DARTS DREAM TEAM

From Priestley to Smith... all 11 PDC world champions in the greatest line-up since Sir Alf's Boys of 66 and all of them could hit a double or bullseye under pressure when a title was on the line

- MIKE WALTERS

FOR one night only, they formed a dream team that made Hamlet, Macbeth and Othello look like the West End's poor relations.

Some of darts' finest champions were born great, some achieved greatness, others had greatness thrust upon them- but they could all hit a double or bullseye when a world title was on the line.

From Dennis Priestley to Michael Smith, every Professional Darts Corporation world champion of the last 30 years convened in London's Leicester Square for a unique chat show.

It was probably the best XI put together in London since Sir Alf Ramsey's boys of 1966 won the World Cup.

And it's unlikely it will ever happen again.

In the inaugural breakaway tournament at the Circus Tavern in 1994, Priestley and runner-up Phil Taylor shared their combined £24,000 even prize money though Dennis the Menace won 6-1.

The winner of the PDC World Championship at Alexandra Palace will pocket £500,000 this year - and the day cannot be far off when the champion's payday hits £1million.

Just as he dominated the oche by winning 16 world titles, Taylor was not just front and centre stage at the PDC's Night with the Champions. At times, nobody else could get a word in edgeways.