Darting by numbers: World Matchplay facts, figures and numerical highlights

Britain in July, Wimbledon, Lords, Henley and Blackpool! The World Matchplay at the beautiful, iconic Winter Gardens has become a major part of the UK's sporting summer.

The above are the words of legendary sports lensman Lawrence Lustig. LL covered sixteen World Matchplay events as the official PDC photographer and took the iconic shot that illustrates this piece. 

Like almost everything in the game darts you can get some wonderful insights through the simple numbers of any long lasting event. With this years Blackpool jamboree due to start this weekend we thought we'd offer a few illustrations:

1

Larry Butler defied the odds and history to claim the inaugural World Matchplay title in 1995! No USA has won a PDC major before or since. Butler’s ranking (equivalent of 26 by today’s methods) would have him as the lowest ranked winner as well.

THE FIRST PDC WORLD MATCHPLAY: Watch the Bald Eagle overcome The Menace

3 

Players to have won back-to-back World Matchplay titles: Rod Harrington, Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen

5

Nations represented by winners: USA, England, Netherlands, Scotland and Belgium.

7

Title sponsors of the PDC World Matchplay: Proton Cars, Webster’s, Stan James, Skybet, Betfair, BetVictor and Betfred.

8

Matches Phil Taylor lost in the history of the World Matchplay:  Bob Anderson (1994), Peter Evison (1996), Ronnie Baxter (1998), Peter Manley (1999), John Part (2005), Terry Jenkins (2007), James Wade (2015) and once in the final, against Michael van Gerwen (2016).

9

9-dart finishes at the Winter Gardens: Phil Taylor (2), Raymond van Barneveld, John Part, Michael van Gerwen, Wes Newton, Gary Anderson, Gerwyn Price, Dimitri Van den Bergh. Only Part and Newton went on to lose their matches. There is yet to be the perfect leg in a final.

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14

Biggest margin in a final: In 2009, Taylor defeated Terry Jenkins 18-4.

26

Number of different players to appear in the final. 

38

Longest unbeaten run of matches: Not surprisingly Phil Taylor from 2008-2015. After loaning the title to MVG for 12 months The Power reclaimed it in his retirement year in a classic fairytale story.

TAYLOR's FINAL MATCHPLAY: One More time

40

Most legs in a final: 2018 Gary Anderson defeated Mensur Suljovic (21-19).

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