Angus darts star Alan Soutar is unlikely to have ever had a better weekend than this one.
He picked up a £15,000 winners’ cheque for his debut win in the PDC World Darts Championship.
That came just 24 hours after his local club Arbroath went top of the league.
Soutar brushed aside the Scotland-England banter that dominated the atmosphere during his 3-2 win over Brazilian star Diogo Portela.
His outfit couldn’t have been more Scottish.
Tartan trousers, a Scotland shirt that mapped out his hometown Arbroath and an Arbroath FC pin badge.
Alan Soutar loves Scotland-England banter
Fans chanted ‘Scotland get battered everywhere they go.’
They booed the Dundee firefighter as he tried to claim the match-winning double eight dart.
But after being inspired by nine-darter debutant Willie Borland and Arbroath’s metoric rise to the top of the Championship, Soots claimed a landmark win.
“I enjoy that side of darts,” said Soots, who draped himself in a Scotland flag as he walked off stage.
“When you come from amateur darts, BDO and playing for Scotland the crowd isn’t like that.
🗣 "𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀"
Hear from Ally Pally debutant Alan Soutar who kicked off his campaign with a superb 3-2 success over Diogo Portela! pic.twitter.com/u99a6DU5qb
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 19, 2021
“The whole point of Sky Sports and PDC on TV is to create a mega popular watch.
“I wanted to get involved in it and be part of the atmosphere but I realise I’m here to play darts.
“Maybe I need to knock it back a bit. I’ve always loved the Scotland-England banter.
“As soon as I walked onto stage the crowd went straight for me. I thought to myself: ‘Oh no, what have I done?’
“But I’m okay with that. It’s not a Gerwyn Price thing, they aren’t booing me personally.
“It’s just a Scotland-England thing.
“I saw Willie Borland getting it the other night but he banged in a nine-darter to keep them quiet.
“Willie’s game was just mad and what’s happened since is great for him and Scottish darts.
“But I thought: ‘Cheers Willie, you’ve set me up now!’
“It’s been a brilliant weekend.
“Willie won on Friday, Arbroath are top of the league and I’m through. It’s tremendous.
“I’m still shaking. It’s an incredible feeling.”
