Gary Anderson – The Flying Scotsman

Few darts players make the game look as natural as Gary Anderson.

Nicknamed “The Flying Scotsman”, Anderson has spent decades entertaining darts fans with one of the smoothest throwing actions the sport has ever seen. At his best, the three darts seem to leave his hand almost effortlessly, repeatedly finding the treble 20 at a speed and rhythm that can make professional darts look remarkably easy.

Behind that relaxed throwing style is an extraordinary career.

Anderson has become a two-time PDC World Champion, two-time Premier League champion, World Matchplay champion, UK Open champion and World Cup winner. He has reached five PDC World Championship finals and competed against several generations of the greatest players in darts history.

His journey has taken him from pub darts and the BDO circuit to packed arenas and some of the biggest matches the sport has ever witnessed.

Growing Up in Scotland

Gary Anderson was born on 22 December 1970 in Musselburgh, Scotland.

Unlike some modern professional players who begin competing seriously as children, Anderson did not immediately set out to become a darts superstar.

Sport was always part of his life, but darts was not necessarily his first great competitive talent.

Anderson has named legendary snooker player Jimmy White among his sporting heroes, while Phil Taylor was another player he greatly admired as his own darts career developed.

He eventually started taking darts increasingly seriously during his twenties.

What followed would become one of the longest and most successful careers in modern professional darts.

The Flying Scotsman

Darts and nicknames go together.

Phil Taylor was “The Power.” Raymond van Barneveld became “Barney.” Peter Wright is “Snakebite.” Luke Humphries is “Cool Hand Luke.”

Gary Anderson became “The Flying Scotsman.”

The Flying Scotsman name proved considerably more memorable.

It shares its name with the famous British steam locomotive and fits Anderson’s Scottish background perfectly.

It also seems appropriate for his darts.

When Anderson finds his rhythm, the darts appear to fly towards the board in quick succession.

There is very little unnecessary movement in his technique. He sets himself, raises the dart and releases it with a beautifully smooth action.

Many darts fans and fellow professionals have admired that natural-looking throw for years.

Life Before Darts Stardom

Professional darts was very different when Anderson began his career.

There wasn’t always enormous television coverage, huge prize money and packed arenas waiting for talented players.

Like many professionals of his generation, Anderson had ordinary jobs alongside his darts.

That background is very different from the life of a modern elite darts professional travelling around the world for major tournaments.

Anderson also experienced another traditional part of British darts culture.

He worked in a pub.

In fact, Anderson once ran the Wellington Arms in Rooksbridge, Somerset, for fellow darts player Steve Grubb.

It is difficult to imagine a more traditional route into professional darts: playing in pubs, working behind a bar and gradually becoming good enough to challenge the best players in the world.

Making His Name in the BDO

Anderson spent much of his early career playing within the British Darts Organisation system.

His ability was obvious, but major titles initially proved difficult to capture.

Then came 2007.

That year became a major turning point.

Anderson won the International Darts League, defeating Mark Webster in the final.

He followed that victory by winning the World Darts Trophy.

Those titles demonstrated that Anderson could defeat world-class opposition over long tournament formats.

He had moved from being a highly talented player to a proven champion.

Throwing the Darts Away

Even world champions experience moments when the game becomes incredibly frustrating.

And Anderson once demonstrated that frustration in spectacular fashion.

The story came after a defeat to Tony O’Shea at Lakeside when Anderson struggled badly on the doubles.

Fortunately for darts fans, throwing away that particular set of darts did not mean throwing away his career.

Anderson continued.

And some of the greatest moments of his career were still ahead of him.

Moving to the PDC

In 2009, Anderson made a decision that would transform his career.

He moved from the BDO circuit to the Professional Darts Corporation.

The PDC contained players such as Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld, Adrian Lewis and James Wade.

Competition was fierce.

Anderson did not immediately dominate.

But gradually his extraordinary scoring ability began producing results.

By the 2011 World Championship, everything started coming together.

Anderson reached the final at Alexandra Palace.

He faced Adrian Lewis and eventually lost 7–5, but reaching the final demonstrated that he was capable of becoming World Champion.

Premier League Champion

Anderson didn’t have to wait long for a major PDC trophy.

Later in 2011, he competed in the Premier League.

He reached the final and once again faced Adrian Lewis.

This time the result was different.

Anderson defeated Lewis 10–4 and became Premier League champion.

It was a major achievement.

The Premier League requires players to compete against elite opposition week after week in arenas across Britain and Europe.

Anderson had demonstrated that his natural talent could survive the pressure of one of professional darts’ toughest competitions.

A Difficult Period and a Comeback

Success in professional sport rarely follows a perfectly straight line.

After his breakthrough, Anderson experienced a difficult period both on and away from the oche.

His form declined and he was relegated from the 2013 Premier League.

He also slipped outside the world’s top 16.

For some players, that might have signalled the beginning of the end.

For Anderson, it became the beginning of an extraordinary comeback.

His performances improved dramatically during 2014.

At the end of that year, he captured the Players Championship Finals.

Anderson was back.

And the greatest tournament of his life was about to begin.

Becoming World Champion

The 2015 PDC World Championship brought Anderson face-to-face with one of his sporting heroes.

Standing on the opposite side of the Alexandra Palace stage in the final was Phil Taylor.

Taylor had dominated professional darts for decades and accumulated 16 World Championship titles across the BDO and PDC.

The final became a classic.

It went all the way to a deciding set.

Anderson held his nerve and won 7–6.

Gary Anderson was World Champion.

The victory represented the culmination of years of professional darts.

From pub competitions and the BDO circuit to the biggest stage in the sport, The Flying Scotsman had finally reached the summit.

An Incredible 2015

Becoming World Champion didn’t slow Anderson down.

Only months later, he reached another major final.

The 2015 Premier League final placed him against Michael van Gerwen.

Anderson defeated the Dutch superstar 11–7 to win his second Premier League crown.

By now, Anderson was playing the best darts of his career.

His scoring was enormous, his confidence was high and his smooth throwing action was operating beautifully.

The big question was whether he could defend his World Championship.

Back-to-Back World Champion

Winning one World Championship is difficult.

Successfully defending it can be even harder.

Every opponent wants to defeat the reigning champion.

Anderson returned to Alexandra Palace for the 2016 tournament and once again produced exceptional darts.

In the semi-final against Jelle Klaasen, he delivered something particularly special.

He won the semi-final 6–0.

Waiting in the final was Adrian Lewis.

Five years earlier, Lewis had defeated Anderson in his first PDC World Championship final.

This time Anderson won 7–5.

The Flying Scotsman was now a back-to-back World Champion.

It placed him among an extremely exclusive group of players capable of successfully defending the PDC world crown.

The Maximum Machine

One reason Anderson became so popular with darts fans was his extraordinary ability to score heavily.

Few sights in darts are more satisfying than watching Anderson find his rhythm on the treble 20.

First dart: treble 20.

Second dart: treble 20.

Third dart: treble 20.

One hundred and eighty!

At his peak, Anderson produced maximums at an incredible rate.

Yet the most impressive thing about his scoring isn’t simply the number of maximums.

It is how effortless they can look.

There is no violent throwing action or exaggerated movement.

Just three smooth throws.

And quite often, three darts sitting together in the treble 20.

The Magical Year of 2018

By 2018, Anderson was already a two-time World Champion and established legend of the game.

But he produced another remarkable season.

First came the UK Open.

Anderson defeated Australian Corey Cadby 11–7 in the final to lift the trophy.

Then came one of the greatest matches of his career.

At the World Matchplay in Blackpool, Anderson reached the final against Mensur Suljovic.

The match became an epic battle.

Eventually Anderson won 21–19.

He was World Matchplay champion.

Later that year, he added the Champions League of Darts, defeating fellow Scot Peter Wright 11–4 in the final.

It was another reminder that Anderson remained capable of winning almost any tournament he entered.

World Cup Champion

Professional darts is normally an individual sport.

The World Cup of Darts is different.

Players compete for their countries in pairs.

In 2019, Scotland had a formidable partnership:

Gary Anderson & Peter Wright

The two Scottish stars reached the final against the Republic of Ireland.

Scotland won.

For Anderson, it added another prestigious trophy to an already remarkable collection.

Jump Around

A major darts match begins long before the first dart hits the board.

The walk-on is part of the show.

Thousands of spectators sing, dance and welcome the players into the arena.

Anderson has one of the most recognisable entrances in darts.

The energetic song creates a wonderful contrast with Anderson himself.

The crowd may be jumping and shouting while The Flying Scotsman walks calmly towards the stage preparing to play.

Once he reaches the oche, however, the entertainment comes from his darts.

Five World Championship Finals

Anderson’s World Championship record demonstrates his remarkable longevity.

He reached his first PDC World Championship final in 2011.

He returned in 2015 and won it.

He successfully defended the championship in 2016.

He reached another final in 2017, losing to Michael van Gerwen.

Then, a decade after his first appearance in the final, Anderson returned again in 2021.

This time Gerwyn Price defeated him.

Five World Championship finals across more than a decade illustrate how long Anderson remained among the sport’s elite.

What Makes Gary Anderson So Good?

Ask darts fans to describe Gary Anderson and one word appears repeatedly:

Smooth.

His throwing action is one of the most admired in professional darts.

There is very little wasted movement.

The dart comes back, moves forward and leaves his hand in one continuous action.

When Anderson establishes his rhythm, the second and third darts follow naturally.

That rhythm is particularly effective when he is attacking the treble 20.

Anderson is also a naturally fast player.

He doesn’t normally spend a long time aiming each individual dart.

He trusts his action.

That confidence allows him to produce devastating bursts of scoring.

Of course, Anderson’s career hasn’t been perfect.

Like almost every professional, he has experienced periods when his doubles refused to cooperate or his scoring disappeared.

But when everything comes together, there are few players in darts history who have made the game look easier.

Competing Across Generations

Another remarkable aspect of Anderson’s career is the number of different eras he has experienced.

He competed during the era dominated by Phil Taylor.

He played against Raymond van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis at their peaks.

He battled Michael van Gerwen throughout the Dutchman’s dominant years.

He competed against Peter Wright, Gerwyn Price and Michael Smith.

And his career continued into the generation featuring Luke Humphries and Luke Littler.

Very few players remain dangerous against elite opposition across such a long period.

Anderson has done exactly that.

The Flying Scotsman’s Career

Gary Anderson’s career can be summarised through an extraordinary collection of achievements.

• He became one of the leading players on the BDO circuit.
• He won the International Darts League.
• He won the World Darts Trophy.
• He moved to the PDC in 2009.
• He reached his first PDC World Championship final in 2011.
• He became Premier League champion in 2011.
• He won the Players Championship Finals in 2014.
• He became PDC World Champion in 2015.
• He won his second Premier League title in 2015.
• He successfully defended his World Championship in 2016.
• He won the UK Open in 2018.
• He became World Matchplay champion in 2018.
• He won the Champions League of Darts in 2018.
• He won the World Cup of Darts for Scotland alongside Peter Wright in 2019.
• He reached five PDC World Championship finals.

A Legend of Modern Darts

Gary Anderson’s place in darts history isn’t based on one tournament or one remarkable season.

It comes from decades of competing at the highest level.

There have been World Championships, Premier League titles, nine-darters, enormous averages, World Cup glory and countless 180s.

But statistics only explain part of Anderson’s popularity.

Fans also remember the way he plays.

That relaxed stance.

That beautifully smooth throw.

That effortless rhythm.

And those three darts disappearing into the treble 20.

At his best, Gary Anderson makes one of the most difficult sports in the world appear remarkably simple.

That is why generations of darts fans have enjoyed watching The Flying Scotsman.

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