The darts world has been sent into a frenzy by the confirmed return of Phil Taylor, and fellow Stoke-on-Trent native Andy Hamilton has welcomed the news — but with a significant caveat. Taylor, a 16-time world champion, will pick up his darts again at the age of 66, stepping to the oche in November at the MODUS Super Series, where he will pair up with his former World Cup partner Adrian Lewis.
Speaking on talkSPORT Darts, Hamilton said: "I think it's great news for darts. The darts at the moment is as high as it'll ever be. So good publicity is good for Phil Taylor coming out of retirement." The former world finalist is particularly intrigued by the reunion with Lewis, a combination that won the World Cup of Darts four times together. "I think it's just great for the game. Him and Adrian coming back together, playing World Cup again together, international pairs. So it's going to be interesting to see how Phil Taylor plays."
Yet Hamilton is unsure what has driven Taylor to throw seriously again. Taylor retired from the PDC after the 2018 Worlds and later played on the senior circuit, where he no longer carried the same air of dominance. "I don't know the reason why he's come out of his time to do this. Obviously, it's not about money. Also, it's just about probably the publicity to what he can give to the game as well, which is great, I think." Hamilton insists Taylor will not return just to throw a few show legs. "But also, he doesn't want to embarrass himself on that, okay. He wants to perform. He wants to compete. And that's just in his nature. So just time will tell. I don't know how he's been playing, what he's been doing darts-wise."
Hamilton suspects the sport's current popularity, led by a new generation spearheaded by Luke Littler, may have influenced Taylor's decision. "Yeah, definitely. I think any dart player who has it in their life, they just don't want to give in playing darts. Just like myself, I'm turning 60 next year and I still love this game." He sees a clear parallel with Taylor. "My hunger's still there. And I believe still as well. But for me, I've not stopped playing. So I've just carried on playing through it. And when I retire, that's when I will retire. But when that is, I don't know."
According to Hamilton, Lewis is an interesting partner for Taylor. The two-time world champion still appears regularly at exhibition events and has never ruled out a proper tilt at the top level. "So it's going to be interesting to see Adrian still being competitive on the exhibition circuit. So it might be Adrian's turn to pull Phil Taylor out the bag." Hamilton also hopes Lewis eventually returns in earnest. "Yeah, there's always rumours flying around there, but you don't know the rumours until it really happens. I think now that it's happened, it's all true. Obviously, sometimes people say things, they're coming out and they're not. And obviously, we've heard from Adrian, he wants to get back into the serious now and again, but he's not there yet. So I'm not sure how much you really want to get back in there. Involvement in the competitive side, obviously, while it's fun, it's great."
Hamilton does not expect Taylor to chase a PDC Tour Card via Q-School after his MODUS Super Series appearance, believing the physical and mental demands should not be underestimated. "But for Phil, I don't think they're going to see him at Q School. I just think it's not just about the game itself. It's the added pressure, the week-long of playing darts. And I think it'll take its toll on me." He also argues the Q-School standard would test Taylor seriously. "We're getting older. And I just think the competitive side on the Q School, they're all not great players, but also there are some great players who are still really competitive, which will compete with Phil Taylor. I think for the game, they'd love to see him at Q School. It'd be great for the sport and great for people who are darts fans, who want to play Phil Taylor."
Even Hamilton does not know how seriously Taylor is currently training. The two have known each other for years from Stoke-on-Trent, but they have not mapped out any intensive practice schedule. "No, I talk a lot with Adrian, talk a lot with Adrian, yeah. I think I tried to practise with Phil Taylor. I said to Phil, do you want to practise some time? He just said, no, I'm just practising with my grandson. So I don't know how serious it is for him. So I think time will tell how good he is at the game and his ability to see if it's still shining." A practice session featuring Hamilton, Taylor, and Lewis would deliver a strong dose of nostalgia. "I think, yeah, it'd be great. It'll just bring back memories as well for all of mine. Like I say, I'm still quite competitive myself and I'm playing OK. So it'd be good to get back the old boys and just have a reminisce of old times as well. So you can just have a bit of fun with it as well."
Taylor won no fewer than 78 major titles in his imposing career. His comeback inevitably raises another question: will darts fans ever see a showdown between "The Power" and Luke Littler? The 16-time world champion and the current world number one have never met at the highest level. A first opportunity may arrive quickly, with Hamilton pointing out that Taylor and Littler will soon be at the same event. "Well, as daft as it sounds, obviously now Phil Taylor is coming back into darts. On the 28th of October, there's a big Stoke event. There's me, Adrian Lewis, Luke Littler, Nathan Aspinall and Phil, the Power Taylor." Hamilton does stress that we first need clarity on Taylor's current level. "So who knows? Will you have a game of darts on that night? Hey, tell me, it'd be great for the game. And I think everyone wants to see that game and all, but I think we've got to see how Phil's thrown it first."
A cross-generational clash would, in Hamilton's view, have strong appeal. A large part of younger darts fans never truly experienced Taylor's dominant era. "Yeah, yeah, I think like this in any sport, when you get the young and the old together, it's probably the only sport you can do it in, really. And I think it's great. It'd be great to see for the young to see the power, because the proper young kids nowadays don't even know how good Phil Taylor was, unless you see him on the internet. So it'd be good to see him out there in person and just see how he's performing against Luke Littler."
Still, Hamilton retains some concern. Taylor was almost unbeatable for years, but during his appearances on the seniors circuit it was clear that his old level didn't just reappear. "No, and I think that's what he might feel short of. I mean, he was talking to the seniors and I think then the seniors, everyone wanted to play Phil Taylor. He's played okay, darts, but nothing really competitive where it worries you, where before he was like a robot, where that's changed now. So I think that's the worrying side too, if he comes out not playing as well as he can."
