Phil Power takes inspiration from late pal Eric Bristow ahead of darts’ Battle of the Sexes against Mikuru Suzuki
PHIL TAYLOR is using late mentor Eric Bristow as his inspiration for Thursday’s Battle of the Sexes.
The Power takes on Japan’s two-time women’s world champion Mikuru Suzuki, 38, in a virtual darts clash on Sky Sports.
Taylor owes everything to Bristow, who died aged 60 in April 2018, and says he can still hear the Crafty Cockney in his head.
The 16-time world darts king said: “I was saying to my manager Bob ‘What would Eric have done during lockdown?’
“He would have been pulling his hair out obviously. But also he was one who could be disciplined.
“It doesn’t feel like he has gone. Eric had a big influence in my life and it still feels like he’s still there.
Eric had a big influence in my life and it still feels like he’s still there
Phil Taylor
“I didn’t see him all the time. But we did text each other. And it still feels like he’s still there.
“You’d imagine Eric saying: ‘Why are you sitting down there? Mikuru isn’t sitting down watching TV.’
“He would rub it in. And if I got beat, I wouldn’t answer my phone. I would change my number and switch my phone off.”
Taylor, 59, reckons Fallon Sherrock’s Ally Pally displays — she beat two men at world level — have opened the floodgates for female stars to thrive.
Sherrock and Suzuki follow in a long line of women stars, which includes 10-time world champion Trina Gulliver.
In the early part of his career, Taylor often played against and then lost to England ladies captain Maureen Flowers, a former girlfriend of Bristow’s, at the Foaming Quart pub in Stoke.
And he is expecting a tough battle against Suzuki on the Target Nexus dartboard in a Paddy Power-sponsored clash.
Taylor added: “Maureen, when she was in her heyday, used to bash the men.
“In her dad’s pub, she used to play winner-stays-on, and she was brilliant. She used to wipe the floor with everybody.
“When you wanted to practice and see how good you were, you nipped down there and have a game. She used to mark the board if she got beat and play all-comers.
“Now I think you’ll get loads of girls out there practising now and believing they can beat people.
“I’ve practised with Fallon when we have done exhibition work and she is a lot better player than what you see on TV.
“She can finish – anything around the 80, 90 and 100 finishes. If she has one dart at a double, she normally hits it.
“Mikuru called me the God of Darts – well that’s a nice compliment. But I won’t take any notice. I mean I feel as old as God.“Mikuru is brilliant. She is good as gold with a great sense of humour.
“She is a hell of a player and I wouldn’t bet against her beating me on the soft-tip board. I’ll be up against it tomorrow that’s for sure.
“It will be a lot nicer playing on the soft-tip in my living room.
“Because when you play a lady player on stage you get booed. Trust me, it’s so difficult.
“Everybody in the room bar your loved ones is booing you. They want the lady player to win. You have to really concentrate.”
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