PLAYING FOR KEEPS
Inside Michael ‘Bully Boy’ Smith’s farmyard that he could lose if he doesn’t beat Peter Wright with hot tub and tortoise
MICHAEL SMITH powered his way to the PDC World Darts Championship final, defeating James Wade 6-3 on Sunday.
The St Helens slinger will now take on Peter Wright, who edged out fellow Scot Gary Anderson in a thrilling semi-final, for a £500,000 pay day.
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And, by the sounds of it, Smith, 31, is going to need the prize money to house his family.
Bully Boy's life has been transformed by darts, allowing him to buy a dream property, which he converted into a stunning farmhouse for wife Dagmara and their children.
However, Smith fears if his fortunes dip on the oche and the prize money dwindles, he might lose it all and be "homeless".
The family man, who keeps a passport photo of his missus and two kids in his wallet, revealed: "Even a year ago, I’d given up.
"But we’d just bought a new house and the money I shell out every month on mortgages, I can’t afford to give darts away and lose matches.
"If I miss mortgages, we’re out on the streets. We are homeless. I knows it adds added pressure, but it’s keeping me focused.
"I have to keep ready. It has been showing what I have been working on for the last 12 months has worked."
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FARMHAND
On Instagram, Smith loves to share his family life with his 38,000 followers.
And what's most evident about his home is the animals he has living there keeping him company.
He keeps five cockerels and over 17 hens in a coop, as well as two tortoise that keep the darts ace occupied.
Often, Smith shares snaps talking to his pets - just like a real-life Dr Dolittle.
In other pictures, he also shows off his soft side by resting a chick on his shoulder.
While another photo has two black swans trying to get into his home.
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FAMILY FIRST
Smith is married to Polish beauty Dagmara Malczewska.
They said their 'I do's' in 2019, and have two children together.
However, they remain private and like to keep their family life to themselves.
Their two boys are as sporty as dad, with their eldest already playing rugby and being a St Helens fan.
Football also plays a major part in their lives, and during the Euros all the clan got together around their huge TV to cheer on England.
Smith even erected a garden tent with a cinema screen for the occasion.
When he's not polishing his skills and practicing his arrows, he loves to have some downtime with his boys in the home's hot tub.
It's a family arrangement that has suited Smith and seen him play his best darts on route to tonight's PDC World Championship final.
But he won't be counting his chickens against Peter Wright.
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No. He will just have to look in his backyard for them.
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