Phil Taylor almost won the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year in 2010, but the masterful darts legend ensured that he made his mark on the awards ceremony regardless
Phil Taylor thought he suffered an internal injury when Freddie Flintoff congratulated him at the 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Taylor, 64, finished as runner-up to horseracing legend AP McCoy, who had just rode ‘Don’t Push It’ to win the Grand National at his 15th attempt. While the 16-time PDC World Darts Champion was not victorious, many thought he deserved to win the prize for his historic campaign, which saw him win his 15th World Championship, hit a double nine-dart finish in the Premier League and take six other major titles that year.
Flintoff, 47, was one of the many people who thought Taylor – the last darts star to be nominated for the award before Luke Littler this year – deserved more than the 10.33% of votes he earned on the night. Meanwhile, golf legend Ian Poulter was furious that he finished second, claiming his fellow pals Lee Westwood and Graeme McDowell deserved more votes than ‘The Power’.
While Poulter was expressing his unhappiness on social media, Flintoff was telling Taylor that he deserved more. He did so in a way that almost left the darts wizard needing a trip to A&E.
Looking back on his interaction with the England cricket legend, Taylor said: “Freddie Flintoff (who presented his trophy) slapped me on the back and whispered ‘you should have won it’. I’m going to have to see the doctor as I think he broke three ribs!”
Fortunately for Taylor, his ribs were all fine and no post-BBC SPOTY hospital visit was required. If anybody had a pain in their stomach over the results of the award ceremony, it was Poulter.
The 2008 US Open runner-up took to Twitter and wrote: “Darts comes second in the BBC Spoty voting get a grip. BBC Spoty farce, sorry how could Graeme McDowell or Lee Westwood not win. GMac wins a major. Westy world no 1. That’s *****.”
Westwood finished fourth, behind Jessica Ennis-Hill, who finished in third place with 9.02% of the public vote, while McDowell had to settle for 5th, finishing ahead of Tom Daley, Mark Cavendish, Amy Williams, Graeme Swann and David Haye. Despite Poulter’s negativity, Taylor was not going to let anybody rain on his parade.
He said: “I’d have never thought in a million years I’d come second. Genuinely, on me father’s gravestone, I’m absolutely over the moon and if I never win anything ever again, I won’t care – and that’s the truth.
“Darts is often sneered at so this is fantastic for the sport. I’ve been elevated to a different stage – darts has never been on this stage before.
“I’m not going to cry but it means the world to me. I’ve had a fantastic week, another little grandchild (his third) born last week. I thought if anything, I might sneak third.
“But once Jess [Ennis] was announced as third, I thought ‘no chance now, that’s me shot now’. But then the camera came alongside and me mate said, ‘Think you might have got it Phil’.”
Teenage darts sensation Littler has the opportunity to go one step further than Taylor and bag the prize himself. The 17-year-old is nominated for both the main gong and Young Sports Personality of the Year after reaching the World Championship final aged 16 and winning the Premier League and Grand Slam of Darts.
