“I smoked when I was ten”
The Darts World Cup is losing its trademark today
January 3, 2024, 7:57 a.m
A new darts star will rise tonight as Luke Littler and Luke Humphries outplay the world champion. At the same time, one of the most important chapters in arrow sport ends with the World Cup final.
Russ Bray says he never had to work for his most distinctive feature. “My voice is what it is. My voice costs me nothing and brings me a lot of money. That’s the way I am,” said the 66-year-old darts referee. His raspy voice, with which he has been shouting the exclamation “Onehundredandeighty” (180) into arenas around the world for decades, makes Bray an unmistakable part of darts. Tonight (9 p.m./Sport1, Dazn and in the ntv.de live ticker) The Englishman will take charge of a major game for the last time at Alexandra Palace in London.
28 World Cups and hundreds of World Cup games with Bray will then be history. “I feel very good. I’m really looking forward to calling this final again,” Bray told the German Press Agency about his last appearance on the big stage. He was able to leave his work as a scaffolder behind in the 1990s when he moved into the ranks of referees in the professional darts organization – and continued to rise there.
His highlight? The 2007 World Cup final between the two most successful players of all time, Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld. “The Barney Taylor finale at the Circus Tavern was the last one to take place there,” Bray recently recalled in an interview with the British news agency PA Media. “It came down to a sudden death leg. That was very, very special.”
“No longer has to be on construction sites”
Bray worked as a scaffolder, but in his free time he played at local darts tournaments. Because the caller simply didn’t show up several times, Bray stepped in and discovered his natural talent. He had so much fun and the feedback was so good that he turned his hobby into a career. In 1996 he was signed by the professional darts organization PDC, which was then in its infancy.
“He no longer has to stand outside on cold construction sites. The callers love it that way. They are in a good mood every day, there is no beef, they are living their dream and are very grateful,” reports Elmar Paulke, darts commentator at Dazn. “That’s how I always saw Russ. I really like that about him. He knew he was on his sunny side.” Anyone who sees Bray at the World Cup in London will always see him laughing – and not just as a shouting referee up on the stage.
Bray doesn’t disappear completely
The darts veteran, who has been there since 1996, gives interview after interview in the catacombs, this year of course even more than usual. When he is not needed elsewhere, he stands in the Great Hall of the “Ally Pally” for photos with the World Cup trophy ready. £20 per photo with the gigantic Sid Waddell Trophy and caller icon Bray? Colorfully dressed and cheerful fans line up.
Bray won’t completely disappear from the darts world. He will become an ambassador for the PDC and will be used on the PDC’s Asian tour, as well as at the World Series events in New York, Bahrain, Australia and New Zealand. The man with the breathy voice is still looking forward to more free time with his wife. “She is retiring herself in January. We will have more time together and enjoy our retirement,” Bray announced. A joint cruise is planned.
Already smoked at the age of ten
The players are enthusiastic about Bray – and have many memories of him. “Everyone associates darts with him. As a spectator at the time, I still know very well that he was a figurehead. People were always looking forward to his voice,” said Martin Schindler, who was one of four Germans in the round at this World Cup eliminated in the last 32. PDC chief executive Matthew Porter thanked Bray for an “incredible contribution” over the past 30 years. “Russ’ voice is synonymous with our sport,” Porter added.
Bray is a true original, a hallmark of darts. But it’s not just the voice that is unmistakable. “I was smoking when I was ten,” Bray recently told “Sport Bild.” This was completely normal in the 1960s and was additionally influenced by children’s programs. At 53, Bray stopped smoking. “My voice hasn’t changed since then,” he said. The darts fans can attest to this.