I went from postman to national hero – but night my wife had gun held to head changed it all, says Raymond van Barneveld
SPORTS fans were devastated when darts legend Raymond van Barneveld retired in 2019 after a battle with depression.
Within a year he reversed his decision, and now the Dutch champ - known as Barney - is back competing at the PDC World Championships, and will face Polish rival Radek Szaganski tomorrow night.
It’s a welcome return for the man whose 1998 World Champion win, watched by a quarter of the Dutch population, made him a national hero in the Netherlands and fuelled a darts frenzy.
His impact on the sport in his homeland is like that of his compatriot, world champion Max Verstappen, whose 'orange army' is a force to be reckoned with in Formula One.
A five time world champion, Barney - who last took the title in a legendary match against long-time rival Phil Taylor 16 years ago - is thought to be worth around £3.5million and recently revealed the 1998 victory still counts as the biggest moment of his life.
“I was a postman in 1997, then I became the world champion and everything changed,” he told .
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“I would do 20 to 30 events a month, had tulip roses named after me and even flew an F-16 (fighter jet).”
But his newfound fame came at a price - with depression, a bitter feud with his own son, and crushing guilt after his wife was held at gunpoint by armed raiders at their home in The Hague leading to a heartbreaking divorce.
Here we look at Barney’s incredible story - from the “bumpy road” he faced after achieving his dream to his bounce back with glam new wife Julia.
Birthday gift
Growing up in the Hague, a casual interest in darts turned into a passion after Barney was given a board for his 17th birthday.
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“Within a couple of weeks [my family] were all amazed by how I was hitting the board,” he recently revealed.
That same year he began taking part in competitive events around the Netherlands and won his first tournament, the Rotterdam Open.
He was soon doing the rounds on the international circuit, reaching the semi-finals of the 1987 Belgian Open and the 1988 Dutch Open.
He made his Embassy World Championship debut in 1991 at Lakeside, but was beaten in the first round by Australian Keith Sullivan.
Finally claiming the BDO World Championship in 1998, in a Lakeside final against Richie Burnett which is considered to be one of the greatest of all time, his life changed overnight.
As the first Dutchman to take the title, he was hailed a hero and inspired a whole new generation of players including World No. 2 Michael van Gerwen.
Coming on stage to the Survivor song Eye Of The Tiger, he played up to his rock star image, gaining millions of fans known as the Barney Army.
He told The Sun he was glad to be a “pioneer” of the sport - but it was a "bumpy road".
He said: “It’s not easy because I never could ask someone, ‘Hey pal, how did you do when you became world champion in Holland?’
“No. Because I was the first one. I had to deal with it and I still do to this day.”
Marriage problems
Before finding international fame Barney was settled with wife Silvia and their three children Mike, now 34, Daisy, 31, and Patty, 29.
But their 25-year-marriage came under strain because of his long absences from home, travelling to tournaments and exhibition matches.
Things came to a head after Silvia suffered a terrifying ordeal when three armed robbers raided the couple’s home in The Hague in 2018 and held a loaded gun to her head.
She fled naked from the house after being beaten, and van Barneveld struggled with feeling he had let her down.
“My marriage is a big problem,” he previously told The Sun. "It takes its toll there. Especially when you are robbed in your own house.
"My wife had a loaded gun pointed at her head... She doesn’t want to live in the house any more because she is frightened. We have to live separately.
My marriage is a big problem... It takes its toll there. Especially when you are robbed in your own house. My wife had a loaded gun pointed at her head
Raymond van Barneveld
"She wants an apartment. She is scared. You have to deal with that. I cannot give the love and attention she needs because I am always away. I cannot say ‘no’ to what I earn now."
He added: “Emotions are there. I let my wife down by not being there for her, which is stressful.”
He also said he missed the funerals of four close friends, time with his grandchildren and several milestone birthdays because he was away.
“My grandchildren, every week they come to Silvia and I am not there. I am getting pictures from them through WhatsApp,” he said.
“But I cannot see them, I cannot hug them, I cannot feel them. Life is going too quick. They become older before you know it.
“I don’t want to complain, I earn money. Do I have a happy life? No.”
Bitter fallout
His family heartache was compounded by a bitter fallout with eldest son Mike, who he no longer speaks to.
He hasn’t revealed the cause of the relationship breakdown, but said: “I don’t want to see my son again in my life. Things have been going on the last few years but this year he broke my heart. Maybe those things explain why sometimes you miss three darts at a double.”
He and Sylvia split in 2019, and Barney's subsequent losing streak and battle with depression saw him walk away from the sport - though he seemed to regret it, saying: "I'll never forgive myself. I will hate myself every single day.”
Within a year he had reversed his decision and announced his return.
“I had my reasons for retiring,” he told Mail Online this week. “There were troubles in my head and I wasn't winning any more. And if you know you're good but it just isn't working out, it becomes harder and harder.
"I wasn't a nice man to be around any more. I was depressed and thought it would be a good idea to just give up. I thought I could do exhibitions and it would be better to live without the stress of winning and losing.
"But I couldn't do anything because of Covid. There were no exhibitions. I wasn't earning any money."
Health battles
Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2009, health has also been a problem for the darts ace, with fluctuating weight and failing eyesight.
He said: “I am wearing contacts. All the time my eyes are dry, I am constantly blinking. My eyes and my hands are my tools.
“If you cannot focus sharply, then it’s an extra handicap. I cannot adjust. I don’t know what to do any more.
“I lost 30kg in probably five years but, to be honest, while I probably look better, I don’t feel better.”
New romance
Watchers of the 6ft 2in Holland hurler say he plays better when he is happy in his personal life - and opponents may now have reason to fear his comeback.
The 56-year-old tied the knot with British partner Julia Evans, who is 18 years his junior, at a ceremony in Larnaca, Cyprus on September 19 this year.
The couple delayed their honeymoon so he could concentrate on the World Darts Championship.
An avid darts fan, Julia met her future husband at a tournament in Southampton in 2019.
He got down on one knee in front of the Eiffel Tower in February 2022.
Speaking about the future, Barney said: “Trust me, I will be in the top 16 in the world next year. I believe I can win and you have to believe — I have just got to work hard and throw doubles. Trust me.”
But he admits nothing will compare to his first win.
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“From working as a postman to finishing the year with my dream come true, that will always be my favourite memory,” he said.
“Some people in Holland thought the buzz wouldn't last long but 25 years later, I'm still going strong."
