| Mervyn King | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) King in 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | "The King" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1966-03-15)15 March 1966 (age 59) Ipswich,Suffolk, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home town | Bradwell, Norfolk, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Darts information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing darts since | 1979 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Darts | 22g Winmau Signature | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Laterality | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Walk-on music | "King of Kings" byMotörhead | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organisation (seesplit in darts) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BDO | 1994–2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PDC | 2007– (Tour Card: 2011–2024) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current world ranking | (PDC) 125 (23 November 2025)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WDF major events – best performances | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championship | Runner-up:2002,2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Masters | Winner (1):2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Trophy | Runner-up2003,2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Int. Darts League | Winner (1): 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finder Masters | Winner (1): 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PDC premier events – best performances | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championship | Semi-final:2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Matchplay | Semi-final:2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Grand Prix | Runner-up:2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UK Open | Semi-final:2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam | Semi-final:2008,2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| European Championship | Semi-final:2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Premier League | Runner-up:2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ch'ship League | Runner-up:2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Desert Classic | Quarter-final:2008,2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Open/WSoD | Quarter-final:2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PC Finals | Runner-up:2010,2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Masters | Runner-up:2014,2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Series Finals | Quarter-final:2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| WSDT major events – best performances | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Championship | Last 28:2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Champions | Quarter-final: 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other tournament wins | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
European Tour Events
Players Championships (x6)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mervyn King (born 15 March 1966) is an English professionaldarts player who competes inProfessional Darts Corporation (PDC) events, where he reached a peak ranking ofworld number four. Nicknamedthe King, he has reached seven PDC major finals. He formerly competed inBritish Darts Organisation (BDO) tournaments, where he was the 2004Winmau World Masters winner, and both theFinder Masters andInternational Darts League champion in 2005. He was ranked BDO world number one on two occasions, in 2000 and 2005.
He was the runner-up at theBDO World Darts Championship in both2002 and2004 as well as at the 2000 World Masters. In the PDC, King reached the semi-finals at the2009 PDC World Championship, and was runner-up at thePDC Masters in both2014 and2021, thePlayers Championship Finals in2010 and2020, the2009 Premier League Darts, the2012 World Grand Prix, and the2008 Championship League Darts.
King first took up the game at the age of 12, playing with an old rolled-cardboard dartboard given to him by his father. His father insisted that he played darts using competition distance and height. By the age of 13, he had ambitions to become a professional player as he was playing county darts at Superleague level. His first county A game was at the age of 14 and he won his local men's singles league at that age.[2]
King made his professional debut as a 28-year-old in the 1994World Masters where he lost in the last 32 toAndy Fordham.[3] His first title in the BDO came in the 1996 French Open where he beatLeo Laurens in the final.[4] King has won several Open titles since he came onto the darts scene in 1995, including the Dutch Open in 1997.[5] He made his debut atBDO World Darts Championship in 1997 as a 30-year-old. He reached the semi-final of the event beatingRonnie Baxter andRoland Scholten before losing to eventual championLes Wallace. He won £8,700 for his performance.[6]
King reached twelve major finals whilst playing in the BDO and converted only three of them into tournament victories.[7] In 2004, he claimed his first BDO major title when he won the World Masters inBridlington, defeatingTony O'Shea 7–6 in the final having trailed 3–5.[8] His two other major victories to date have both taken place in the Netherlands. The first of these was the2005 International Darts League, where he defeated O'Shea again in the final, this time by 13–11 in legs.[9] Later the same year he added theDutch Grand Masters beatingMartin Adams 5–4 in the final.[10]
His first major final came in the 2000World Masters where he beat such players asPeter Manley andColin Monk before eventually narrowly falling toJohn Walton 2 sets to 3.[11] King went into the2002 BDO World Darts Championship as number 4 in the event seedings and reached the final, losing to AustralianTony David. King beatRaymond van Barneveld in the quarter-finals 5–3 whilst averaging 101.67 before beatingColin Monk in the semi-finals to reach his first World Championship final.[12] As well as winning £24,000 for reaching the final, he also earned a further £2,000 for a 170 finish, the highest checkout in the tournament.
2003 proved to be a good year for King as he reached two major finals and the semi-final of the World Championships. He began the year with the2003 BDO World Darts Championship and was seeded third for the tournament.[13] He whitewashedColin Monk 5 sets to 0 in the quarter-finals before losing out toRaymond van Barneveld in the semi-finals, denying him a second consecutive World Championship final appearance[14] He went on to reach the finals of the 2003International Darts League andWorld Darts Trophy losing out to Raymond van Barneveld on both occasions.[15][16]
In 2004, King had another successful year as he reached two semi-finals and two finals, winning one, in the four BDO majors. He began the year ranked third in the seedings for the second consecutive year.[17] In the2004 BDO World Darts Championship, he narrowly beat Ritchie Davies 5 sets to 4 in the quarter-finals before convincingly beatingTony O'Shea in the semi-finals 5–1. Despite this he lost in the final for the second time in three years losing toAndy Fordham 3 sets to 6.[18] After his good World Championship form he went on to reach the semi-finals of the 2004International Darts League andWorld Darts Trophy narrowly losing toTony David andMartin Adams 8–9 and 4–5 respectively.[19] He ended the year winning his first BDO Major in theWorld Masters as he beatTony David in the semi-finals 6–2 before winning the tournament prevailing againstTony O'Shea in a tight encounter which ended 7–6 in favour of King handing him his first major title after his sixth final.[20]
In 2005, he had his worst World Championship performance in four years, as he made only the quarter-finals, losing out toAndré Brantjes 2 sets to 3. King spoke of his poor form and prior to the2005 BDO World Darts Championship.[21] King's next tournament that year was theInternational Darts League. He beatTed Hankey,Co Stompé andSimon Whitlock before facingTony O'Shea for the second time in a major final, and won 13–11 to secure his second major BDO title.[22] Also in 2005, King made the final of theWorld Darts Trophy for the second time and on this occasion he was beaten again losing 4–6 againstGary Robson. This was to be King's last major final before his controversial switch to theProfessional Darts Corporation.
In 2006, King's form declined and his best result came in the 2006World Darts Trophy where he made the quarter-finals narrowly losing toMichael van Gerwen 4–5.[23] He also made only the second round in the2006 BDO World Darts Championship whitewashingBrian Woods 3 sets to 0 before losing to eventual championJelle Klaasen 2–4.[24] His last tournament as a BDO affiliated player came in the2007 BDO World Darts Championship where he made the semi-finals before losing 4–5 against eventual championMartin Adams. King was surrounded by controversy during this tournament following speculation about his future and a possible switch to the PDC. This would prove to be his last tournament as a BDO player.
King's switch from the BDO to rival organization theProfessional Darts Corporation (PDC) created much debate and controversy.[citation needed] During the2007 BDO World Darts Championship there was much speculation that King and three fellow BDO players (Michael van Gerwen, Jelle Klaasen[25] and Vincent van der Voort[citation needed]) would be switching to the PDC after the World Championships. King was angry that rumours had surfaced and even threatened to quit the tournament as the speculation heightened even stating, "I'm really not happy with the treatment I've had today, not just from one person but from a lot of people who I have known for many years".[26] Despite claiming to BDO press officer Robert Holmes that he would "rather pack up darts than play for the PDC"[27] King announced his switch to the PDC on 6 February 2007 in a bid to "further his career".[28] Having reached the semi-final of the 2007 BDO World Championships losing to eventual championMartin Adams, King had signed a contract confirming he would play at the 2008 tournament due to a clause in all contracts of BDO players stating that if they reach the semi-finals of the World Championship they are obliged to return the following year, with champions committing themselves to three years. King's switch meant that the BDO threatened legal action against King.[29]
King made his PDC debut at a non-televised event, the Southern Regional Final of theUK Open on 4 March 2007. He reached the quarter-finals before losing toWayne Mardle.[30]During his first year in the PDC, he performed well on the2007 PDC Pro Tour, reaching one final, two semi-finals and four quarter-finals. He also gained a place in the2007 World Matchplay where he reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual championJames Wade. His performances in his first year helped him steadily climb the world rankings and qualify for his first PDC World Championship.
In his debut at the2008 PDC World Darts Championship, he fell to DutchmanRoland Scholten in the second round.2008 proved a successful year for King as he reached two semi-finals in PDC premier events as well as his maiden PDC premier final in the inaugural2008 Championship League Darts where he lost 7–5 toPhil Taylor.[31] His first PDC title came at the Scottish Players Championship in Glasgow in April 2008 where he beat Taylor on his way to a 3–0 victory overMark Dudbridge.[32] He also won a Pro Tour title in the Netherlands, beatingRaymond van Barneveld.[33] He also had two semi-final appearances in the2008 World Grand Prix and the2008 Grand Slam of Darts losing toRaymond van Barneveld andPhil Taylor respectively. King ended the year and went into the2009 PDC World Darts Championship as world number 13 in thePDC Order of Merit. His first year performances saw him win the Best Newcomer prize at the annual PDC awards dinner.[34]
King went into 2009 competing in the2009 PDC World Darts Championship, and this turned out to be his best result in the PDC World Championship to date. He beatBarrie Bates in the quarter-finals before falling to Phil Taylor 2–6 with Taylor averaging 103.44.[35] His performance in the World Championship meant that he moved up to 6 in thePDC Order of Merit and therefore qualified automatically for the2009 Premier League Darts.[36]
King carried on his good form into the2009 World Matchplay in July. He defeatedMark Dudbridge,Steve Beaton andVincent van der Voort before meeting Phil Taylor in the semi-final. Taylor prevailed 17–6, averaging 106.54, and went on to win the tournament.[37] In the next PDC Premier event of the 2009 season, the2009 European Championship, he reached the quarter-final before losing toJames Wade 6–10. This was after beatingColin Osborne in the second round 9–6 recording a 104.00 average.[38] King's successful run in the 2008 Championship League Darts continued into the2009 tournament as he reached the semi-final before losing to eventual championColin Osborne 1–6.[39][40]
Also in 2009, King achieved his first televisednine dart finish. It came in September 2009 at theSouth African Masters againstJames Wade, and was the first ever televised nine dart finish outside of Europe.[41]
King made a great start to his Premier League career as he opened up with an 8–1 victory over Sky wildcardWayne Mardle. He then went on to record three more victories on the bounce beatingJames Wade 8–1,John Part 8–2 andJelle Klaasen 8–4. He then faced defending champion Phil Taylor inNewcastle, recording a 7–7 draw despite leading 7–5 with both players averaging over 100. King's form then dropped, only winning two more games inBirmingham andGlasgow against Mardle and Wade respectively. King was also a controversial figure during the tournament, often letting the crowd get to him and affect his mood and darts.[42] During a 2009 Premier League match with Taylor, he threw a dart over Taylor as he stooped down to pick up his flight. During the post-match interview, neither of them would look at each other.[43] His final position of 4th in the league was influenced by the illness of Mardle, as he was withdrawn from the competition.[44] Therefore, all results that included Mardle were annulled, including King's two victories over Mardle. King's fourth place in the overall league meant that he faced Taylor in the play-off semi-finals at theWembley Arena. King won 10–6 to end Taylor's winning streak in Premier League competitions. Despite this victory he was to finish runner-up as he lost the final 13–8 to Wade, who beat Raymond van Barneveld 10–8 in the other semi-final. Wade led King 8–2 before a mini comeback from King but Wade was able to see the game out to claim his maidenPremier League Darts title.[45]
King went into the2010 World Championship as number 5 in the PDC Order of Merit.[46] Despite a poor performance in the tournament, where he lost 2–4 in the second round to Co Stompé, he still qualified for the2010 Premier League Darts[47] King reached his third PDC major final in the2010 Players Championship Finals. Having beaten James Wade, Jelle Klaasen,Wayne Jones and Colin Osborne in earlier rounds, he narrowly lost in the final toPaul Nicholson 13–11. This was his third PDC Premier event final without victory.[48] King also reached the last 16 in the2010 UK Open, losing 8–9 toGary Anderson. King hit his second televised nine-dart finish during the match.[49]
King started the 2010 Premier League with wins over James Wade andAdrian Lewis. His first loss of the season came inBelfast as he lost 6–8 toRonnie Baxter. His rivalry with Phil Taylor continued in Manchester, where King recorded a 7–7 draw.[50] King lost his last three round-robin matches to Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and Simon Whitlock, but he still made it to the semi-finals for the second consecutive year, again finishing 4th in the table. He finished on the same number of points as Baxter, but qualified due to a better leg difference. Just like in the previous year, he played against Taylor in the semi-final. This time, Taylor resoundingly won 8–1, averaging 107.98 in the process[51] Despite losing badly against Taylor, King beat Whitlock in the third-place play-off.
King went into the2011 World Championship ranked 6th in the PDC Order of Merit.[52] His World Championship campaign was ended in the second round, where he was beaten 3–4 byAndy Smith. After the World Championship, King dropped out of the automatic qualifying places for the2011 Premier League Darts, and was not awarded a wildcard. His successful streak in thePlayers Championship Finals continued as he again reached the semi-final for the second consecutive year. He lost in the semi-final to Phil Taylor 8–10.[53] He lost in the third round of the2011 UK Open tournament, losing 9–5 toMark Walsh. He qualified for the2011 World Matchplay Darts as the 9th seed.,[54] but lost 6–10 againstJustin Pipe in the first round, reporting a complaint oftennis elbow.[55] At the2011 European Championship, he beat Co Stompé 6–1 in the first round,[56] before losing 3–10 to Taylor in the second round.[57] He also qualified for the2011 Championship League Darts winner's group by beatingSimon Whitlock 6–3 in the final of group five.[58] In the winner's group finished second in the table before losing to Paul Nicholson in the semi-final.[59] At thePlayers Championship Finals in December, he beatColin Lloyd 6–4 to meetPhil Taylor in the second round. King produced his second victory over Taylor in major competitions with an 8–5 win. However, he lost in the quarter-finals to eventual winnerKevin Painter.
King playedGeoff Kime in the first round of the2012 World Championship and outplayed his opponent, winning 3–0 without dropping a leg.[60] However, he was knocked out in the second round for the third successive year as he was beaten 1–4 byMichael van Gerwen.[61] At theUK Open King beat his old BDO rivalTed Hankey and Gareth Cousins, before losing 7–9 to van Gerwen in the last 32.[62] Due to dropping out of the top 16 in the PDC rankings, King was due to play seed Phil Taylor in the first round of the2012 World Matchplay.[63] Despite a strong performance where he hit eight maximums to Taylor's one, King crucially missed three darts to lead the match 9–8 and instead lost 8–10.[64]
At theWorld Grand Prix in October, King reached his first major final in two years. In his first round match againstTerry Jenkins, King survived five missed match darts from his opponent to edge the game 2–1 in sets,[65] and then saw offDave Chisnall (3–1) andRobert Thornton (3–0 in 31 minutes) to meet home favouriteBrendan Dolan in the semi-finals.[66][67] King came back from 0–2 down in the first set to take it and from there was in control of the match as he won 5–2 and metMichael van Gerwen in the final.[68] King led 3–0 and 4–1 in the final, but from there on only won three more legs as he lost the match 4–6. King afterwards admitted he was unhappy with the crowd, as they were loudly booing his starting and finishing doubles, but the £40,000 runner-up prize saw him climb to 13th in the world.[69]
King won all three of his group games at theGrand Slam of Darts, but was defeated byKevin Painter 5–10 in the last 16.[70] After all 33 ProTour events of 2012 had been played, King was 20th on the Order of Merit, comfortably inside the top 32 who qualified for thePlayers Championship Finals.[71] He reached the quarter-finals, where he lost 7–10 toJustin Pipe.[72]
King lost in the first round of the PDC World Championship for the first time in its2013 edition 2–3 toDean Winstanley. The match has been described as a classic with both players missing darts to win before Winstanley took the deciding set 6–4.[73][74] His first final of the year came at the eighthUK Open Qualifier in April, having won seven games including defeats overJames Wade,Wes Newton andRobert Thornton, but he was then whitewashed 0–6 byMichael van Gerwen. He was the seventh seed for theUK Open itself.[75] King reached the final of theAustrian Darts Open by beatingJoe Cullen 6–0 in the quarter-finals with an average of 103.66 andSteve Beaton 6–5 in the semis. He faced van Gerwen once more in the final and was defeated 3–6.[76] He also played van Gerwen in the third round of theUK Open and was defeated 5–9.[77] King's second European Tour final of the year came in September at theGerman Darts Masters where he edged pastPeter Wright 6–5 in the third round, whitewashedJames Wade 6–0 in the quarter-finals and beatWayne Jones 6–4 in the semis. He facedSteve Beaton and with the final on throw with Beaton 4–3 ahead King incredibly burst his score when on 134 as he hit a treble 20 with his last dart instead of a single to leave 40. Beaton replied by finishing 160 and, even though King fought back to take the match into a deciding leg, he never had a dart for the title as Beaton won 6–5.[78] King could not replicate his performances at theWorld Grand Prix from last year as he was defeated 2–0 in sets byWayne Jones in the first round.[79]
King overcameDarin Young andRicky Evans to faceAdrian Lewis in the third round of the2014 World Championship. He lost nine of the first eleven legs and could never recover as he was beaten 4–1 in sets.[80] King's first final of the year came in February at theDutch Darts Masters, but he was defeated 6–4 byMichael van Gerwen whilst averaging 107.40.[81] Despite playing with a bad sciatica in his back, King reached the semi-finals of theUK Open for the first time in his career. He fell 3–0 down to Lewis and was denied a place in the final with a 10–6 defeat.[82] In the first round of theWorld Matchplay, King was 5–4 ahead ofKim Huybrechts and then won five legs in a row to advance 10–4 with an average of 101.06.[83] He could not replicate his form in the next round however, as he averaged 89.59 in a 13–8 loss to Lewis.[84] In September, King ended a run of three defeats in European Tour finals to win theEuropean Darts Grand Prix by beatingMichael Smith 6–5.[85]
In a tight match in the quarter-finals of theWorld Grand Prix, King was defeated in a final leg decider against Van Gerwen as he was unable to checkout 120.[86] He went a stage further at theEuropean Championship, but lost 11–8 toTerry Jenkins.[87] King continued his fine form at theMasters by beatingSimon Whitlock andJustin Pipe and then produced a superb performance to exact revenge over Van Gerwen 11–9 with a 121 finish on the bull. He built on his momentum in the final againstJames Wade to lead 5–0 after the first session with an average of 110 and was also 9–2 in front. Wade rallied to trail 9–6 before a 158 finish from King saw him stand one leg away from his first PDC major title. However, he would miss a total of eight championship darts as Wade completed his comeback with an 11–10 win.[88] The misses didn't seem to affect him at theGrand Slam, as he punished every mistake fromGary Anderson in a second round 10–4 win and then beatStephen Bunting 16–9 to facePhil Taylor in the semi-finals.[89] King couldn't keep pace with Taylor as he fell 12–2 down and, though he briefly rallied, was eliminated 16–9.[90] Taylor also knocked King out of thePlayers Championship Finals, 10–7 in the second round.[91]
King suffered a surprise 3–2 defeat to German teenagerMax Hopp in the first round of the2015 World Championship.[92] He lost 10–3 in the first round of theMasters toJames Wade.[93] King showed his best battling abilities at theUK Open to defeatGary Anderson 9–8 after being 8–4 down and surviving 13 match darts from Anderson.[94] He then overturned an 8–5 deficit against Nathan Derry to win 9–8 and emerged successfully from a deciding leg for the third game in a row by beatingKyle Anderson 9–8 to reach the quarter-finals.[95][96] He metStephen Bunting and the first 12 legs went on throw, before Bunting took four unanswered legs to inflict a 10–6 defeat on King.[97] The rest of 2015 proved to be disappointing for King as he was eliminated at the first round stage of theWorld Matchplay,World Grand Prix,European Championship andPlayers Championship Finals and could not get out of his group at theGrand Slam.[98]
After edging out Russia'sAleksandr Oreshkin 3–2 in the first round of the2016 World Championship, King lost 4–2 toJelle Klaasen in round two.[99] He won through to the semi-finals of theDutch Darts Masters, which included recovering from 5–0 down toBenito van de Pas in the quarters to win 6–5, and was beaten 6–2 byMichael van Gerwen.[100] He lost 9–7 to Van de Pas in the third round of theUK Open.[101] King inflictedJames Wade's first ever first round defeat at theWorld Matchplay by beating him 10–5 and then saw offBrendan Dolan 11–8 to play in the quarter-finals of the event for the first time in seven years.[102] In an extremely tight match he narrowly lost 16–14 toPhil Taylor, with the 16-time world champion stating that it was the best he had seen King play for two or three years.[103] He lost in the opening round of both theWorld Grand Prix andPlayers Championship Finals andJames Wilson edged out King 10–9 in the second round of theEuropean Championship.[104][105]
King was on the brink of being knocked out in the first round of the2017 World Championship as he was 2–0 down in sets toSteve West. In the third set, West was on 36 for the match, but King took out a 136 finish, won the set and levelled the match at 2–2. In the deciding set West missed two match darts and King would win 3–2 and was in tears on stage afterwards.[106][107] In the second roundMichael Smith missed five darts to beat King 4–1. King then hit a match saving 130 checkout to help him close to 3–3 and Smith missed three more match darts in the deciding set, but eventually got over the line to edge King out 4–3.[108] King reached his first final since 2014 at the thirdPlayers Championship and was defeated 6–5 byRob Cross.[109]
At the2018 World Championship, King lost 3–2 in the first round toZoran Lerchbacher.
At the2019 World Championship, King lost 4–2 in the third round toBrendan Dolan.
He reached the quarter-finals of theWorld Matchplay, beating defending championGary Anderson en route, before losing toMichael Smith.
At the2020 World Championship, King lost 4–1 in the third round toSimon Whitlock.
In November he reached his first major final in 6 years at thePlayers Championships Finals, where he eventually lost 11–10 to defending championMichael van Gerwen.
At the2021 World Championship, King lost 4–1 in the fourth round to eventual championGerwyn Price.
At theMasters, he lost 11–8 in the final toJonny Clayton.
At the2022 World Championship, King had his best run since 2009 by beatingRyan Joyce,Steve Lennon andRaymond Smith, but was eventually whitewashed 5–0 in the quarterfinals byJames Wade.
At the2023 World Championship, King began his campaign with a 3–2 win overDanny Baggish, before losing 4–1 to former world championRob Cross in the third round.
After 14 years as aPDC Tour Card holder, King lost his Tour Card at the end of 2024. He attempted to regain it immediately at2025 PDC Q-School but was unsuccessful.[110] He subsequently focused his efforts on thePDC Challenge Tour. He wonthe 11th event with a 5–0 final victory over Henry Coates.[111] King reached two other finals during the season atChallenge Tour 4 and15,[112][113] which led to regular call-ups toPlayers Championship events to cover the absence of Tour Card holders; he reached the quarter-finals ofPlayers Championship 23.[114] King finished the 2025 Challenge Tour season in fourth place on the Order of Merit ranking, which earned him qualification to the2026 PDC World Championship.[115]
Outside of the PDC, King participated in the2025 World Seniors Championship in February, but was eliminated in the first round by Derek Coulson.[116] He also won a week of the MODUS Super Series, a weekly 12-player darts tournament, by defeatingSteve West 4–2 in the final.[117]
King has reached two World Championship finals and four semi-finals since making his debut in the BDO version in1997. He went as far as the semi-final in his debut year, losing to eventual champion Les Wallace. During his run he hit thirty 180s, setting a new record for the tournament at the time.[118] Since switching to the PDC, his best performance came in the2009 World Championship when he reached the semi-final, losing 2–6 to Phil Taylor.[119]
He reached his first BDO World Championship final in2002. He narrowly beat Raymond van Barneveld 5–3 in the quarter-finals.[120] In the semi-finals he convincingly beat Colin Monk 5–1.[121] He lost the final 4–6 to Tony David.[122] King spoke on David's performance congratulating him and commented, "I just wish I could have played half as well as he did."[123]
In2003, King beatSteve Coote,Dennis Harbour and Monk before losing to van Barneveld 5–2 in the semi-finals.[124]
In2004, King again reached the world final. During his run he beatRick Hofstra 3–1,Jarkko Komula 3–2, Ritchie Davies 5–4,Tony O'Shea 5–1, before meetingAndy Fordham in the final. The match ended in a 6–3 victory for Fordham, making it the second time in three years that King had finished runner-up.[125] Again King told of his disappointment commenting "I don't think it was a fantastic game. I just did not turn up".[125]
His last appearance at the BDO World Championship was in2007, where he narrowly lost a semi-final toMartin Adams 5–6.
King's most successful PDC World Championship was in the2009, when he beatMark Walsh andDennis Smith before beatingBarrie Bates 5–2 in the quarter-finals. This run set up a semi-final clash with Phil Taylor. King lost to Taylor 2–6.[35] However, since then he has been knocked out in the second round every year toCo Stompé,Andy Smith andMichael van Gerwen in2010,2011 and2012 respectively.[61][126][127]
King has been the subject of controversy during his career. In 2003 following his semi-final defeat toRaymond van Barneveld, he subsequently blamed the air conditioning being on.[128] The following year in his first round match againstRick Hofstra, when tied at 1–1 in sets, King complained that the length of the oche was not right; the players were forced to leave the stage whilst officials measured, King was incorrect. The players returned with the majority of the crowd against King, though he went on to win the match 3–1.[129]
In the 2010 Grand Slam of Darts, King played then-BDO playerJohn Henderson in his last group game. Despite winning the game 5–4, he exchanged heated words with Henderson towards the end of the match and was visibly unhappy.[130] Whilst refusing to reveal the precise reason to his actions, it was understood through television analysis that King felt Henderson, after having to move across the oche for a better shot with his third dart, had stepped across the oche line and thrown from a closer distance to the board, thus believing he had gained an unfair advantage.[citation needed]
King's father died in September 2010, which King later admitted left him 'devastated', and this led to a loss of form.[131][132] At the2011 PDC World Darts Championship, King's wife cheered him on accompanied by a crown in remembrance of his father.[citation needed]
King is good friends with and lives close to fellow darts playerPeter Wright and they often practise together.[2] He lives in Bradwell in Norfolk. He is also a keen motor enthusiast and revealed that when younger he gave up his chance of becoming a racing driver to continue his fledgling darts career.[citation needed] King currently travels and practises with upcoming darts player and2012 World Youth ChampionJames Hubbard, whom King has described as a player to watch in the future.[133]
During the firstlockdown of theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom in 2020, King undertook work as a delivery driver for online retail companyAmazon,[134] and in 2021 set up a construction company.[135]
In 2025 King was declared insolvent. His financial troubles stemmed from him believing the money he made during his darts career were winnings rather than earnings and exempt from income tax. It was reported that as a consequence, King failed to pay tax correctly for c. 20 years.
| Legend |
|---|
| World Championship (0–2) |
| Winmau World Masters (1–1) |
| World Darts Trophy (0–2) |
| International Darts League (1–1) |
| Zuiderduin Masters (1–3) |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score[N 1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1996 | Zuiderduin Masters |  Martin Adams | 2–4 (s) |
| Runner-up | 2. | 2000 | Winmau World Masters | John Walton | 2–3 (s) |
| Runner-up | 3. | 2002 | World Championship |  Tony David | 4–6 (s) |
| Runner-up | 4. | 2002 | Zuiderduin Masters | Tony David | 4–6 (s) |
| Runner-up | 5. | 2003 | International Darts League |  Raymond van Barneveld | 5–8 (s) |
| Runner-up | 6. | 2003 | World Darts Trophy | Raymond van Barneveld | 2–6 (s) |
| Runner-up | 7. | 2003 | Zuiderduin Masters | Raymond van Barneveld | 1–6 (s) |
| Runner-up | 8. | 2004 | World Championship | Andy Fordham | 3–6 (s) |
| Winner | 1. | 2004 | Winmau World Masters | Tony O'Shea | 7–6 (s) |
| Winner | 2. | 2005 | International Darts League | Tony O'Shea | 13–11 (s) |
| Runner-up | 9. | 2005 | World Darts Trophy | Gary Robson | 4–6 (s) |
| Winner | 3. | 2005 | Zuiderduin Masters | Martin Adams | 5–4 (s) |
| Legend |
|---|
| World Grand Prix (0–1) |
| Premier League (0–1) |
| Masters (0–2) |
| Players Championship Finals (0–2) |
| Championship League (0–1) |
| Outcome | No. | Year | Championship | Opponent in the final | Score[N 1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 2008 | Championship League | Phil Taylor | 5–7 (l) |
| Runner-up | 2. | 2009 | Premier League | James Wade | 8–13 (l) |
| Runner-up | 3. | 2010 | Players Championship Finals | Paul Nicholson | 11–13 (l) |
| Runner-up | 4. | 2012 | World Grand Prix | Michael van Gerwen | 4–6 (s) |
| Runner-up | 5. | 2014 | Masters | James Wade | 10–11 (l) |
| Runner-up | 6. | 2020 | Players Championship Finals | Michael van Gerwen | 10–11 (l) |
| Runner-up | 7. | 2021 | Masters |  Jonny Clayton | 8–11 (l) |
BDO
| Tournament | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDO Ranked televised events | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BDO World Championship | Did not qualify | SF | 2R | 1R | QF | 2R | F | SF | F | 2R | 2R | SF | |||||||||||||||||||||
| International Darts League | Not held | F | SF | W | RR | RR | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Darts Trophy | Not held | 2R | F | SF | F | QF | SF | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Masters | 3R | 4R | 1R | 4R | QF | SF | F | 4R | 4R | QF | W | 4R | 2R | PDC | |||||||||||||||||||
| Finder Darts Masters | Not held | RR | QF | F | F | SF | W | NH | PDC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year-end ranking | - | - | - | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
PDC
| Tournament | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDC Ranked televised events | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PDC World Championship | BDO | 2R | SF | 2R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 3R | 1R | 2R | 2R | 1R | 3R | 3R | 4R | QF | 3R | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||
| UK Open | 6R | 3R | 3R | 5R | 3R | 4R | 3R | SF | QF | 3R | 3R | 5R | 5R | 4R | 4R | 4R | 5R | 6R | DNP | ||||||||||||||||
| World Matchplay | QF | 1R | SF | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | QF | 1R | 1R | QF | DNQ | 1R | Did not qualify | |||||||||||||||||||
| World Grand Prix | 2R | SF | 2R | 1R | 1R | F | 1R | QF | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | QF | 2R | 2R | Did not qualify | |||||||||||||||||||
| European Championship | NH | 1R | QF | 1R | 2R | 1R | 2R | SF | 2R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | Did not qualify | |||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam of Darts[nb 1] | 2R | SF | 2R | 2R | RR | 2R | 2R | SF | RR | Did not qualify | RR | Did not qualify | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Players Championship Finals | Not held | QF | F | SF | QF | QF | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 2R | 2R | QF | F | 1R | 1R | DNQ | 1R | DNQ | ||||||||||||||||
| PDC Non-ranked televised events | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Premier League Darts | DNP | F | SF | Did not participate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Masters[nb 2] | Not held | 1R | F | 1R | Did not qualify | F | 1R | Did not qualify | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Series of Darts Finals | Not held | Did not qualify | QF | Did not qualify | DNP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PDC Past major events | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Las Vegas Desert Classic | 2R | QF | QF | Not held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Masters of Darts | SF | Not held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship League Darts | NH | F | SF | RR | SF | RR | RR | Not held | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year-end ranking | 25 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 28 | 63 | 73 | |||||||||||||||||
PDC European Tour
| Season | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | ADO 1R | GDC QF | EDO SF | GDM 1R | DDM 2R | ||||||||
| 2013 | UKM 2R | EDT 2R | EDO 3R | ADO F | GDT 1R | GDC 2R | GDM F | DDM 3R | |||||
| 2014 | GDC 3R | DDM F | GDM 2R | ADO 2R | GDT 2R | EDO 3R | EDG W | EDT 2R | |||||
| 2015 | GDC 3R | GDT QF | GDM 2R | DDM QF | IDO 2R | EDO 3R | EDT QF | EDM 3R | EDG 3R | ||||
| 2016 | DDM SF | GDM DNQ | GDT 3R | EDM 2R | ADO 1R | EDO DNQ | IDO DNQ | EDT 1R | EDG DNQ | GDC 1R | |||
| 2017 | GDC 2R | GDM 2R | GDO 3R | EDG 1R | GDT DNQ | EDM 3R | ADO QF | EDO F | DDM 2R | GDG 2R | IDO 3R | EDT 2R | |
| 2018 | EDO QF | GDG 2R | GDO QF | ADO 3R | EDG 2R | DDM 3R | GDT 2R | DDO QF | EDM 2R | GDC 2R | DDC 3R | IDO 2R | EDT 2R |
| 2019 | EDO 2R | GDC 3R | GDG DNQ | GDO DNQ | ADO 2R | EDG 2R | DDM QF | DDO 1R | CDO QF | Did not qualify | |||
| 2020 | BDC QF | GDC SF | EDG 2R | IDO DNQ | |||||||||
| 2021 | HDT DNQ | GDT 2R | |||||||||||
| 2022 | IDO 2R | Did not qualify | DDC QF | EDM 1R | HDT DNQ | GDO DNQ | BDO 2R | GDT DNQ | |||||
| 2023 | Did not qualify | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | BDO DNQ | GDG DNQ | IDO 1R | Did not qualify | |||||||||
PDC Players Championships
| Performance Table Legend | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | Won the tournament | F | Finalist | SF | Semifinalist | QF | Quarterfinalist | #R RR Prel. | Lost in # round Round-robin Preliminary round | DQ | Disqualified |
| DNQ | Did not qualify | DNP | Did not participate | WD | Withdrew | NH | Tournament not held | NYF | Not yet founded | ||
| Date | Opponent | Tournament | Method | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 September 2009[41][155] | James Wade | South African Masters | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | £10,000 |
| 5 June 2010[156][157] |  Gary Anderson | UK Open | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | £5,000 |