Mervyn King’s building work & star who carried on as Iceland driver after big win… the very normal jobs of darts stars
BEING an elite sportsman often means you don’t have to work an ordinary job.
But some darts stars have opted to hold on to their day jobs while attempting to hit the bullseye.
Current World Champion Luke Humphries – who has earned himself £1.8million in prize money over the last two years – worked as a roofer while attempting to make his way on the sport.
The World No1, who was knocked out of this year’s PDC tournament last week, worked alongside his father, Mark, and brother, Stuart before hanging up his tools after making it big.
But not everyone gives up the day job when they hit the jackpot.
As Michael van Gerwen and Brit teen Luke Littler vie for the Wolrd Championship tonight, we look at the darts players who chose to slave away at ordinary jobs, despite sporting fame.
Michael Smith
Michael earned the nickname Bully Boy after he helped birth cows as a teenager – and has used his darts winnings to buy his own farm.
He regularly treats followers to a glimpse of life on the farm, which houses geese, chickens, swans, ducks, turkeys and dogs.
Michael, 34, also has two tortoises that he shares with wife Dagmara.
Being number two in the world hasn’t stopped him making plans for more animals and becoming a real-life Dr Dolittle.
After winning the World Darts Championship in 2023, he revealed he was planning to use the winnings to buy a bull – after his famous moniker.
He told The Sun: “I’ve said if I win the World Championship, I’m getting a bull for my garden.
“We’ve got tenants in the front field with two horses. I can’t just go back and tell them to get their horses out.”
Robert Owen
Welsh darts ace Robert, 40, returned to working as a delivery driver for Iceland in 2023 while still playing in tournaments.
The player, who is ranked 77th in the world, admitted several colleagues didn’t realise his darting prowess or career until he told them ahead of the World Championships.
Owen, from Bridgend, Wales, said: “I work as an Iceland delivery driver on a part-time contract but I manage to cram it all in.
“I practice darts three hours a day even if I work overtime and I also have a 14-year-old, a 10-year-old and a seven-month-old baby, so it’s all go.”
He even admitted the driving work left him with more of a thrill than a great score.
He added: “I would definitely keep my job as a delivery driver at Iceland if I won the tournament because when I go to work, I don’t class it as work, I just enjoy it.
“Finishing my deliveries faster gives me more of a thrill than checking out a ton-plus finish.”
Cameron Menzies
Scot Cameron, 35, balances his blossoming darts career with his day job as a plumber.
He was even fixing a bathroom basin just hours before walking onto the oche for the PDC World Championships at Alexandra Palace in 2023.
Cameron posted a picture on social media of him on his knees in a customer’s bathroom with the caption: “Working before the World’s. What a joy.”
He is currently ranked 39th in the world.
He told Sky Sports after he progressed at the Grand Slam of Darts, last year: “I don’t work Monday and Fridays now but I’m back to work tomorrow no matter what happens.
“It’s a bit different being here than it is being with a toolbag.
“Tuesday, Wednesday I’m in [work], hopefully depending how results go.
“I’m meant to be going to a gig Thursday in Glasgow but hopefully I don’t make it.”
Mervyn King
Millionaire darts ace Mervyn, 58, doesn’t shy away from a day’s hard work and worked as an Amazon delivery driver in 2020.
‘The King’ turned to the job after darts competitions were axed during covid, despite having career earnings of £1.7million.
He would be paid £120-per-day to deliver up to 200 packages for the company.
A colleague said: “It was quite a shock, seeing such a well-known sports star packing up his van with parcels.
“I imagine there will have been a few punters doing a double-take when top darts pro Mervyn King rings their doorbell with a delivery. But fair play to him.”
He’s since made a venture into construction, partnering with a pal for a new company.
“A bit different now, I was a delivery driver but now I’ve knocked that on the head. For the last couple of months I’ve had a construction company. I formed that with a friend of mine,” said King on the Not So Late Night Darts Show for PDC Europe.
James Wade
James “The Mechanic” was, unsurprisingly, a mechanic when he took up professional darts.
The four-times World Darts Championship semi-finalist, 41, credits the sport with changing his life.
Speaking in 2021, Wade explained: “Without the PDC and Sky Sports, I’d still be a mechanic playing darts in the pub.
“I’m grateful for the lifestyle and the opportunities they have given me.”
He founded Precision Auto Services with his father in 2012, when he had already broken out on the darts scene.
During covid he returned to being a mechanic to give keyworkers a discount on having their cars kept in good nick.
“To keep myself in the right frame of mind I work on cars, which are my passion,” said Wade.
“I can feel my happiest at the garage; there is no one there to judge me but myself.
“When people recognise me, they often ask if I am worried about hurting my hand – but I tell them, ‘If that happens, I won’t stop living. I’m doing this because I enjoy it.’
“It’s a nice feeling when you have done a hard day’s work in the garage – you can’t beat a manual job, having dinner, putting your feet up and getting moaned at by the wife!”
John Walton
John ‘Boy’ Walton, 63, was still playing darts when he took up stacking shelves in the Co-op to get himself through covid.
He was spotted in the Sheffield store by Dan Walker, who shared a photo of the pair on social media.
Dan captioned it: “What a treat to bump into 2001 darts World Champion John ‘Boy’ Walton at our local @coop_food in Sheffield.
“Lovely chat in the home baking and canned fish aisle.”
Talking about his job, the former darts champion said: “I work part-time, one or two days a week. It’s not a financial thing, it’s just… to keep me occupied.
“I’ve struck up a load of friendships, and it’s nice to give something back to the community.”
He is best known for his win in the 2001 BDO World Darts Championship which netted him a prize pot of £46,000.
He didn’t replicate his success in later years sadly.
John most recently competed in the World Seniors Darts Championship in 2022.
Jonny Clayton
Jonny, 50, was still working as a plasterer part-time as he was making his way up the darts rankings and into the pro leagues.
He made waves on the oche in 2015 but has refused to take up the sport full time, until recently, so he could keep doing his building work.
The World No7 told the Daily Star in 2022: “I would be a liar to say I have not considered it. But in a way, I am scared to give up my job, because things are working for me at the moment. I have not changed anything and I am doing well.
“I don’t know what would happen if I finished my work and concentrated on my darts.
“If things went wrong, I don’t know how I’d take that.”
A few months after the interview, he hung up his plastering tools to focus full time on darts.
He did his last shifts as a plasterer in December 2022.
Gerwyn Price
Gerwyn ‘The Iceman’ Price started his darts career while he was still playing professional rugby.
The Welshman, 39, pushed pause on his budding rugby career in 2014 after showing promise in darts as he wanted to focus on it full time.
He had played as a hooker for Welsh Premier Division sides Neath and Cross Keys.
Gerwyn was also briefly employed at Pro12 side Glasgow Warriors as injury cover.
Looking back on his decision in 2014, he said: “It didn’t really work out with me professionally in rugby. I was only with Glasgow for a couple of weeks on loan and I was only playing Premiership (as a) semi-professional.”
Stepping back from kicking balls proved to be a success as he went on to claim the world title in 2021 and won three Grand Slams in four years between 2018 and 2021.
Gerwyn is currently ranked No10 in the world for his darts prowess but is returning to rugby, having been announced as a player in the Martin Jones’ testimonial on March 29.
He will play alongside several former Wales internationals, including Rowland Phillips, Nathan Brew, Jonathan Spratt and Arwel Thomas.
Phil Taylor
Before becoming a legend in the sport, Phil Taylor, 64, worked three jobs.
He split his time between darts, working in a ceramics factory, welding cars together and bartending at a local pub.
But after racking up 14 PDC World Championship titles and holding the top spot in the rankings for 13 years, he is entitled to put his feet up.