Interviews in the players' room after the 1998 PDC world final

[Rogg]

A treat for those fascinated by that era.

Taylor won his 6th world title 15 minutes ago. Let's see how they're feeling...

[sennafan24]

Interesting that Deller claimed that Rod had been matching Taylor in the months leading up to the event.

And Rod claiming he could live with Taylor in Opens.

Probably explains why Taylor and Rod's H2H was even in the 90s.

When it countered most though? Minimal chance of beating Taylor.

[Rogg]

Rod and perhaps Manley are the only two who don't sound helplessly resigned to living in fear of the beast.

[sennafan24]

Rod and perhaps Manley are the only two who don't sound helplessly resigned to living in fear of the beast.

Manley made good on that attitude the following year in Blackpool, beating Taylor over a long distance. Taylor played his weakest game of the tournament statistically, but an impressive win for Manley nevertheless. Probably the best win of his career along with the 2003 Desert Classic final.

[sennafan24]

Rod and perhaps Manley are the only two who don't sound helplessly resigned to living in fear of the beast.

Btw, Steve Brown vs Bristow at the 2000 Worlds is the earliest PDC game I have a memory of watching in real time.

[Rogg]

Rod and perhaps Manley are the only two who don't sound helplessly resigned to living in fear of the beast.

Manley made good on that attitude the following year in Blackpool, beating Taylor over a long distance. Taylor played his weakest game of the tournament statistically, but an impressive win for Manley nevertheless. Probably the best win of his career along with the 2003 Desert Classic final.

Manley's attitude certainly towers above the simps in that video and it makes sense that he'll be one of the next few to beat the prowler on TV. He's almost infuriatingly smug about the possibilities ahead for himself. He'll go on to win world title/s in that world minus Taylor.

[Rogg]

Rod and perhaps Manley are the only two who don't sound helplessly resigned to living in fear of the beast.

Btw, Steve Brown vs Bristow at the 2000 Worlds is the earliest PDC game I have a memory of watching in real time.

We need to talk about Steve Brown's accent.

[Rogg]

Rod also says something fun about "the other championship" which I will transcribe later. You'd expect nothing less.

"You're dreaming"... lol.

[sennafan24]

Rod and perhaps Manley are the only two who don't sound helplessly resigned to living in fear of the beast.

Manley made good on that attitude the following year in Blackpool, beating Taylor over a long distance. Taylor played his weakest game of the tournament statistically, but an impressive win for Manley nevertheless. Probably the best win of his career along with the 2003 Desert Classic final.

Manley's attitude certainly towers above the simps in that video and it makes sense that he'll be one of the next few to beat the prowler on TV. He's almost infuriatingly smug about the possibilities ahead for himself. He'll go on to win world title/s in that world minus Taylor.

Agreed he would have had a decent chance. Taylor beat him in all three of the finals he made at the Tavern.

The Manley vs Priestley game at the 2000 Worlds will always be a favourite of mine. Although I didn't appreciate the standard at the time (I was only 12), I did appreciate Priestley winning.

But if you look back at the 1999 Worlds, Manley had some really good performances on route to the final. A 98 average over 9 sets against Burgees, and a 4-0 demolition job over Sweaty Smith averaging 99.56. Very impressive standard for the equipment of the time.

[sennafan24]

Rod also says something fun about "the other championship" which I will transcribe later. You'd expect nothing less.

"You're dreaming"... lol.

I don't think Rod is just saying it to flatter himself. There is some truth to what he's saying.

Taylor did appear to raise his game when it mattered most and especially in cross-code meetings. Taylor had a combined 17-2 record against Barney, David, Walton, Hankey, and Fordham in cross code events between 1999 and 2005. The two losses came against Barney in 2000 and 2005 respectively IIRC.

[oche balboa]

Listening to it now

[oche balboa]

Very Interesting and a lot better than the interviews you see today

Some of them were defeatist and lacked the belief they could beat Taylor, It too someone who was in the "Other Championship" originally to beat him in 2003 which was John Part. and someone from the "Other championship" again in 2007 in Barneveld.

Taylor was undisputed Number 1 in the world in 1997/8. But only Rod Harrington gave him anything close to a game. Barneveld in all but his R1 games had averages well into the 90s

[sennafan24]

Very Interesting and a lot better than the interviews you see today

Some of them were defeatist and lacked the belief they could beat Taylor, It too someone who was in the "Other Championship" originally to beat him in 2003 which was John Part. and someone from the "Other championship" again in 2007 in Barneveld.

Taylor was undisputed Number 1 in the world in 1997/8. But only Rod Harrington gave him anything close to a game. Barneveld in all but his R1 games had averages well into the 90s

Priestley also had a very good TV game in 1997. He averaged in the mid-90s in the latter stages of the 1997 Tavern event. It took a ton plus average to beat him in the Matchplay from Warriner and he earlier saw off Burgees averaging 94.

[oche balboa]

Very Interesting and a lot better than the interviews you see today

Some of them were defeatist and lacked the belief they could beat Taylor, It too someone who was in the "Other Championship" originally to beat him in 2003 which was John Part. and someone from the "Other championship" again in 2007 in Barneveld.

Taylor was undisputed Number 1 in the world in 1997/8. But only Rod Harrington gave him anything close to a game. Barneveld in all but his R1 games had averages well into the 90s

Priestley also had a very good TV game in 1997. He averaged in the mid-90s in the latter stages of the 1997 Tavern event. It took a ton plus average to beat him in the Matchplay from Warriner and he earlier saw off Burgees averaging 94.

Not in the 1998 he didn't he wasn't as good as Harrington

[sennafan24]

Very Interesting and a lot better than the interviews you see today

Some of them were defeatist and lacked the belief they could beat Taylor, It too someone who was in the "Other Championship" originally to beat him in 2003 which was John Part. and someone from the "Other championship" again in 2007 in Barneveld.

Taylor was undisputed Number 1 in the world in 1997/8. But only Rod Harrington gave him anything close to a game. Barneveld in all but his R1 games had averages well into the 90s

Regarding Part. I think he was a different beast in the 2000s to what he was in the 1990s.

He was actually already in the PDC by 1998, but didn't really get going until around 2001. His TV record in the PDC between 1998-2000 was very poor. He didn't do much in the BDO after winning Lakeside 1994 either.

[sennafan24]

Not in the 1998 he didn't he wasn't as good as Harrington

I don't disagree that Harrington was better in 98.

[thegentle]

Very Interesting and a lot better than the interviews you see today

Some of them were defeatist and lacked the belief they could beat Taylor, It too someone who was in the "Other Championship" originally to beat him in 2003 which was John Part. and someone from the "Other championship" again in 2007 in Barneveld.

Taylor was undisputed Number 1 in the world in 1997/8. But only Rod Harrington gave him anything close to a game. Barneveld in all but his R1 games had averages well into the 90s

Regarding Part. I think he was a different beast in the 2000s to what he was in the 1990s.

He was actually already in the PDC by 1998, but didn't really get going until around 2001. His TV record in the PDC between 1998-2000 was very poor. He didn't do much in the BDO after winning Lakeside 1994 either.

It's both a measure of how weakened the field was in 1994 and a measure of Party's bottle that he won that year, you wouldn't say he was one of the elite back then, and probably wasn't for a good few years as you allude to

[sennafan24]

It's both a measure of how weakened the field was in 1994 and a measure of Party's bottle that he won that year, you wouldn't say he was one of the elite back then, and probably wasn't for a good few years as you allude to

Agreed.

Part seemed to find his groove in late 2000.

It took Taylor to deny him at the 2001 Worlds, 2001 Matchplay, 2002 Worlds, and 2002 Matchplay. In other games in those tournaments he played some really good stuff. Part was seen as Taylor's main threat by the start of the 2003 Worlds, and he finally made good on it beating Taylor in the final. IIRC, Part may have had success against Taylor off TV before the 2003 Worlds, but it was that event where he finally beat him in a big event.

[Randall]

I seem to recall them doing that after 1 of manleys finals as well

[Rogg]

I seem to recall them doing that after 1 of manleys finals as well

I'll look about a bit. They often had time to kill at the end of a final broadcast because of Taylor ripping through the match so quickly.