Last of the Mohican
Peter Wright might have to have his punk mohican hairdo done by his GRANDAD as darts returns to the big stage!
The World Champion returns to the oche on Wednesday for the PDC Summer Series before the BetFred World Matchplay at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes on July 18.
Wright, 50, will be without hairdo genius wife Jo for the tournaments as she is still recuperating from a recent major back operation.
So it could be left to the most senior member of the Snakebite household to maintain his famous multi-coloured mohican.
Planning for his trip to MK this week, he told PDCTV: “Obviously I’ll need a big suitcase as we have a bubble for six days. I’ll have clean masks, plenty of gloves, hand sanitiser. All my shirts and all my darts.
“The name Summer Series sounds like the wrestling! But it’ll be good to see where my game is before the Matchplay. It’s going to be good and different with all the rules and being in a big bubble.
“But at least we are playing darts and people can see us playing.
“I’ll be chilling and looking forward to starting. Having fun on the board.
“My hair needs a cut at the sides and top and I hope Naomi will do it. With the Matchplay, fingers crossed Jo gets along and she’ll get colour into my hair. If not, it’ll be grandad who does it!
“Lockdown has been interesting with Dimitri (van den Bergh) being here. He got home to see his family.
“I’ve liked the rest to recharge the batteries, but also hard as Jo had a back operation which isn’t too good as she’s in bed all of the time and hardly gets about.
“Hopefully, painkillers will work or something will happen so she can get around again.
Wright is without doubt the biggest showman of the oche but he’s only worried about creaky floorboards and whether he breathes too hard!
He added: “I’ve been thinking about the whole thing as there has been rumours they might play crowd noise. Is it going to be for viewers watching on TV and in there?
“Some of the flooring when you walk on stage creaks sometimes. The more players are on it, it becomes loose.
“Some people’s footwear is heavier than others. People will be behind you geeing themselves up and you are going to hear it if there is not some sort of noise.
“You might have to wear earplugs as you are going to hear the slightest little things.
“Some players get nervous and swap their darts in their hands and you will hear that clicking. You will think: Are they doing that on purpose? Are they doing it every time you go for a double?
“Obviously, we play behind close doors at all Players Championships and did it at Minehead where it was freezing.
“But there is still noise. You can stll hear people talking and noise in the background at the Players Championship events. The Final is quiet unless you hear someone with the hand dryer in the toilet.
“I’ve stood behind a player in a Final and thought: Am I breathing too hard? It’s going to be very strange. So, hopefully, they play some crowd noise.
“I think it’ll make the players more aware of how they are walking on the stage. Stuff like that. They might go back to the table and accidentally put their glass of water down on the table and it goes clink as you are throwing.
“Or even pouring water. You could be going for a double and you hear it being poured. Hopefully none of those tactics I’m giving out here go against me!”
It’s been a tough year thus far for Wright, missing out on the glory of being introduced as the World Champ.
But he’s got his sights on more silverware to make up for it including a back-to-back world titles. He said: “Other players have done it in the past. Gary (Anderson) has done it, Adrian (Lewis), obviously Phil (Taylor). I believe I can do it, but plenty of guys will want to stop me. It’s up to me to put the work in.
“I want to win the MatchPlay. I got to a Final before and got too emotional against Phil. I’ve been close in the past couple of years. I believe I can get to the Final as I like the format, but I’m going to miss the crowds.
“It’s going to be horrible without crowds there. They spur you on. Even if they are booing you. It’s going to be difficult.
“I normally go through a bad patch in March and April time. That’s out of the way, so, hopefully, it’ll go okay. We’ll see when I get back to the Players Championships.”
By Phil Lanning
T: @lannomedia
F: Phil Lanning
IG: @lannomedia
Pictures by Taylor Lanning