- Jonny Clayton revealed he almost gave up darts after his father’s death
- The Welsh player’s father, John, passed away suddenly in July 2023
Darts player Jonny Clayton has revealed he almost gave up darts after the death of his father last year.
World number seven Clayton secured his place in the fourth round of the World Darts Championship after surviving a late attack from Daryl Gurney to win 4-3 at Alexandra Palace.
But after his triumphant win, an emotional Clayton admitted he almost called it a day in the sport when his father, John, passed away suddenly in July 2023.
He said, ‘It was over, I won’t lie to you. I wasn’t interested, I didn’t want to play the game, I didn’t want to travel. It meant nothing to me.
‘Darts is my hobby. For some of these young people it is their job, but this has always been my hobby.
When I lost my father – and I don’t want to go on about it because it’s old news – it hurt. He was my inspiration to keep playing. I said, ‘That’s it, I don’t want to do it anymore.’
Darts player Johnny Clayton has revealed he almost gave up darts after the death of his father last year
World number seven Clayton secured his place in the fourth round of the World Darts Championship after surviving a late attack from Daryl Gurney to win 4-3 at Alexandra Palace
Following his triumphant win, an emotional Clayton admitted he almost called it a day in the sport when his father, John, passed away suddenly in July 2023.
The former plasterer from Pontyberem, who has just turned 50, went on to say he is far from his best despite wins over both Mickey Mansell and Gurney in his opening World Championship matches.
The Wales player bravely admitted that the death of his father still stirs up emotions for him as he has struggled to cope with his passing, but revealed that he returned to the oche because he wants to win for his wife and children .
“The guys were flying to Australia or New Zealand for the World Series and I lost my dad the morning of that flight,” Clayton said.
‘The boys were away for three weeks and being at home gave me too much time to think.
‘I had lost everything. That’s it. I thought, I don’t care.
“And at the beginning of this year I was rubbish, I couldn’t put anything together. But when you have family who look up to you and friends who believe in you, it means a lot, so I said I’d give it a chance.
‘You play a hobby that you are good at, try again. That’s what I’m trying to do.
Clayton later revealed that he returned to the sport because he wants to win for his wife and children
‘The second half of this year my darts started to wake up, I won a ProTour, went deep. Little things like that happen and give you faith.
‘I couldn’t even tell you when it was, but you felt good, I played better.
‘That’s where I got faith. I would like to win it for my wife and children. That’s what you’re looking at. It is a hobby and I hope I can continue with it for a long time.”