Darts legend Andy Fordham on the road to recovery and wants to RETURN to the oche after life-threatening illness
BRAVE Andy Fordham is finally on the road to recovery and hoping for a return to the darts circuit.
SunSport revealed in March the 2004 BDO world darts champion was in hospital with a bowel blockage and may face life-threatening surgery.
The story rocked the sport and top stars got in touch to find out how he was doing.
Over the past three months in lockdown, the 58-year-old has shed a significant amount of weight and feels confident he can manage his condition without needing another op.
The Viking said: “I’m doing really well as it happens.
“Compared to what I was like in hospital, which was quite a scary time to be honest, I’m probably about 90 per cent better now.
“Recovery is going very well. It was a blocked bowel and without being rude, there was nothing coming out at all. And when it finally started to go, well it wasn’t nice.
“The people in the hospital were just unbelievable. You cannot praise them enough.
“I’ll always have a couple of issues but compared to what I was, I feel so much better. I mean I’ve lost loads of weight. I’ve learned from last time.
“When I lost the weight last time, I was staying in bed most of the time. Now, I have done light weights and I’m moving around a lot more. I feel so much better.”
I won’t say I’ll be back to tournament standard but without trying you don’t know. I’d love to play again
Andy Fordham
Fordham last played at the Lakeside world champs 13 years ago and made a memorable appearance at the 2015 Grand Slam of Darts.
But he accepts his career was blighted by heavy boozing, which meant that he never capitalised on that BDO world title.
The former publican, who once drunk up to 24 bottles of lager before a match, has not given up hope of playing on the big stage once again.
He told : “I had a few goes on the dartboard. It’s slowly picking up.
“I won’t say I’ll be back to tournament standard but without trying you don’t know.
“I’d love to play again. I remember the British Open in Bridlington a few years back.
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“I beat Ted Hankey and in my next match I missed three darts at double top against Richard Veenstra. They were on the wire.
“I lost 4-3. I came off and was told if I had hit one of the doubles I’d have qualified for Lakeside. It was gutting.
“It proves it’s there. I have to keep fighting to get back again.”
