‘I won’t forget it’ – Darts prospect Bradley Brooks on taking on Rovers star Bradley Dack at darts

RISING darts prospect Bradley Brooks will soon be taking on the best in the business after achieving his PDC tour card.

But sharing the oche with Rovers star Bradley Dack was something the 17-year-old says he won’t ever forget.

The Rovers season-ticket holder was invited to the club’s training base at Brockhall to take on Dack over three legs of 501. 

While Dack is more a fan of spectating than playing, he held his own with some steady arrows, but nothing that troubled the talented teenager who eased to a 3-0 victory.

Dack has enjoyed a terrific start to life at Rovers, scoring 12 times (or double six to be precise), but what about his darts skills?

After some contemplation, and keen not to offend one of his heroes, Brooks gave him a score of five out of 10.

“I really enjoyed it – he should stick to football because he’s a lot better at that, but better at darts than I expected!” Brooks said.

“It means a lot playing him and I won’t forget it, I really enjoyed it.”

Brooks came through qualifying school in Wigan last month and will now compete against the likes of Michael Van Gerwen and Rob Cross on the professional stage.

Nicknamed ‘Blackburn Boy’, Brooks came through a field of more than 500 players and won eight matches to earn his place on tour.

But despite the pressure he was facing, and the potential prize at stake, he couldn’t stop himself from constantly checking his phone for updates of how Rovers were getting on in their match at Fleetwood on the same day as he clinched his card. A 2-1 win sent Rovers in to the top two, while Brooks achieved an objective of his own,

As for what his future holds, he said: “Hopefully I can maybe make a TV appearance but I want to just go out there, enjoy it, and see what happens.

“I’m not putting any pressure on myself.

“In the next two years I’ve got to get myself in to the top 64 in the world otherwise you have to go back to Q school.

“Hopefully I can do that and manage to keep hold of my card.

“I’ve got a bit of time to settle in, get used to the standard.”

The level of competition is likely to be sterner than the one posed by Dack but Brooks is backing the 24-year-old and his Rovers teammates to achieve their promotion aim this season.

And Dack admitted he was outclassed by the teenager at the oche.

The Rovers ace said: “I found out that Brad was coming down a couple of weeks ago.

“He’s done really well to get where he is now and it’s nice for him to come down and hopefully I gave him a good game.

“I’ve been a couple of times (to the darts) and it’s enjoyable to go.

“I’ve been there in fancy dress and enjoy a game.

“If there is a dart board and a few darts about I will always have a throw.

“He’s way too good for me, but it was good and nice to have him down.”

Brooks, who played in the local leagues, impressed on the Challenge Tour before winning a tour card and he now faces the challenge of trying to break in to the top 64. 

On coming through the competitive qualifying school programme the darting starlet added: “The first couple of days I put some pressure on myself but the last day I needed a really good one so I just relaxed and everything happened.

“I hit the doubles at the right times.

“It was good, but tiring. People don’t realise it but trying to stay concentrated over four days is tough.

“You have to be really focussed in this game and it can take it out of you.

“I played really well on the Challenge Tour which is a really good standard but playing against the likes of van Gerwen is completely different.

“I’m going to have to put the hours in on the practice board to get better.”

A breakthrough year on the professional circuit, and a Rovers promotion, would certainly be the perfect checkout.