Sport: Darts, Robert Thornton

Robert Thornton (SCO)

Published: Tuesday, 11 November 2008, 11:00AM


Name: Robert Thornton
Nickname: The Thorn
Walk-On Music: 500 Miles - The Proclaimers
Date of Birth: 17 July 1967
Place of Birth: Scotland
Current Home Town: Stevenston, Ayrshire
Darts Used: 26g

Robert first emerged onto the darts scene by qualifying for the 2005 Lakeside Championship, where he would go on to reach the quarter-finals on his televised debut.

His emergence continued with victory in the 2007 Central Scotland Open, before he stormed through the field to win the World Masters title, defeating the likes of Co Stompe, Martin Adams, Martin Atkins and Darryl Fitton to take the triumph.

He returned to the Lakeside Championship for the 2008 event, reaching another quarter-final before Adams gained revenge for his World Masters defeat, and then won the Dutch Open.

Thornton also reached at least the quarter-finals of five other BDO/WDF events in his rise to number one in their rankings before opting to join the PDC circuit in May 2008.

He had won a place in the UK Open as a pub qualifier, and went on to reach the last 32 at Bolton, where he lost to Alan Tabern.

He continued to make an immediate impact in the PDC, qualifying for the Las Vegas Desert Classic and losing narrowly 6-5 to Adrian Lewis in round one.

The Scot then took victory in the Australian Open Players Championship, defeating Paul Nicholson in Shoalhaven for his first PDC title.

That display, allied to semi-finals of Players Championships in Canada and Holland, saw him qualify for the World Grand Prix, where he defeated Peter Manley but lost 3-2 to Andy Hamilton in the last 16.

Four further quarter-finals and semi-finals on the PDC Pro Tour came around another impressive televised performance, this time by reaching the last eight at the inaugural European Championship, where he lost to Phil Taylor.

He came through the group stage at the Grand Slam of Darts in November 2008, but lost to Terry Jenkins in the last 16, and was a second round victim of Wayne Mardle on his debut in the PDC World Championship.

However, he responded in style to power to the final of the Players Championship Finals in Purfleet, Taylor denying him a second major title.

Ongoing strong form on the circuit saw Thornton, who broke into the top 32 after the World Championship, continue his progression up the Order of Merit.

He then jumped to 18th in the rankings following an historic weekend in his local Irvine in March 2009 - where he won both the Players Championship and UK Open Scottish Regional Final on successive days with wins over Dennis Priestley in both finals, an achievement only previously done by Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis.

Thornton's rise saw him invited to compete in Aberdeen in a Premier League Challenge Match, following the withdrawal through illness of Wayne Mardle, where he took on James Wade in his first taste of that elite event.

Lewis would end his UK Open hopes at the last 64 stage, and a disappointing summer continued with failure to qualify for the Desert Classic and a first round defeat to Taylor in the World Matchplay.