Dennis Priestley

Dennis Priestley

Published: Tuesday, 30 October 2007, 2:50PM


Name: Dennis Priestley
Nickname: The Menace
Date of Birth: 16 July a1950
Place of Birth: Mexborough, S Yorks
Current Home Town: Mexborough, S Yorks
Darts Used: 15g Winmau
TV Debut: 1990

A double World Champion, Priestley will go down in history as one of the greatest ever darts players.

Priestley has reached most of the major finals during a glittering career, which saw him take victory in the 1991 Embassy Championship and 1992 World Masters before being a founder member of what is now the Professional Darts Corporation.

He defeated Phil Taylor 6-1 in the first ever PDC World Championship final in 1994, but lost in four subsequent Purfleet finals against Taylor.

Priestley was also the beaten finalist in the first three World Matchplay tournaments, losing to Larry Butler, Taylor and Peter Evison.

He was also victorious in early WDC events the UK Matchplay and Sampson Darts Classic, and reached the finals of the 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000 World Championships, only to be defeated by Taylor at the Circus Tavern.

Priestley was a quarter-finalist in the first two World Grand Prix, in 1998 and 1999, and at the 1999 World Matchplay, but a run to the last four in the 2000 World Grand Prix would be his best on the big stage for over five years.

Whilst suffering back problems he did win the Le Skratch Montreal Open titles in 2003 and 2005, and enjoyed a successful renaissance from 2006.

Ranking victories in Gibraltar and Great Yarmouth were followed by a run to the semi-final of the World Series of Darts, before he reached the quarter-finals of the Las Vegas Desert Classic and World Matchplay during the summer, losing to Taylor in both events.

He also made the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix, with Taylor once more his nemesis, and was a last 16 loser in the 2007 World Championship, going down 4-1 to Andy Hamilton.

A victory in the 2007 UK Open South-West Regional Final came alongside a debut Premier League campaign, where he finished fourth and lost, once more to his great rival Taylor, in the semis.

Taylor was his UK Open conqueror in the last 16, while he lost narrowly to eventual winner James Wade in the World Matchplay.

A first round loss to Colin Lloyd in the World Grand Prix was followed by the diagnosis of prostate cancer in November 2007, although he competed in both the Grand Slam of Darts and World Championship before undergoing surgery.

He returned to the circuit in the spring of 2008 to reach the semi-finals at the US Open and World Matchplay - continuing his epic duel with Taylor - and also claimed Players Championship wins in Bristol, Canada and Dublin to maintain a position within the world's top ten.

Priestley was a quarter-finalist in both the World Grand Prix and inaugural Players Championship finals which came either side of a run to the last 16 at the 2009 World Championship.

He would also win a Players Championship in Wigan in March 2009, a week after reaching both PDC Pro Tour finals in Irvine on successive days.

Illness to Wayne Mardle saw him return for a Premier League Challenge Match in Sheffield, where he faced Taylor in April 2009, and he battled to the last 16 at the UK Open before losing to Kevin Painter.

His Desert Classic challenge came to an abrupt end with a rare whitewash from Taylor, and Denis Ovens condemned him to a first round loss in the World Matchplay.

Typically, Priestley responded in the manner of a champion, returning to action in August with two wins in as many weekends, retaining the Canadian Players Championship in London, Ontario before picking up the PDC US Open title in Atlanta.