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      Tottenham cult hero Sandro struck up unlikely friendship with darts legend who’s home was ‘like a movie’

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      FORMER Tottenham midfielder Sandro has revealed he once went round darts legend Bobby George’s house after falling in love with the sport during his time in England.The Brazilian, 34, joined Spurs from South American side Internacional in 2010 and went on to play 106 times across a four-year spell.
      Sandro spent four years at Tottenham and played more than 100 games for the clubCredit: Getty
      Bobby George is known to be one of darts most colourful charactersCredit: Getty
      All told, he spent seven years in England as his time in North London was followed by spells at QPR and West Brom.
      And he immersed himself in the culture during his time in the country, becoming a big fan of darts after regularly watching it on TV.
      This led to him buying some darts of his own to practice with, before someone at Spurs put him in contact with George.
      Ex-darts pro George, 77, finished runner-up in the BDO World Darts Championship in both 1980 and 1994.
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      But he is just as well-known for his eccentric personality, often seen wearing heaps of jewellery and giving brilliant opinions as a pundit on Sky Sports.
      And Sandro has now revealed a meeting he had with George which involved going to the darts legend’s “movie” house and playing his son.
      Sandro exclusively told Ladbrokes Fanzone: “Bobby George. Lovely jubbly! What a guy Bobby is. I don’t really know how this interview happened with him; I just know I was always playing darts in my house when I moved to England.
      “I’ve said it before, I’m an open guy, and when I came to England I wanted to understand and enjoy the culture.
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      James Maddison’s celebration involves him pretending to play dartsCredit: PA
      “I was always watching darts on TV and I fell in love with the game, so I bought some darts and tried to learn it!
      “I think some guy from Tottenham set me up with Bobby to do some work with him, and just because of how much I watched darts, I knew a bit of history about him, and the game itself. So when the guy asked if I wanted to meet Bobby, of course I did!
      “He was such a nice guy, we turned up at his house and it was like something from a movie! He was a great host, and we just spent the day playing darts, drinking and having fun!
      “I played against his son, while Bobby was just talking to us in the background, but my god, even his son was so good.”
      Sandro also referenced James Maddison’s celebration – which sees him throw an imaginary dart – and even challenged the ex-Leicester man to a game on the oche.
      He added: “I see James Maddison’s celebration is him pretending to throw darts, so it looks like he loves the game as well!
      “I’d love to give him a game, but I’d have to get practicing again now. Get myself, Bobby and Maddison in a room and let’s do it!” More

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      Alessia Russo hits a bullseye while playing darts with pal Ella Toone in Lionesses camp

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      ENGLAND’S Alessia Russo proves her pinpoint shooting accuracy transcends sports – by hitting a bullseye.The star striker, nicknamed the “Russonator” for her robotic precision, played darts with best pal Ella Toone in the Lionesses camp.
      Alessia Russso lines up with her arrowsCredit: TWITTER/LIONESSES
      Alessia watches her dart approach the boardCredit: TWITTER/LIONESSES
      And she celebrates hitting the bullCredit: TWITTER/LIONESSES
      Video showed new Arsenal signing Russo, 24, score a perfect 50 pointer on Monday to beat her former Man United teammate.
      She said “I’m buzzing” while celebrating.
      But Tooney, 23, joked: “I don’t even play. She’s retiring.”
      Russo has scored twice in this World Cup and will hope to surpass Lauren James, who scored three goals before her red card against Nigeria, as top scorer by netting against Australia.
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      At 11, Alessia was tipped as a future England star by goalscoring great Kelly Smith – and now, 13 years later, she really is making the Lionesses roar.
      The World Cup forward, who scored the winning goal against Colombia on Saturday to take England into the semi-finals, has been dubbed the “golden girl” of the Women’s Super League.
      The 24-year-old had already cemented her place in the nation’s hearts with a spectacular backheel goal for England in last year’s Euros semi-final against Sweden which was named the Goal of the Tournament.
      Now, a month after her transfer to Arsenal from Manchester United, Alessia — known to her family as Lessi — is lighting up the World Cup too.
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      Ace Alessia’s bullseyeCredit: TWITTER/LIONESSES More

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      Premier League flop brutally trolled at the darts after fans chanted ‘you fat b*****d’ in final-day defeat

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      A FORMER Premier League player was brutally trolled at the darts with a savage sign shown on live TV.The Leeds man struggled to make an impact at Elland Road last season.
      This sign hit out at Weston McKennie at the dartsCredit: SKYSPORTS
      And on the final day of the season, as Leeds were relegated to the Championship, fans harshly chanted “you fat b*****d” at him.
      Now Weston McKennie has been subject to further abuse – this time at Winter Gardens in Blackpool for Monday’s PDC World Matchplay darts action.
      As Andrew Gilding walked on to face Peter Wright on Monday, a sign was held out in front of the Sky Sports camera which read: “Weston McKennie loves a takeaway.”
      And the Leeds fan had also added “MOT” on the side – which stands for Leeds’ motto, ‘Marching On Together’.
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      The brutal dig was lauded by a selection of Leeds supporters.
      One said: “What a fanbase.”
      Another wrote: “Hahahaha 10/10.”
      And a third added: “Tweet of the day.”
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      McKennie, 24, joined Leeds on loan from Juventus for the second half of the season in January.
      However, the American could not make his mark in his 20 appearances and was unable to keep the Whites in the top flight.
      McKennie’s dad John hit out at Leeds supporters on Twitter following his son’s exit, writing: “All the best to LUFC! For those who supported Weston in a hostile environment, you have my respect!
      “For those who failed to remember it’s a team sport, you live to fight another day!”
      McKennie now looks set to be sold by his Italian parent club, with Borussia Dortmund linked with a transfer.
      Meanwhile, his former club have brought in Daniel Farke as their new boss and Ethan Ampadu to bolster the squad for the Championship.
      The American endured a torrid time at Elland RoadCredit: Getty More

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      Before my big break in darts I had a job tiling the bathroom of a famous Arsenal legend, reveals Michael van Gerwen

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      DARTS hero Michael van Gerwen has revealed he tiled the bathroom of an Arsenal legend before his big break.Life was very different for the three-time PDC world champion before he stepped up to the oche.
      Michael van Gerwen had an unusual job before becoming a darts starCredit: Rex
      Dennis Bergkamp had his bathroom tilled before MVGCredit: Getty
      Van Gerwen worked as a tiler when he was a teenager in his homeland of Holland.
      And he once worked as a tradesman in the house of Arsenal icon Dennis Bergkamp.
      MVG told the Mirror: “I used to work as a tiler. The biggest job I ever had was putting up the tiles in Bergkamp’s bathroom.
      “We had to make sure we did a really good job on it. You don’t want to mess up when you are working for a legend like Bergkamp.
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      “When I was fitting those tiles, I never thought I would be a millionaire by the time I was 24.
      “But it proves that if you work hard and do well at the major tournaments, you can make a good living out of being a professional darts player.
      “I don’t think I would have been this rich if I had worked as a tiler until I was 70.”
      Van Gerwen is not the only darts fans’ favourite to have worked in different sectors before hitting 180s.
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      Current Premier League leader Gerwyn Price used to play professional rugby.
      Reigning world champion Micheal Smith used to work with cattle.
      Bully Boy has since converted one of his properties into a farm.
      Meanwhile, Peter Wright did it all from fitting windows to working on a holiday camp before becoming a darts ace.
      Jonny Clayton may play in the Premier League but the humble star still does part-time plastering on the side. More

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      Man Utd flop left Michael van Gerwen furious after beating him at darts… with a NINE-DARTER

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      MICHAEL VAN GERWEN was left fuming after being beaten at a game of darts by Wout Weghorst. The Manchester United star, who is on loan from Burnley, revealed his match with Van Gerwen and how he ended up leaving his Dutch compatriot “a little angry”.
      Michael Van Gerwen lost a darts match to Wout WeghorstCredit: Rex
      With Weghorst revealing the ‘cool’ way he beat his countrymanCredit: EPA
      Speaking to Sky Sports last year, Weghorst said: “We played once, he was with the national team (to visit).
      “He came there on an evening and we just played. It was funny and then at the end, we played from 301.
      “We played down and then I beat him. Of course that was crazy, that was really nice.
      “But he was a little bit angry and wanted to play two more games and I had no chance.”
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      The 30-year-old then lifted the lid on the “cool” way he beat the former world No1.
      He added: “But we will just stick with the first one. I was done in nine from 301.
      “I started exactly with two 140’s and then hit the double directly so that was funny, that was cool.”
      Weghorst has struggled to find his best form since joining Erik ten Hag’s side in January.
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      He has failed to score in 13 Premier League outings but has managed a goal in both the Europa League and Carabao Cup.
      Last month SunSport exclusively revealed how Besiktas want to bring Weghorst back in the summer.
      This is despite the 6ft 6in forward ditching them in the middle of the season in order to pursue a loan transfer to Man Utd.
      In Van Gerwen’s case, he has cast doubt over his Premier League darts future after revealing he was “fed up” of losing.
      The 34-year-old lost the PDC World Championship final the Michael Smith in January before losing to Smith again in the semi-finals in Manchester. More

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      ‘Homes under the hammered’ – PDC share joke with Dion Dublin after boozy pub session ahead of World Darts Championship

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      THE PDC poked fun at Dion Dublin’s drinking session as the TV host and former footballer headed to the darts. The World Championships are in full swing and producing some absolutely stunning matches.
      Dublin was enjoying a boozy pub session with mates before the dartsCredit: Twitter / @DionDublinDube

      Darts fan Dublin is among those enjoying the action at the Alexandra Palace and was seen on camera enjoying the opening game of the afternoon.
      Before that, the Homes Under the Hammer presenter took to Twitter as he showed off all of his downed pints.
      Dublin can be seen holding six empty cups of beer alongside mates as he prepared for a laid-back afternoon at the Ally-Pally.
      The former Manchester United flashed a smile at the camera and directed a message at the PDC account as he tweeted: “6 down let’s go!”
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      The official darts account then brilliantly quipped: “Homes under the hammered”.
      Dublin was announced as a shock presenter of the daytime BBC show in 2015.
      Since then he has become popular with viewers and known for his “stairs leading up to the bedrooms” catchphrase.
      He also featured as a co-commentator for some of the BBC’s World Cup coverage.
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      The drama Dublin watched out in Qatar is almost being surpassed by the last few days of action at the PDC World Championships.
      The 53-year-old was in attendance this afternoon as Dirk van Duijvenbode played out an all-time Ally Pally classic with Ross Smith.
      The Dutchman won a deciding sudden death leg after he and Smith could not be separated over six gripping sets.
      The pair also combined for a record-breaking 31 180s which smashed the previous amount for a best-of-seven game.
      Van Duijvenbode will now face tournament favourite and countryman Michael van Gerwen in the last 16.
      Van Gerwen was embroiled in a brilliant match of his own yesterday as he saw off the impressive Mensur Suljovic. More

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      England star and darts nut James Maddison enjoys night out at Ally Pally… but refused to down pint for rowdy crowd

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      JAMES MADDISON enjoyed some festive fun at Ally Pally to watch the World Darts Championships last night – but refused to bow to the pressure and down a pint!The 26-year-old Leicester City star has just returned to his club after being part of England’s World Cup squad.
      Darts nut James Maddison enjoyed a night at Ally Pally on FridayCredit: Getty
      The Leicester City ace says he is top of the club’s darts schoolCredit: PA
      The barmy crowd chanted for him to down a pint but the footy ace refusedCredit: PA
      Maddison produced a dart throwing celebration recently against WolvesCredit: Reuters
      Unfortunately for the Foxes ace he did not get any minutes for the Three Lions out in the Middle East after suffering injury in his last Premier League outing at West Ham.
      Despite that, the hugely-popular attacker and self-confessed darts nut wore a smile as bright as his Christian Dior jumper as he revelled in the atmosphere in North London.
      Maddison, who hopes to be part of Leicester’s side to face Newcastle at home on Boxing Day, was still strictly business.
      And after he was spotted by the crowds on the big screen and urged to down a pint, the footy ace refused to gulp a beer in one, much to the disappointment of those chanting.
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      During an interview with Sky Sports, Maddison said: “I think it’s known that I’m a big fan of the darts.
      “We have a good darts school at Leicester. Lot of the lads play, even the staff play.
      “We take the board to away games and we stick it up the night before when we’re having down time and the standard is decent.”
      And when pressed on if he was top of the leaderboard, he said: “I don’t want to come across big-headed but I am.
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      “Luke Thomas, who is with me today, would say different but the standard is quite good to be fair.”
      When asked if he gets 180’s, Maddison replied: “Yeah, I’ve had a few 180’s. Gone past the stage where I count how many I’ve got. But it’s good fun – we love the darts.”
      Maddison has discussed his love of darts on numerous occasions and he even produced a dart throwing celebration after scoring at Wolves back in October.
      Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers remained coy this week when he was asked about Maddison’s chances of playing on Monday, saying: “We’re going to give it every chance to see where he’s at.
      “He’s had some ongoing issues with his knee. We’ll assess that.”
      Maddison witnessed former champion Rob Cross reach the third round of the PDC World Championship after beating debutant Scott Williams.
      He will now play Mervyn King in round three.
      Welshman Jonny Clayton advanced with a 3-0 victory over Dutchman Danny van Trijp and will take on Brendan Dolan next after he beat Jimmy Hendriks 3-1.
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      Danny Noppert triumphed 3-1 victor over David Cameron, while Joe Cullen beat Ricky Evans and Ross Smith defeated Darius Labanauskas by the same scoreline.
      Chris Dobey enjoyed a 3-0 win over Martijn Kleermaker while Martin Schindler beat Martin Lukeman 3-1. More

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      Meet Beau Greaves the 18-year-old sensation aiming to take darts by storm after EIGHT straight titles in Women’s Series

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      BEAU GREAVES represents the future of professional darts – after overcoming crippling dartitis.This week, the 18-year-old sensation will become the youngest woman to play in the 30-year history of the PDC World Darts Championship.
      Beau Greaves is quickly becoming the future of dartsCredit: Rex
      Beau Greaves has won eight straight titles in the Women’s Series and will now be one of three females in the PDC World Darts Championship drawCredit: Instagram @beau_greaves
      Beau Greaves is the one to watch at this month’s tournamentCredit: Rex
      Beau Greaves has quickly overtaken Fallon Sherrock to be the top player in women’s dartsCredit: Rex
      The Doncaster thrower came from nowhere to win eight titles in a row in the Women’s Series – she was undefeated in 52 games – to book a spot this Christmas in the 96-player draw.
      On Sunday night, she and her sister bought some well-deserved fried chicken from KFC and then had an early night – because she was so exhausted by her magnificent achievements in Wigan.
      A 5-3 victory over Fallon Sherrock in the penultimate final of the 20-event series was pivotal.
      And she managed that in real style – her three-dart average of 107.86 was the highest-ever recorded by a female player on the PDC circuit.
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      Having overtaken a shocked Sherrock in the Order of Merit standings during the course of Event 20, she has shown she will be a match for any bloke she faces on the world famous oche.
      Greaves said: “There was a lot more pressure on Fallon. I came into last weekend with nothing to lose. 
      “To miss 12 events and play only two weekends is a brilliant achievement. I also know I can do it under pressure and that’s also massive for me. 
      “I didn’t think I would make it. I just wanted to come here and make some of the ladies work for it a bit more. 
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      “I was an outsider to be fair because I was quite a way behind. 
      “I just thought if I come here and play my game, they’re going to have to beat me. 
      “I was playing one game and halfway through it, my sister stood behind me and gave me two thumbs up.
      “I didn’t know whether she was saying keep going or that I’d done it.
      “When I finished my sister told me I’d qualified. She said: ‘You’re at Ally Pally.’ I said: ‘You’re joking!’”
      The draw for the worlds is on Monday November 28 and Greaves will play a ProTour qualifier in the first round.
      This means there is the prospect of her facing former world champions Raymond van Barneveld or Steve Beaton on her debutant.
      By qualifying for the worlds – which kick-off in North London on Thursday December 15 – she has earned a minimum £7,500 in prize money.
      Making the second round would equate to £15,000 – and Sherrock is the only woman to win at least one match in the event.
      She said: “It seems surreal being one of them ladies that have the opportunity to go and play there.
      “I’ve had a good year. There’s been ups and downs. But to get there at the age of 18 is massive for me. I just want to look forward to playing and not dread it.
      “This year I was just trying to be a ladies world champion. This is a bonus really. Obviously just doing that for ladies darts is amazing.”
      Greaves first got involved in the sport because of her brother and made a name for herself locally at county level for Yorkshire.
      Six years ago, she was subject of a BBC profile interview in which she played darts against three-time world darts champion Michael van Gerwen.
      Nicknamed Beau ’n Arrow, Greaves came on most people’s radar when she won the £25,000 WDF women’s darts title at Lakeside in January.
      A triumph she marked with a spot of late-night karaoke with her sister.
      But it was during the 2020 Covid pandemic, when she had time away from darts competitions, that she was able to overcome the yips that had suddenly developed in her arms.
      Prior to that, she says she started feeling “petrified to get on the oche” and considered hanging up the arrows for good.
      Greaves said: “I think lockdown helped me getting my throw back. I lost my throw completely. It all went downhill. 
      “That’s why nowadays I talk so much about enjoyment and no pressure because if I don’t I know I could fall back into the trap. And I don’t want that at all. 
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      “I think if I enjoy myself then my darts will flow. I might have the odd dart but that’s what you have to deal with when you have dartitis. 
      “But I’ve worked so hard to get back to a standard where I can play well. This is only the beginning.” More