remains unbeaten in this years Betway Premier League after beating Kim Huybrechts 7-2 at the BIC in Bournemouth, James was in control from the outset and raced into a 3-0 lead, Kim then got a leg on the board but the Machine then won the next 3 legs to guarantee at least a point, Kim then held throw then James held throw to take the match.
James was his brilliant best on tops and tens to have a huge 70% on the doubles hitting 7 from 10 and an impressive 104.09 3 dart average, next week we move on to Liverpool where James will play Dave Chisnall.
James said after “ I would like to thank the crowd they were brilliant, i love come here it’s a special place to play, and i loving being back in the Premier League this year”
James Wade and Stephen Bunting draw 6-6 on the opening night of the Betway Premier League, the match swung one way then the other with both players braking throw early on, James then broke to lead 6-4 but Stephen broke back as the two players had to settle for a point each.
James finshed with an average of 95.56 with a high finish of 101 and a check out percentage of 46.15.
Next week the Premier League moves on to Bournemouth next Thursday where james will play Kim Huybrechts in the 4th game of the night.
James has gone out of the Unibet Masters this afternoon losing 10-5 against World Champion Gary Anderson, Anderson was nothing short of unplayable in the first 5 legs averaging 121 at the break, after the break James came back to win the session 4-1 to cut Anderson’s lead to 6-4 but in the final session Gary powered home to victory.
James would like to thank the fans for the great support over the weekend and is now looking forward to the start of the Premier league in Leeds on Thursday night where he plays Stephen Bunting live on SkySports
Match Stats
| James Wade | 5-10 | Gary Anderson |
| 19 | 100+ | 20 |
| 10 | 140+ | 11 |
| 1 | 170+ | 0 |
| 3 | 180 | 7 |
| 96.83 | Average | 105.34 |
| 80 | High Finish | 130 |
| 2 | Breaks of Throw | 4 |
| 5/14 – 36% | Checkout % | 10/21 – 48% |
James remains on course to defend the title he won last year and booked his place in the last 8 of the Unibet Masters with a 10-3 victory over Mervyn King in a repeat of last years final, this time out James started a lot stronger and never let Mervyn settle as he ran into a 5-0 lead, after the break legs were shared until a stunning 138 finish in the 9th leg from the machine put the tie to bed.
Tomorrow James will play the current PDC World Champion Gary Anderson live on ITV4
Match Stats
| James Wade | 10-3 | Mervyn King |
| 20 | 100+ | 11 |
| 14 | 140+ | 6 |
| 1 | 170+ | 0 |
| 2 | 180 | 2 |
| 96.85 | Average | 80.46 |
| 138 | High Finish | 61 |
| 3 | Breaks of Throw | 0 |
| 10/29 – 34% | Checkout % | 3/10 – 30% |
Thursday night The Dorchester was the host for the annual PDC awards dinner, the PDC top stars were all in attendance hoping to be winning one of the awards for their hard work through the year.
James Wade was honoured to pick up the award for PDC televised performance of the year at the annual PDC awards dinner.
The award was for his remarkable comeback from 9-2 down against Mervyn King, to take the Unibet masters title with a stunning 11-10 win to lift his eighth PDC major title.
You can find a full list of winners from the night here
http://www.pdc.tv/news/article/1bsc6qszd6suj1xdd62h8uflw4/title/four-some-andersons-awards-success
The Machine will start his defence of the Unibet masters title on the 31st January live on ITV4 against the man he beat to win the title last time out. James will be hoping to get 2015 off to a winning start before the start of the Premier League.
James Wade will make a welcome return to the Premier League after the 2014 Masters Champion was confirmed in the ten man field for this year’s tournament.
Wade, a former winner of the prestigious tournament, missed out on selection last year but his fantastic form, which also included a run to the World Grand Prix final and a sensational nine-darter in Dublin, has seen him earn a place on the 16-week roadshow.
‘The Machine’ will be joined by the current top four players in the PDC Order of Merit – Michael van Gerwen, Phil Taylor, Gary Anderson and Adrian Lewis – and a further five wildcard picks, which are made up of Peter Wright, Dave Chisnall, Raymond van Barneveld and newcomers Stephen Bunting and Kim Huybrechts.
The tournament kicks off in Leeds at the First Direct Arena on Thursday February 5.
James Wade lost out in a tough second round clash against Stephen Bunting at the World Darts Championship on Monday. more
James Wade made a strong start to his 2015 World Darts Championship bid with a deserved victory against Jamie Lewis on Sunday night.
Sixth seed Wade, a three-time semi-finalist, defeated the Welsh youngster by three sets to one at London’s Alexandra Palace to move into the second round. more
James Wade has revealed his pride at becoming a patron of Bipolar UK.
The eight time PDC major winner, who was diagnosed with Bipolar four years ago, has supported the charity in the past and described his new role as ‘an honour’. more
James Wade missed out on a place in the Grand Slam of Darts quarter-finals after narrowly losing an exciting clash with Stephen Bunting on Thursday in Wolverhampton.
Four ton-plus finishes, including a 170 and a 164, were not enough for Wade to stop the reigning Lakeside Champion claiming a 10-8 victory in their last 16 tie. more
James Wade progressed to the knockout stages of the Grand Slam of Darts after an excellent victory over Tony O’Shea on Tuesday evening.
Wade averaged just shy of 100 in a 5-1 defeat of three-time Lakeside World Championship finalist O’Shea in their decisive Group G match in Wolverhampton. more
James Wade became The Masters champion after an incredible day of darts in Edinburgh on Sunday, when he defeated Adrian Lewis, Phil Taylor and Mervyn King to take glory.
Wade produced a sensational comeback from being 9-2 down against King in a dramatic final to clinch his eighth major PDC title – a triumph which he sealed with a fabulous 135 finish. more
James Wade eased into the quarter-finals of The Masters in Edinburgh after enjoying a 10-5 victory against Brendan Dolan on Saturday evening.
Wade produced a solid display to set up a last eight clash with Adrian Lewis, when the tournament, featuring the world’s top 16 players, reaches its conclusion on Sunday. more
James Wade enjoyed an extremely successful weekend as he won Saturday’s Players Championship in Crawley before being denied a double in Sunday’s final.
‘The Machine’ followed up last week’s tremendous run to the final of the World Grand Prix in Dublin with a weekend to remember on the Pro Tour.
The world number six defeated Kim Huybrechts in Saturday’s decider to clinch his second ranking title of the year.
Wade began the day as he meant to go on as he whitewashed German youngster Max Hopp.
The left-hander then defeated Gerwyn Price, Wes Newton and Jelle Klaasen to reach the quarter-finals, where he edged out Robert Thornton 6-5 in an exciting battle between the pair, who had sensationally both hit nine-dart finishes in their World Grand Prix clash a week earlier.
Wade then saw off Gary Anderson to reach the final, where he battled back from being 5-3 behind to defeat Belgian ace Huybrechts 6-5 to take the title and scoop the £10,000 winner’s cheque.
On Sunday, he defeated Huybrechts again en route to his third final in the space of a week.
The seven-time major winner also enjoyed victories against Terry Jenkins, Paul Amos, Magnus Caris, Darren Webster and Andrew Gilding before losing out in the final to world number one van Gerwen.
Wade will be back in action on Friday evening, when he faces Ronny Huybrechts in round one of the European Championship, which will be televised live on ITV4.
By Chris Murphy
James Wade missed out on a third World Grand Prix title after his exceptional run was ended by Michael van Gerwen in a closely contested final on Sunday. more
James Wade produced a fantastic fight-back to go through to the final of the World Grand Prix in Dublin, where he defeated Gary Anderson 4-3 in a dramatic last four clash.
Wade edged closer to clinching the prestigious title for the third time in his career after coming back from 2-0 and 3-1 down on Saturday evening.
The Aldershot ace, who is chasing his eighth PDC major, lost the first six legs of the match but rallied back to win in a last-leg decider. more
James Wade reached the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix by knocking 16-time World Champion Phil Taylor out of the competition in Dublin on Friday.
Wade took out four finishes of over 100 en route to a 3-1 victory, which ended Taylor’s title defence. more
James Wade defeated Robert Thornton in what surely was the greatest match in the history of the World Grand Prix, as the pair both hit stunning nine-dart finishes in Dublin on Wednesday.
Wade, who was on the receiving end of the only other perfect leg ever hit in the prestigious double-start tournament three years ago to the day, moved in to the quarter-finals by claiming a three sets to two triumph.
2007 and 2010 winner Wade produced his leg of perfection in the second set, only to see Thornton repeat the astonishing feat soon after. more
James Wade produced a classy performance to defeat Andy Smith on the opening night of the World Grand Prix in Dublin.
Wade, who won the double-start tournament in 2007 and 2010, won his first round match by two sets to nil, dropping just one leg in the process.
The world number seven posted an impressive three-dart average of 94 and a brilliant checkout success rate of 67 in the triumph.
He held his throw in the opening leg thanks to a clinical 108 checkout.
That was almost bettered in the following leg when he narrowly missed the bull for a 161 finish before cleaning up the remaining 25 to break Smith’s throw.
‘The Machine’ then bedded double top to seal the first set.
The pair began the second set by exchanging 180s in the first leg, which Smith won despite Wade also hitting a 177.
The Aldershot ace levelled up with a neat 76 finish before pinning double top to move within a leg of victory.
And he sealed his place in the last 16 by taking the next leg as he nailed double ten after setting it up with a 180.
Wade will take on Scotland’s Robert Thornton in round two on Wednesday evening.
James Wade boasts an impressive seven major titles, making him the second most successful player in the history of the PDC.
The Machine has won both the World Grand Prix and UK Open twice. He has also triumphed in the World Matchplay, Championship League and the prestigious Premier League, and at the age of just 30, the evidence suggests that more major glory awaits. more
JAMES WADE 13 – 2 Richie Burnett
James Wade’s trademark finishing earned him a place in the last eight of the Bet Victor World Matchplay as he coasted past Richie Burnett on Tuesday.
Wade, the fifth seed for the title, triumphed 13-2 at the Winter Gardens thanks to an incredible collection of mid-range checkouts.
And the former champion set his sights on clinching the top prize once again. more
JAMES WADE 10 – 5 Andy Smith
James Wade sealed his place in round two of the Bet Victor World Matchplay by defeating Andy Smith in Blackpool.
The former champion coasted into a 6-1 lead before eventually triumphing 10-5 at the Winter Gardens on Saturday.
The world number six will take on Brendan Dolan or Richie Burnett in the last 16. more
James Wade claimed victory in the Gibraltar Darts Trophy as he defeated Steve Beaton in Sunday’s final, ending a three-year wait for a title.
Wade, who has won seven PDC majors, earned his first tournament victory since 2011 with a 6-4 success in the decider. more
JAMES WADE 8 – 9 Terry Jenkins
James Wade missed out on the chance to move into the quarter-finals of the UK Open after suffering defeat at the hands of Terry Jenkins in a last-leg decider on Saturday evening.
Wade, who has won the tournament twice before, produced a spirited fightback from 8-5 down only to see his opponent clinch the final leg. more
James Wade moved into the last 16 of the UK Open with a 9-5 victory against Kim Huybrechts on Saturday afternoon.
The two-time winner averaged 97, following up his impressive third round demolition of Michael Mansell, who he beat 9-1 on Friday with a 101 average.
The seven-time major winner will face Terry Jenkins on Saturday evening following the open draw, which took place after the afternoon’s action. more
Following speculation after his non-selection for the 2014 Premier League, James Wade has issued the following statement:
“I am obviously bitterly disappointed not be included in the Premier League Darts line-up for the first time in seven years.
“The news is devastating, particularly as I feel I was one of the four most consistent players in 2013, reaching the semi-finals in many televised tournaments, including the Premier League play-offs. more
JAMES WADE 4 – 0 Devon Petersen
James Wade moved into the quarter-finals of the World Championship with a straight sets victory over Devon Peterson on Saturday afternoon.
The seven-time major winner, who has reached three semi-finals at Alexandra Palace, moved a step closer to that elusive final with a commanding victory over the South African. more
JAMES WADE 4 – 3 Andy Smith
James Wade kept his World Championship dream alive after staging an incredible comeback to defeat Andy Smith at Alexandra Palace on Monday evening.
Wade moved into the last 16 after recovering from falling three sets behind in a race to four.
The seven-time major winner prevailed in a final set tie-break after Smith had missed two darts to progress. more
JAMES WADE 3 – 2 Darren Webster
James Wade moved into the second round of the World Championship after a dramatic first round clash against Darren Webster on Thursday evening.
Wade, the PDC’s second most decorated player, won a deciding set after surviving six missed darts for the match by his opponent at London’s Alexandra Palace. more
James Wade will have the backing of Bet Victor when he arrows in to Alexandra Palace for the 2014 World Championship on Thursday evening.
‘The Machine’ will be sporting the Bet Victor logo on his shirt throughout the biggest tournament in the sport after entering a new sponsorship deal. more
2010 Grand Slam of Darts runner-up James Wade was denied the chance to reach the last four despite putting up a fantastic fight against world number one Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor on Saturday. more
JAMES WADE 10 -1 Paul Nicholson
James Wade moved into the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam with a comfortable victory over Paul Nicholson on Thursday evening.
‘The Machine’ dropped just one leg as he grabbed his fourth win of the week, following a perfect record in the group stage, sealing the second round success with a stunning 125 checkout.
James Wade made it a hat-trick of victories to qualify for the last 16 of the Grand Slam of Darts as a group winner.
‘The Machine’, who had already beaten Peter Wright and Gary Anderson, defeated Wesley Harms on Tuesday to top Group B in Wolverhampton. more
James Wade booked his place in the last 16 of the Grand Slam of Darts with a game to spare after defeating Gary Anderson 5-3 on Sunday.
The former finalist, who had overcome another Scotsman in Peter Wright in his opening match, hit finishes of 120 and 100 in another clinical victory.
JAMES WADE 5 – 2 Peter Wright
Former Grand Slam of Darts finalist James Wade kicked off his title bid with a couple of big finishes as he claimed an impressive victory against Scotland’s Peter Wright on Saturday.
Wade fired in checkouts of 130 and 160 in the opening two legs as he made a sensational start to the tournament in Wolverhampton, going on to claim a 5-2 win in his Group B match. more
James Wade is joining forces with tyre manufacturing giants KENDA after the prestigious company agreed a sponsorship deal with ‘The Machine’.
Founded in 1962, Kenda is one of the world’s leading tyre and tube manufacture for automotive, motorcycle, ATV, bicycle, lawn care equipment, trailer, and agricultural vehicles. With factories all over the world, the company is able to provide quality products to suit a wide variety of applications.
Wade, a car mechanic by trade and currently ranked in the top six in the world, was seen proudly sporting the KENDA logo on his shirt during his run to the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix in Dublin, which was broadcast live on SKY Sports and on various platforms worldwide. more
James Wade has shared his experience of living with Bipolar in a booklet released by the charity Bipolar UK, who are celeberating 30 years of providing support for the condition.
Seven-time PDC major title winner Wade, who wore a patch bearing Bipolar UK’s logo during in his first round win at the World Grand Prix on Monday, is one of 30 people to share their inspiring stories in the leaflet produced for National Bipolar Awareness Day. more
JAMES WADE 3 – 2 Simon Whitlock
James Wade moved into the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix in Dublin after defeating Simon Whitlock in a thrilling match on Friday evening.
The two-time winner of the double-start tournament took out a brilliant 101 finish to win a last leg decider, edging an exciting encounter to progress to the last four.
Wade continues his pursuit of an eighth major title when he meets Phil Taylor in the semi-finals on Saturday.
JAMES WADE 3 – 2 Connie Finnan
James Wade fought off the challenge of Ireland’s Connie Finnan to book his place in the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix in Dublin on Wednesday evening.
Wade, a two-time winner of the double-start event, won a deciding set to set up a last eight clash with Simon Whitlock.
JAMES WADE 2-1 Steve Beaton
James Wade claimed a deciding leg victory over Steve Beaton on the opening night of the World Grand Prix in Dublin on Monday evening.
‘The Machine’, a two-time champion of the famous double-start tournament, held his nerve to see off Beaton, who missed a dart to win a tense last leg.
Two-time World Grand Prix winner James Wade has set his sights on completing a hat-trick of Dublin victories and ending his two-year wait for another televised triumph.
Wade, who has amassed seven PDC major titles to date, wants to repeat the form that saw him win the unique tournament, which requires players to start and finish each leg by hitting a double, in 2007 and 2010. more
James Wade will compete for the title of ‘champion of champions’ when four of the world’s greatest darts players lock horns in an exclusive event at the Guildford Spectrum in October.
The venue is set to hold its first ever professional darts event when Wade, Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and Dennis Priestley appear in ‘A Night of Champions’ on Friday 18 October. more
The PDC’s second most successful player James Wade has agreed a new three-year-deal with leading darts manufacturers Unicorn.
The announcement follows Wade’s recent runs to the semi-finals of the World Championship, Premier League and World Matchplay.
And the seven-time major title winner hopes that the extension of his fruitful partnership with the big name in darts will help him continue his success. more
James Wade came out on top in an incredible quarter-final clash against Simon Whitlock to set up a World Matchplay semi-final with Phil Taylor in Blackpool.
Wade edged the Australian ace 18-16 in a tie-break after a sensational display of darts from both players on Thursday evening.
The pair both averaged just shy of 100 in a marvellous match, which saw the lead change hands seven times. more
JAMES WADE 13 – 9 Gary Anderson
James Wade moved into the quarter-finals of the World Matchplay with a late surge against Gary Anderson, taking eight of the last nine legs to seal a 13-9 victory late on Tuesday night.
‘The Machine’ had trailed 8-5 before taking seven legs on the spin at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens. He will now face Simon Whitlock on Thursday. more
JAMES WADE 10 – 8 John Part
James Wade won through to the second round of the World Matchplay after seeing off John Part in Blackpool.
‘The Machine’, who won the tournament in 2007, triumphed 10-8 in an exciting encounter at the Winter Gardens.
And Wade, who has also reached the final on four other occasions, admitted he was pleased to progress. more
JAMES WADE 6 – 2 Mark Webster
James Wade moved into round two of the European Championship with an opening night victory over Mark Webster on Thursday.
The seven-time PDC major title winner won the first three legs to stamp his authority on the game and his opponent couldn’t find a way back. more
James Wade will face Andy Hamilton in the quarter-finals of the UK Open after claiming a 9-4 win against John Henderson on Saturday evening in Bolton.
Two-time winner Wade claimed a comfortable win against the Scotsman, taking his sixth victory over the last three days. more
JAMES WADE 9 – 2 Dave Chisnall
James Wade charged through to the last 16 with a 9-2 demolition of Dave Chisnall on Saturday afternoon in Bolton.
The 30-year-old, who won the tournament in 2008 and 2011, defeated the world number nine with apparent ease thanks to some clinical finishing.
Wade, who has already won five games in the last three days, will find his opponent for Saturday evening’s fifth round when the draw takes place at the end of the afternoon session. more
JAMES WADE 9 – 7 Jamie Caven
James Wade produced a strong performance to defeat Jamie Caven in the third round of the UK Open in Bolton on Friday evening.
The two-time champion averaged over 100 as he claimed his fourth win of the tournament, following on from Thursday’s triumphs over Robbie Green, Matt Gallett and Wayne Jones.
Wade took out a fine 141 finish and a match-winning 85 checkout to set up a last 32 clash with Dave Chisnall.
James Wade claimed three victories on the opening night of the UK Open in Bolton to progress through to the third round of the tournament.
The 30-year-old, a two-time champion, dropped just two legs in his charge to the last 64. more
James Wade boasts an impressive seven major titles, making him the second most successful player in the history of the PDC.
The Machine has won both the World Grand Prix and UK Open twice. He has also triumphed in the World Matchplay, Championship League and the prestigious Premier League, and at the age of just 29, the evidence suggests that more major glory awaits.
James Wade is aiming to finish the McCoy’s Premier League Darts season with a flourish when he bids to be crowned as champion for the second time.
The 2009 winner has admitted his relief at finishing in the play-off places after a shaky end to his league campaign but is confident of bringing his best game to Thursday’s finals night at the O2 in London.
The world-number four faces league leader Michael van Gerwen in the semi-finals, with the winner taking on either Phil Taylor or Raymond van Barneveld for the title. more
James Wade sealed the final McCoy’s Premier League play-off spot after grabbing a crucial draw against Phil Taylor in Newcastle on Thursday.
Wade ended a run of three straight defeats by taking a point off ‘The Power’, and it proved to be enough to fend off his challengers on the final night of league action.
‘The Machine’ has now reached the semi-finals, which take place at London’s O2 next week, six times in the last seven years and the 2009 champion is hoping to take glory again. more
JAMES WADE 7 – 4 Robert Thornton
James Wade moved closer to sealing a McCoy’s Premier League play-off place with a well-earned victory against Robert Thornton in Dublin on Thursday evening.
Wade moved onto 16 points in the table as he claimed a terrific triumph in front of a 10,000-strong crowd at the O2.
The 2009 winner grabbed a crucial break of throw after the first eight legs had been shared and closed out the match to keep up the pressure on league leader Michael van Gerwen. more
James Wade moved a step closer to reaching the McCoy’s Premier League play-offs with a brilliant victory against Adrian Lewis in Sheffield. 
However, ‘The Machine’ was denied the chance to move clear at the top of the table when he was edged out in his second match of the evening by Michael van Gerwen.
Wade swept past Lewis with a 104 average in a 7-2 win, which included five 180s from ‘The Machine’, who moved onto 14 points with the win.
His defeat against van Gerwen left him in second place, two points behind the Dutchman but the 2009 champion is happy with his season so far. more
James Wade is preparing to play two matches on night ten of the McCoy’s Premier League season and is targeting a double victory to boost his play-off hopes.
‘The Machine’, who won the prestigious tournament in 2009, is in a healthy position in the league table – tied at the top with Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld.
Wade will face van Gerwen, who he defeated in Glasgow a fortnight ago, after his match against Adrian Lewis, who he also beat in their first fixture. more
JAMES WADE 7 – 3 Gary Anderson
James Wade continued his fine run of form in the McCoy’s Premier League as he claimed a 7-3 win against Gary Anderson, who was eliminated from the tournament on Thursday evening.
‘The Machine’ earned his fifth win of the season at The Brighton Centre, sealing it with a stylish 120 finish.
And the 2009 winner, who hit seven doubles out of eight attempts, admitted that he has his eyes firmly on the taking the title again. more
JAMES WADE 7 – 4 Michael van Gerwen
James Wade once again displayed his finishing prowess in the McCoy’s Premier League as he fought off Michael van Gerwen in Glasgow.
The 2009 winner hit three hundred-plus finishes to claim a 7-4 victory against his Dutch opponent.
The win ties the pair on ten points in the play-off places along with Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld. more
JAMES WADE 6 – 6 Raymond van Barneveld
James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld shared a draw in Cardiff in the McCoy’s Premier League on Thursday.
Wade took out two finishes of over 100, while van Barneveld hit five 180s in a match that had plenty of highlights but the pair could not be separated.
The result sees both players remain inside the play-off places but Wade, who also hit six darts towards a nine-dart attempt, felt he should have climbed to the second place slot, which is occupied by his opponent. more
JAMES WADE 7 – 1 Robert Thornton
James Wade produced a sensational performance to defeat Robert Thornton in Nottingham on Thursday evening.
‘The Machine’ briefly went top of the table with the 7-1 triumph as he posted an average of 105.73 – his third consecutive average of over 100.
Wade, the PDC’s second most successful player, also took out two terrific 121 finishes en route to victory. more
JAMES WADE 6 – 6 Phil Taylor
James Wade averaged over 100 for the second week running in the McCoy’s Premier League, as he earned a draw against world number one Phil Taylor in Exeter on Thursday night.
The seven-time major winner took out six combination finishes to take a point, moving his tally to five for the season.
Wade, who won the tournament in 2009, looked like he might suffer his second defeat of his 2012 campaign when he trailed Taylor 6-4 but fought back to grab a draw. more
Sky Sports darts expert Rod Harrington believes that James Wade is nearing his best form thanks to a new found motivation.
Harrington, speaking exclusively to modusdarts.tv, said that he has noticed a change in the way ‘The Machine’ is approaching the game since the start of the new McCoy’s Premier League season began. more
JAMES WADE 7 – 4 Adrian Lewis
James Wade produced an excellent performance to defeat Adrian Lewis on night three of the McCoy’s Premier League in Bournemouth.
Wade, the world number three, swept past the second ranked player comfortably, recording an average of over 100 in the process.
And ‘The Machine’, who took his points tally to four with his second success of the season, admitted that his performance came as something of a relief. more
JAMES WADE 7 – 4 Wez Newton
James Wade made a winning start in the 2013 McCoy’s Premier League, claiming a 7-4 victory against Wez Newton.
The 2009 winner fought hard to see off Newton, who was making his debut in the competition, as ‘The Machine’ capitalised on missed doubles from his opponent.
“I was very grateful for Wez missing a lot of opportunities,” admitted Wade, the seven-time major winner. more
James Wade has revealed that he is hungry for success and excited for the year ahead as he prepares to face Wez Newton in the first McCoy’s Premier League night in Belfast this evening.
The world number three, who has suffered with well-documented mental health issues, admitted that he has rediscovered his passion for darts after a trophy-less year in 2012.
‘The Machine’, winner of seven major titles, is ready to produce his best form when the 10 man tournament gets underway in front of 8,000 fans at the Odyssey arena. more
World number three James Wade is appearing at some exclusive non-televised professional darts events in 2013.
For further information on how to book tickets to see the second most successful player in the history of the PDC, alongside other top stars of world darts, click one of the event posters below.
JAMES WADE 5 – 4 Wez Newton
James Wade moved into the semi-finals of the Ladbrokes World Championship for the second consecutive year after defeating Wez Newton in a thrilling last eight clash at London’s Alexandra Palace.
JAMES WADE 4 – 0 Vincent van der Voort
James Wade won through to the quarter-finals of the Ladbrokes World Championship with a straight sets victory over Vincent van der Voort at London’s Alexandra Palace on Thursday.
JAMES WADE 4 -2 Steve Beaton
James Wade won through to the last 16 of the Ladbrokes World Championship with a hard fought victory over Steve Beaton at London’s Alexandra Palace on Sunday afternoon.
JAMES WADE 3 – 0 Peter Hudson
James Wade won through to the second round of the Ladbrokes World Championship by completing a comfortable straight sets victory over Peter Hudson on Monday evening.
The seven-time PDC major winner dropped just two legs en route to the triumph, as he set up a last 32 encounter with either Steve Beaton or Kyle Anderson.
Wade, who reached the semi-finals at the Alexandra Palace last year, insisted that he can go all the way in 2013.
“I didn’t play my best but I beat a good player and I’m pleased to be through,” said the 2012 World Matchplay finalist.
“I’m a good dart player and I believe I can win this tournament. I’ve practised so hard for it and I can play a lot better than I did tonight.
“This is a step in the right direction.”
Wade bedded double two to take the first leg before starting the second with a 180, but Hudson managed to draw level.
‘The Machine’ took out a classy 102 finish to edge back ahead and his second 180 helped him break his opponent’s throw and seal the first set.
Hudson took the first leg of set two before Wade took out 76 to square up.
The world number three slotted in his third 180 in the following leg, which he won on double ten.
Wade then pinned double 16 to take a two set lead.
A brilliant 174, followed by a 91 checkout gave ‘The Machine’ the lead in the third set.
He pegged double five to move within a leg of victory and he wasted no time in finishing the job, hitting another maximum before cleaning up 56 to seal his spot in the second round.
Wade will be back in action on Sunday December 23.
By Chris Murphy
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
JAMES WADE 5 – 1 Jan Dekker
James Wade got his first points in the 2012 William Hill Grand Slam of Darts with a comfortable victory against Jan Dekker.
The seven-time major winner triumphed 5-1 against his Dutch opponent in Wolverhampton on Sunday evening, to put his opening night defeat to Arron Monk behind him.
“I’m so happy to have hit my doubles,” said Wade, who recently took a short break from playing darts for health reasons.
“I did enough to win. It wasn’t a million miles away from what I can do.
“This week is all about building for the future. The last few weeks have been a very important time since the Grand Prix.
“I’m in a good place, I’m happy and I’m looking forward to playing good darts again.”
Wade bedded double four to take the opening leg but Dekker levelled up on tops.
A 177 helped ‘The Machine’ edge back ahead by hitting double top and he then grabbed a break of throw, posting double ten in a leg that saw him miss the bull for a 167 checkout.
Another successful dart at double ten moved Wade into a 4-1 lead.
And the world number three finished the job, hitting double top to take a the two points.
Wade will face Mervyn King in his final group game on Tuesday evening.
By Chris Murphy
Images courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
James Wade has issued a message of thanks for the outpouring of support he has received in the last 48 hours.
The world number three, whose mental health issues have been well documented in recent years, was visibly unsettled during his World Grand Prix defeat against Colin Osborne on Tuesday evening.
Wade, who immediately flew back to the UK, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, clinical depression and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder when he was admitted to The Priory Clinic in 2010.
He has continued to receive the necessary treatment to combat his illnesses ever since.
“I want to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to all of my fans and everyone who has supported me, especially since Tuesday,” said Wade, after online fan pages and social media sites were flooded with messages of concern and support.
“I am home now and getting the right help so I can focus on getting myself right for the remainder of the season.”
James Wade will take on Colin Osborne in round one of the PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix in Dublin.
‘The Machine’, winner of the £350,000 tournament in 2007 and 2010, will face Osborne on Tuesday 9 October at the Citywest Hotel, with the winner set to play either Paul Nicholson or Michael Mansell in round two.
The PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix, which is unique for its double-start format, takes place from Monday 8 to Sunday 14 October, with 32 players battling it out for the £100,000 first prize.
First Round Draw & Tournament Bracket – (via www.pdc.tv)
Phil Taylor (1) v Michael Smith
Mark Walsh v Robert Thornton
Terry Jenkins (8) v Mervyn King
Dean Winstanley v Dave Chisnall
Simon Whitlock (5) v Justin Pipe
Kevin Painter v Kim Huybrechts
Gary Anderson (4) v Brendan Dolan
Vincent van der Voort v William O’Connor
Adrian Lewis (2) v Richie Burnett
Michael van Gerwen v Colin Lloyd
Andy Hamilton (7) v Mark Webster
Steve Beaton v Andy Smith
Wes Newton (6) v Ronnie Baxter
Raymond van Barneveld v Ian White
James Wade (3) v Colin Osborne
Michael Mansell v Paul Nicholson
Prize Fund
Winner £100,000
Runner-Up £40,000
Semi-Finalists £20,000
Quarter-Finalists £12,500
Second Round Losers £7,000
First Round Losers £4,000
Total Prize Money £350,000
In addition, should a player hit a nine-dart finish, they would receive a £5,000 bonus. If more than one player achieves this feat, the bonus would be shared equally on a pro-rata basis.
Format
First Round Best of Three Sets
Second Round Best of Five Sets
Quarter-Finals Best of Five Sets
Semi-Finals Best of Nine Sets
Final Best of 11 Sets
All sets are the best of five legs. There will be no tie-break.
All games are double-start and double-finish, meaning a player must first hit a double before he can begin scoring in each leg.
The best ever line-up of professional darts stars has been assembled for an exclusive two-day event, the Dalgleish Borders Masters, which will take place on the 28-29 September at Kelso.
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
15-time World Champion Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor heads the list of the PDC’s top players taking part in the exciting event, which can boast an unprecedented abundance of quality.
World number one Taylor is joined by reigning and two-time World Champion Adrian Lewis, seven-time major winner James Wade and five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld.
Another World Champion, Welshman Mark Webster, is also on show, as are Australian aces Simon Whitlock and Paul Nicholson.
The stunning line-up is completed by the Scottish trio of former Premier League champion Gary Anderson, 2012 UK Open winner Robert Thornton and John Henderson.
The Dalgleish Borders Masters sees the world’s very best players battle it out in two exclusive tournaments, with eight players competing in the Nations Cup being on Friday September 28 before Taylor and Thornton join them for Borders Masters, which takes place the following day.
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Promoters Davie Hanson and Kevin Green are delighted to have put together such a star-studded field of talent.
“This really is our perfect ten,” said Hanson. “We have ten superstars of the sport and it will be a fantastic couple of days.
“The only time you would normally see such quality is in the latter stages of televised majors and I know there will be no shortage of competitiveness.”
Green added: “It really is like a who’s who of darts and a once in a lifetime opportunity for darts fans to see all of their favourite players under one roof.”
Tickets for this unique event are available from Davie Hanson 07872 078715 / Kevin Green 07958 642751 or online via www.dartshop.tv
By Chris Murphy
To buy tickets for the Dalgleish Borders Master click here
This your chance to become the proud owner of a signed James Wade match shirt from the 2012 McCoy’s Premier League.
And it is for a very worthy cause.
The shirt, personally signed by the world number three, has been put up on eBay for the highest bidder to acquire, with all proceeds going to the TWO BRIDGES CHALLENGE and their charities that they are raising fund for (details below).
TWO BRIDGES CHALLENGE
500 miles, 3 Countries, 7 days.
A 20 strong team will be attempting to cycle across 3 Countries, covering the 500 miles from Pegasus Bridge in Normandy France, through Belgium and ending at Major John Frost Bridge (Arnhem Bridge) in Arnhem, Netherlands in just 7 days.
The aim is to raise funds and awareness for 2 great charitable causes, www.afghanistantrust.org and the www.lewybody.org
Both charities are very close to the hearts of the participants and the goal is to raise in excess of £25000 with a 50/50 split for each charity.
BID FOR THE JAMES WADE 2012 PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH WORN SHIRT HERE
Donations can be made to the Two Bridges Challenge by visiting the Two Bridges Challenge Page here
James Wade produced a brilliant run to his fifth Blackpool final in seven attempts, before eventually being edged out by Phil Taylor in the Betfair World Matchplay on Sunday evening.
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
‘The Machine’ pushed Taylor hard in a close run affair but was unable to prevent ‘The Power’ from clinching the £100,000 title for the thirteenth time, with the world number one running out an 18-15 winner.
“I have practised hard for weeks but I wasn’t in full flow tonight,” said Wade, who triumphed at The Winter Gardens in 2007.
“Getting 15 legs off Phil in the final is massive but I don’t see coming second as a good week’s work.
“I will continue to work hard and put more into this game though. I’m old enough now to realise that it’s what I’ll have to do to be the best.”
Wade showed some fantastic form throughout the tournament, defeating Richie Burnett and Mark Walsh with apparent ease in the first two rounds.
The world number three saw off the challenge of nine-dart hero Michael van Gerwen in the last eight before sealing victory over Terry Jenkins with six ton-plus finishes to reach the final, where he battled hard but was unable to topple Taylor.
‘The Power’ admitted that it could have been a different story after Wade was denied checkouts of 140 and 144 by the width of the wire in crucial legs.
“James was fantastic and has been all week,” said Taylor
“If those shots had gone in, he would have won.
“That was the nerveiest final I have ever played in.”
By Chris Murphy
JAMES WADE 17 – 15 Terry Jenkins
James Wade secured his fifth final appearance in seven visits to Blackpool’s Winter Gardens with a well earned victory over Terry Jenkins in the semi-finals of the Betfair World Matchplay on Saturday night.
Lawrence Lustig/PDC
‘The Machine’, who won the tournament in 2007, fired in no less than six three figure checkouts as he dumped out the man that he beat in the final five years ago.
“The Bull” played his part in a real battle in Blackpool but it was Wade who continued his love affair with the prestigious tournament.
“Terry was amazing,” said Wade, who also reached the final in 2006, 2008 & 2011.
“He probably should have won that game but I managed to dig in and get a result.
“The crowd were on his side which made it harder and a lot of the big shots I took out were born out of desperation really.
“I couldn’t get settled tonight and I struggled to concentrate at times but that won’t happen tomorrow.
“I have been putting in the practise and hopefully that will pay off in the final.”
Wade hit four 180’s in the first session but was only rewarded with a solitary leg to his name, with Jenkins going into the break with a 4-1 lead.
‘The Machine’ halved the deficit before Jenkins restored it, but Wade pulled it back to 5-3 with a stunning 164 checkout.
‘The Bull’ made it 6-3 before world number three Wade reeled off six consecutive legs, which included clinical checkouts of 103, 107 & 127.
Jenkins then hit back, taking five legs in a row to go 11-9 in front before ‘The Machine’ produced a sublime 130 checkout to spark another run of consecutive legs, this time taking a quick-fire four, with a sensational 144 finish in amongst the game shots.
Jenkins took the next two to restore parity at 13 apiece before Wade split 26 and then hit double top to move two legs clear.
‘The Bull’ wasn’t finished though and won the next two to leave the match finely poised at 15 all.
But Wade grabbed a crucial break of throw before getting the job done on double six, to move into Sunday evening’s £100,000 final.
By Chris Murphy
JAMES WADE 16 – 13 Michael van Gerwen
James Wade sealed his place in a sixth semi-final in seven visits to Blackpool with a 16-13 triumph over Michael van Gerwen in a high quality encounter in the Betfair World Matchplay.
Lawrence Lustig/PDC
‘The Machine’, who is chasing his eighth major title, set up a last four clash against Terry Jenkins after being pushed hard by his opponent in a match where neither player’s average dropped below 100 from the off.
“Michael fought hard there,” said Wade, who won the tournament in 2007.
“He’s back to playing some of the best darts he’s ever played but I’ve been practising hard and it is starting to show in patches.
“I’m looking forward to playing Terry tomorrow. I know that we will both just go up there and play darts and may the best man win.”
Wade started the strongest, hitting double ten to take the first leg before breaking with a brilliant 116 checkout in the second, which included his first maximum.
van Gerwen broke straight back before ‘The Machine’ reeled off five consecutive legs in business like fashion, hitting two more maximums along the way.
‘Mighty Mike’ stuck in his first 180 as he pulled it back to 7-3, only for Wade to win the next two legs, holding with a sensational 146 checkout, before another 180 helped him break the Dutchman’s throw once again.
van Gerwen managed to break back, cutting Wade’s lead to 9-4 but the world number three restored his six leg lead with a seventh succesful shot at double ten.
Former World Master van Gerwen grabbed the games’ fourth consecutive break of throw, taking out 25, to leave the second session five legs behind.
The Dutchman, who had hit a nine-darter 48 hours earlier, went off with his fourth 180 in the 16th leg but ‘The Machine’ took out another fabulous shot with 122 on the bull.
van Gerwen took out 24 and then 65 to reduce Wade’s lead to 11-7, despite the 2007 winner hitting his fifth 180.
‘Mighty Mike’ levelled up the maximum count before hitting double 16 to move within three legs of Wade with a break.
The 23-year-old won a fourth leg on the spin, hitting double five before Wade made it 12-9 with a 12 dart leg.
van Gerwen hit double 16 to peg back ‘The Machine’ again, before grabbing a seemingly crucial break of throw with a fantastic 88 outshot on the bull.
Wade ensured he kept daylight between them, taking out 72 to break straight back, before a neat 86 finish put him three legs clear at 14-11.
van Gerwen kept himself in it with a 13 darter, bere Wade’s ninth maximum helped to move him within a leg of victory.
The Dutchman held to keep the pressure on but Wade clinched his place in the semi-finals with a brilliant 71 checkout, finishing on double ten.
By Chris Murphy
JAMES WADE 13 – 4 Mark Walsh
James Wade produced a polished performance to book his place in the quarter-finals of the Betfair World Matchplay with a 13-4 victory over Mark Walsh at The Winter Gardens, Blackpool.
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
The 2007 winner and three times runner-up dominated proceedings from start finish, as he set up a mouth-watering last eight clash with Michael van Gerwen.
“It felt really good for the first ten legs,” said Wade, who averaged just shy of 100 en route to victory.
“I drifted away a bit towards the end but if there was ever a time to have bad patch, I’d rather have it at 10-1.
“I did alright tonight though and I’m looking forward to playing Michael on Friday now.
“He’s a young lad full of confidence. Good luck to him but I’ll be out to do a job again.”
Wade hit 180s in each of the first two legs, which he won, going out on five to hold his throw and 28 to break.
Walsh announced himself in the match with a 121 checkout to break back immediatley but ‘The Machine’ went up a gear and took the next eight legs consecutively, hitting brilliant finishes of 158 and 140 along the way.
Walsh pulled a leg back before Wade’s fourth maximim helped him on the way to an 11-2 lead.
Both players held throw in the next three legs to leave the world number three throwing for the match at 12-4.
He completed the job in style, hitting his fifth maximum before hitting double ten to progress into the second round.
By Chris Murphy
Enjoy at night at the darts in style at the VIP EXPERIENCE,Tonbridge Oct 20.
JAMES WADE 10 – 5 Richie Burnett
James Wade progressed into the second round of the Betfair World Matchplay with a convincing victory over Richie Burnett.
Lawrence Lustig/PDC
The 2007 champion, who has reached four finals in six attempts at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, saw off the in-form Welshman 10-5 with a solid display.
“I was very focused because I know how well Richie has been playing,” said Wade, who will now face Mark Walsh on Wednesday.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have thought about that because I know what I can do, but I love the place, the tournament and the format and I’m looking forward to playing Mark in the next round.
“I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing and I’m sure I can do well here again.”
‘The Machine’ made a strong start, posting double top to win the first two legs, before extending his lead to 3-0 on double ten.
Burnett hit double six to pull a leg back but Wade restore his three-leg cushion when he found the same bed.
He continued to dominate proceedings after the break, hitting double top to break the Burnett throw again and take a 5-1 lead.
The world number three won the seventh leg on double ten, before hitting double top for another break.
Wade held to go 8-1 in front before ‘The Prince of Wales’ picked up a second leg.
Burnett added a third with a break of throw, which ‘The Machine’ responded to in style, hitting his first maximum of the match before taking out 52 on double ten to return the favour and move within a leg of victory.
The pair exchanged 180’s in the the 15th leg, as Burnett took another leg against the throw before holding to make it 9-5, granting himself a stay of execution.
‘The Machine’ finished the job off though, taking out 83 on double top to book his place in round two.
By Chris Murphy
Enjoy at night at the darts in style at the VIP EXPERIENCE,Tonbridge Oct 20.
James Wade is hoping to make some more memories in the 2012 Betfair World Matchplay, as he goes in pursuit of his eighth PDC major title at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.
The world number three has reached the final of the prestigious tournament four times since 2006, winning it once, and aims to build on his success in the seaside town. 
“I have some fantastic memories of the place and I love the tournament,” said Wade, the 2007 winner. “I really began to make my mark as a professional darts player in Blackpool. It was the first major I won so it is a special place for me.”
‘The Machine’ has experienced mixed fortunes so far this year. He reached the semi-finals of both the Ladbrokes World Championship and the McCoy’s Premier League before his hopes of defending his Speedy Services UK Open crown were ended in the third round last month.
But Wade, the PDC’s second most succesful player after Phil Taylor, is confident in his ability and hopes to hit top form when he faces Welshman Richie Burnett on Sunday in the first round.
He said: “I’m sure that I can do very well in this tournament and there is no reason why I can’t go all the way if I’m at the top of my game, but I have to win the first match first and foremost.
“Richie is a very good player, who has shown a bit of form recently so I am expecting a good battle but I’m used to that and I have shown time and time again that I can win these battles.
“Every game is going to be difficult. You can only take it one game at I time and confidence only comes with wins but I know that when I’m playing well, I can beat anyone.”
“I was disappointed not to go further in the UK Open, but the big tournaments come thick and fast at this time of year, and this is my chance to bounce back, and I have proved on many occasions I can do that.”
By Chris Murphy
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
A Milestone for Champions
The Money Shop is preparing to give customers a sporting welcome during the opening of its 500th UK store at 215 Telford Shopping Centre, in Thetford Chase, Telford, on Tuesday June 26, 2012.
Photo: Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Store staff will be joined by snooker world champion Ronnie “The Rocket” O’Sullivan and darts aces, world number three James Wade and world number six Simon Whitlock, to officially mark the opening of the financial services company’s 500th store.
The players will be at the store from 2pm where members of the public will have the chance to meet Ronnie and play against Professional Darts Corporation players Simon and James in a challenge for the chance to win a set of branded darts.
To mark the 500th store milestone, the first ten people to score a bullseye will receive a cash prize* and the highest scorer on the day will win £500.
Headed by store manager Kate Wall, the new Money Shop store will offer professional short-term financial solutions, including payday loans, pawnbroking, cash for gold, pre-paid cash cards and Western Union money transfers. The store will also offer a range of holiday money products and services including foreign exchange and holiday cash cards.
Kate said: “It’s a going to be a fantastic day with lots going on in-store and a great opportunity for our customers to meet some of the stars from the world of darts and snooker. We hope the celebrations will be a great opportunity to raise awareness about The Money Shop.”
Andrew Bryan, marketing director, UK, The Money Shop, said: “We are delighted to be opening our 500th store in Telford. Reaching 500 stores is a huge milestone for us so it is fitting that we’re celebrating with not just one but three sporting pros and we hope that it will be a fun day for everyone.
“Managing finances is important at any time, but is especially hard in the current climate. The new store in Telford will offer a range of convenient short-term financial solutions including unsecured short-term loans, cheque cashing, secured pawnbroking loans, money transfer, foreign exchange, Titanium Cashplus prepaid Mastercard, and gold buying services.”
The Money Shop is a leading member of the Consumer Finance Association, which operates to maintain high standards of responsible lending across the short-term credit industry, and is licensed and regulated by the Office of Fair Trading.
James Wade
Raymond van Barneveld
Simon Whitlock
Mark Webster
with special guest Andy Fordham
The Valley
Floyd Road
London
SE7 8BL
Ticket Breakdown (Non Corporate)
VIP £60 – via www.dartshop.tv – Click HERE for tickets
Gold – £38 – Call 0871 2261 905
Silver- £28 – Call 0871 2261 905
James Wade faces Colin Lloyd on Friday evening after booking his place in the third round of the UK Open following a high quality encounter against Stephen Bunting at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium.
The world number three battled hard to see off his impressive opponent in a last leg decider.
Bunting took the first leg, before Wade hit double ten to draw level.
‘The Machine’ hit double twelve to grab a break of throw but Bunting restored parity when he hit double top in leg four.
Bunting then held his throw to move within a leg of beating the defending champion.
Wade hit double top to set up a deciding leg, which he won on double ten after his opponent missed three darts at double nineteen.
By Chris Murphy
James Wade is aiming to successfully defend his Speedy Services UK Open title when the tournament, known as the ‘FA Cup of Darts’, begins on Thursday.
The world number three is bidding for a hat-trick of titles, after beating Wez Newton in the final to claim the £40,000 first prize last year.
Photo: Lawrence Lustig/PDC
“It’s a completely different challenge to the Premier League and any other major event that we do,” said the seven time major winner.
“I know people say they only take one game at a time but that’s literally all you can do because you’ve no idea who you’ll play in the next round if you get through.
“It’s not like the Premier League or, for example, the World Matchplay in that sense, but that adds to the excitement for me.
“I’m fortunate enough to have won twice in Bolton and it would be fantastic to do it again, but I know I’ll have a tough weekend ahead of me.”
Wade’s second round game will be against either former quarter-finalist Mark Lawrence or one of three amatuer qualifiers, who will battle it out in the preliminary and first rounds earlier in the evening.
“I still don’t know who I’ll be playing on Thursday night, and they’ll have played twice already so that adds to the challenge,” added Wade.
“It’s a short format, the first to four, so I’ll have to be ready because there’s no time to get settled in. I’ve just got to go out there and do a job.”
By Chris Murphy
JAMES WADE 6 – 8 Phil Taylor
James Wade produced a fantastic performance in the Play-Offs of the McCoy’s Premier League, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Phil Taylor reaching the final.
Photo: Lawerence Lustig/PDC
Wade gave ‘The Power’ an almighty scare, pushing his opponent all the way, but a brilliant 149 checkout against the throw in the penultimate leg of the match was effectively the difference, in a high quality affair at London’s O2.
Wade settled in quickly, as he held his throw with a twelve-dart leg, but ‘The Power’ took out 112 to level up.
‘The Machine’ edged back in front by taking out 104 in ruthless fashion, before Taylor hit double eight to restore parity.
Wade hit his first 180 in the fifth leg and Taylor responded in kind. ‘The Machine’ then narrowly missed the bullseye for a 161 checkout, but tidied up the remaining 25 to restore his lead.
The world number three grabbed a potentially crucial break of throw before the break, hitting his second maximum in the process.
Taylor broke back immediately after the interval, before holding to tie the match at four legs each.
Wade missed double 18 by no more than the width of the wire, before the world number one hit double five to break.
With Taylor leading for the first time in the match, Wade piled on the pressure by hitting another maximum against the throw, but Taylor managed to hold after both players missed darts at their double.
‘The Machine’ hammered home his fourth 180 in leg eleven, before hitting double twelve to cut the deficit to a single leg.
Wade just missed the bull again, this time for a spectacular 164 checkout, but he hit trusty double ten to grab what looked like being a vital break of throw.
Taylor took out a brilliant 149 finish on Wade’s throw to leave himself throwing for the match, before hitting double top to progress to the final.
By Chris Murphy
James Wade could be crowned as McCoy’s Premier League Champion for the second time, when the competition’s Play-Offs take place at London’s O2 Arena on Thursday evening, and ‘The Machine’ says he will be ready to face Phil Taylor in the semi-final.
Photo: Lawerence Lustig/PDC
Wade takes on Taylor in a repeat of the historic 2010 final, when two nine-darters from ‘The Power’ were the deciding factor in the match.
The last-four clash sees the PDC’s two most successful players go head to head, with Wade gunning for an eighth televised title on the night.
“I’ve got to win two games now but it’s not as simple as that because I’m playing Phil in the semis,” said Wade, the world number three. “Hopefully I’ll win the first one and then we’ll see what happens.
“I think it’s quite clear that Phil does something special against me and prepares perhaps even a little bit differently.
“If I can beat him in the semi-finals then hopefully I’ll have a good game in the final – but I’ve got to try and beat Phil first. I’m being positive about it and not frightened by playing him.”
15-time World Champion Taylor admitted that Wade is always one of his toughest opponents.
“Against James, you know you’re in for a good game,” ‘The Power told the PDC website. “The time I beat him in the final, I nearly hit three nine-darters and only won 10-8.
“He’s such a good player that he’s predictable and you know you’re in for a tough fight, so you might as well just relax and get on with it.”
By Chris Murphy
See James Wade in action in Grimsby on Friday 1st June / Weston-Super-Mare on Saturday 2nd June
JAMES WADE 7 – 7 RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD
James Wade booked his place in the semi-finals of the McCoy’s Premier League, after a dramatic last leg shoot-out with Raymond van Barneveld in Newcastle.
‘Barney’, who needed to win to take the final Play-Off spot, led 7-6 against ‘The Machine’, who was in need of a draw to qualify.
Photo: Lawerence Lustig/PDC
Wade produced a great leg under pressure to ensure it would be him who made it through, hitting 60, 180, 140 and 81, before hitting double top to set up a semi-final clash with Phil Taylor at London’s O2 next Thursday.
“It was such a hard game, with the crowd against me,” said Wade, who won the tournament in 2009.
“The eight players this year have been brilliant. I have been lucky at times over the last 14 weeks, but you have to be. I’m delighted to be in the semi-finals.”
Barney hit his first 180 in the opening leg, which he won on double 16. ‘The Machine’ responded with a clinical 95 checkout, before van Barneveld hit double ten to go back in front.
The Dutchman applied the pressure with his second 180, before grabbing a break of throw in a tense fourth leg, in which both players missed doubles.
Wade broke back immediately to reduce the deficit but van Barneveld did the same, to take a 4-2 lead into the break.
‘The Machine’ grabbed the fourth consecutive leg against the throw, hitting his first maximum in the process.
The world number three then hit double eight to hold his throw and level the match at four legs apiece.
Wade took the lead for the first time, hitting double twelve for another break of throw, before taking out 80 to go 6-4 ahead and in need of one more leg for a Play-Off place.
‘Barney’ produced a sensational 161 checkout to keep the match alive, and he finished on the bull again to restore parity.
Both players missed shots at the bull in the 13th leg, before van Barneveld hit double sixteen, but Wade held his nerve and his throw in the final leg, to book his place in the semi-finals.
By Chris Murphy
James Wade and three more of MODUS’ star players have hailed the role of sponsors The Money Shop, after a successful start to 2012.
Wade, Simon Whitlock, Raymond van Barneveld and Paul Nicholson are all enjoying the support of UK’s number one instant cash provider, and have all spoken of their gratitude and pride in sporting the company’s logo. 
The players have been repaying their sponsor for putting faith in them by proudly showing off the logo, as well as making personal appearances at various branches around the country.
Whitlock has enjoyed a particularly strong few months, having already qualified for the semi-finals of the McCoy’s Premier League. ‘The Wizard’ highlighted the importance of the partnership.
He said: “Sponsorship is such a massive thing for darts players. When I hit the top a couple of years ago, I was struggling for sponsorship, so to have such a well known brand like The Money Shop onside is absolutely fantastic.
“I hope my performances are repaying their support and I am pleased that I will be showing them off on my shirt in the Premier League semi-finals.”
Wade and van Barneveld are both still in strong contention to reach the Premier League Play-offs and the pair both paid tribute to their sponsors, ahead of their crucial showdown on Thursday.
“The Money Shop has been brilliant,” said van Barneveld, who appeared at the Birmingham Store last week. “I am pleased to give something back when I visit them and meet their staff and also with my performances on TV.”
Photo: Lawerence Lustig/PDC
Wade added: “It will be a tough match next Thursday. Both Raymond and I are desperate for a place in the semis, not just for ourselves but everyone who supports us. Our sponsors put a huge amount of faith in us, and we want to do well for them too.”
Nicholson reached the final of the World Cup of Darts, when he and Whitlock represented Australia earlier this year. ‘The Asset’ is hoping that was just the start of a good year ahead in major tournaments.
“I really want to win a TV tournament this year,” said Nicholson, who is appearing at the Metrocentre store, Gateshead on Wednesday.
“Simon and I were so close in the World Cup but it wasn’t to be. But I’m getting closer and the brilliant backing from The Money Shop can only help me move forward. They believe in me as much as I believe in myself and I can’t thank them enough.”
By Chris Murphy
Witness this historic moment when Terry ‘the bull’ Jenkins shaves his moustache for the first time in 33 years on 25th May 2012 @ The Untouchables Charity event in aid of Bradbury Enhanced Care Unit.
Please feel free to donate to this very worthwhile cause and to see Terry clean shaven…………….. What will he look like? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please donate at www.justgiving.com/teams/terry-thebull-jenkins
Remember to tick the GIFT AID box.
Many thanks to you all for your kind support.
JAMES WADE 7–7 Kevin Painter
James Wade came back from three legs down twice to seal a draw against Kevin Painter at Liverpool’s Echo Arena.
Photo: Lawerence Lustig/PDC
Wade, who hit four maximums, trailed Painter 4-1 and 7-4 but fought back to move onto twelve points in the McCoy’s Premier League, staying in strong contention for a Play-Off place.
‘The Machine’ hit his first 180 on the way to taking the opening leg. Painter held his throw in the second leg and then grabbed an early break with a 120 checkout.
‘The Artist’ made it 3-1 and Wade looked like he had the ideal response, hitting his second maximum, followed by a 140, but Painter produced a superb eleven darter to grab another break of throw.
Wade clinched a crucial break back before the break, going out in twelve darts to reduce the deficit to 4-2. He returned after the interval with his third 180 and went on to hit double 18 to move within a leg of his opponent.
Painter restored his two leg advantage when he took out 68 but ‘The Machine’ bounced back again, taking out 123 brilliantly on the bull.
‘The Artist’ hit double top with his first attempt to win the tenth leg, and then produced a stunning ten darter to move 7-4 ahead.
Needing to win all of the remaining three legs to have any chance of salvaging a draw, Wade hammered home his fourth maximum before finishing on 83 for a break of throw.
‘The Machine’ then held his throw to put the pressure on Painter. The 2009 winner hit back to back 140’s in the final leg, before hitting double top to take a share of the spoils.
By Chris Murphy
JAMES WADE 7 – 7 Andy Hamilton
James Wade claimed another point in the McCoy’s Premier League after earning a hard fought draw with Andy Hamilton in Bournemouth.
Wade, who hit two ton-plus finishes and four 180’s in the match, remains in a strong position to qualify for the playoffs with eleven points from eleven games.
‘The Machine’ threw his first 180 in the opening leg, but it didn’t stop Hamilton from grabbing an early break of throw. Wade broke back immediately though, adding his second maximum in the process.
The 2009 winner held his own throw to take the lead, before Hamilton levelled up at two legs apiece. Wade held again to edge back in front, but ‘The Hammer’ did the same to leave the match finely poised at three all going into the break.
Wade took out 86 in clinical fashion to win the seventh leg, before his opponent hit double four to win the eighth.
The world number three moved a leg ahead again, hitting a fantastic 116 checkout to hold his throw. Hamilton responded with a ton-plus finish of his own, taking out 123 to peg back his opponent once more.
The run of fabulous finishing continued, as Wade capped off a terrific twelve-darter with a 124 checkout. ‘The Machine’ missed two darts at double ten for a vital break of throw, allowing Hamilton to draw level again.
Wade then closed in on sealing a draw at the least, hitting his third maximum on the way to an eleven dart leg. Hamilton hit double top to clinch a share of the spoils but not before Wade hammered home a fourth 180.
By Chris Murphy
JAMES WADE 8 – 3 Gary Anderson
James Wade produced a solid performance to see off reigning McCoy’s Premier League champion Gary Anderson at Sheffield’s Motorpoint Arena.
‘The Machine’ combined some heavy scoring with razor-sharp finishing to send down ‘The Flying Scotsman’ and move to ten points after ten weeks of action.
“It’s nice to win. I enjoyed myself out there although I did feel bad for Gary,” said Wade. “He had the crowd on his back, which was unfair, but after last week it was important to get a win.
“Everyone is so close this year, and we have all got a chance of qualifying so I need to keep finishing well and winning because anything could happen.”
Wade hit double top to take the opening leg, but just missed the bull for a stunning 170 checkout before Anderson stepped in to level up.
‘The Machine’ edged back in front, hitting double top again, before hitting his first maximum in leg four, which he won against the throw with a tidy 82 finish.
Anderson took out 64 to break back immediately but Wade ensured he would take a two leg lead into the break, hitting double top once more for another break of throw.
The world number three moved four legs clear of his opponent by winning the next two legs, hitting his second maximum in the process.
‘The Machine’ continued his sharp finishing, as he hit double top again to take a fourth consecutive leg and move into a 7-2 lead.
Anderson hit double twenty to stop the rot but Wade soon finished the job, punishing his opponent for missing four darts at a double, before once again hitting tops.
By Chris Murphy
JAMES WADE 8 – 0 SIMON WHITLOCK
James Wade produced a stunning performance at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena, winning all eight legs to overcome a helpless Simon Whitlock.
Photo: Lawerence Lustig/PDC
The world number three grabbed what is only the third whitewash in McCoy’s Premier League history, pulling himself level on points with his opponent, but admitted that he wasn’t overjoyed with the manor of his win.
“Simon is one of my best friends in darts and it’s not nice to beat him 8-0,” said Wade, who has won four of his last five games.
“He was struggling and I felt a bit sorry for him because it’s not a nice experience. I just wanted to get it over with. People must think it’s a great feeling to whitewash someone but it’s really not. People always write me off. I’m used to it, and I’ll keep on proving them wrong.”
Wade hit double ten to hold his throw in the opening leg, despite ‘The Wizard’ scoring the first 180 of the match. Whitlock made it two maximums in as many legs but found himself further behind when ‘The Machine’ hit double top for a break of throw.
The 2009 champion soon went three legs in front when he hit double eight. His first 180 arrived in the fourth leg, which he won on double six. Wade hit double top to win each of the next two legs, taking a 6-0 lead into the break.
He carried on where he left off when the players returned from the interval, hitting back to back maximums on his way to claiming a seventh straight leg. He hit another 180 in the eighth leg, before taking out 90 to complete the rout.
By Chris Murphy
He is the second most successful player in PDC history and still just 28 years old. The future is set to be bright for James Wade, who is taking steps away from the oche to ensure that he continues to achieve more on it.
‘The Machine’, who has won seven televised titles, is sure he will add to his impressive collection of major trophies, but is not putting himself under any unnecessary pressure to do so, as he knows that he has time on his side.
“This is the laid back year for me,” said the world number three. “I am not setting myself any targets at all this year. I’ve got a few other things on my mind, which isn’t an excuse, but I’m not expecting too much. I know that I have got a lot, in terms of ability though, so who knows what might or might not happen.
“Having things sorted at home is massively important for me. At the moment I’m concentrating on doing that. I’ve started off a little car mechanics venture with my father, which is something I enjoy, and I’m having some building work done at home.
“Part of that is for me to have practise room for the first time ever. I know that’s what I need to do to keep improving and I’m happy to be getting things sorted out.”
Wade lost his first three matches of the 2012 McCoy’s Premier League season, prompting him to be written off in some quarters, but he bounced back with three consecutive victories to put himself into strong contention for a playoff place.
Despite suffering defeat at the hands of Phil Taylor last Thursday, Wade, who won the competition in 2009, is in no doubt that has the ability to go all the way once again.
He said: “I know I can win it, it’s whether I will or not that I’m not sure about it. I made it tough for myself again and that’s my own fault, but I’m back in the running now and it’s going to be a case of which James turns up every week.
“Then if I get to the finals, it’s which James turns up in that. But I’m happy to let people talk about their favourite forces. I’ll just do my job and hopefully I can upset a few people with good results.”
‘The Machine’ doesn’t believe that his early season form was caused by a hangover from his World Championship semi-final defeat at the hands of Adrian Lewis, who battled back from four sets down to win amid bizarre circumstances at the Alexandra Palace.
Wade remains confident that he will be crowned world champion at some stage in his career and insists that he is more than happy with his achievements so far.
“To be honest I don’t think that my form in the World Championship was that great,” said Wade, whose last four showdown was blighted by a draught on stage and late finish.
“I have to look back and laugh at the fact that I lost to Adrian in that semi-final. It is annoying that I haven’t been a world champion yet. It’s bugging me but I will win the tournament. It’s a case of when rather than if.
“I would love win it, but in all honesty, I wouldn’t swap a couple of World Championship titles for everything I’ve won. No way. I wouldn’t want to have two, or even three at the expense of the seven titles I’ve got. Of course I want to win it. If I don’t then I don’t, but I know I will.”
Despite that confident statement, the Premier League star admitted that self belief is something that he has found more and more difficult to have as his career has progressed.
He said: “My two happiest times, in terms of my career, were winning my first two major titles in 2007. I realised that I was good enough to be a successful professional player when I won the World Matchplay.
“Then when I went into the World Grand Prix, which became my second TV title, I knew I was going to win it before the tournament had even started. That was a really nice feeling. Unfortunately I have struggled to replicate that kind of confidence since then.
“It is my own fault and it’s largely down to commitment towards the game, but I’m getting that commitment back right now and hopefully I can get back to where I want to be.”
Where Wade wants to be is undoubtedly at the very top of Europe’s fastest growing sport, a sport which he feels should get the press coverage that its audience demands.
He added: “I’m sure people would happy to see some other sports have a little bit less coverage in newspapers to give darts half a page a week. Unfortunately, the people who make those decisions seem to be scared to try something new for whatever reason.
“It may be that they have an old fashioned attitude towards darts, but that fact that it is SKY’s most second watched sport is a little bit of an indication that there is a market for it in the written press too.
“If they actually went and asked ‘Joe public’ in the street, they would realise that they are missing out on quite a bit of exciting writing that people would love to read.”
‘The Machine’ is back in action on Thursday night when he takes on Simon Whitlock in the McCoy’s Premier League in Cardiff.
By Chris Murphy
JAMES WADE 8 – 5 Adrian Lewis
James Wade made it three wins in as many weeks with victory over world champion Adrian Lewis in the McCoy’s Premier League in Glasgow. The seven-time major winner avenged his defeat against ‘Jackpot’ from the semi-finals of the World Championship with an 8-5 success over the world number two.
Wade, who lost his first three matches of the campaign, hit four 180’s on his way to an impressive victory at the SECC, as he continued to climb the league table.
Wade opened with a 180 before hitting double ten to hold his throw in the first leg. ‘The Machine’ hit another maximum in the next leg but was unable to break Lewis’ throw. Wade hit double five to regain the lead and then double top to grab a break of throw, increasing his advantage to 3-1.
The world number three hit double ten again to open up a three leg lead, but ‘Jackpot’ held his throw to reduce the deficit to 4-2 before the break. Wade took out a brilliant 114 finish to hold his throw in leg seven before Lewis hit a 106 checkout to pull a leg back. The world champion then broke Wade’s throw to leave himself throwing to level the match. ‘The Machine’ had other ideas though, and wrapped in his third 180 before just missing the bull for a 161 checkout. He finally tidied up five to break back immediately.
Wade guaranteed at least a point when he hit double 18 to take a 7-4 lead. Lewis held his throw in leg twelve to keep the match alive, but Wade made sure of a third successive victory when he hammered home his fourth maximum before taking out 56.
By Chris Murphy
JAMES WADE 8 – 6 RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD
James Wade saw off a potential comeback from Raymond van Barneveld in a high quality all MODUS clash at the Brighton Centre on week five of the McCoy’s Premier League.
‘The Machine’ hit five 180’s and two ton-plus finishes as he sealed an 8-6 victory over the Dutchman. Wade had led 6-1 but ‘Barney ‘, who fought back from four legs down to win last week, pulled the score back to 6-5 and 7-6 before Wade won a last leg decider to grab his second successive win.
The 2009 Premier League champion admitted that he is yet to peak in this year’s competition but is pleased to have started to turn his form around, after losing his first three matches.
Wade said: “I did a job on Raymond early doors but I seemed to shut off later on. I’m glad to get the win, I’m slowly but surely getting there and I feel like I’m going in the right direction now. I’m still not playing my best though, but if I do play my best darts I know I will be in the top four come the end of the season.”
Wade sprung into life from the start, opening with a maximum and winning the first leg in eleven darts. ‘Barney’ replied by hitting his first 180 in leg two, which he claimed in the same number of darts. The Dutchman just missed the bull for a 161 finish before ‘The Machine’ hit double ten to edge back in front. Wade then grabbed the first break of throw by hitting double top. The left-hander increased his lead to 4-1 with a brilliant 110 checkout.
Van Barneveld looked like he might claw a leg back when he hit his second maximum but Wade took out a stunning 154 finish to go four legs up before the break. ‘The Machine’ hit his second 180, followed immediately by his third, on his way to winning the seventh leg. ‘Barney’ levelled the maximum count in the next leg before hitting double 16 to reduce Wade’s lead to 6-2.
The five-time world champion won the ninth leg against the throw before holding to make it three legs on the spin. Wade relieved the pressure by winning the eleventh leg to ensure he would claim at least a point, hitting his fourth maximum in the process. ‘Barney’ kept his hopes alive by hitting double two to reduce Wade’s lead to two legs. He then grabbed another break of throw to ensure that the match would go all the way, despite Wade hitting his fifth 180.
The world number three almost won the match in sensational style but just missed the bull for a fabulous 161 finish. He sealed the victory nonetheless, hitting his trademark double ten to add to two more points to his total, having claimed his first with victory over Kevin Painter last week.
By Chris Murphy
JAMES WADE 8 – 6 Kevin Painter
James Wade grabbed his first points of the 2012 McCoy’s Premier League season with a well-earned victory over Kevin Painter at the Westpoint Arena in Exeter.
The world number three out-scored his opponent throughout, and took out three ton plus finishes on his way to an 8-6 victory.
Wade, who suffered defeats in each of the first three weeks, feels that his relatively slow start is a familiar scenario and hopes this victory will be a catalyst for improvement.
He said: “It’s the same as every year; it takes me a while to get my first win. The players are brilliant in this competition; there is no weak link, so it’s such a relief to win a game. I’ll keep going and keep fighting, I’ve always been a scrapper and hopefully I can kick on from here and win a few more.”
Wade opted to split six, hitting two then double two, to level up after Painter had won the first leg. ‘The Machine’ then produced a brilliant 118 checkout for a break of throw, before increasing his lead with a thirteen dart leg. Painter won the next leg on the bull but Wade took out another stunning finish, this time 117, to go into the break with a 4-2 lead.
‘The Artist’ pulled a leg back before the 2009 champion hit double ten to restore his advantage. Painter then took out 118 and Wade responded in style, taking out 117 for the second time in the match. ‘The Machine’ had his lead reduced to 6-5 when Painter hit double 16. Wade then held his throw to ensure he would claim his first point of the season at the very least.
Painter took out 68 to take the match to a fourteenth and final leg, which Wade won with a clinical 78 checkout.
By Chris Murphy
James Wade visited Manchester United’s training ground yesterday ahead of the opening night of the McCoy’s Premier League.
Wade was joined by Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld, Andy Hamilton and Kevin Painter in his trip to Carrington, where he was given a tour of the clubs facilities.
‘The Machine’ also met Sir Alex Ferguson and Ryan Giggs, two men who know a thing or two about winning Premier League titles.
PHOTOS: LAWRENCE LUSTIG/PDC
World number three James Wade has agreed a deal with brand new sponsors, The Money Shop.
‘The Machine’ joins fellow top players Simon Whitlock, Raymond van Barneveld and Paul Nicholson in wearing the well-known brand.
Wade said: “I am over the moon to be associated with The Money Shop. They are a fantastic sponsor to have and I’m really pleased to be joining Simon, Raymond and Paul in being involved with the company. The announcement of this deal is the first step of what I plan to make a very positive year.”
Wade faces 2012 World Championship finalist Andy Hamilton in the opening game of this year’s Premier League, which starts in Manchester tomorrow. The seven-time major winner is aiming for a repeat of his 2009 campaign, when he won the tournament.
He added: “I’m really looking forward to The Premier League this year and can’t wait for Thursday to come around. I have been working hard on improving my game and I am certain that I can reward The Money Shop’s investment and do them proud.
“I’m feeling really confident and excited, especially with this new backing and support. I will wear The Money Shop brand with pride and will do everything I can to repay their faith in me.”
James Wade performed consistently well in the first two Players Championship events of the year, showing encouraging form ahead of the 2012 Premier League.
The Machine stormed through to the semi-final of Sunday’s Spanish Darts Classic before being edged out by eventual winner Michael Smith. The world number Three also reached the last 16 of the Spanish Darts Trophy on Saturday.
Wade produced two 6-0 whitewashes en route to the last four on Sunday. He also claimed an impressive 6-1 victory over reigning Players Champion Kevin Painter.
The seven-time major winner hit a brilliant 161 finish in the semi-final, but was unable to see off in-form youngster Smith, who won 6-4 before beating Justin Pipe in the final.
The Machine will now focus his attention on preparing for the opening night of the Premier League in Manchester on Thursday 9th February.
By Chris Murphy
World number three James Wade is sponsoring exciting prospect Chris Aubrey for 2012, enabling the youngster to compete as a full time professional.
MODUS are pleased to provide management for the 20 year old, who is currently ranked seventh on the PDC Youth Tour. He has enormous potential and is one of the brightest young talents in darts.
Aubrey hopes to emulate the success of his sponsor who has won seven major titles, making him the second most successful player in the history of the PDC.
Aubrey said: “It means the world to me to be sponsored by James. For somebody of his calibre to think that highly of me is a fantastic feeling. I am over the moon about it. It means everything to be sponsored these days and I’m very happy to be managed by MODUS. It is a brilliant reward for a good year and I want to go out and play well and do everybody proud.
“Having this kind of support spurs me on even more and I think I can achieve as much as anybody else. My aim this year is to win a youth title and qualify for some more major tournaments, hopefully including the World Championship. I can’t thank James and MODUS enough because this deal will give me the freedom to fulfil my ambitions.”
By Chris Murphy
James Wade moved a step closer to winning his first Ladbrokes World Championship title after beating John Part in an amazing sudden-death leg at the Alexandra Palace.
The Machine produced a stunning performance under no end of pressure from the three-time world champion, hitting five checkouts of over a hundred to win the quarter final clash.
With the players inseparable after eight sets and eight legs, Wade held his nerve to win a tense final leg. He won the bull to take the darts and hit 81 followed by a 140 to move closer to victory. Part kept up the pressure with a 174 to leave 128, but missed his second treble. The Machine kept his cool and hit 85 in two darts to win the battle and book his place in the semi-finals.
Wade hit double ten to hold his throw in the opening leg before grabbing an early break of throw by hitting double top. The seven-time major winner then found the double twenty bed again to win a third leg on the spin and take the first set.
Part got a leg on the board before Wade took out 48 to level. Darth Maple held again but the world number three hit back with his first 180 followed by a fine 82 finish to square up the set. Part had to pull out a wonderful 167 checkout to hold his throw, pulling the match level.
Wade hit double ten to take the lead in the third set and then produced a tidy 65 finish to break his opponent’s throw. The UK Open winner then wrapped up the set, hitting double ten to regain his advantage.
The Machine then put on a sensational show to win set four, hitting a brilliant 108 finish against the throw. He followed that up with his second maximum before producing another fabulous checkout, this time 140. He then hit double top again to open up a three one lead.
Wade continued to finish clinically when he took out 103 to edge ahead in the fifth set. Part held his throw to level before The Machine took out 84 in two darts to do the same. He then just missed the Bull for a 126 finish before the Canadian won the next two legs to win the set.
Part held his throw in the first leg of the sixth set before taking out 116 to break again and double his lead. Darth Maple then took out 75 to level the match.
Wade stopped the rot by hitting double top to hold his throw before his opponent did the same. The Machine hammered home another maximum before taking out 82 under pressure to edge back in front. Darth Maple held again and Wade responded with his fifth 180 but was unable to prevent Part breaking his throw to go ahead in the match for the first time.
With Part needing to keep hold of is throw in the eighth set to win the match, Wade hit double hit ten to grab a crucial break. He then took out 81 to double his lead with a fantastic twelve dart leg. The Canadian held his throw to pull a leg back but The Machine found double top again to restore parity and force a deciding set.
Wade hit double five under extreme pressure to hold his throw in the first leg of the decider before Part levelled. The Machine kept his composure under pressure again, hitting double two to edge back in front. Darth Maple held his throw again, meaning either player needed to win by two clear legs.
Wade forced himself in front in the tie breaker by hitting the tournament’s 500th 180, followed by a magnificent 124 checkout on the bull. The Canadian pulled level again by holding his throw before breaking to leave himself throwing for the match. The Machine kept his title dream alive with another big finish, taking out 108 to pull himself level. He then produced back to back 180’s to go back in front with a phenomenal twelve dart leg. Part hit double top to hold his throw and force the sudden death leg, which The Machine won on double top to reach the final four
Wade will play either Adrian Lewis or Terry Jenkins on Sunday evening for a place in the final.
By Chris Murphy
James Wade remains on course to become World Champion for the first time after cruising past Steve Farmer to reach the quarter-finals of the Ladbrokes World Championship at the Alexandra Palace.
The 28 year old has already won most major titles, and he moved a step closer to adding the biggest of them all to his impressive roll of honour by winning in straight sets for the second consecutive game.
The Machine got the ball rolling by hitting double five and then pounced on a bizarre miscount from Farmer; The Train hit 180 when he had 176 left, before Wade set up double top and hit it for an early break of throw. The UK Open champion then hit double ten to wrap up the first set.
Farmer hit double sixteen to get a leg on the board before Wade hit back with a tidy 96 checkout. The Machine hit a 180 before taking out 70 in two darts to break the throw. He then hit double ten once again to seal a two set advantage.
Wade just missed double top for a 120 finish, allowing Farmer to sneak a break of throw. Farmer then held to edge closer to pulling a set back, but Wade hit double top in both of the next two legs to derail The Train’s charge. The six-time major champion then hit double two to take the third set.
Farmer won the first two legs of set four to go within one leg of winning a set again. Wade hit straight back once more, hitting double eight for an instant break of throw, before hitting his third 180 on his way to levelling the set. The Machine finished the job in style by hitting a brilliant 116 checkout to book his place in the last eight.
Wade will continue his pursuit of the title when he meets former World Champion John Part in tomorrow’s quarter-final.
By Chris Murphy
James Wade produced an impressive performance, as he beat former World Champion Jelle Klaasen in straight sets to move a step closer to winning the elusive Ladbrokes World Championship title.
The Machine scored well and showed some ruthless finishing, especially on double ten, to book his place in round three.
Wade held his throw comfortably in the opening leg and his first maximum helped him grab a break of throw straight after. His second 180 soon followed as he wrapped up the first set, hitting double ten to win each leg.
The Machine continued his perfect success rate on that double, grabbing a break of throw and then holding, hitting the same bed both times. Klaasen got a leg on the board before Wade hit double top to take set two.
Wade was unlucky to miss double 16 for a 146 checkout before Klaasen got a break of throw in the first leg of set three. The former BDO World Champion then hit double eight to double his lead. The Machine hit back with another perfect dart at double ten before hitting double top for a break of throw. He completed a comeback in the set, hitting double ten yet again to take a three set lead.
The UK Open winner hit double top to grab and early break in the fourth set, before another maximum followed by a 46 checkout left him within a leg of round three. The Matador held his throw, but he was only delaying the inevitable as Wade produced a brilliant eleven dart leg to keep his title hunt on course.
His third round match will be played on Thursday December 29th.
By Chris Murphy
Wade earned a deserved victory over Steve Brown, while Webster disposed of top seed Justin Pipe in a dramatic affair.
Both players are back in action in the quarter finals on Sunday, when one of them could pick up the trophy.
James Wade 8 – 6 Steve Brown
James Wade progressed into the last eight of the Players Championship with victory over Steve ‘The Bomber’ Brown.
The UK Open winner showed only glimpses of his brilliant best, but still had too much for his opponent.
Wade was as deadly as ever on double ten to take the first leg, but Brown hit back, taking out 64 to win the second.
The next leg again went with the throw, as Wade put himself back in front. He then grabbed an early break, hitting double top to open up a two leg lead.
The Machine hit his first 180 in leg five, and went on to win it with a nice 106 checkout as he threatened to run away with it.
Wade almost took out a spectacular 170 in the next leg, just missing the bull, before Brown hit double ten to get his self back into the game.
Brown then managed to break back to reduce Wade’s lead to a single leg, but The Machine pulled off a stunning 142 finish to open the gap once more.
Wade’s lead quickly increased to 6-3 with a 60 checkout, before Brown hit double one to pull a leg back.
Wade then produced a leg of real quality, as he finished on double 12 in just a dozen darts. Brown earned a stay of execution when he hit double top to take the twelfth leg.
The Bomber threatened to make it more than just that by breaking the throw in the next leg, but Wade inflicted his punishment by breaking straight back to secure a fairly comfortable win.
Wade faces Scott Rand in Sunday afternoon’s quarter final.
Mark Webster 8 – 7 Justin Pipe
Mark Webster held his nerve to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against number one seed Justin Pipe.
Webster, seemingly undeterred by his opponent’s unusually slow style, won a nail-biting last leg decider and progressed into the quarter finals.
Webster suffered an early setback when Pipe broke his throw in the opening leg, but he took out 80 to break straight back.
Webster successfully returned to double ten to win the third leg before Pipe levelled things up.
The Welshman edged ahead again, holding his throw to take leg five before Pipe restored parity. It was Pipe who got the break, hitting bull to take a 4-3 lead.
Pipe then hit double 18 to open up a two leg lead for the first time, but Webster bounced back by taking out 64 to win the ninth leg.
Webster then inflicted a big blow on his opponent, a former boxer, by hitting eight perfect darts against the throw. He just missed out on a stunning nine dart finish, but cleaned up to level the score.
The world number six hit double top to win the next leg, but was unlucky to bust his score by hitting the wrong double when going for a break of throw before Pipe took out 101 to square the score at six all.
Webster missed four darts at double six allowing Pipe to break and leave himself throwing for the match.
Pipe then missed four darts at doubles and Webster duly punished him, hitting double five with the last dart in his hand.
In a tense last leg, Pipe missed two more darts for the match and Webster took out 60 to ensure that it was the Spider who claimed eight legs.
Webster will face Dave Chisnall in the quarter finals on Sunday afternoon.
