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Tony’s raring to go

Simon Smedley
29/ 8/2007

STOCKPORT favourite Tony O'Shea is refreshed and raring to go ahead of a busy spell of top ranking competitions over the next few months.

It all starts this weekend in Utrecht, Holland, when O'Shea, and fellow Stockport star Darryl Fitton, compete in the World Darts Trophy competition, one of the biggest and most lucrative on the annual tournament calendar.

O'Shea gets his Trophy bid under way on Sunday [2nd] when he faces Andy Hamilton in the second preliminary round. That's a tough enough prospect for 'the Silverback', but if he beats Hamilton he is then on course to meet Professional Darts Corporation World champion Raymond van Barneveld in the second round proper.

O'Shea told the Express: "Andy Hamilton is a great player so I'm not even entertaining the thought of Raymond van Barneveld yet.

"I've been playing well in a couple of recent exhibitions though, so I'm confident.

"The pro darts circuit eases off a little around June and July so I have enjoyed having a little break.

"I feel nice and refreshed now and I'm throwing well."

O'Shea and Fitton will both compete in the British Open tournament over the weekend of September 21-23, then O'Shea is on international duty between October 10-14 as he goes for glory with England in the WDF World Cup event in Rosmalen, Holland.

O'Shea will join team captain Martin Adams, Tony Eccles and John 'Boy' Walton as 2003 winners England try to wrestle back the trophy that this year's hosts Holland won in 2005 in Perth, Australia.

Holland will be the team to beat, but again O'Shea has confidence in his England team-mates.

He added: "The Dutch will be many people's favourites to hold on to the World Cup, but they have named a young team this year [Niels de Ruiter, Co Stompe, Mario Robbe and Joey ten Berge] and many are surprised by that. We all fancy our chances of winning the trophy again."

Over the weekend of November 17/18, O'Shea and Fitton will then be in action in the big-money Winmau World Masters event in Bridlington.

A former finalist, O'Shea will be gunning for the massive £25,000 winners' cheque this year, in what is now a £60,000 tournament.

O'Shea is currently fifth in the British Darts Organisation rankings, and Fitton is joint seventh, so both should once again be gracing the Lakeside Country Club stage in January as they contest the 2008 World Darts Championships.