It was a little before 9pm on a sticky night 11 months ago at Alexandra Palace that Michael Smith threw the nine darts that would change his life for ever. Even now, during his quieter moments, he will go on YouTube and watch them back. The crescendo in the commentator Wayne Mardle’s voice. The thud of the final double 12. The utter pandemonium in the crowd. The greatest adrenaline rush on earth. And, quite simply, the moment at which darts was perfected.
In that moment, you didn’t need to be Smith, or a Smith fan, or even very much of a darts fan, to appreciate the spine-tingling magnitude of what had just occurred. It was an energy and an electricity, an explosion of endorphins that transmitted itself around the world. The video clip has been viewed 25m times on X and 5m times on YouTube. The basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal featured it on his television show. On 30 November, Smith was at St Helens town hall to receive the freedom of the borough.
