Barney Interview Taken From PDPA Site

Post by **M H** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 12:16 pm

Well done on your PDC Pro Tour win in Derby recently, your first on the Pro Tour since April ’08, you must be delighted to be back on the winning trail again ?

Yes of course i am it was very strange i went on holiday after The Europeans and i never ever threw a dart in 35 days and winning on that saturday was really weird but for me a very good feeling
I know what it is to win again i had to wait very long but it felt great.

Its fair to say the last few years you haven’t had the success you usually do, you’ve changed your darts on and off, why did you do this after being so successful before ?

Well i had a lot troubles with my grip i dont know why but i couldn’t hold a dart sometimes to0 slippery or too sticky. thats why i tried a lot. I played in my first year in the pdc very good with the slim flight but it seems that in bigger venues that flight is not working for me anymore . on the other hand i hit a couple of 9 darters with different setup.

Are you happy with your current set up, darts, dart weight, flights etc or will you continue to change to find the ‘perfect’ throw, if there is such a thing ?

In my opinion the big flights are too big but i like them many 140′s but i noticed less 180′s strange i was a 180 man but i hit them not as much as in the past.
The darts are fine and i took 3 grams off so they are now 22 grams.

Going back to the beginning, how did you get interested in darts ?

I was following the Embassy for years i saw Bristow , Lowe , Anderson and Wilson and i wanted to be as good as them and earn money so that i could become a pro.

Did you ever believe that you would have had the success you have had and become a 5 time World Champion when you first started ?

Yes i knew i would get very far a lot of people said that i had the world in my fingers i gave up everything to become a darts pro in 1998, was a dream that came true, i cried because some people said he will never make it and that was for me a victory on them.

When you left the BDO to join the PDC it must have been a difficult decision at the time, looking back do you wish you had made the switch sooner ?

It was impossible i was with Ad Schoofs my former manager both the owner of 2 tv tournaments in Holland the World Darts Trophy and The International Darts league
It was a stupid thing to do to join an other organization and not play in your own competitions.

The upcoming Grand Slam of Darts features players from both the PDC and BDO, do you think this is good for the game and do you enjoy the format of the event ?

The Format is exactly the same as the International darts League years ago in my opinion the fans like to see knock out games instead of group games.
You have to be focused the whole tournament.

Aside from Phil Taylor, who has been your toughest opponent and why ?

Well Simon Whitlock is always playing well against me, to me it wont take long untill Simon wins his first major.

There are many PDC televised events now, the fans love the players ‘walk-ons’, who came up with the Rocky theme ‘Eye of the Tiger’ for you and why that one ?

Because i always looked angry when i came up and a friend said those are the eye of the tiger and i was already inspired by the Rocky films so the choice was easy
A couple of years ago i came up with the song Relax from Frankie goes to Hollywood.

You have recently released your autobiography, whilst it must have been hard work, there must have been many fond memories that would have sprung to mind reviewing your career to date, what memories stand out for you ?

Well nice that you mention this, the book was published but i have a lot of them left, it seems i cant find a store to sell them in UK bringing them with a suitcase is no option, my wish is sell them in UK but to me no one knows that the book is published.
furhermore its too much to mention things i have the honour to be a similar MBE title on her Majesty the Queen of Holland thats untill today the most thing i am proud off

You won the recent PDC World Cup with Co Stompe representing The Netherlands. That must have been a special moment representing your country again, is that something you miss from your BDO days ?

Yes that was a great tournament winning with Co was brilliant we know each other for many years and we were a team there, which i cannot say for a lot of other teams.
l loved to play for my country in the BDO but those days are over i hope the pdc will continue this Worldcup.

PDC darts is booming at the moment and thats certainly the case in Holland. It must give you great pleasure seeing all the youngsters coming through to become the next Raymond van Barneveld ?

Holland has brilliant youth they almost all start to play when i won the Lakeside but i believe there is no future in Darts in Holland anymore no sponsors no nothing hardly tv no live games too bad because we had great years.

The PDC along with Unicorn have taken great strides to help the young players with the introduction of the Youth Tour and Youth World Championship, the future looks bright ?

Yes great for these players, those guys will be the next generation but i hardly believe that they will get better than the players who are playing now.

What does the future hold for Ray Barneveld, do you see yourself competing for the PDC major titles in 10 years time ?

Well i am 44 now i will play for the next 10 years, i have to, i lost a couple of sponsors who generate a lot off money so winnnig of prize money is important now.

The World Championships are not far away, when will you start your build-up for darts biggest event, will you follow your normal practice routines, or do things change as you bid to become World Champion again ?

Begin november with the mental training for the worlds, but i can’t believe that the pdc put to organise the Players Championship finals before that tournament, absolutely ridiculous.

Post by **hang the dj** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 12:26 pm

Interesting he says he will play for another 10 years considering his attitude I thought he would pack it in soon

Post by **Dicie** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 12:29 pm

Well i had a lot troubles with my grip on reality, i dont know why but i couldn’t hold a conversation with other people sometimes without thinking, "has sylvia banged him aswell"

Post by **Justin Credible** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 1:32 pm

this was obviously done well before his defeat to the pieman.............

guy is finished.

Post by **Wookiee** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 1:33 pm

Justin Credible wrote:this was obviously done well before his defeat to the pieman.............

guy is finished.

I knew you'd sit on the fence for this one!

Post by **Justin Credible** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 2:10 pm

you know me...never one to rock the boat or be anything other than civil and polite.

Post by **The Ginge Reaper** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 2:11 pm

Moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan .

Love how he moans about the timing of an event he hasnt even fucking qualified for yet.

Post by **Knots & crosses** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 2:14 pm

I wonder if he charged them £25 for the right to take his photo?

Cunt.

Post by **Justin Credible** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 2:15 pm

The Ginger Ninja wrote:Moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan .

Love how he moans about the timing of an event he hasnt even fucking qualified for yet.

Post by **TimmyB** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:43 pm

The Ginger Ninja wrote:Moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan moan .

Love how he moans about the timing of an event he hasnt even fucking qualified for yet.

These Dutch players love a good whinge.

Post by **Wookiee** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:36 pm

TimmyB wrote:These Dutch players love a good minge.

Sounds fair enough to me. You playing for Bradders' team, like?

Post by **TimmyB** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:41 pm

Wookiee wrote: Sounds fair enough to me. You playing for Bradders' team, like me?

No.