| Russ
Bray
He has one of the most recognisable voices in the world of
darts and now 'The Voice' is part of the most
recognisable brand in the world of darts. Top referee Russ
Bray is Team Unicorn's latest big-name signing.
His familiar gravel tones are known worldwide and Unicorn
will be producing a special range of Russ Bray products to
mark the new tie-up.
The cry of "game on" and the shout of "one
hundred and eighty" have made Russ a household name.
He is highly respected as a referee all over the world and
is hugely popular with darts fans wherever he goes.
It is by a strange twist of fate that Bray came to the job
that has made him the man he is today. "It's all
about being in the right place at the right time," he
admitted.
Russ used to throw a mean dart or two. He was a county standard
player with Hertfordshire for many years and actually played
the professional circuit.
"I really enjoyed that time and won a couple of tournaments.
Eric Bristow and I won the Finland and Norway Pairs Titles
and it was a lot of fun. I have to be honest though and admit
I wasn't quite good enough to go all the way to the
top."
He stumbled into calling and refereeing by accident. Russ
explains: "At one of the county matches, the caller
didn't turn up. I stepped in, people like what they
heard and it all went from there."
In 1996, Russ contacted the PDC to see if they wanted a reserve
referee to support the experienced Freddie Williams and Bruce
Spendley. He was given a trial at the World Matchplay Championships
in Blackpool.
He takes up the story: "It was unbelievable because
my first ever match featured the great John Lowe. It gave
me a real buzz. I thought it had all gone well and they gave
me a job! My first tournament, as part of the team, was the
1997 World Championships at the Circus Tavern and to be honest,
I've never looked back."
It is certainly a pressure job in front of packed houses
and a huge live TV audience on Sky Sports but Russ takes it
all in his stride.
"The maths are second nature. It is just like riding
a bike! Sometimes though, it can go wrong!"
"At the World Championships a few years ago, I made
a complete mess of calling a throw from Colin Lloyd. I got
it wrong, then got it wrong again, before finally getting
it right! Colin saw the funny side and the crowd were laughing
as well. Somebody wanted to give me their glasses!"
The distinctive sound of 'The Voice' has brought
him a new following. He now does a lot of voice-over work.
Russ has also appeared in TV programmes like Eastenders, Family
Affairs and Little Britain. He has also made his acting debut
on the big screen, appearing in a film called 'Heartlands'.
Russ has taken charge of the top matches all over the world,
as darts continues to spread its wings. He is also very much
in demand for exhibitions and does a lot of work in Holland
with the likes of John Part, Peter Manley, Andy Fordham and
Daryl Fitton.
"I get a huge amount of enjoyment out of what I do
and the deal with Unicorn is the icing on the cake for me,"
he said.
So, what about the best moments of his career? "The
number one for me just has to be back in July 2002. Phil Taylor's
history-making moment, when he became the first player to
nail a 9-dart finish on live TV. He was playing Chris Mason
at the World Matchplay Championships and to call that in was
just amazing."
" There are three matches which really stand out for
me. John Part's epic victory over Phil Taylor in the
World Championship Final. Another game involving Taylor, also
at the Circus Tavern, when he beat John Lowe 3-1 but it was
a lot closer than that and there were 17 maximum's in
the match. The standard was mind-blowing. Finally, Andy Jenkins
against Steve Coote at the Las Vegas Desert Classic in 2004.
It just sticks in the memory bank, because the quality of
darts from both players, was fantastic."
Russ has seen so many players come and go over the years,
so we asked him who he thinks are the stars of the future.
He didn't hesitate : " James Wade and Adrian
Lewis both have immense natural talent. As far as I'm
concerned, it wouldn't surprise me if we saw a Lewis/Wade
World Championship Final in the very near future."
Both Wade and Lewis are part of Unicorn's Team of stars.
Russ Bray is the latest to join the number one brand in the
world of darts.
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