Gary Anderson plans Ally Pally birthday bash as Scots darts hero opens up on biggest downfall

Gary Anderson is planning a big birthday bash at the Ally Pally.

The Scottish star begins his bid for a Paddy Power World Championship hat-trick when he faces Jeffrey de Graaf. Anderson is the biggest threat to the nuclear Lukes Littler and Humphries in the showpiece tournament due to a resurgence in form and he’s bang in the spotlight tonight.

Four years ago, he was stuck in digs on his todd as he hit the half century. This time, on the day he turns 54, Anderson will be in the midst of a typically-boisterous 3,500-strong party in the Palace. He smiled: “I can remember sitting in my hotel room on my own in Brent Cross on my 50th, not a soul to speak to, but it’s part of the parcel. I like it because it’s later on in the tournament. It means I’m not first out if it goes completely wrong!

“I might be wrong about this, but I’m sure I’ve played three games before Christmas in the past. Ask any of the boys, it’s just getting past that first round. There’s going to be some great upsets this year, I think.”

Anderson’s treble bid is realistic. Having stepped away from some events in the past two years and finding a perfect work-life balance, the clamour is now there for him to return to the Premier League in 2025. But Anderson insists it’s just no doable and he won’t budge on his stance, with long-distance treks to World Series events are also off the menu as he continued: “I couldn’t do your Australia and New Zealand, I cannot sit on a plane.

“Even if you go on holiday now, it’s got to be about a two hour flight, because I struggle sitting on planes. It’s the old legs get cramped up. If it was nearby and got invited, yes I would, but like I say, the reason that I’m saying that about the Premier League is because I physically