Interview: How Dean took a long shot and hit the bullseye

Growing up in a darts-loving family in South Yorkshire, he knew he loved the sport but had never had the chance to pit himself against truly great throwers.

But then a loan from a friend escalated into a whirlwind of international competitions, unforeseen success and, to top it all, last Sunday, a spot in the final of the greatest darts competition of them all – the BDO World Championship at Lakeside, Surrey.

Although Winstanley narrowly lost out on scooping the crown, losing 7-5 to defending champion Martin Adams, he came away with a 30,000 cheque and new-found international renown.

The 29-year-old, who lives in Conisbrough, Doncaster, admits to being flattered, if surprised, by his overnight success.

He said: "The feeling of hearing hundreds of people shouting 'Deano' – it's absolutely brilliant.

"If I'm out and about people might say my name and I just say 'cheers, pal'.

"It's nice to be in the public eye, to have people know you and be proud of you for something that you've done."

Winstanley's talent for throwing can be traced back to the living room at his family home in Swinton, in the Dearne Valley, where as a toddler he stayed up past his bedtime to watch darts highlights on the television.

His parents Earnest and Althea are both keen darts players and encouraged their son when he picked up a set of arrows himself at the tender age of just two.

"My family always played, it was in my blood", he said.

"My mum and dad loved darts before I was even a twinkle.

"My dad used to play when I was little and I can remember it perfectly, watching it on the television. I'd stand on the settee and copy the darts players on the TV."

The pair would watch as greats such as Eric Bristow and Jocky Wilson took to the oche, and then practice themselves on a dartboard in the living room.

But what could have been a stellar career almost dwindled for good when a teenage Winstanley abandoned the dartboard for playing out on the streets.

He said: "I packed it in when I was 12 because I knew what playing out was with my friends.

"I didn't play at all for nine years. But then when I was 22 and working down in London I saw a dartboard in a pub and decided to pick up some darts, to see if I still had it.

"It looked like I did, so I started playing in a pub in London. One of my friends down there said his father, Mick Prince, played darts and, when I went home, I should go and play for his pub team at the Station Hotel in Conisbrough.

"Then, when I came back up north, I started playing in leagues around Conisbrough and Doncaster. The Station Hotel is where my darts career properly started."

Winstanley's performances in the Doncaster and District Darts League saw him selected for the Yorkshire county side.

But a taste of success had by now reignited his childhood dreams and he wondered if there was a chance bigger and better things could be in store.

"I said to Mick that I fancied a shot at the big boys", he said.

"He lent me 500 in February 2009 to go and have a try, as he believed I could do it.

"He drove me to a couple of competitions, in Wales and in Scotland. I came away from those and thought I was ready for it, I wanted to try it.

"I sat back for a couple of months to save some money, and then went over to Holland in March last year, tried playing some games over there to make a couple of quid."

The frustration of missing out on qualifying for a place in the BDO World Championship last year, by 12 points, was well and truly abated this year, when Winstanley was seeded three for the tournament.

In the final, Winstanley fought back to 2-2 after Adams took a two-set lead, and then pulled 4-3 ahead.

In a nailbitingly close match, the score continued to 5-5 before third-time champion Adams finished the 7-5 victor.

Winstanley said: "This year I was lucky enough to get a sponsor and he got me to Lakeside. It's an unbelievable feeling to go in as number three in the world.

"I'm disappointed I didn't win, but it's amazing to get as far as I did the first time I was there.

"I have to let Mick take all the credit, he believed in me. He wouldn't even let me give him the 500 back, he just let me buy him a drink and he's happy with that.

"He thinks of me as his understudy. He's a great guy, a top bloke in this world."

Now, with 30,000 to top up his bank balance, Winstanley is planning what to do with his career.

He said: "I've been a machine driver for years now – that's my job – but now I need to make the decision as to whether I go as a professional darts player or do it for myself.

"If I go professional it's the public that's paying your wages with exhibitions in local pubs, clubs, that sort of thing. But darts is a risk.

"There's always the chance that there'll be another player coming up from nowhere, like me, who would take me clean out."

He added: "Darts is about having the guts to spend a few hundred pounds on going to play across the world. So far I've been to Turkey, Germany, Belgium, all over the place, and next up I'm going to Romania as a guest at an exhibition there.

"I've always worked and I've always funded it myself. Now a sponsor has come along it takes that weight off your shoulders."

Another priority will be blowing some of his winnings on presents for the five children Winstanley and his long-term partner Deborah Siddons have between them – Ryan, 16, Connor, 13, Keira and Charlie, both eight, and seven-year-old Chelsea.

"I wonder what I could have done, if I'd been playing for those 10 years", he said.

"But then I wouldn't want to change how things have turned out. It's been a real whirlwind."

Competing on a world stage

Dean Winstanley, nicknamed "Over The Top", has managed to bag an impressive clutch of titles in the short time he's been playing darts professionally.

He is currently the reigning German Open men's singles champion, England Open singles and pairs champion and Belgium Open singles and pairs champion, after enjoying by far his most successful year to date.

While getting his career off the ground in 2010, he was also runner-up in both the England Masters men's singles and the Turkish Open men's pairs. However, he also remains a proud Yorkshire county player and steps up to the oche for a number of local teams, including Hickleton Village Hall.