| Kirk Shepherd
It is one of the most amazing sports stories of the decade and it became a darting dream that gripped the nation for ten dramatic days at the Alexandra Palace!
A virtual unknown by the name of Kirk Shepherd – a 21-year-old qualifier from Kent – stunned the darts world with a rollercoaster ride that only dreams are made of, as he reached the final of the 2008 Ladbrokes.com World Championship.
Now he is one of the most recognisable faces in the sport that has become his passion and his profession. After his incredible run to the World Final, the first thing that Shepherd did was to quit his £8,000 a year job as a sheet metal worker in his home town of Ramsgate in Kent!
£50,000 richer from his Ally Pally prize money, promoted to ‘Contender’ by Unicorn, a new three-year deal with the biggest darts manufacturer in the world and other sponsors knocking at his door, life has certainly dramatically changed for the youngster who came so close to being crowned World Champion.
And what a story it’s been!
Shepherd is now in the top 25 in the world rankings and is much in demand, with the phone ringing off the hook and the exhibition requests building up.
"It has been an unbelievable experience," he admitted. "And it has taken some time for it all to sink in but I now have to knuckle down and kick on from here and prove that Kirk Shepherd isn’t just a one-hit wonder."
It was American artist Andy Warhol who coined the now famous phrase about everybody having their “15 minutes of fame."
“That won’t happen with me!" said a confident Shepherd. “I have belief in my ability and I know the doubters will say my achievement at the World Championship was a one-off but I have my feet on the ground and I will succeed!"
He added: “Don’t judge me over a few weeks, judge me over the next couple of years!"
“I think I will only get better. I know people may disagree but the great motivation is to prove something to myself and prove the critics wrong."
Shepherd’s dream was eventually shattered by John Part in the final on New Year’s Day, 2008, as the Canadian claimed a third World Championship crown – winning the final by 7 sets to 2.
But it was an amazing adventure!
Shepherd certainly enjoyed having Lady Luck by his side as well…..In the 1st Round, Terry Jenkins missed seven darts to beat him…..in the 2nd Round, Mick McGowan missed four darts for the match! The 21-year-old had it a little easier in the 3rd Round, beating Barrie Bates 4-2 and the drama continued to unfold in the quarter-finals.
Peter Manley was the fourth consecutive Team Unicorn opponent and in the final set, he missed two match darts to beat Shepherd! Manley actually led by 2 legs to nil in the final set, before Shepherd stormed back to win four legs on the spin and win it in the tie-break.
In a nail-biting semi-final, Shepherd found himself 3 sets to 1 in front against Wayne Mardle, only for ‘Hawaii 501’ to find some form and go 4-3 ahead. But Mardle lost his nerve with the finishing line in sight and Shepherd showed remarkable maturity for his age and clinched his history-making place in the final.
“Sadly, I saved my worst performance for the biggest match of my life," Kirk admitted. “Take nothing away from John, because he played superbly but I let myself down."
The aim during 2008 is to force his way into the top 16 in the PDC Order of Merit and he should achieve his goal with plenty to spare.
His brilliant run at the World Championship also earned him the title of PDC Young Player of the Year and he has also won a place for at least the next two years, at the Grand Slam of Darts.
Sensibly, Shepherd has invested the vast majority of his £50,000 cheque from the Alexandra Palace, as he looks to the future on and off the oche.
Shepherd actually served an impressive apprenticeship in the BDO – winning a string of junior titles.
He was crowned World Youth Master in 2003, won the British Teenage Open twice and was named BDO Young Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006. It has been a rapid rise.
He started playing darts aged just nine – following in the footsteps of dad Keith – and it all went from there for the Ramsgate youngster.
As a 15-year-old, he won the Blackpool Open – beating Terry Jenkins and Darren Webster along the way…..that gave him the belief to give the sport a chance. In 2005, he beat former BDO No.1 Gary Anderson on his way to the Gold Cup Final, where he lost to Welshman Derek Williams.
His girlfriend Emma and mum and dad (Debbie and Keith) were at the World Championship for every second of Kirk’s magical journey…..now he has to kick on and start to make a big impression on the PDC Pro Tour over the next couple of years.
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