Steve Beaton, the 62-year-old darts icon, is relishing his return to the sport in a more relaxed yet competitive capacity. After a valiant but unsuccessful attempt to regain his tour card via Q-School, Beaton now plays on the Challenge Tour and in exhibitions, citing a desire to maintain his practice and competitive edge. He admitted missing the competitive side when considering a move to the seniors tour, which motivated his Q-School effort, though he clarified it wasn't necessarily to play everything but to have the option to compete occasionally.
Beaton's exhibition outings, particularly with Wayne Mardle, have brought a sense of fun back to the stage. He recalled a recent event at Butlin's with about 2,000 people, where Mardle was "messing around, swearing, drink on stage—it's such a laugh," contrasting it with stricter professional events. Beaton noted Mardle beat him that day with a 126 checkout and another big finish, highlighting Mardle's skill when playing seriously. He also reminisced about Mardle's antics after hitting a 180, such as walking around the arena and delaying play, citing a memorable incident in London about 10 years ago where Mardle hit a 180, walked around the room, climbed back on stage, and hit another, amusingly frustrating Kevin Painter.
Reflecting on his career, Beaton fondly recalled his 1996 BDO world championship win, where he raced to the final and defeated Richie Burnett 6-3. He mentioned earlier attempts in 1992 or 1993, believing he should have won then, and described the challenges after the split, including losing in the first round in 1994 and 1995 before his 1996 triumph. On the current darts scene, Beaton praised the rising talent, noting that at exhibitions, most places have youth academies with fearless youngsters, and it's "not just one Luke [Littler] anymore—there are loads of them." He expressed amazement at Littler's impact, saying he didn't think darts could get bigger, and commended the 19-year-old's talent, ability to handle pressure, and performance in big games, despite initial doubts about his Premier League inclusion.
Beaton acknowledged his game has changed with age, stating his consistency fluctuates and the rising standard means averaging big numbers is crucial, making it hard to keep a tour card. He enjoys exhibitions the most, with many scheduled this year, including events with both Luke Humphries and Luke Littler, emphasizing the fan interaction. He is set to partner with Fallon Sherrock in the MODUS Super Series International Pairs from April 20-25, recalling their previous match at the 2022 PDC World Darts Championship where he won convincingly. Beaton looks forward to the partnership, hoping Sherrock is on form, and praised the competitive standard of the MODUS series, where he recently lost right at the end.
Addressing the Luke Littler-Gian van Veen controversy from a Premier League event in Manchester, Beaton downplayed the incident, saying Littler does "the odd silly thing" but saw no malice, attributing it to excitement over a double shot. He argued Littler wasn't putting van Veen off but getting the crowd going, and van Veen may have misinterpreted the crowd's reaction. Beaton criticized negative crowd behavior like whistling, advising players to keep their head down and prove themselves on the dartboard, and noted his own positive crowd experiences, unlike others like Willie O'Connor or Magnus Caris. For his future, Beaton practices half an hour to an hour daily, cycles and swims to stay fit, and has a packed exhibition schedule, making a return to Q-School unlikely as he prefers the freedom without a tour card to play selectively on the Challenge Tour around August.
